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Qualifications
Kinds of Qualifications Terms modified by Qualifications Selected AbstractsBROKERAGE QUALIFICATIONS IN RINGING OPERATIONS,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 1 2008CARLO MORSELLI Brokers are fundamental for maintaining flexibility in the networks that embed criminal activities. Our study aims at offering more precision on this key issue by examining the impact that brokers may have on crime-commission processes. To do so, we analyze two stolen-vehicle exportation (or ringing) operations within a framework that merges crime-script analysis and social-network analysis. We assess how diverse degrees of brokerage are distributed across the ringing operations and how the removal of key brokers would have had a disruptive impact by reducing the scope of alternatives for crime-script permutation and flexibility. [source] In Australia, Between America and Europe, Beaux Arts and Modernism, Scholarship and Qualification: The Melbourne University Architectural Atelier, 1919,1947JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2005JULIE WILLIS The role of architectural education in facilitating the international flow of ideas and developing the local profession during the interwar period is relatively underexplored. In Australia, the Melbourne University Architectural Atelier (1919,1947) was instrumental in introducing foreign methodologies while promoting a locally inflected paradigm of modern architecture. Based initially on the Ecole des Beaux Arts, the atelier's emphasis on composition and form, rather than a single accepted architectural style, fostered a culture of experimentation among Australian architects. But its focus on scholarship instead of professional qualification led to its eventual demise, highlighting the complex relationship between global design culture and local architectural practice. [source] Qualification and Quantification of Fish Protein in Prepared Surimi CrabstickJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008Z.H. Reed ABSTRACT:, Species identification and protein quantification in surimi crabstick were achieved using sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). When the Lowry and Kjeldahl protein determination methods were compared, the former showed more consistent results. Densitometric scanning of the gels was used for quantification of total fish protein as well as total egg white protein. The lower molecular weight proteins, 30 kDa and lower, proved to be the most useful in fish species identification as well as egg white protein addition. Using a combination of the myosin heavy chain band and the species-specific myosin light chain (Alaska pollock: 22.5 kDa; Pacific whiting: 24.4 kDa) proved the most accurate in calculating fish protein content of the crabstick sample, while for those samples that contained egg white, quantification was accomplished from the densitometric analysis of the overlapping bands of actin (45 kDa) from fish and ovalbumin from egg white. Lysozyme (14.3 kDa) proved to be a unique protein band in determining the presence of egg white when the content of dried egg white was equal to or exceeded 0.5% of the total weight of the final crabstick. [source] Interior Design in K-12 Curricula: asking the ExpertsJOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 3 2007Stephanie A. Clemons Ph.D. ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess how interior design content areas (subject matter) could be introduced and integrated into elementary and secondary (K-12) grade levels in support of national academic education standards. Although the minimum standards have been developed for entry level interior designers (Council for Interior Design Accreditation [CIDA] Standards, adopted 2002) and beyond (National Council for Interior Design Qualification [NCIDQ]), a gap exists in the interior design education continuum from "kindergarten to career." Between June 2001 to April 2002, in order to understand perceptions of experts in interior design and elementary and secondary education, focus group sessions and personal interviews were conducted with interior design educators and practitioners, K-12 teachers (elementary, junior high, and high school levels), national standards curriculum specialists (local and state levels), and school-to-career curriculum specialists. The goal of the study was to develop a framework that could guide the integration of interior design content into K-12 levels. This paper reports the findings from the focus groups and proposes a framework that could guide the national integration of interior design content into grades K-12, support national academic standards, and suggest possible channels of dissemination for developed interior design curriculum materials. [source] Digital artifacts as quasi-objects: Qualification, mediation, and materialityJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2009Hamid R. Ekbia Digital artifacts have novel properties that largely derive from the processes that mediate their creation, and that can be best understood by a close examination of such processes. This paper introduces the concept of "quasi-object" to characterize these objects and elucidate the activities that comprise their