Academic maturity of students in an extended programme in mathematics

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the students who are registered in the University of Pretoria’s academic development programme, named the Four-year Programme (FYP). The programme was introduced as a gateway for students who are underprepared but have the potential to succeed and then continue their studies into the mainstream science programmes. Our research focuses on measuring the change in the academic maturity of these students. In the theoretical framework that we developed, academic maturity is subdivided into two components namely non-subject based maturity and subject based maturity (mathematical maturity). This paper focuses on measuring non-subject based academic maturity. The survey used for this purpose is called the Student Academic Readiness Survey (STARS), taken at the beginning of the year and after the first semester respectively. The results of the surveys are compared to measure the change in students’ views. Results show that in all constructs there is a surprising decline in students’ perceptions regarding their own abilities over the first semester at university. We use the Dunning–Kruger effect to explain this unexpected decline, in that students seem to develop a more realistic view of their own maturity, which in itself can be seen as a growth in academic maturity.     

Raman Method in Identification of Species and Varieties,Assessment of Plant Maturity and Crop Quality—A Review

The present review covers reports discussing potential applications of the specificity of Raman techniques in the advancement of digital farming, in line with an assumption of yield maximisation with minimum environmental impact of agriculture. Raman is an optical spectroscopy method which can be used to perform immediate, label-free detection and quantification of key compounds without destroying the sample. The authors particularly focused on the reports discussing the use of Raman spectroscopy in monitoring the physiological status of plants, assessing crop maturity and quality, plant pathology and ripening, and identifying plant species and their varieties. In recent years, research reports have presented evidence confirming the effectiveness of Raman spectroscopy in identifying biotic and abiotic stresses in plants as well as in phenotyping and digital selection of plants in farming. Raman techniques used in precision agriculture can significantly improve capacities for farming management, crop quality assessment, as well as biological and chemical contaminant detection, thereby contributing to food safety as well as the productivity and profitability of agriculture. This review aims to increase the awareness of the growing potential of Raman spectroscopy in agriculture among plant breeders, geneticists, farmers and engineers.     

Modelling phenolic and technological maturities of grapes by means of the multivariate relation between organoleptic and physicochemical properties

The ripeness of grapes at the harvest time is one of the most important parameters for obtaining high quality red wines. Traditionally the decision of harvesting is to be taken only after analysing sugar concentration, titratable acidity and pH of the grape juice (technological maturity). However, these parameters only provide information about the pulp ripeness and overlook the real degree of skins and seeds maturities (phenolic maturity). Both maturities, technological and phenolic, are not simultaneously reached, on the contrary they tend to separate depending on several factors: grape variety, cultivar, adverse weather conditions, soil, water availability and cultural practices. Besides, this divergence is increasing as a consequence of the climate change (larger quantities of CO₂, less rain, and higher temperatures).     

组织忘却对组织惰性的影响研究—–环境动态性与创新导向的调节作用

组织惰性是客观存在于组织机体内的消极行为表现, 对组织的可持续发展产生阻碍作用. 如何克服组织惰性、提升组织效率是组织惰性研究的关键问题. 本文主要探讨了组织忘却对组织惰性的影响作用. 以长三角地区的260个调查样本为研究对象, 对组织忘却与组织惰性的关系进行了分析, 并探讨了环境动态性、创新导向以及环境动态性和创新导向交互在两者之间的调节作用. 结果表明 组织忘却对组织惰性具有显著的负向作用, 环境动态性和创新导向均显著正向地调节了两者之间的负向作用, 环境动态性和创新导向的交互对两者之间的关系具有调节作用, 但调节作用最强的情况出现在环境动态性或创新导向单方面较强, 而非环境动态性和创新导向两者均强时.     

商业模式创新对财务绩效的影响研究:基于新兴技术企业的实证

研究分析了商业模式创新对财务绩效的影响以及这种影响的环境条件。研究提出了6个理论假设,并采用来自151个新兴技术企业的样本进行了实证检验。研究发现效率型和新颖型商业模式创新都能促进财务绩效。市场不成熟和不正当竞争会加强效率型商业模式创新对财务绩效的促进作用,而不正当竞争会削弱新颖型商业模式创新对财务绩效的促进作用。     

Performance of Organizational Design Models and Their Impact on Organization Learning

The performance of various organizational structures is an essential parameter in the reengineering of organizations, particularly in the current rapidly changing, competitive and information technology-dependent environment. This situation has generally resulted in a smaller workforce confronted with voluminous information-processing requirements. Naturally, the focus has been on the design of organzations that will support effective and efficient learning processes. This specific study is on the contingency modely by Ouksel et al. (1997) on the impact of organizational structure on organizational learning and performance. It expands the empirical evaluation of the model to test its robustness. This is done by conducting extensive simulations with (a) a larger number of variables in the decision tasks, and (b) a larger set of numbers for each of the numeric variables, than has been used in the past. Overall, the validity of previous results achieved has been confirmed, but the selection of the most appropriate design, that which will indeed improve learning, is even more nuanced than past studies have concluded.     

