Tourism education in Ireland : an analysis of the provision of third level tourism education in Ireland focusing on the needs of the public, private and voluntary sectors

Tourism education in Ireland has witnessed a transformation within the last four decades since CERT introduced the first fundamentals of training in the 1960’s. An analysis of the provision of tourism education in Ireland, focusing on the needs of the public, private and voluntary sectors was the main focus of this study and concentrates mainly on third level provision of tourism education within the island of Ireland. The study examines the role of tourism education in Ireland, establishing any current or emerging trends in third level tourism provision. It identifies and analyses the main stakeholders in the public, private and voluntary sectors and investigates if any requirements exist in the provision of third level education. The multi-faceted nature of the tourism industry has resulted in the provision of a diverse range of educational courses. As a result of this diversity, a question hangs over the status of tourism as a professional discipline within itself. Other issues identified through this study are the over provision of tourism courses and the current and future disparity within tourism education. The qualitative nature of the research involved questioning of major stakeholders and educators who influence tourism education provision and developing an overview of the current status of tourism education provision in Ireland identifying the present needs of each sector. Finally several strategies are suggested which may enhance third level tourism education in the future.

The concept of risk management in the renewable sector.

This study explores the perception of risk and the level of risk management implementation in the renewable sector. Risk management is emerging as a key issue due to the loss of confidence amongst banks, causing the attainment of financing to be difficult over the next few years. To attract financing, there is a fundamental requirement to manage risk in a way that minimizes the probability of a negative financial impact on the project. Miller and Lessard (2001) argue that successful projects are not selected but shaped with risk resolution in mind. Rather than evaluating projects at the outset based on projections of the full set of benefits, costs and risks over their lifetime, successful developers start with project ideas that have the potential of becoming viable. Therefore, this study bridges the gap that exists within the renewable sector in relation to risk management literature. This study succeeds through a detailed comparative case study analysis where two developers and two financiers were questioned through qualitative semi-structured interviews on the concept of risk management and its level implementation within the industry. It is believed that the growth in financed renewable energy projects depends on the adequate design and implementation of risk management to mitigate inherent project risks. However, this study revealed that are certain types of developers in existence within the renewable sector, which underestimate the magnitude of risk and view the development of projects as a ‘money racket’. Therefore, it can be concluded that perception of risk will also differ, causing risk and uncertainty to vary from project to project, resulting in investment reluctance to be associated with certain projects. The study originality lies in how it demonstrates to developers the concept of risk management, outlining the simplicity and benefits of implementing it in project development. Finally, this study contributes to the knowledge by enhancing the awareness and understanding of the presence and nature of risk in a RE project environment.

Quality management for education (second level schools)

Quality Management is a well-developed and widely used approach within industry to gain competitive edge and increased market share. It is a new management approach for schools who are now applying it without having the culture or experience of its evolution. Industrially based Quality management systems and excellence models have been developed. These excellence models and frameworks are based on the principles and concepts of TQM which are recognised as essential elements of high performing organisations. Schools are complex social institutions that provide a service. Like any other service industry, the customers of education are expecting and demanding a better service or else they will go elsewhere. Schools are beginning to reform and change to adapt to such demands. This has been reflected in Ireland in the Education Act, 1998. It is now the right time to develop a quality management system specifically for schools. The existing industrial excellence models have been modified for use in the private and public sector and some have been specifically tailored for education. The problem with such models is that they are still too sophisticated and the language still too industrial for schools. This Thesis develops and Excellence Model for Second Level Schools and provides guidance and school specific tools for its implementation.

Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Different Areas of Health Care Over a 20-Year Period

Background:Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in young adults and their modification over time are measures that change the risks and prevent CVDs.Objectives:To determine the presence of CVRFs and their changes in different health care professionals over a period of 20 years.Methods:All students of medicine, nursing, nutrition, odontology, and pharmacy departments of Federal University of Goiás who agreed to participate in this study were evaluated when they started their degree courses and 20 years afterward. Questionnaires on CVRFs [systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and family history of early CVD, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentarism] were administered. Cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, weight, height, and body mass index were determined. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate distribution, the chi-square test was used to compare different courses and sexes, and the McNemar test was used for comparing CVRFs. The significance level was set at a p value of < 0.05.Results:The first stage of the study included 281 individuals (91% of all the students), of which 62.9% were women; the mean age was 19.7 years. In the second stage, 215 subjects were reassessed (76% of the initial sample), of which 59.07% were women; the mean age was 39.8 years. The sample mostly consisted of medical students (with a predominance of men), followed by nursing, nutrition, and pharmacy students, with a predominance of women (p < 0.05). Excessive weight gain, SAH, and dyslipidemia were observed among physicians and dentists (p < 0.05). Excessive weight gain and SAH and a reduction in sedentarism (p < 0.05) were observed among pharmacists. Among nurses there was an increase in excessive weight and alcohol consumption (p < 0.05). Finally, nutritionists showed an increase in dyslipidemia (p < 0.05).Conclusion:In general, there was an unfavorable progression of CVRFs in the population under study, despite it having adequate specialized knowledge about these risk factors.