mediations. A case study of "bugs" is analyzed to illustrate exemplary activities of justification, qualification, and binding in the process of bug fixing in Free/Open Source Software development. The findings of the case study lead to broader reflections on the character of digital artifacts in general. The relationship of "quasi-object" to other similar concepts are explored. [source] PhD Graduates with Post-doctoral Qualification in the Private Sector: Does It Pay Off?LABOUR, Issue 3 2007Isabelle Recotillet Post-doctoral training was initially developed for PhD graduates wishing to embark on a career in the public sector. However, a large proportion of post-doctorate graduates turn to the private sector, and in particular to occupations that do not involve research. The question we raise is that of the wage premium on post-doctoral training. To control for selection bias arising in the case where unobservable elements are correlated between participation and wages, we first estimate a treatment effect model. The main finding is that when selection bias is not controlled for, post-doctoral participation increases earnings; however, when selection bias is controlled for, the participation in a post-doctoral programme has no positive effect. With regards to this finding we show that post-doctoral programmes play much more the role of a signal in the first stage of a career. This finding is also reinforced when we use a bivariate selection rule to control for the endogenous nature of having been recruited in the private sector. [source] Quantification, Qualification and Context A Reply to Stanley and SzabóMIND & LANGUAGE, Issue 2-3 2000Kent Bach First page of article [source] Accelerated Reliability Qualification in Automotive TestingQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2004Alex Porter Abstract Products must come to market quickly, be more reliable and cost less. The problem is that statistical measures take time. There is a clear need for actionable information about the robustness or durability of a product early in the development process. In a Failure Mode Verification Test (FMVT), the analysis is not statistical but is designed to check two assumptions. First, that the design is capable of producing a viable product for the environments applied. Second, that a good design and fabrication of the product would last for a long period of time under all of the stresses that it is expected to see and would accumulate stress damage throughout the product in a uniform way. Testing a product in this way leads to three measures of the product's durability: (1) design maturity, the ratio between time to first failure and the average time between failures after the first failure; (2) technological limit, the time under test at which fixing additional failures would not provide a significant improvement in the life of the product; and (3) failure mode histogram, which indicates the repeatability of failures in a product. Using techniques like FMVT can provide a means of breaking the tyranny of statistics over durability and reliability testing in a competitive business climate. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reliability qualification of semiconductor devices based on physics-of-failure and risk and opportunity assessmentQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2002W. H. Gerling Abstract Qualification frequently is a time-critical activity at the end of a development project. As time-to-market is a competitive issue, the most efficient qualification efforts are of interest. A concept is outlined, which proactively integrates qualification into the development process and provides a systematic procedure as a support tool to development and gives early focus on required activities. It converts requirements for a product into measures of development and qualification in combination with a risk and opportunity assessment step and accompanies the development process as a guiding and recording tool for advanced quality planning and confirmation. The collected data enlarge the knowledge database for DFR/BIR (designing for reliability/building-in reliability) to be used for future projects. The procedure challenges and promotes teamwork of all the disciplines involved. Based on the physics-of-failure concept the reliability qualification methodology is re-arranged with regard to the relationships between design, technology, manufacturing and the different product life phases at use conditions. It makes use of the physics-of-failure concept by considering the potential individual failure mechanisms and relates most of the reliability aspects to the technology rather than to the individual product design. Evaluation of complex products using common reliability models and the definition of sample sizes with respect to systematic inherent product properties and fractions of defects are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Securities Regulation Reform and the Decline of Rights OfferingsCANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Issue 2 2001Nancy D. Ursel This paper develops the hypothesis that the decline in the use of rights offerings is due to reductions in issue costs brought about by changes in securities regulation. The hypothesis is tested