Networks, Fields and Organizations: Micro-Dynamics, Scale and Cohesive Embeddings

Social action is situated in fields that are simultaneously composed of interpersonal ties and relations among organizations, which are both usefully characterized as social networks. We introduce a novel approach to distinguishing different network macro-structures in terms of cohesive subsets and their overlaps. We develop a vocabulary that relates different forms of network cohesion to field properties as opposed to organizational constraints on ties and structures. We illustrate differences in probabilistic attachment processes in network evolution that link on the one hand to organizational constraints versus field properties and to cohesive network topologies on the other. This allows us to identify a set of important new micro-macro linkages between local behavior in networks and global network properties. The analytic strategy thus puts in place a methodology for Predictive Social Cohesion theory to be developed and tested in the context of informal and formal organizations and organizational fields. We also show how organizations and fields combine at different scales of cohesive depth and cohesive breadth. Operational measures and results are illustrated for three organizational examples, and analysis of these cases suggests that different structures of cohesive subsets and overlaps may be predictive in organizational contexts and similarly for the larger fields in which they are embedded. Useful predictions may also be based on feedback from level of cohesion in the larger field back to organizations, conditioned on the level of multiconnectivity to the field.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ZHOU PEIYUAN COMPETITION ON MECHANICS

全国周培源大学生力学竞赛为《力学与实践》编委会发起并承办的一项大学生科技赛事,经过三十多年的发展,已经成功举办了12届,也成为展示高校力学教学水平的一个窗口。在《力学与实践》创刊40周之际,本文对全国周培源大学生力学竞赛的发展历程和组织模式进行了较为系统的回顾和梳理;对各届的组织规模和创新形式进行归纳与汇总;并通过案例说明力学竞赛对力学教学和人才培养所发挥的作用。     

基于突变级数-灰靶的生鲜电商O2O成熟度模型

为了对生鲜农产品电商O2O水平做出评估,本文设计了生鲜电商与传统流通体系融合发展的成熟度模型,确定了成熟度模型五个层级的十七个关键过程域及其目标。通过实例,运用突变级数法和灰靶决策对超市生鲜农产品020的成熟度进行了评估,使其发现经营过程中的薄弱环节并改善,向成熟度更高一层级迈进。结合突变级数和灰靶决策的成熟度模型避免了赋权的主观性,既提高了生鲜农产品电商与传统流通体系融合发展成熟度模型评估的准确性,又不失可靠性、合理性以及科学性,具有重要的实用价值。     

Computational Modeling of Organizations Comes of Age

As they are maturing—i.e., as they are becoming validated, calibrated and refined—computational emulation models of organizations are evolving into: powerful new kinds of organizational design tools for predicting and mitigating organizational risks; and flexible new kinds of organizational theorem-provers for validating extant organization theory and developing new theory. Over the past 50 years, computational modeling and simulation have had enormous impacts on the rate of advancement of knowledge in fields like physics, chemistry and, more recently, biology; and their subsequent application has enabled whole new areas of engineering practice. In the same way, as our young discipline comes of age, computational organizational models are beginning to impact behavioral, organizational and economic science, and management consulting practice. This paper attempts to draw parallels between computational modeling in natural sciences and computational modeling of organizations as a contributor to both social science and management practice.To illustrate the lifecycle of a computational organizational model that is now relatively mature, this paper traces the evolution of the Virtual Design Team (VDT) computational modeling and simulation research project at Stanford University from its origins in 1988 to the present. It lays out the steps in the process of validating VDT as a computational emulation model of organizations to the point that VDT began to influence management practice and, subsequently, to advance organizational science. We discuss alternate research trajectories that can be taken by computational and mathematical modelers who prefer the typical natural science validation trajectory—i.e., who attempt to impact organizational science first and, perhaps subsequently, to impact management practice.The paper concludes with a discussion of the current state-of-the-art of computational modeling of organizations and some thoughts about where, and how rapidly, the field is headed.