Level of Physical Activity and In-Hospital Course of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the modern world. A sedentary lifestyle, present in 85% of the Brazilian population, is considered a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. However, the correlation of a sedentary lifestyle with cardiovascular events (CVE) during hospitalization for ACS is not well established. Objective: To evaluate the association between physical activity level, assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), with in-hospital prognosis in patients with ACS. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study with 215 subjects with a diagnosis of ACS consecutively admitted to a referral hospital for cardiac patients between July 2009 and February 2011. All volunteers answered the short version of the IPAQ and were observed for the occurrence of CVE during hospitalization with a standardized assessment conducted by the researcher and corroborated by data from medical records. Results: The patients were admitted with diagnoses of unstable angina (34.4%), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without ST elevation (41.4%), and AMI with ST elevation (24.2%). According to the level of physical activity, the patients were classified as non-active (56.3%) and active (43.7%). A CVE occurred in 35.3% of the cohort. The occurrence of in-hospital complications was associated with the length of hospital stay (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15) and physical inactivity (OR = 2.54), and was independent of age, systolic blood pressure, and prior congestive heart failure. Conclusion: A physically active lifestyle reduces the risk of CVE during hospitalization in patients with ACS.

Knowledge representation with condensed set-valued attributes

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Informatik, Diss., 2012

Estudos sôbre alimentação mineral do cafeeiro: VIII. Estudo da absorção e da translocação do radiozinco no cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.)