in two jurisdictions: Canada and the United States. Time series analysis is used to determine if the decreased use of rights offerings in the 1970,1985 period is associated with regulatory changes designed to ease stock issues, such as short form registration and shelf registration in the U.S. and the Prompt Offer Qualification (POP) system in Canada. The findings are consistent with a significant decrease in rights usage concurrent with the earliest reform in each country. Résumé La présente étude avance l'hypothèse que la réduction de l'emploi des droits de souscription est due à la diminution des coûts d'émission permise par les réformes des lois sur les valeurs mobilières. L'hypothèse est testée dans deux juridictions: le Canada et les États-Unis. Nous faisons une analyse de données chronologiques pour déterminer si la réduction du nombre de droits de souscription entre 1970,1985 reflète les réformes des règlements conçues pour diminuer les coûts d'émission, par exemple, aux États-Unis, l'enregistrement simplifié et l'enregistrement préalable et, au Canada, le Régime du prospectus simplifié. Les résultats sont compatibles avec une diminution significative de l'emploi des droits de souscription, dans chaque pays, dès les premières réformes. [source] Audit Qualifications of Income-Decreasing Accounting Choices,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006Frank D. Hodge Abstract In this study we conduct an experiment to examine how qualifying an income-decreasing accounting change in years of strong financial performance affects financial report users' assessments of strategic reporting, current financial performance, and future financial performance (performance over the next three years). We find that without the qualification, users viewed the income-decreasing accounting change as relatively nonstrategic and that user assessments of current and future performance were not different. In the presence of the qualification, users believed that the accounting change was relatively strategic, and they discounted the income effect of the accounting change. We find further that their assessments of future performance were below their assessments of current performance but no different from the assessments of future performance in the absence of the qualification. Although our findings suggest that audit qualifications encourage users to be skeptical of income-decreasing accounting changes, we find no evidence that they impose negative consequences on management in terms of lower assessments of financial performance. [source] Achieving the Lisbon Goal: the contribution of Vocational Education and TrainingEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 3 2005TOM LENEY This article summarises the main conclusions of the ,Maastricht study': Achieving the Lisbon Goal: The Contribution of VET (Leney et al., 2004), which the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), in collaboration with the Institute of Education and other international partners, prepared for the European Commission's DG Education and Culture in 2004. Based on the self-assessment reports prepared by the Directors-General for VET (DGVTs) of 31 European countries, and on independent expert reviews of the national and international literature on VET, the report analysed the contribution of VET to achieving the Lisbon goal and influenced the framing of the Maastricht Communiqué which the European education ministers agreed in December 2004. This summary of the findings of the report is organised under the following sections: 1) The potential of VET as an aspect of European cooperation; 2) The current state of play and progress of VET towards achieving the Lisbon goal; 3) Innovation in VET teaching and learning; and 4) Conclusions. [source] Credits, Qualifications and the Fluttering StandardHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2001Paul H. Bridges The primary function of credit is to help assess the equivalence of learning and to facilitate student transfer within and between institutions. Recently, attention has focused on the role credit may have in defining the academic standards of qualifications. Some recently proposed qualifications frameworks are one-dimensional in that they have levels as the only measurable parameter. Such 'frameworks, are not true frameworks because there is no basis for differentiating the qualifications at each level. Other frameworks are two-dimensional, using credits and levels as the two parameters. Where the award of credit for a module reflects the satisfactory completion of all the designated learning outcomes at a specified level, there is a clear basis for relating credit to academic standards. In this situation, plotting the credit requirements for qualifications onto a framework that comprises levels and credits makes an important contribution towards understanding the relative standards of the qualifications. [source] Minimum and preferred entry qualifications and training provision for North Australian workersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2006Bruce Acutt This paper reports on the outcomes of a replication study of a survey of British employers that requested information on the qualifications sought when recruiting employees and on subsequent