This study was undertaken to investigate changes in classroom environment as students move between upper primary and lower secondary school in selected schools in South Australia. A new instrument, the Middle School Classroom Environment Indicator (MSCEI), was devised to measure students' perceptions of particular aspects of classroom environment that were considered important in this transitional phase along the educational continuum. Actual and preferred versions of the instrument were used longitudinally with students in Grade 7 and again in Grade 8 in order to determine whether students perceived an improvement or deterioration in salient aspects of their classroom climate. Also, student satisfaction was assessed before and after transition. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were supported by qualitative data gathered through discussions with teachers, students and administrators, as well as classroom visits before and after transition into secondary school.Research questions were answered through numerous statistical analyses of questionnaire data: item analysis, factor analysis and analysis of variance for establishing the reliability and validity of the MSCEI; simple correlation and multiple regression analyses for investigating associations between student satisfaction and classroom environment scales; and paired t tests to compare and contrast perceptions of classroom environments in Grade 7 and Grade 8.The sample consisted of 311 students in six schools in Grade 7 and 575 students in six schools in Grade 8. The schools represented different enrolment profiles and 'distinctive settings. The schools involved were two single-sex boys' schools, one single-sex girls' school, and three co-educational schools. Five of the six schools in the sample had both primary and secondary classes in the school, while one school terminated enrolment as a primary school ++ / in Grade 7 and students moved to a new secondary setting in Grade 8.Classroom environments in secondary settings were generally perceived less favourably, given rapid lesson turnover, multiple specialist teachers and larger school sizes, which were associated with a perceived increase in alienation. These findings seem generally consistent across the sample of schools involved in the study, although variations were evident in different schools with differing enrolment profiles and internal arrangements for catering for students moving from primary to secondary schooling. Satisfaction was closely associated with the classroom environment dimensions of affiliation and autonomy in Grade 7, and with affiliation, autonomy and teacher support in Grade 8.Given the extensive work undertaken by researchers and scholars in the area of middle schooling, this study holds significance for teachers and administrators who wish to promote effective and manageable classroom experiences for students as they move from upper primary to lower secondary schooling.

<p>Transitionen från student mot kompetent sjuksköterska är en kritisk period. Det är viktigt att nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor erhåller en fullgod transition med möjlighet att öva upp kunskap och tillgodogöra sig erfarenhet. Efter en kort introduktionsperiod förväntar arbetsgivaren att nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor ska ha förmåga att fungera i professionen. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskors upplevelser under transitionen från student mot kompetent sjuksköterska. Resultatet visar att transitionen upplevs som en uttröttande lärandeprocess, men trots svårigheter finns en känsla av prestation och personlig fullbordan över att vara sjuksköterska. Nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor upplever ansvaret som påfrestande då ingen längre kontrollerar deras handlingar. De upplever bristfällig kompetens i kliniska färdigheter, organisatoriska procedurer, nya situationer och den nya rollen. Transitionen underlättas av en stödjande omgivning och är avgörande för hur nyutexaminerade möter nya ansvarsområden. Nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor upplever besvikelse när det inte finns utrymme att utöva holistisk omvårdnad, som de förvärvat kunskap om under studietiden. För att anpassa sig till avdelningens kultur blir de ibland tvungna att släppa egna värderingar. Transitionen är en process och det tar tid att känna trygghet och säkerhet i yrkesrollen. Introduktion bör genomföras tillsammans med utbildade handledare och inte vara tidsbestämd. Fortsatt forskning behövs för att utforma fullgod transition.</p>

<p>The purpose of this literature study was to describe the experiences of the transition period.Data were collected through databases CINAHL and Medline / Pubmed 19 articles wereincluded in the study. The result was divided into five different items. Given the result thenewly graduated nurses found out that the process of transition was an uncertain timefollowed by faltering confidence. They were totally unprepared for the clinical work and theresponsibility which followed. The pressure and expectations from themselves and colleagueswere big and heavy to carry. Colleagues saw the most recent graduates as unprofessional and"eternal students". Good and constructive support and guidance shows that transition processis easier to handle while an inadequate support could affect the performance of graduates and,at worst, lead them leaving the profession. The great responsibility that the graduates facedwere experienced very stressful especially medical management and patient safety, increasedtheir anxiety and that they found it difficult to transfer their theoretical knowledge intopractice. The results also show the positive experiences of the newly graduates. Manyexperienced the transition process as challenging and evolving, and something that they couldlearn from.</p>

