Contemporaneous peer effects,career age and the industry involvement of academics in biotechnology

This study explores the role of contemporaneous peer effects in driving an academic's involvement with industry. Specifically, we examine the influence of workplace peers and personal collaborators and how these effects are moderated by the career age of the scientist. Moreover, we look at situations in which both types of social influence are incongruent and the academic is faced with “dissonance”. Based on survey data of 355 German academics in the field of biotechnology and publication data from the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), we find that the scientist's involvement with industry increases with the orientation of the scientist's department toward industry (“localized peer effect”). This effect turns out to be moderated by the scientist's age, such that the localized peer effect decreases with age and finally turns negative for very senior scientists. Moreover, we find that a scientist's involvement increases with the industry orientation of the scientist's co-authors (“personal peer effect”), irrespective of the scientist's age. In case both types of social influence are incongruent, younger scientists will revert to localized norms while more experienced scientists will orient themselves more toward their personal collaborators.     

突发事件网络舆情社会影响研究

为分析突发事件网络舆情的社会影响,以系列砍人事件为案例,在概念界定基础上,将网络舆情的社会影响分解为正向影响与负向影响、强影响与弱影响、态度影响与行为影响等形态,指出网络舆情社会影响的发生是不同群体谋求报复最大化或损伤最小化等理性计算的结果,认为突发事件网络舆情社会影响的呈现会带来族群裂痕、事件类化、行为同化等负面后果,提出应通过政府微型治理、媒体审慎报道、民众自我反思等方式消解其负面影响。     

Rethinking Learner Support: The challenge of collaborative online learning

The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) as an integral part of the design of distance taught courses raises interesting challenges to our thinking about course design and learner support. These have typically been conceptualised as two complementary but distinct systems in distance education, characterised by different practices often carried out by different groups of staff. Where CMC is designed as an integral part of the course, with collaborative learning as essential to assessment and study, this separation breaks down. The design of online activities is integral to both learner support and the course content, with new possibilities for open and distance learning as a result. Where the learning group itself is a resource for study and personal development, it also becomes feasible to orientate courses and programmes towards local teams and communities. Online tutors play a key role and need to develop 'the technology of conversation' and expertise in the design of activities, as part of their facilitator role.     

Environmental Education Through Narrative Films: Impact of Medicine Man on Attitudes Toward Forest Preservation

Narrative film is a multimodal, multisensual, and universal medium that has potential to reach and influence a wide range of people regarding environmental issues. The author conducted an experiment to explore the impact of film portrayals of deforestation among college students. One-hundred eighty-one undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Experimental and Control Conditions. Students in the experimental condition watched the movie Medicine Man portraying the issue of deforestation, whereas those in the control condition watched an unrelated movie with a similar length. Participants in both conditions then completed a self-administered questionnaire that contained the measure of attitudes toward forest preservation. The results indicated that participants in the experimental condition became more favorable toward the preservation of forests (i.e., unfavorable toward deforestation) than did those in the control condition. Regression analysis also revealed that perceived realism regarding the movie and role affinity with native people portrayed in the movie were significant predictors for the attitudes toward forest preservation.     

元江流域种子植物区系组成的纬度分布格局

本研究利用大尺度的物种分布信息和植物区系信息,结合二元相关性分析,探讨了元江流域种子植物区系成分的总体构成和纬度分布格局。结果表明,研究区域共拥有种子植物5149种,分属于241科,1585属,是部分科、属在云南地区,甚至在中国的重要分布中心。在科水平上,泛热带成分（T2）所占比重较大（45.4%）,其次为世界分布成分（T1）（22.4%）。在属水平上,所占比重较大的是热带亚洲成分（T7）（23.2%）和泛热带成分（T2）（18%）。且在科、属水平上,热带区系成分所占比重均在70%左右,温带区系成分比重在30%左右,表现出明显的热带区系性质,这可能与其处于低纬度、低海拔地区并紧邻古热带植物区系等有关。研究结果也表明,随着纬度的升高,温、热带区系成分比重分别呈递增和递减的趋势,这可能与环境梯度的纬度变化有关。同时,这也可能与元江流域在植物区系迁移过程中所发挥的＂通道效应＂有关。     

云南山地民族社区环境异质性与土地利用及其生态学效应

环境异质性与土地利用/覆被变化及其生态效应研究是景观生态学研究中的前沿性课题。为揭示云南山区环境异质性与土地利用及其生态效应之间的相互关系,采用生态学和民族学等学科交叉研究的方法,以云南山区少数民族行政村为研究对象,以遥感、地理信息系统和全球定位系统（3S）技术为平台,对直苴村的海拔、坡度、坡向、土壤类型与土地利用及其生态学效应等方面进行研究。结果表明：直苴村环境异质性直接或间接地影响着区域土地利用方式,并产生一系列的生态学效应。研究为云南山区建立资源节约型和环境友好型社区提供科学依据和基础数据,同时进行相关的理论探索,为建设和谐的社会主义新农村服务。     

Elaborating Differential Impact of Media Exposure on Perceptions of Police Between Criminal Justice Majors and Non-Criminal Justice Majors

Abstract

Researchers have argued that media exposure involving criminal justice can influence perceptions of police, but empirical research is decidedly mixed. Additionally, some scholars argue that media effects depend on audience characteristics. However, the moderating role of academic major remains unexplored. Using a laboratory-style randomized experiment (N?=?270), the current study examines the impact of media exposure that contains conflicting images of the police on perceptions of police and if this effect varies depending on academic majors by performing a series of paired t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, and a mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance. Findings show that exposure to mixed images of the police dampens confidence in the police, but this effect is pronounced among non-CJ majors compared to CJ majors. Expanding our knowledge base in differential media effects between CJ majors and non-CJ majors can offer useful insights into future CJ curricula.     

A Specification Error Test That Uses Instrumental Variables to Detect Latent Quadratic and Latent Interaction Effects

The relations between the latent variables in structural equation models are typically assumed to be linear in form. This article aims to explain how a specification error test using instrumental variables (IVs) can be employed to detect unmodeled interactions between latent variables or quadratic effects of latent variables. An empirical example is presented, and the results of a simulation study are reported to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the test and compare it with the commonly employed chi-square model test. The results show that the proposed test can identify most unmodeled latent interactions or latent quadratic effects in moderate to large samples. Furthermore, its power is higher when the number of indicators used to define the latent variables is large. Altogether, this article shows how the IV-based test can be applied to structural equation models and that it is a valuable tool for researchers using structural equation models.     

Denying Traditional Senses: lessons about programme change

Abstract

Today, faculty are being challenged to rethink their course and programme offerings, and to bring them in line with the diverse needs of a new student population. In doing so, they are continually asked to confront their ‘traditional senses’ about teaching. This paper reports the struggles of faculty to build new notions about teachings, and learning styles and strategies as they recreated the real estate programme at Arizona State University. It then draws from their experience, certain lessons about programme change.