training and development. While the British survey was interested in the uptake and use of the British National Vocational Qualifications, the study reported in this article is primarily focused on the uptake and use of the Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications by North Australian employers. This study was prompted by the skills shortages and recruitment difficulties being experienced by organizations throughout rural and regional Australia. Previous studies have found that vocational qualifications were not valued by UK employers and few employers were encouraging employees to undertake vocational awards. If this is also the case in Australia, it may in part explain problems in recruiting skilled workers. This research clearly demonstrates that employees in regional and rural Australia are seeking to improve their knowledge and skills through vocational training and higher education qualifications. Also, employers are providing access to training and are supporting managerial and professional employees to gain higher educational qualifications. When recruiting all types of worker other than unskilled labourers, the majority of organizations prefer to recruit workers with qualifications. In rural and regional centres, however, a more pragmatic stance of recruiting unqualified employees in some areas is observed. Clearly, employers will attempt to minimize training costs by recruiting skilled employees, but in the end they will have to provide access to training and education to ensure that they have a skilled workforce that can deliver essential services and products. [source] Factors Influencing the Choice of Initial Qualifications and Continuing Development in Australia and BritainINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2001Linda Miller This article presents the outcomes of an exploratory study into the factors that influences individuals' choice of different types of qualification at stages throughout their employment history. The survey of individuals in Australia and Britiain sought information on individuals' training and education decisions between school and employment; after gaining employment; and of their future intentions for further study. There were few differences between Australians and British respondents at the school-leaver stage, but once in work differences emerged between the two countries. Few differences were observed between males and females. Comparison of those opting into academic and vocational programmes indicated that those who choose academic programmes are motivated by a cluster of mainly internal factors while those opting for the vocational route were more likely to have been influenced by their manager and the possibility of funding. Implications for the marketing of qualifications are discussed. [source] The consistency of baseline assessment schemes as measures of early literacyJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 2 2004Geoff Lindsay Ninety-one baseline assessment schemes were approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for use by schools for the assessment of all children in England in their first seven weeks in school (age 4 to 5 years). Analysis of the content of a sample of 42 of the schemes (comprising all the schemes supplied in full to the researchers) showed considerable variation both in the level of ability demanded and of the content. This paper examines the range and balance of content across baseline assessment schemes with particular reference to literacy, and particularly writing ability. The implications of the variability demonstrated are considered with reference to the purposes of baseline assessment and to political decisions regarding changes from a system of accreditation of 91 schemes at school entry to a single national scheme at the end of the foundation stage scheme implemented in England from 2003. [source] Verallgemeinerungsfähige Merkmale und Besonderheiten des SprühkompaktierensMATERIALWISSENSCHAFT UND WERKSTOFFTECHNIK, Issue 1 2003K. Bauckhage Sprayforming; Modelling Microstructure; Geometry Abstract Dadurch, daß beim Sprühkompaktieren die schnelle Erstarrung und Abkühlung des Materials das Ausmaß von Entmischungen eindämmen, können Makroseigerungen unterbunden und Anreicherungen an den Korngrenzen deutlich verringert werden. Ferner wird das Risiko der Lunker- und Warmrißbildung durch den Impuls des Massetransportes während des Kompaktiervorganges stark reduziert. Dies bedeutet, daß solche Materialien, die bspw. beim Gießen zu starker Seigerung neigen und besonders anfällig für die Lunkerbildung und/oder Warmrißbildung sind sowie bei Umformverfahren zur Zeilenbildung von Carbiden, Nitriden oder Sulfiden neigen, mit Hilfe des Sprühkompaktierens im Freiformverfahren mit großen Abmaßen chemisch homogen und fehlerfrei herstellbar werden. Ein besonderes Merkmal sprühkompaktierter Deposits ist ihr feines Gefüge und ihre vergleichsweise hohe Duktilität. Die Besonderheiten des neuartigen Urformverfahrens werden anhand von Beispielen erläutert. Characteristic Features and Specific Qualifications of the Sprayforming Process to be Generalized The solidification and cooling process of spray formed materials predominates the extent of any segregation and separation process, which