OECD reviews of higher education in regional and city development, State of Victoria, Australia

With more than 5.3 million inhabitants Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Once a manufacturing economy, Victoria is now transforming itself into a service and innovation-based economy. Currently, the largest sectors are education services and tourism. In terms of social structure, Victoria is characterised by a large migrant population, 24% of population were born overseas and 44% were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. About 70% of the population resides in Melbourne. Victoria faces a number of challenges, ranging from an ageing population and skills shortages to drought and climate change and increased risk of natural disasters. Rapid population growth, 2% annually, has implications for service delivery and uneven development as well as regional disparities. There are barriers to connectivity in terms of transport and infrastructure, and a high degree of inter-institutional competition in tertiary education sector. The business structure in Victoria includes some highly innovative activities such as in biotechnology, but other sectors, especially those with high number of small and medium-sized enterprises, are lagging behind. Most of the larger manufacturing enterprises are externally controlled and there is uncertainty over the long term investments they will make in the state, as well as the place of Victoria in the global production networks

Ammatillisen perustutkinnon hyödyllisyyden kokeminen valmistumisen jälkeen sosiaali- ja terveys, rakennus- ja liiketaloudenalalla : kyselytutkimus Hyriasta perustutkintoon valmistuneille opiskelijoille

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää ammatillisen perustutkinnon hyödyllisyyden kokeminen vuosi valmistumisen jälkeen sosiaali- ja terveys-, liiketalous- ja rakennusalalla. Tutkimuksen kohderyhmänä oli vuosina 2010 (n= 507) ja 2011 (n= 530) Hyria Koulutus Oy:stä valmistuneet. Heille tehtiin puhelimitse sijoittumiskysely, jossa kysyttiin sen hetkistä sijoittumista, koulutuksen hyödyllisyyden kokemista sekä kehittämisehdotuksia koulutukseen. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin 2011 ja 2012 keväällä puhelinhaastatteluin. Tutkimukseen osallistuvat kaikki koulutusalat. Kuvaan opinnäytetyössäni kaikkien koulutusalojen sijoittumista, mutta keskityn arvioimaan hyödyllisyyden kokemista sosiaali- ja terveys-, liiketalouden ja rakennusalan kautta. Nämä alat ovat sijoittumiskyselyssä valmistuneiden määrässä suurimmat ja alojen työllistymisennusteet ovat erilaiset. Tulokset osoittivat, että valmistuneet kokivat koulutuksen hyödylliseksi. Moni vastaaja sanoi koulutuksen ja tutkintotodistuksen helpottaneen työn saantia, tuoneen uskottavuutta työnhaussa ja lisänneen palkkaa. Moni vastaajista totesi, että koulutuksen myötä tullut osaaminen oli tärkeää ja välttämätöntä työn tekemisessä. Muutama vastaajista oli lähtenyt jatko-opiskeluun ja he kokivat perustutkinnon hyödylliseksi myös jatko-opinnoissa. Myös perustutkinnon tuoma jatko-opiskelumahdollisuus koettiin tärkeäksi. Osa vastaajista ei osannut kommentoida kysymystä. Kyselytutkimus tuotti paljon materiaalia Hyrian strategiatyöhön. Vastauksissa ilmeni nuorten arvomaailma; koulutuksen ja työllistymisen tärkeyden korostaminen, itsetunnon, toimintavalmiuden ja subjektiivisen identiteetin vahvistuminen. Kyselytutkimuksen perusteella voi sanoa, että valmistuneet olivat pääsääntöisesti olleet tyytyväisiä koulutukseensa ja sen kautta saamiinsa valmiuksiin. Tästä voi tehdä johtopäätöksen, että koulutuksella oli onnistuttu hyvinvointi-, kasvatus-, sosialisaatio- ja työllistymistehtävässä sekä syrjäytymisen ehkäisyssä.The task of my thesis was to find out how useful vocational qualifications were a year after graduation from social and health, business, management and construction. The basis of the thesis was to asses from 2010 n= 507 and 2011 n= 530 graduated students from Hyria Education Ltd. The questionnaire was made by phone and questions included the position the person held the usefulness (practical value) the vocational qualification gave and how would the graduate wished to improve their education. The data were collected in spring 2011 and 2012. The questionnaire was made by phone and research included relevant confidential information from the school. The focus of the assessment was the usefulness of the experience in social health, business, management and in construction. The questionnaire covered a large number of graduates and included their employment forecasts. Research shows that the graduates perceived training to be useful. Many respondents said the training and qualifications helped with the potential of obtaining employment and brought greater possibly of finding a job and increase in wages. Many of the respondents stated that the training of future skills is important and necessary for improving working abilities.A few of the respondents had pursued a post-graduate qualification and they opinion was that expirience and qualification of a Master's degree was useful as well. Also, the fact that the basic degree gave an opportunity for post-graduate study was considered important although some of the respondents were unable to comment on that point. The survey produced a lot of good material Hyria Education Ltd. and importat connected to the development and quality of education. The responses show young people value; education and employment and emphasize the importance of, self-esteem. I can say that our graduates have tended to be satisfied with their training that the have received. The conclusion drawn is that the training has been succesful enhancing well-being, education, socialization and employment, as well as preventing possibilities of social exclusion

