Autonomous University Research Articles

The Relationship Between Financial Analysis and Business Performance at Public Universities in Vietnam

Purpose: This article aims to clarify the relationship between financial analysis and business performance at public universities in Vietnam. In addition, the influence of financial analysis on operational results. Theoretical framework: In the context of increasing financial autonomy in public universities in Vietnam, the issue of financial analysis aims to provide information for managers to plan, organize, control, and make decisions. Financial information must be reliable, transparent, and accountably defined. Most universities in Vietnam are not actively engaged in financial analysis activities, and there are significant research gaps globally. Method/design/approach: The research sample, collected online, consisted of 425 respondents in managerial positions (including accounting, auditing, financial, vice principal, and principal positions) in public universities. Sampling took place over a 3-month period from September 2022 to December 2023. Using quantitative research and the PLS-SEM structural equation modeling in SPSS 20 and AMOS 20 software. Results and conclusion: The study identified two factors with the strongest influence on financial analysis in public universities in Vietnam: (i) the analysis data base (AD); and (ii) the analysis content (CA) and influence of financial analysis on operational results. The research provided in-depth insights and critical discussions and evaluations in financial analysis at public universities in Vietnam, recommending the adoption of public accounting standards for financial reporting developed by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) or the use of EVA indicators (net operating profit after tax minus cost of capital) in financial analysis activities. Research implications: This research uses the contents of financial analysis and operational results based on prior studies in the realm of the public and universities. Within the context of the digital transformation of the entire society and improving the quality of education, these variables are useful solutions for universities. Originality/value: This study uses a new research methodology to analyze and measure the relationship between financial analysis and business performance at public universities in Vietnam. The paper's primary contribution is findings that benefit the public universities in Vietnam in the improvement of their training quality and business performance.

“Whose Union?” Federalism, Funding, and the Ideal Citizen-Student in Indian University Education (1950–1960)

ABSTRACT Through an analysis of Allahabad University’s functioning, this article argues that independent India’s ideas of federalism reimagined university education. New visions of the educated person – linked to ideas about the ideal citizen – changed the kinds of disciplines and universities being funded. With support from industrial elites to buttress the new nation-state’s development plans, the state prioritised technical education over arts and humanities to serve a unified economic policy. This change manifested through increased scrutiny over university functioning and crackdowns on student protests. The Indian postcolonial state’s “centralised” federalism to manage the national economy and promote national integration impacted university funding. Ultimately, decisions about university funding were tied to the state’s vision of the ideal apolitical citizen student, who would contribute to national development. This article highlights the complicated relationship between capital, the postcolonial nation-state, and university autonomy.

Influence of Human Resource Management on Work Performance at Vietnam Higher Education Institutions

The purpose of the paper is to examine the impact of human resource management on employee performance in Vietnam universities. In addition to empirically testing the hypotheses in the context of university autonomy in Vietnam, the research has attempted to further examine the achieved results and challenges for human resource management in Vietnam's higher education institutions through the variable regulating University autonomy. The findings in the research have provided empirical support for the correlation between human resource management and employee performance in higher education institutions. The author asked for the opinions of several experts on the questionnaire. Then send the test questionnaire to 10 agencies in higher education institutions. The author has adjusted the questionnaire to make it easier to understand to get the most accurate and reliable answers. The author sent the questionnaire during the period from April 2023 to June 2023, the total number of survey questionnaires distributed was 370 questionnaires, of which 350 votes are eligible for analysis.

STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE FORMATION OF FUTURE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF HMEI

This study was conducted to investigate the experience of job satisfaction among academic staff in selected public universities in Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey design with mixed research approaches was employed. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to get a total sample of 74 respondents from public universities in Tanzania. Data were collected by using a four- point scale questionnaires and semi-structured interview techniques. Study findings indicated varying job satisfaction levels among the academic staff in public universities in Tanzania. Despite the contextual differences experiences of academic staff working in public Universities were the same in the facets of work benefits, relationship with their leaders, opportunity for creativity, and communication feedback. On the other hand, the study revealed existing counterproductive behaviors that may impede the attainment of Universities’ core functions of teaching, research, and consultancy. Despite of their severity, counterproductive behaviors ranging from absenteeism and divided loyalty are reported to be among the main threats to public Universities in Tanzania. This study suggests that University leadership needs to consider factors such as improving work benefits, and effective communications among others, to create a friendly organizational culture. It is also recommended that dialogue through regular academic staff meetings, effective communication, and academic freedom can foster a culture of curiosity, autonomy, and trust in public Universities in Tanzania.

A Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Resilience Training on Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation Among Students of a Selected University in Mexico

ABSTRACT Mental distress burdens student populations; meanwhile, intervention-based studies are insufficient. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of cognitive resilience training (CRT) in enhancing students’ mental health. This experimental design study recruited 29 participants (mean age = 21.70; SD = 2.55) from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez (UACJ) in northern Mexico. A questionnaire pack containing the General Anxiety Disorder-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale was utilized. At the pretest, there was no significant difference between the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). At the posttest, the CG scored higher on anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to its EG counterparts. However, the EG’s participants exhibited higher resilience, leading to a reduction in mental distress compared to their control group counterparts. The study concluded that CRT is an effective intervention for enhancing students’ mental health. Therefore, it is recommended for use in university clinical settings.

Diplomacia pública digital y las estrategias implementadas por la UANL ante la pandemia por Covid 19: Una revisión teórica

The document examines the evolution and impact of digitalization in public diplomacy, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how globalization and tech-nological advancements have transformed public diplomacy through the introduction of new digital methods and strategies. The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), such as the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL), in internationali-zation and academic and scientific cooperation within public diplomacy is discussed. The text addresses the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic, emphasizing how restrictions spurred the adoption of digital strategies to maintain international collabo-ration and communication. The importance of effec-tive communication and efficient use of technology in public diplomacy is emphasized, underlining the need for strategic management and planning in the digital realm. The document illustrates the direct impact of digitalization on international relations and public diplomacy, showing how UANL and other HEIs have adapted their strategies to meet new global challenges and maintain quality in their academic and diplomatic activities

ARGININE VASOPRESSIN DEFICIENCY INDUCES DECREASED CARDIAC FIBROSIS RATE AND MEAN ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE IN RATS WITH EXPERIMENTAL ABDOMINAL AORTIC STENOSIS

Cardiac fibrosis (CF) involves the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in the interstitial space, often seen in various cardiac pathologies. Each year, cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of 17.9 million people worldwide. Cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, equipped with vasopressin receptors (AVP), play a crucial role in regulating cell signaling pathways associated with CF development. AVP, an immunomodulatory hormone, influences immune responses, and its deficiency results in a decrease in immune activity. Abdominal aortic stenosis (AS) serves as an experimental model for left cardiac overload hypertension and CF. Neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy (NIL) induces a permanent decrease in circulating AVP levels, showcasing regression of hepatic fibrosis in liver damage models. The quest for effective alternative treatments for cardiac fibrosis poses a substantial challenge for researchers. In this experiment, groups of male Wistar rats weighing approximately 250 g (8/group) were categorized into: 1) Intact Control (IC), 2) Abdominal Aortic Stenosis (AS), 3) Neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy (NIL), and 4) AS+NIL. The AS and AS+NIL groups underwent abdominal aortic stenosis surgery on day one of the experiment. By week 5, the NIL and NIL+AS groups underwent NIL surgery. Prior to sacrifice at week 10, intracarotid mean blood pressure (MBP) was assessed in all groups. Following sacrifice, the hearts were removed, fixed in neutral formalin, and processed in paraffn for histopathological examination using H-E, Masson's trichrome, and Sirius red staining. Results revealed an elevated MBP in the AS group (156 ± 27.1 vs. 114 ± 30 mmHg in the IC), normalized in the AS+NIL group (110 ± 40.9 mmHg), and a mild decrease in the NIL group (87 ± 7.6 mmHg). The evaluation of CF in histological slides concurred with the MBP findings; a significant increase in CF occurred in the AS group compared to the IC, NIL, and AS+NIL groups, with almost complete reversion of CF observed in the AS+NIL group. In summary, this study demonstrates that AVP deficiency induces arterial hypotension, and in the AS+NIL group, AVP deficiency led to: 1) a decrease in blood pressure to normal levels and 2) reversion of cardiac fibrosis. Further experiments are warranted to determine if the decrease in blood pressure and cardiac overload are suffcient to inhibit profibrogenic mechanisms and/or activate antifibrogenic mechanisms. Additionally, investigations are needed to explore whether AVP deficiency, beyond inhibiting the inflammatory process, promotes the activation of antifibrogenic mechanisms. The present results offer new avenues for a deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which AVP deficiency or the use of AVP receptor antagonists significantly influences fibrosis regulation in organ fibrotic diseases. Funding by Autonomous University of Aguascalientes (PIFF22-1). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

A-FABP and E-FABP as cutaneous biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome

Introduction: In Metabolic syndrome (MetS), tissues such as adipose, liver, and skin with very active lipid metabolism are dysfunctional, making it diffcult to store the excess fat. Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are cytosolic proteins that can reversibly bind to lipids and transport them to different cell organelles. In this work, we focus on adipocyte (A-FABP) and epidermal (E-FABP) FABPs, which have been proposed as potential biomarkers of MetS due to their different tissue expression patterns. When MetS impacts the skin, the integrity of the barrier is affected, such as changes in the structure and function of collagen fibers, changes in microcirculation and macrocirculation, damage to lymphatic vessels, diffculty in wound healing, increased production of sebum and sweat. All those changes seem to depend on the abnormal function of lipids and FABPs. In MetS, E-FABP and A-FABP increase significantly in serum and probably in the skin in order to facilitate lipid transport. For this reason, they can be considered a molecular sensors of the inflammation induced in the skin by MetS. Objective: Analyze the concentrations of A-FABP and E-FABP in the skin of a MetS model to determine their value as biomarkers. Methods: We used a Wistar rat model (N=32) of MetS with a 41% extra fat diet during 8, 18, 28, and 52 weeks. The protocol was approved by the "Internal Committee for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí" (assigned code: BGFMUASLP -07-19). At the end of every period of time (8, 18, etc) a biopsy of the skin (1 cm2) was took and cleaned from connective and subcutaneous adipose tissue. For Western Blot (WB) experiments the protein extraction was performed using cell lysis and homogenization, and 50 μg of protein of each sample was used. The WB was performed following the supplier's specifications and the standardized protocol in our laboratory. The primary antibodies used for incubation were rat A-FABP antibody (R&D Systems, AF1443) and rat E-FABP antibody (R&D Systems, AF1476). The secondary antibody was Goat IgG HRP-conjugated Antibody (R&D Systems, HAF017). As a control gene, GAPDH reconstituted as indicated by the supplier. Bands were visualized using chemiluminescent detection, and their density in each group was analyzed using ImageJ software. Results: animals developed MetS after being 28 weeks in high fat diet showing excess of abdominal fat, hypertension, high triglycerides, and low cholesterol-HDL. At 52 weeks, we observed an increase in total cholesterol and in the severity of the blood lipids mentioned. Also, 40% of the animals showed visible skin lesions characterized by redness, eruptions, scratching marks, and wounds that do not heal, mainly in the cervical region, suggesting an inflammatory process. A-FABP expression was increased in MetS rats at 8 and 18 weeks and remained high at 28 and 52 weeks, although the increase was not significant. On the other hand E-FABP expression increased in MetS rats from week 18 and 28 but decreasing at 52. It suggests a greater presence of the protein and a probable participation of it in the inflammatory processes and skin lesions observed. Conclusions: E-FABP and A-FABP, increase significantly in the skin of MetS rats, mainly in the in the initial stages of MetS. E-FABP can considered a molecular sensor of skin inflammation induced by obesity. We also observed the presence of A-FABP in the skin, probably from subcutaneous adipose tissue. We propose the feasibility of both FABPs as early markers of MetS. This work has been supported by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONAHCYT) Project No. 320024. GE Donjuán-Loredo thanks CONAHCYT CVU 775467. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Designing and testing an Integrated Study Strategy: Core Concepts in physiology and Mind Maps

This abstract shows the result of an innovative approach for learning physiology by combining two widely recognized methods: Core Concepts in physiology and Mind Maps. The objective is demonstrating the graphic product that visualize conceptual relationships holistically (mind map) combined with core concepts in cardiovascular physiology generated by a group of students enrolled to the integrative physiology course (2nd-year medical students, medical bachelor's degree, Professional Studies Faculty, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, México) during the semester august to December 2023. Methods: the curriculum content of cardiovascular physiology includes excitation-contraction coupling of the heart, the heart cycle, determinants of arterial pressure and peripheric vascular characteristics, including special circulations. The development of the mind map was according to the academic content of the course (4 weeks). The group of students worked with a training physiology teacher (including core concept training) for one 2-hour session per week (total= 4 sessions). The result is a mind map that includes the aspects of cardiovascular physiology addressed by the core concepts tool. Conclusion: Contemporary education faces increasing challenges in information retention and comprehension., and in this context, the integration of these two strategies emerges as a promising solution. This combination of learning tool is applicable in environments of low socioeconomical status because not involve doesn´t involve any monetary investments. Curricular Commission and the Academy or Clinical and Basic Sciences belonging to the bachelor´s degree of the Professional Studies Faculty, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, México. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Biography Leticia Myriam Torres Guerra

Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in 1955, Dr. Leticia Torres graduated with a degree in Industrial Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and earned her PhD in Advanced Ceramic Materials from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1985. She holds a certification in Applied Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency from Harvard University. Throughout her distinguished professional career, she has held key positions such as Deputy Director of Research at the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (1995-2001), Deputy Director of Scientific Development at CONACYT (2011-2013), Head of the Department of Eco-materials and Energy at the Faculty of Civil Engineering UANL (2005-2019), and leader of the Consolidated Academic Body "Development of Environmental Materials" from 2008 to the present. Since December 6, 2019, she has been serving as the General Director of the Center for Research in Advanced Materials (CIMAV).

UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY IN THE CONTEXT OF OPTIMISING THE NETWORK OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The relevance of the article is determined by the importance of strengthening the autonomy of higher education, its ability to really influence the acceleration of Ukraine's recovery and the need to resolve a number of contradictions (between the launched higher education reform and imperfect regulatory, legal and organisational mechanisms for its implementation; public awareness of the inefficiency of the higher education network and the importance of its optimisation, and the insufficient level of awareness of the importance of ensuring democratic and transparent processes by senior education managers). The aim is to analyse the prerequisites, features and prospects for optimising the network of higher education institutions in the context of implementing the right of universities to autonomy for accelerating Ukraine's recovery. Methods: theoretical analysis of official, statistical, scientific and journalistic sources – to study the functioning peculiarities of the higher education network in Ukraine and the development of their autonomy; comparison and generalisation – to identify factors that hinder the autonomy development of Ukrainian higher education institutions and conditions that facilitate it. Results: the dynamics of the higher education institutions network expansion and their contingent is studied; the peculiarities of acquiring the "national" status by higher education institutions are analysed; the factors of inhibition of the university autonomy development in Ukraine are identified; the conclusions of Ukrainian scientists on creating conditions for ensuring the process effectiveness of the higher education institutions optimisation are summarised. Conclusions: the autonomy development of higher education institutions in Ukraine is hampered by an imperfect regulatory framework, non-state actions of educational managers at the institutional and national levels, and an unbalanced national education system; uncontrolled expansion of the higher education institutions network has disrupted the balance of the national education system (decline in vocational education, deterioration in the quality of higher education); the autonomy of higher education institutions in the context of an unbalanced national education system, weakened links with regional labour markets, and underdeveloped public-private partnerships cannot become a means of a restorative breakthrough for the Ukrainian education system to ensure Ukraine's post-war recovery; the need to optimise the network of higher education institutions is obvious and urgent, but it is undemocratic and non-transparent, which provokes unhealthy sentiments among the scientific and pedagogical community and undermines the authority of higher education in Ukrainian society; the process of optimising the network of higher education institutions needs to be regulated (development of relevant regulations, methodological recommendations, clear algorithm), taking into account the achievements of Ukrainian scientists and European experience.

Social mechanisms for the development of irregular human settlements in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The work presents partial results of a research carried out by the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, oriented to the analysis of urban growth that develops on the periphery of cities through informal and illegal land occupation processes. The analysis aims to address the social practices and mechanisms that the population exercises to satisfy their land and housing needs, taking the city of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico as a case study. The results show that the State and real estate developers express their interest in developing the city in a formal way, in which they satisfy the needs of the population with high economic resources and leave aside the poorest population, who practice social actions for the development of irregular human settlements.

Risk of eating disorders in Mexican university students

ObjectiveTo determine the distribution of the risk of developing an eating disorder, other psychological variables, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity in Mexican university students. The second aim was to determine the association between the risk of developing an eating disorder and all variables by sex. DesignA cross-sectional study was carried out. SettingThe Health Sciences Institute and the Agricultural Sciences Institute within the Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Mexico. Participants395 university students (65 % women) aged 18 to 29. AnalysisDescriptive, correlational and binary regression model. ResultsThe risk of developing an eating disorder (moderate and high) was 37.3 % for women and 32.6 % for men. A logistic regression analysis of women showed that thin-ideal internalization (12.9 times), BMI (3.5 times) and inactivity (2.6 times) increased the risk of developing an eating disorder. In men, the drive for muscularity (7.5 times) and BMI (2.3 times) increased the risk. Conclusion and implicationsThe variables associated with the risk of developing an eating disorder differed by sex, except for BMI, which increased the risk in both sexes. Findings should be considered in the design of future interventions to prevent the risk of eating disorders and associated factors.