is conducive to avoid macro-segregation and to diminish concentration of alloying components at the grain boundaries. The risk of coarse porosity or of hot cracking is reduced significantly by the momentum of the mass flow during spray deposition. This means that those materials which e.g. during the casting process tend to establish strong segregation effects and cavities and/or hot cracks as well as those which tend to create filaments of carbides, nitrides or sulphides during rolling can be generated by the spray forming process in large dimensions with chemical homogeneity and without any of those defects. A characteristic feature of spray formed materials is the fine equiaxed grain structure and the high ductility. Specific features of this new free forming process will be discussed. [source] The Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications in BritainBULLETIN OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2002Lorraine Dearden This paper uses data from the 1991 sweep of the National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the 1998 Labour Force Survey (LFS) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the labour market returns to academic and vocational qualifications. The results show that the wage premia from academic qualifications are typically higher than from vocational qualifications. However, this gap is reduced somewhat, when we control for the amount of time taken to acquire different qualifications. This is particularly important for vocational courses, which generally take shorter time periods to complete. In the paper we also investigate how returns vary by gender, subsequent qualifications, and the natural ability of individuals. Finally, by comparing the NCDS results with those from the LFS, we estimate the bias that can result from not controlling for factors such as ability, family background and measurement error. The results reveal that the estimated returns in the NCDS equations controlling for ability, family background and measurement error are similar to the simple OLS estimates obtained with the LFS, which do not control for these factors. This suggests that the biases generally offset one another. [source] Audit Qualifications of Income-Decreasing Accounting Choices,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006Frank D. Hodge Abstract In this study we conduct an experiment to examine how qualifying an income-decreasing accounting change in years of strong financial performance affects financial report users' assessments of strategic reporting, current financial performance, and future financial performance (performance over the next three years). We find that without the qualification, users viewed the income-decreasing accounting change as relatively nonstrategic and that user assessments of current and future performance were not different. In the presence of the qualification, users believed that the accounting change was relatively strategic, and they discounted the income effect of the accounting change. We find further that their assessments of future performance were below their assessments of current performance but no different from the assessments of future performance in the absence of the qualification. Although our findings suggest that audit qualifications encourage users to be skeptical of income-decreasing accounting changes, we find no evidence that they impose negative consequences on management in terms of lower assessments of financial performance. [source] Dental therapists' experience in the immediate management of traumatized teethDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Teresa Loh Abstract,,, The optimal immediate management of traumatized teeth is known to be important for long-term success. One hundred and sixty-seven school dental therapists with General Certificate of Education ,Ordinary' (GCE ,O') level qualification were surveyed on their knowledge and experience on immediate management of dental trauma. The results showed only 41.2% felt comfortable with their present knowledge on the subject. A high proportion of the respondents (94.6%) indicated a need for more knowledge. All therapists concurred on the need to replant a permanent tooth and most (85.1%) agreed that this should be done within 30 min. More than half (54.8%) were not sure of the optimal storage medium for avulsed teeth. Their attitude towards acquiring knowledge in this aspect was good (80.5%) and all would take immediate action to settle appointments for trauma cases. [source] The vitamin D receptor gene variant and physical activity predicts fasting glucose levels in healthy young menDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 6 2003J. R. Ortlepp Abstract Aims Vitamin D can influence lipolysis and insulin secretion. A common genetic polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which has been found to be associated with bone mineral density, has been reported to be also associated with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). To test the influence of the VDR polymorphism on fasting glucose in healthy young men before the onset of Type 2 DM, we studied a homogeneous population of aircrew members. Methods A total of 1539 individuals were recruited during routine medical qualification