The I-V characteristics of Tin films in the superconducting transition have been measured when ac current was applied. The experimental results suggest that the electrical response in ac is not satisfied with the I-V equation in dc. A new equation was suggested to describe the vortex motion and the vortex pair separation in the two dimensional superconducting transition with ac current, which is satisfied with our experimental results. The excess noises of Tin films in the superconducting transition have been found to depend strongly on the temperature and ac current. An empirical expression of voltage noise density in term of resistance has been used to fit the data. The peak of voltage noise density follows closely but always shifted down from dR/dT. Comparison with the dc noise measurement shows the voltage noise density with ac current is much larger than with dc current. The excess noises with ac appear earlier than the noises with dc. The difference of excess noises between ac and dc can be explained by the fluctuation of vortex pair separation process which dominates the noises generation in ac. I-V characteristics and voltage noises are measured simultaneously to reveal the nature of the excess noises. The coincidence of the excess noise and the third harmonic voltage suggests that the fluctuation of vortex pair separation process is one of the main contributions to excess noises in the two dimensional superconducting transition.

This study examines the preparation during high school and post-secondary outcomes of students with disabilities. High school preparation consists of activities in which students participated during high school. Post-secondary outcomes relate to the current status of students following high school graduation in relation to the four major outcomes areas: (a) post-secondary education, (b) employment, (c) independent living, and (d) recreation and leisure. The target population included all students graduating from one school district in a mid-sized city in Texas. A stratified random sample of 228 students both with and without disabilities was selected. Post-secondary follow-up surveys, consisting of one survey administered prior to graduation and one survey administered six-months following graduation, were given to the participants. The response rate for the initial exit survey was 82.9% while the response rate for a post-school survey was 61.4%. Differences between groups were analyzed using loglinear analyses based upon educational setting, disability category, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. In addition, a sub-study was completed to determine the level of agreement among students and teachers on a post-secondary readiness skill inventory. The findings indicated that differences among groups did exist in terms of both high school preparation and post-secondary outcomes. In terms of high school preparation, the participation among various groups produced few results that were significantly different. Statistically significant results occurred only with respect to extracurricular activity participation by educational setting and socio-economic status. Post-secondary outcome results produced more statistically significant findings than high school preparation. The variable of educational setting produced statistically significant post-secondary outcomes in the three areas of employment, post-secondary education, and recreation and leisure. Ethnicity was the next largest determinant to influence post-secondary outcomes, and statistically significant results were found for both post-secondary education and independent living. Socio-economic status produced statistically significant results for employment outcomes. The variable of gender produced no results that reached statistical significance. The last findings provided an analysis of the agreement between students and teachers in terms of a post-secondary readiness skill inventory. Overall students and teachers demonstrated a high level of congruency in which similar responses were indicated within 95% of the items.

This thesis focusses on synthetic studies and mechanistic investigations into reactions involving hydrogen-transfer processes. In the first part, the development of an efficient method for the synthesis of β-hydroxy ketones (aldols) and β-amino ketones (Mannich products) from allylic alcohols and aldehydes is described. These reactions use  Ru(η5-C5Ph5)(CO)2Cl as the catalyst. The reaction parameters were optimised in order to suppress the formation of undesired by-products. Neutral and mild reaction conditions enabled the synthesis of a variety of aldol products in up to 99% yield, with a good syn/anti ratio. The influence of the stereoelectronic properties of the catalyst on the reaction outcome was also studied. Based on the results obtained, a plausible reaction mechanism has been proposed, involving as the key steps the 1,4-addition of hydride to α,β-unsaturated ketones and the formation of ruthenium (Z)-enolates. In the second part of this thesis, a ruthenium-catalysed tandem isomerisation/C-H activation reaction is presented. A number of ruthenium complexes, phosphine ligands, and additives were evaluated in order to establish the optimal reaction conditions. It was found that the use of a stable ruthenium catalyst, Ru(PPh3)3Cl2, together with PtBu3 and HCO2Na resulted in an efficient tandem transformation. Using this procedure, a variety of ortho-alkylated ketones were obtained in excellent yields. Moreover, homoallylic alcohols could also be used as starting materials for the reaction, which further expands the substrate scope. Mechanistic investigations into the isomerisation part of the process were carried out. The last project described in the thesis deals with the design and preparation of novel bifunctional iridium complexes containing an N-(2-hydroxy-isobutyl)-N-Heterocyclic carbene ligand. These complexes were used as catalysts to alkylate amines using alcohols as latent electrophiles. The catalytic system developed here was found to be one of the most active systems reported to date, allowing the reaction to be performed at temperatures as low as 50 °C for the first time. A broad substrate scope was examined. Combined experimental and theoretical studies into the reaction mechanism are consistent with a metal-ligand bifunctional activity of the new catalyst.