WATER-CULTURE EXPERIMENTS. Two water-culture experiments were carried out to study the absorption and the translocation of radiozinc in young coffee plants as influenced by two factors, namely, concentration of heavy metals (iron, man ganese, copper and molybdenum) and method of application. Inert zinc was supplied at an uniform rate of 0. 05 p. p. m.; the levels of iron supply were 0, 1.0, and 10.0 p. p.m.; manganese was supplied in three doses 0, 0.5, and 5.0 p. p.m.; copper- 0, 0. 02, and 0. 2 p. p. m.; molybdenum- 0, 0. 01, and 0. 1 p. p. m. When applied to the nutrient solution the activity os the radiozinc (as zinc chloride) was 0. 15 microcuries per plant. In the study of the leaf absorption, Zn65 was supplied at the level of 0. 10 microcuries per plant; in this case the radioative material was brushed either on the lower or on the upper surface or both two pairs of mature leaves. The absorption period was 8 weeks. The radioactivity assay showed the following results: 1 - Among the heavy metals herein investigated the iron concentration did not affect the uptake of the radiozinc; by raising the level of Mn, Cu and Mo ten times, the absorption dropped to 50 per cent and even more when compared with the control plants; when, however, these micronutrients were omitted from the nutrient solution, an increase in the uptake of zinc was registered in the minus Cu treatment only. The effects of high levels of Mn, Cu and Mo probably indicate an interionic competition for a same site on a common binding substance in the cell surface. 2 - The absorption of the radiozinc directly applied to the leaf surface reached levels as high as 8 times that registered when the root uptake took place. Among the three methods of application which have been tried, brushing the lower surface of the leaves proved to be the most effective; this result is easily understood since the stomatal openings of the coffee leaves an preferentially located in the lower surface - in this treatment, about 40 per cent of the activity was absorved and around 12 per cent were translocated either to the old or to the newer organs. Chemical analyses for heavy metals, were carried out only in the plants received Zn65Cl2 in the nutrient solution; the results were as follows; 1 - Control plants had, per 1,000 gm, of dry weight the following amounts in mg.: Zn- 48 in the roots and 29 in the tops; Fe- 165 in the roots and 9 in the tops; Mn- 58 in the roots and 15 in the tops, Cu- 15 in the roots and 1. 2 in the tops; Mo- 2. 8 in the roots and 0. 45 in the tops. 2 - The effect of different levels of micronutrients in the composition of the plants can be summarized as follows: Fe and Zn- when omitted from the nutrient solution, the iron and zinc contents in the roots decreased, no variation being noted in the tops; the higher dosis caused an accumulation in the roots but no apparent effect in the tops; Mn- by omitting this micronutrient a decrease in its content in the roots was noted, where as the concentration in the tops was the same; Mo- no variation in roots and tops contents when molybdenum was omitted; higher dosis of manganese and molybdenum increased the amounts formed both in the roots and in the tops. 3 - The influence of the different concentrations of micronutrients heavy metals on the zinc content of the coffee plants can be described by saying that: Fe and Mo- no marked variation; Mn- no effect when omitted, reduced amount when the high dosis was supplied; Mn- when the plants did not receive manganese the zinc content in roots and tops was the same as in the control plants; a decrease in the zinc content of the total plant occurred when the high dosis was employed; Cu -the situation is similar to that described for manganese. Hence, results showed by the chemical analyses roughly correspond to those of the radioactivity assay; the use of the tracer technique, however, gave best informations along this line. SOIL-POTS EXPERIMENTS. The two types of soils which when selected support the most extensive coffee plantations in the State of São Paulo, Brazil: "arenito de Bauru", a light sandy soil and "terra roxa legitima", a red soil derived from basalt. Besides NPK containing salts, the coffee plants were given two doses of inert zinc (65 and 130 mg ZnCl2 per pot) and radiozinc at a total activity of 10(6) counts/minute. The results of the countings can be summarized as follows: 1 - When plants were grown in "arenito de Bauru" the activity absorbed as per cent of the total activity supplied was not affected by the dosis of inert zinc. The highest value found was around 0. 1 per cent. 2 - For the "terra roxa" plants, the situation is almost the same; there was, however, a slight increase in the absorption of the radiozinc when 130 mgm of ZnClg2 was given: a little above 0. 2 per cent of the activity supplied was absorbed. The results clearly show that the young coffee plants practically did not absorb none of the zinc supplied; two reasons at least could be pointed out to explain such a fact: 1 - Zinc fixation by an exchange with magnesium or by filling holes in the octahedral layer of aluminosilicates, probably kaolinite; 2 - No need for fertilizer zinc in the particular stage of life cycle under which the experiment was set up. The data from chemical analysis are roughly parallel to the above mentioned. When one attempts to compare - by taking data herein reported zinc uptake from nutrient solution, leaf brushing or from fertilizers in the soil, a practical conclusion can be drawn: the control of zinc deficiency in coffee plants should not be done by adding the zinc salts to the soil; in other words: the soil applications used so extensively in other countries seem not to be suitable for our conditions; hence zinc sprays should be used wherever necessary.

Hypermodelling : next level software engineering with data warehouses

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Informatik, Diss., 2013

Verification of system properties of polynomial systems using discrete-time approximations and set-based analysis

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Diss., 2015

Two new species of the Drosophila serido sibling set (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

Drosophila antonietae sp. nov. and D. gouveai sp. nov. are members of the D. buzzatii cluster of the D. repleta species group of the genus Drosophila. They can be distinguished from their cryptic species, D. borborema Vilela & Sene, 1977, D. koepferae Fontdevila & Wasserman, 1988, D. serido Vilela & Sene, 1977, and D. seriema Tidon-Sklorz & Sene, 1995 by morphological, genetic and ecological criteria.

Measuring sustained superior performance at the firm level

This paper proposes a two-dimensional Strategic Performance Measure (SPM) to evaluate the achievement of sustained superior performance. This proposal builds primarily on the fact that, under the strategic management perspective, a firm's prevalent objective is the pursuit of sustained superior performance. Three basic conceptual dimensions stem from this objective: relativity, sign dependence, and dynamism. These are the foundations of the SPM, which carries out a separate evaluation of the attained superior performance and of its sustainability over time. In contrast to existing measures of performance, the SPM provides: (i) a dynamic approach by considering the progress or regress in performance over time, and (ii) a cardinal measurement of performance differences and its changes over time. The paper also proposes an axiomatic framework that a measure of strategic performance should comply with to be theoretically and managerially sound. Finally, an empirical illustration of the Spanish banking sector during 1987-1999 is herein provided by discussing some relevant cases.

On the set of subrings wich are directed unions of Artinian subrings

The paper contributes to the investigation of zero-dimensional rings which can be written as a directed union of Artinian subrings. We give conditions on DU(R) in order to be nonempty.