for flying duty. Physical activity was assessed in all individuals and categorized into low physical activity (, 3 h per week) and high physical activity (> 3 h per week). The BsmI VDR polymorphism was analysed by polymerase chain reaction. On the day of blood testing the individuals were fasting for at least 8 h overnight. Serum glucose was measured within 60 min after sampling venous blood. Results In young males with low physical activity (n = 752) gene carriers with the VDR genotype BB (n = 137) have significantly (P < 0.001) higher levels of fasting glucose (5.61 ± 0.49 mmol/l) than gene carriers with the genotype Bb (n = 370; 5.44 ± 0.44 mmol/l) or bb (n = 245; 5.38 ± 0.44 mmol/l). Of BB gene carriers, 47% had fasting glucose levels > 5.55 mmol/l compared with 36% of Bb gene carriers and 34% of bb gene carriers (P = 0.018). This effect is absent in gene carriers with high physical activity (n = 787). Conclusions The VDR genotype is associated with altered fasting glucose levels in young men with low physical activity. If this association is confirmed in other populations it might be worthwhile studying the particular benefits of an exercise programme in dependents of the VDR genotype. Diabet. Med. 20, 451,454 (2003) [source] Clinical impact (cost-effectiveness) of qualifying atypical squamous cells of undeterminate significance (ASCUS) in cases favoring a reactive or dysplastic processDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2003F.M. Carozzi Ph.D. Abstract The cost-effectiveness of qualifying ASCUS cases into two different subcategories, favoring a reactive (ASCUS-R) or dysplastic process (ASCUS-S), was evaluated at the Centro per lo Studio e la Prevenzione Oncologica of Florence in a prospective study. The study determined the positive predictive value (PPV) for histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or more (CIN>) severe lesion of the two ASCUS subgroups. ASCUS-S had a PPV (10.78%) comparable to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) (11.40%). For ASCUS-R cases, the recommendation of 6-mo repeat cytology prompting colposcopy in cases of persistent ASCUS or more severe cytology was also effective, as it selected a subgroup with a relatively high PPV (10.34%). The cost-effectiveness of a protocol based on ASCUS qualification was compared with two other possible options for nonqualified ASCUS cases: immediate colposcopy and colposcopy in persistent ASCUS at 6-mo repeat cytology.. The detection rate of CIN2> was substantially higher using ASCUS qualification (35.9 vs 14.8 or 17.1). The cost per ASCUS subject was ,24.99, 27.11, or 25.14 and that per CIN2> detected was ,697, 1,831 or 1,470 for the three options, respectively. The evidence that ASCUS detection option implies a higher detection rate of CIN2> and subsequently a lower cost per CIN2> detection must be considered with caution and deserves confirmation by other comparative studies. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2003;29:4,7. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Socio-economic status predicts drinking patterns but not alcohol-related consequences independentlyADDICTION, Issue 7 2010Taisia Huckle ABSTRACT Aim To identify independent relationships between socio-economic status and drinking patterns and related consequences and to identify socio-economic groups at risk for heavier consumption. Design and setting Three comparable national telephone surveys were utilized: 1995, 2000 and 2004. The respondents were aged 18,65 years. Contextual information includes that a number of liberalized alcohol policy changes occurred over the time of the surveys. Results Educational qualification, income and occupation were associated independently with alcohol consumption. There were indications that the different dimensions of drinking (quantity and frequency) had different relationships with socio-economic status (SES). For example, lower SES groups drank heavier quantities while higher SES groups drank more frequently. SES, however, did not play a major role predicting drinking consequences once drinking patterns were controlled for, although there were some exceptions. It was the lower-to-average SES groups that were at greater risk for drinking heavier quantities compared to other SES groups in the population (as they had sustained increases in the quantities they consumed over time where other SES groups did not). Conclusion Socio-economic status was related independently to drinking patterns and there were indications that SES interacted differently with the different dimensions of drinking (quantity and frequency). For the most part, socio-economic status was not related independently to the experience of alcohol-related consequences once drinking patterns were accounted for. It was the lower-to-average SES groups that were at greater risk for drinking heavier quantities compared to other SES groups in the population. [source] Moral, Method, and History in Anne Dowriche's The French HistorieENGLISH LITERARY RENAISSANCE, Issue 2 2004Megan Matchinske In "Truth in the Telling: Moral, Method and History in Anne Dowriche's The French Historie," Megan Matchinske asks readers to consider anew early modern history's propensity to convey moral rather than evidentiary