Mobilising higher education for sustainable development – lessons learnt from the OECD study

Following decades of expansion in higher education, policy attention in OECD countries has begun to focus on the outcomes of higher education, its quality, relevance and impact. Consequently, there is also a greater interest in how universities and other higher education institutions contribute to sustainable development of their regions and how they can address global challenges such as global warming. With the processes of globalisation and localisation, the “Triple Bottom Line” i.e. economic, environmental and social performance of not only companies, but also universities is becoming increasingly important.Peer Reviewe

Säpinää! : musiikkiteatteriesityksen luominen

Opinnäytetyömme käsittelee Säpinää! -musiikkiteatteriesityksen luomisprosessia ja esittämistä. Säpinää! esitettiin Pyynikkisalissa Tampereella maanantaina 23.4 klo 14. Esityksemme oli konserttimuotoinen musiikkiteatteriesitys, jonka teemat liittyivät suo-rittamiseen, paineisiin ja odotuksiin naisten elämässä. Konsertin draamankaari koostui erillisistä kohtauksista eikä siinä ollut kronologista juonta. Kirjallisessa osiossa käsittelelemme musiikkiteatterin historiaa keskittyen oman esityksemme kannalta oleellisiin musiikkiteatterin historian osa-alueisiin. Perehdymme myös roolin hakemiseen näyttelijäntyön näkökulmasta. Avaamme myös teemoja, musiikkikappaleiden valintaa ja reflektoimme roolityöskentelyämme ja roolin hakemista.In this thesis, we examine the creative process and performing of the musical theatre performance Säpinää! The performance took place in Pyynikkisali, Tampere on April 23, 2018 at 2 P.M. and it was done in the form of a musical theatre concert. The thematic focus of Säpinää! was on the pressures and expectations in a woman’s life. The dramatic arc of the performance was comprised of separate scenes with no chronological plot. In the written section, we discuss the history of musical theatre focusing on the sections relevant to the Säpinää! performance. The work an actor puts in a role is discussed from the actor’s perspective. In this section, we also explore the themes and the song choices of the performance and reflect our ways of working on a rol

Maximum Market Price of Longevity Risk under Solvency Regimes: The Case of Solvency II.

Longevity risk constitutes an important risk factor for life insurance companies, and it can be managed through longevity-linked securities. The market of longevity-linked securities is at present far from being complete and does not allow finding a unique pricing measure. We propose a method to estimate the maximum market price of longevity risk depending on the risk margin implicit within the calculation of the technical provisions as defined by Solvency II. The maximum price of longevity risk is determined for a survivor forward (S-forward), an agreement between two counterparties to exchange at maturity a fixed survival-dependent payment for a payment depending on the realized survival of a given cohort of individuals. The maximum prices determined for the S-forwards can be used to price other longevity-linked securities, such as q-forwards. The Cairns–Blake–Dowd model is used to represent the evolution of mortality over time that combined with the information on the risk margin, enables us to calculate upper limits for the risk-adjusted survival probabilities, the market price of longevity risk and the S-forward prices. Numerical results can be extended for the pricing of other longevity-linked securities