Assessing Impacts of University Autonomy Policies on Universities’ Competitiveness in Vietnam

This research aims to assess the impacts of factors in university autonomy policies on universities’ competitiveness in Vietnam. It has been revealed that since university autonomy policies were implemented, universities have paid greater attention to the formation and improvement of their competitiveness, targeting sustainable and stable development. The survey related to Vietnam’s universities’ competitiveness was administered to 486 individuals. Through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), five factors affecting institutions’ competitiveness were identified, including Academic and training autonomy, Financial autonomy, Organization and staffing autonomy, International cooperation autonomy, and Quality assurance autonomy. Hypothesis testing and regression analysis showed that institutions granted great autonomy tend to focus more on forming and improving their competitiveness, and financial autonomy is the factor with the biggest impact on their competitiveness. As a result, from the authors’ perspective, it is crucial that the Ministry of Education and Training quickly accelerate autonomy delegation, and each university invests more time and effort in forming and improving their competitiveness based on the level of autonomy granted.

Political Staff Promotions, Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Style and Performance of Private Universities in Kenya

This study investigated the relationship between political staff promotions, the vice chancellor's leadership style, and the performance of private universities in Kenya, highlighting their significant roles in shaping the educational landscape. Despite the renowned flexibility, autonomy, and competitiveness of private universities, these institutions in Kenya encountered challenges due to political staff promotions and leadership dynamics, potentially impacting their performance and standing in the competitive educational sector. The research was prompted by concerns over the suboptimal performance of private universities in Kenya, with issues such as quality of education, financial constraints, fierce competition, and governance problems being key contributing factors. The study aimed to explore the effects of political staff promotions and the leadership style of vice chancellors on the performance of these institutions, seeking to understand the dynamics influencing their success or shortcomings. Employing Transformational Leadership Theory and Resource Based View Theory as its foundation, the research utilized a descriptive design for an in-depth analysis. Data were collected from a purposively selected sample of five prominent private universities in Kenya through questionnaires and interviews targeting vice chancellors, deans, and lecturers. This methodological approach facilitated a detailed examination of the research variables and their interrelations. The findings indicated that political staff promotions had insignificant impact on university performance, with a non-significant p-value of 0.666 (B = -0.174), suggesting that political considerations, while present, did not substantially affect institutional effectiveness. In contrast, the vice chancellor's leadership style showed a significant positive correlation with university performance, evidenced by a significant p-value of 0.020 (B = 0.475), indicating the role of effective leadership in driving institutional success. This underlined the potential of strong, visionary leadership to guide private universities towards higher levels of excellence and competitiveness. The study recommends a focus on leadership development, the implementation of transparent promotion processes, and efforts to improve teaching quality and infrastructure. By addressing these areas, private universities in Kenya could strengthen their foundations, better navigate existing challenges, and seize opportunities for ongoing improvement and significant contributions to the wider educational sector. Keywords: Leadership style, university performance, political staff promotions, higher education management, private universities in Kenya

Detecting outstanding students for projection in academic competitions

Upper secondary educational institutions have outstanding students in different areas of knowledge. Some of them show scientific skills, technological innovation, and others are considered high-performance athletes. They can enhance their abilities and face more demanding challenges by participating in academic and/or sporting events. The aim of this study was "to discuss the importance of the timely detection of outstanding students in upper secondary education academic units, as well as to analyse the factors that influence the achievement of their goals". The research was conducted at the Guasave Daytime High School of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), in the municipality of Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. It was designed as a case study, with an exploratory-explanatory analysis. A total of 455 surveys were administered to students. The academic unit has 3898 students, the data were captured in Google Forms to describe the attitudinal profile of high school students, ways of learning, strengths, and weaknesses to develop scientific skills. Interest in participating in important academic and sporting events was considered as activities to identify outstanding students. The results show the importance of implementing strategies that allow teachers to detect outstanding students in a timely manner. The dissemination of extracurricular activities was considered because students have the potential to develop their scientific and sporting talents. However, these activities have little dissemination among students. It is concluded that the Academic Units should have a greater dissemination of extracurricular activities and have a programme to detect outstanding students. It is important to train and guide teachers so that they can identify and channel outstanding students and be able to enhance their abilities.