truths. Exploring the formal attributes of historical presentation as they reflect on questions of cause and accountability in Dowriche's Historie, Matchinske underscores the connection between marginalized voice and the shape and direction of historical narrative. The French Historie's polemical style, its focus on structure, trajectory and selection, insists that writers of the past, especially those lacking in power, status or appropriate gender qualification, teach and learn better when their convictions are strong and their storyline directive. Anticipating and disrupting later historico-analytical models in its attention to interpretive closure and instructional force,to "the moral at the end of the story," Dowriche's Historie reminds us of how directive history becomes when "Truth" is on our side. [source] Abnormal radiographic findings in 865 French Standardbred trotters and their relationship to racing performanceEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue S36 2006A. COUROUCÉ-MALBLANC Summary Reason for performing study: Developmental orthopaedic lesions are commonly found in French Standardbred horses. One of the main questions asked by trainers, owners and veterinarians is what impact these lesions have on the racing career and racing performances of horses. Objectives: To study the prevalence and distribution of developmental orthopaedic lesions in young French Standardbred trotters and to relate them to racing performance. Methods: Feet, fetlock, tarsus and stifle regions were radiographed in 865 two-year-old French Standardbred trotters. Abnormal radiographic findings (ARF) were evaluated for 12 anatomical sites identified in these areas, and a severity index given. Performance criteria were: success in qualification for racing, maximal and mean index of trot (ITR), an annual index calculated on the basis of the logarithm of earnings per starts, total earnings at 5 years, placed races compared to starts and longevity of the racing career. Analysis of variance were calculated to study the relationships between racing performance and the number of ARF or the severity index. Results: A total of 363 horses (42.0%) showed ARF. Prevalence of ARF was 18.3% in the plantar aspect of the hind fetlock and 10.6% in the proximal tarsus. Among the total population, 833 horses were considered for performance evaluation, 478 of them were qualified for racing. The number of ARF significantly affected racing longevity. However, the number of ARF did not affect performance categories according to maximal ITR. Concerning distribution of ARF, the number of plantar lesions in the fetlock significantly affected mean ITR. The index of severity did not provide more information for prognosis than the number of ARF. Conclusion: Longevity is the only criteria affected by ARF. When evaluating different sites, only the plantar fetlock region showed a significant relationship with mean ITR. Potential relevance: Number of ARF and radiographic score (RS) affect mean ITR and longevity but do not affect maximal ITR. A horse with a good racing ability will be a good performer but might have a racing career shortened because of orthopaedic problems in relation to developmental orthopaedic lesions. [source] Secured Creditor Recovery Rates from Management Buy-outs in DistressEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003David Citron G33; G32 Buy-out literature suggests that secured creditors will recoup substantial proportions of the funds they extend to finance the initial buy-out. This paper uses a unique dataset of 42 failed MBOs to examine the extent of credit recovery by secured lenders under UK insolvency procedures and the factors that influence the extent of this recovery. On average, secured creditors recover 62 per cent of the amount owed. The percentage of secured credit recovered is increased where the distressed buy-out is sold as a going concern and where the principal reason for failure concerns managerial factors. The presence of a going concern qualification in the audit report and the size of the buy-out reduce the recovery rate by secured creditors. [source] The European computer driving licence and the use of computers by dental studentsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009G. S. Antonarakis Abstract The use of computers within the dental curriculum for students is vital for many aspects of their studies. The aim of this study was to assess how dental students who had obtained the European computer driving licence (ECDL) qualification (an internationally-recognised standard of competence) through taught courses, felt about the qualification, and how it changed their habits vis-à-vis computers, and information and communication technology. This study was carried out as a descriptive, one-off, cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 students who had successfully completed the course, with questions pertaining to the use of email, word processing and Internet for course-works, Medline for research, computer based learning, online lecture notes, and online communication with members of staff, both before and after ECDL qualification. Scaled responses were given. The attitudes of students towards the course were also assessed. The frequencies and percentage