Disparities of cancer incidence in Michigan's American Indians: Spotlight on breast cancer

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107376/1/cncr28589.pd

A Rapid and Simple Gas-Liquid Chromatographie Determination of Valproic Acid (α-Propyl-Valeric Acid) in Serum

Peer Reviewe

Psychological Distress Is More Prevalent in Fertile Age and Premenopausal Women With PCOS Symptoms : 15-Year Follow-Up

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with increased psychological distress, obesity and hyperandrogenism being suggested as key promoters. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of anxiety/depression and their coexistence in women with PCOS/PCOS-related symptoms at ages 31 and 46. The roles of obesity, hyperandrogenism, and awareness of PCOS on psychological distress were also assessed. Design: Population-based follow-up. Setting: Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 with 15-year follow-up. Participants: At age 31, a questionnaire-based screening for oligoamenorrhea (OA) and hirsutism (H): 2188 asymptomatic (controls), 331 OA, 323 H, and 125 OA plus H (PCOS). Follow-up at age 46: 1576 controls, 239 OA, 231 H, and 85 PCOS. Interventions: Questionnaire-based screening for anxiety and depression symptoms (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25) and previously diagnosed/treated depression at ages 31 and 46. Body mass index (BMI), serum testosterone/free androgen index, and awareness of polycystic ovaries/PCOS on psychological distress were also assessed. Main Outcomes: Population-based prevalence of anxiety and/or depression in women with PCOS/PCOS-related symptoms at ages 31 and 46. Results: Anxiety and/or depression symptoms, their coexistence, and rate of depression were increased at ages 31 and 46 in women with PCOS or isolated H compared with controls. High BMI or hyperandrogenism did not associate with increased anxiety or depression symptoms. The awareness of PCOS was associated with increased anxiety. Conclusions: Women with PCOS or isolated H present more often with anxiety and/or depression symptoms and their coexistence compared with controls. High BMI or hyperandrogenism did not provoke psychological distress in PCOS. The awareness of PCOS increased anxiety but did not associate with severe anxiety or depression.Peer reviewe

Association between Birth Characteristics and Cardiovascular Autonomic Function at Mid-Life

Background Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. As abnormal cardiac autonomic function is a common feature in cardiovascular diseases, we tested the hypothesis that low birth weight may also be associated with poorer cardiac autonomic function in middle-aged subjects. Methods At the age of 46, the subjects of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 were invited to examinations including questionnaires about health status and life style and measurement of vagally-mediated heart rate variability (rMSSD) from R-R intervals (RRi) and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in both seated and standing positions. Maternal parameters had been collected in 1965–1966 since the 16th gestational week and birth variables immediately after delivery. For rMSSD, 1,799 men and 2,279 women without cardiorespiratory diseases and diabetes were included and 902 men and 1,020 women for BRS. The analyses were adjusted for maternal (age, anthropometry, socioeconomics, parity, gestational smoking) and adult variables (life style, anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic and lipid status) potentially confounding the relationship between birth weight and autonomic function. Results In men, birth weight correlated negatively with seated (r = -0.058, p = 0.014) and standing rMSSD (r = -0.090, p<0.001), as well as with standing BRS (r = -0.092, p = 0.006). These observations were verified using relevant birth weight categories (<2,500 g; 2,500–3,999 g; ≥4,000 g). In women, birth weight was positively correlated with seated BRS (r = 0.081, p = 0.010), but none of the other measures of cardiovascular autonomic function. These correlations remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders (p<0.05 for all). Conclusions In men, higher birth weight was independently associated with poorer cardiac autonomic function at mid-life. Same association was not observed in women. Our findings suggest that higher, not lower, birth weight in males may contribute to less favourable cardiovascular autonomic regulation and potentially to an elevated cardiovascular risk in later life