Professor Carla Bottoli, an enthusiastic scientific researcher, kindly spoke to BrJAC

Carla Beatriz Grespan Bottoli holds a degree in Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Santa Maria (1996), as well as a Ph.D. in Chemistry (2002), and a postdoctoral degree in Chemistry (2002-2004), both from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). In 2005, she undertook an internship at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to study radiolysis in vitamins using gamma radiation from a source of Cobalt 60. In 2017, she presented her habilitation thesis (associate professor's thesis) at Unicamp. Currently, she is Associate Professor and Postgraduate Advisor at the Institute of Chemistry at Unicamp (IQ-Unicamp), where she works in the area of analytical chemistry, with emphasis on separation methods, mainly liquid chromatography. Prof. Bottoli coordinates the NovaCrom – Liquid Chromatography Laboratory (https://novacromlab.wixsite.com/novacrom), which is a research group that has been working on the development of new monolithic stationary phases for capillary liquid chromatography. Research is also focused on the development of analytical methods that employ liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to study the translocation of pesticides in plants such as coconut, palm, and soybean. Between 2019 and 2021, Prof. Bottoli was an associate coordinator of the Research Commission of the IQ-Unicamp and is currently a member of the Research Integrity Commission at Unicamp. She is a member of the Brazilian Chemical Society and a researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology in Bioanalytics (INCTBio). Carla Bottoli is the mother of Murilo, 13 and Mateus, 10.

A didactic sequence to help legal translation trainees develop strategic and intercultural competence: macro-level textual consequences of micro-level decisions when dealing with legal culture-bound terms

ABSTRACT Translating legal culture-bound terms is one of the difficulties facing any legal translator due to asymmetries between national legal systems. To train trainees to deal with these terms, strategic and intercultural competences must be developed. This article focuses on how to pedagogically address the varying degrees of incongruity that may arise when translating legal culture-bound terms. The learning objectives set are for trainees to be able to apply the most appropriate translation technique to use in each instance, selecting it at a micro-unit level that is coherent with the macro-level approach determined by the communicative situation and target text purpose. A theoretical and pedagogical framework is presented, followed by the description of a didactic sequence that was created as action research to develop trainees’ strategic and intercultural competences. The didactic sequence includes 4 units with task-based learning activities and formative and summative assessment. The activities were piloted in a postgraduate specialisation course in legal translation at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Trainee responses to a follow-up survey and focus group show that the activities were perceived to be useful and helpful when dealing with the difficulty of translating legal culture-bound terms.

Monitoring Citizen Science Performance: Methodological Guidelines

This research paper aims to co-design a theoretical framework and methodological guidelines to monitor the performance, outcomes, and impact of Citizen Science projects. Hence, the proposed methodology com- bines the previous research efforts on the engagement of external stakeholders into a composite monitoring tool, which allows measuring and comparing CS project progress towards defined objectives. The develop- ment of methodology adopted a pragmatic mixed-method research design. Firstly, analysis of the theoretical sources and available monitoring tools provided the basis for a conceptual framework and identification of measurement indicators. The rationale of the conceptual framework was based on the co-creation workshop and stakeholders` interviews. In addition, the aggregation of indicators during the expert Focus group re- search resulted in a meaningful design of the composite CS Performance Index. The designed methodology is a part of the three-year Horizon 2020 “Science with and for Society” project INCENTIVE (Grant Agreement No. 101005330) that brings on board four Research Performing and Funding Organizations: the University of Twente, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Vilnius Gedi- minas Technical University. Methodological guidelines set the structure for applying the monitoring in four national CS Hubs and support their coordination. In particular, the values of the indicators could be compared with the targets set, with the respective values of other Citizen Science Hubs, or to worldwide trends.

Digital transformation and student satisfaction at the Autonomous University of Chile

The great advances that derive from the technological revolution 4.0 have permeated higher education institutions, which have been forced to initiate extensive transformation processes that consider the integration of digital technologies to guarantee student satisfaction, maintain their social validity and ensure their sustainability. In this article, focused on the case of the Autonomous University of Chile, the existence of causal relationships between the Digital Transformation model of that University and the Student Satisfaction Index model proposed by Turkyilmaz, Temizer and Oztekin (2018) is demonstrated. The objective of the research was to determine the impact of the digital transformation on the student’s satisfaction of that University. The structural equation modeling technique was applied, using the data obtained from a questionnaire applied to 313 students at that University in the month of May 2023. The analyzes carried out empirically validated the proposed theoretical model, demonstrating that perceived quality is the variable that has the greatest effect on student satisfaction, and finding that the expectations created regarding the results of the digital transformation of the University have a negative influence on the satisfaction; In other words, the higher the expectations about digital transformation, the more difficult it will be to satisfy students and achieve their loyalty to the institution.