distributions of the responses to each question were analysed. It was found that dental students who follow ECDL teaching and successfully complete its requirements, seem to increase the frequency with which they use email, word processing and Internet for course works, Medline for research purposes, computer based learning, online lecture notes, and online communication with staff. Opinions about the ECDL course varied, many dental students finding the course easy, enjoying it only a little, but admitting that it improved their computer skills. [source] External Examiners and Immediate Post Qualification Clinical Dental Training in EuropeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2004G. H. Moody Background: A conversation at the ADEE Conference in Bern, 2001, revealed an apparent diversity in the use and role of External Examiners in dental undergraduate examinations in ADEE-associated schools. There also appeared to be considerable variation in the amount of post-graduate supervised clinical training. Aims: (i) To elicit information on the use of External Examiners in dental undergraduate examinations. (ii) To acquire information about immediate post-qualifying supervised clinical experience and training. Method: Questionnaire to the 205 Dental Schools listed in the ADEE Directory in 35 European countries. Results: Eighty-two (40%) completed questionnaires were returned. Of these 82 schools, 43 (52.4%) did not use External Examiners. The remaining 39 (47.6%) used an External Examiner at least once during the under-graduate course. All 39 used an External Examiner in ,Finals', 34 in all clinical examinations and 30 in pre-clinical examinations. Thirty out of 39 allowed external examiners to scrutinize papers before the examination. Although 31/39 were asked to advise on problems during examinations, only 26/39 were consulted about the fate of ,failed' candidates and 23/39 asked to adjudicate in such instances. Following qualification, graduates from 38/82 schools experienced some form of supervised further clinical training ranging from 3 months to 2 years. The majority (21/38) were trained for 1 year and 13 for 2 years. However, 30/82 (36.5%) schools produced graduates who qualified without any external assessment and without the benefit of any post-qualifying supervised training. Conclusions: Although the questionnaire response rate is low, it is clear that there are disparities in practice with regard to the use of external examiners and post-graduate training, which need to be evaluated if dental undergraduate standards in Europe are to converge. [source] A Systemic Approach to Culturally Responsive Assessment Practices and EvaluationHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2010June Slee In an earlier paper, Slee and Keenan demonstrated that it was possible for tertiary education institutions to design culturally responsive assessment procedures that complied with standardised assessment policy. The authors' paper described Growing Our Own, an initiative between Charles Darwin University and Northern Territory Catholic Education, which in 2009 began preparing in situ Indigenous teacher assistants for teacher qualification in very remote schools in the Northern Territory, Australia. The paper demonstrated that the university assessment policy accommodated Indigenous learning, reflecting students' culture, remote learning context, world experience, primary language, family and community values and entry-level competencies. This article is a systemic response to recommendations arising from a recent external evaluation of Growing Our Own and seeks to demonstrate how the project's approaches meet university assessment rules yet fit within a culturally valid framework. [source] Markers of ,Authentic Place'?HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2001Awards, Qualifications in the Analysis of Higher Education Systems, The Significance of Degrees Although the power to award degrees lies at the heart of the concept of a university, neither it nor degrees themselves have attracted much scholarly attention. The paper contends that award-conferment provides an interface of major importance between higher education and its environment; and that the awards themselves can serve as rich and informative (yet often coded) indicators of the relationship between the two. For awards to be seen in this way, the paper argues, two conditions are required: the conceptual independence of awards in their own right has to be recognised as entities distinct from courses of study; and instrumentalist views have to be sufficiently prevalent to make it meaningful to treat an award as specifying a set of purposes and intended outcomes (that is to say, as an ,end'potentially achievable by various ,means'). These conditions, it is suggested, only tend to arise in particular social circumstances, specifically those of mass higher education. Having illustrated these points by considering certain changes of usage in the terms used for higher education awards (degree, qualification, etc), the paper concludes with a tentative sketch of a framework by which to analyse the various ways in which awards might contribute to the workings of HE as a system. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||