Transitionen från student mot kompetent sjuksköterska är en kritisk period. Det är viktigt att nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor erhåller en fullgod transition med möjlighet att öva upp kunskap och tillgodogöra sig erfarenhet. Efter en kort introduktionsperiod förväntar arbetsgivaren att nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor ska ha förmåga att fungera i professionen. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskors upplevelser under transitionen från student mot kompetent sjuksköterska. Resultatet visar att transitionen upplevs som en uttröttande lärandeprocess, men trots svårigheter finns en känsla av prestation och personlig fullbordan över att vara sjuksköterska. Nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor upplever ansvaret som påfrestande då ingen längre kontrollerar deras handlingar. De upplever bristfällig kompetens i kliniska färdigheter, organisatoriska procedurer, nya situationer och den nya rollen. Transitionen underlättas av en stödjande omgivning och är avgörande för hur nyutexaminerade möter nya ansvarsområden. Nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor upplever besvikelse när det inte finns utrymme att utöva holistisk omvårdnad, som de förvärvat kunskap om under studietiden. För att anpassa sig till avdelningens kultur blir de ibland tvungna att släppa egna värderingar. Transitionen är en process och det tar tid att känna trygghet och säkerhet i yrkesrollen. Introduktion bör genomföras tillsammans med utbildade handledare och inte vara tidsbestämd. Fortsatt forskning behövs för att utforma fullgod transition.

Introduction Entrepreneurship and SME development play a crucial role in speeding up the economic development of transition economies. Although entrepreneurship exists in all environments it flourishes in the conditions where it is supported. Transition economies, as well as Georgia, are characterized by inefficient framework conditions that present barriers to productive entrepreneurship and SMEs to develop and benefit the economies in their full potential.   Purpose The Thesis aimed at answering the following research questions:   1)      To what extent the framework conditions necessary for promoting productive entrepreneurship and SME development exist in Georgia? 2)      What are the perceived barriers to entrepreneurship and SME development in Georgia? 3)      In what ways is entrepreneurship and SME development encouraged and supported in Georgia? Method The thesis consists of theoretical data such as literature review, secondary data presented by previous studies, and primary data collected by conducting interviews with Georgian entrepreneurs and representatives of governmental bodies and NGOs engaged in improving a business climate in the country.   Conclusions The study revealed that basic framework conditions for developing entrepreneurship are present in Georgia. Although inefficiencies and institutional gaps give rise to a number of barriers to entrepreneurship and SME development. They are mostly presented by inefficient tax system and financial framework. Despite their efforts towards fostering favourable business environment, GoG, as well as NOGs could do a better job in improving an indirect support in terms of abolishing imperfections in the taxation system, as well as directly providing finance, training and effectual information flow to existing and potential businesses.

The purpose of this literature study was to describe the experiences of the transition period.Data were collected through databases CINAHL and Medline / Pubmed 19 articles wereincluded in the study. The result was divided into five different items. Given the result thenewly graduated nurses found out that the process of transition was an uncertain timefollowed by faltering confidence. They were totally unprepared for the clinical work and theresponsibility which followed. The pressure and expectations from themselves and colleagueswere big and heavy to carry. Colleagues saw the most recent graduates as unprofessional and"eternal students". Good and constructive support and guidance shows that transition processis easier to handle while an inadequate support could affect the performance of graduates and,at worst, lead them leaving the profession. The great responsibility that the graduates facedwere experienced very stressful especially medical management and patient safety, increasedtheir anxiety and that they found it difficult to transfer their theoretical knowledge intopractice. The results also show the positive experiences of the newly graduates. Manyexperienced the transition process as challenging and evolving, and something that they couldlearn from.

Handover of software systems is a critical stage in the system lifecycle. Despite this, it is still an under researched area. In this paper, we have developed an initial taxonomy of activities for software handover. Our taxonomy consists of seven process components where each component clusters logically coherent activities. The process components are Management and Administration, Maintenance Environment, Version and Configuration Management, Deployment, Training, Documentation and, Maintainability Management. / Qc 20120223