1,104 research outputs found
The Pelvic Floor Complaint-related Psychological Burden Inventory
No full textBrand, A., Waterink, W., Rosas, S., van Lankveld, J.: Measuring the psychological burden of women with pelvic floor complaints: The psychometric characteristics of a new instrument [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. Open Research Europe 3(83) (2023). doi:10.12688/openreseurope.15833.
A Case Study in the Measurement of Educational Efficiency in Open and Distance Learning
No full textTattersall, C., Waterink, W., Höppener, P., & Koper, R. (2006). A Case Study in the Measurement of Educational Efficiency in Open and Distance Learning. Distance Education, 27(3), 391-404.Open and Distance Learning (ODL) gives learners control of the time, place and pace of learning, often being characterised as flexible learning. However, this flexibility goes hand-in-hand with procrastination and non-completion. As a result, the efficiency of the educational process is of importance to ODL Providers, governmental funding agencies and learners themselves. This article provides a definition of educational efficiency and a describes a method for its measurement given the special characteristics of ODL. A case study illustrating the analysis of the efficiency of an ODL study programme is presented to illustrate the practical application of the definition. The article concludes with a discussion of the wider applicability of the measurement method in the context of lifelong learning
IN STEADY HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS MEN MASTURBATE MORE THAN WOMEN BECAUSE OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SEX DRIVE
No full textThis study investigated the suggestion that a gender difference in the frequency of masturbation exists due to a gender difference in sex drive. The research sample consisted of 554 Dutch participants of whom 355 were women and 199 men. The average age of the women was 42.02 years (SD = 10.77) and the average age of the men was 44.62 years (SD =11.06). All participants were engaged in a steady heterosexual relationship. Higher sex drive scores were significantly positively related to the frequency of reported masturbation (B = .14; t(550) = 10.33, p < .001) and the frequency of reported partnered sex (B = .07; t(550) = 5.10, p < .001). Furthermore, women reported a masturbation frequency of about once per two weeks, while men reported a significantly higher masturbation frequency of about twice per week (B = -.77; t(551) = -11.70, p < .001). Regarding reported frequency of partnered sex, no significant gender difference was found (B = -.04; t(551) = -.62, p = .534). Both women and men reported a frequency of about three times per two weeks. With regard to masturbation, a mediation analysis controlled for age with sex drive as a mediator, showed that sex drive significantly mediated the relationship between gender and the reported frequency of masturbation (Z = -9.14, SE = .06, p < .001). The same mediation analysis was performed regarding the reported frequency of partnered sex. For partnered sex, sex drive also had a significant mediation effect, but as a suppressor (Z = -4.85, SE = .05, p < .001). It is concluded that in steady heterosexual relationships, the gender difference in sex drive is responsible for the fact that men masturbate more than women. Possible reasons for this are explored
Towards the measurement of sex drive as an evolutionary supremacy:
No full textIf the human sex drive is an evolutionarily-instigated motivation towards procreation, then the strength of men and women’s sex drive should be dependent on factors affecting offspring. In this study, the effect of gender was investigated among 534 participants by means of a survey that was based on evolutionary adaptations underlying sexual behaviour, This survey the basis for a new research line. Analysis of covariance showed that, in general, men have a higher sex drive than women. These results are in line with studies of sexual selection and partner choice preferences where evolved behavioural manifestations of sex drive facilitate the competition and rivalry for access to a partner, and where men differ from women with regard to their participation in parental investment
A New Linkage for the Assessment of Prior Learning
No full textKalz, M., Van Bruggen, J., Giesbers, B., Waterink, W., Eshuis, J., & Koper, R. (2007). A New Linkage for Prior Learning Assessment. In European Institute for E-Leatrning (Ed.). Proceedings of the conference ePortfolio 2007 'Employability and Lifelong Learning in the Knowledge Society'. October, 18-19, 2007, Maastricht, The Netherlands. [See also http://hdl.handle.net/1820/1680 ]Technology can help to develop new approaches for today’s assessment practice. This contribution presents a project that concentrates on the use of electronic portfolios and Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to assess prior learning experiences of learners. After an introduction the assessment triangle is presented as a reference framework. The role of the electronic portfolio for prior learning assessment is identified. Latent Semantic Analysis is introduced as an innovative assessment technology. A report about a recently conducted cased study at the Open University of the Netherlands follows. A problem discussion and research outlook rounds up the article.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org
Floating WIM Threshold Concept for Truck Weight Enforcement
No full textWeigh stations are the primary weight compliance checkpoints for commercial trucks. In the past several decades, states have used weigh-in-motion (WIM) technology to reduce delay and increase enforcement on overweight vehicles. This study offers a detailed analysis of weigh station systems and presents floating-threshold algorithms to improve the efficiency of WIM equipped weigh stations.
This research evaluates weigh station design and operational parameters using queueing theory and found that WIM technology not only enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of weigh station operations but also largely reduces travel delay for trucking companies. The effects of truck demand, truck weight distribution, static scale service time, WIM accuracy, and sorting threshold on weigh station operations have been analyzed. The author shows the importance of transponders in a WIM mainline weigh station operation. The author also proves that the increase of storage spaces within a weigh station may largely increase truck travel delay and does not significantly improve weigh station operations.
This research focuses on the development of floating-threshold algorithms. Since the number of trucks, particularly heavy trucks, has increased rapidly in recent decades, many weigh stations cannot meet the demand even when equipped with WIM systems. This problem is complicated by the fact that truck demands, truck weight distribution, and static scale service time vary by time of day and day of week. The author designed floating-threshold algorithms to automatically adapt to high truck demand and the varying of truck demand, truck weight distribution, and static scale service time, over time. When the queue at the weigh station is long, the threshold value is increased so as to avoid the closure of the weigh station while still catching the worst weight limit offenders. When the queue is short, the threshold value is lowered to increase the number of trucks inspected. Both the traditional fixed-threshold strategy and two floating-threshold strategies were modeled and tested using a microscopic simulation model. The results show that floating-threshold strategies are both more effective in weight enforcement and more efficient for heavy traffic flow and high-variance environments. The finding that different floating-threshold strategies have different effects indicates that it is necessary to make a further study on floating-threshold algorithms
Seksuele en psychologische kenmerken van vrouwen die behandeld worden door een bekkenfysiotherapeut
No full textDit artikel omvat een samenvatting van mijn proefschrift. Ik heb mijn promotieonderzoek uitgevoerd onder begeleiding van Em. Prof. dr. Jacques van Lankveld en Dr. Wim Waterink bij de Open Universiteit in Heerlen. Een aantal deelstudies werden uitgevoerd in samenwerking met Dr. Slavi Stoyanov, en Dr. Xynthia Kavelaars, beiden werkzaam bij de Open Universiteit in Heerlen, en met Scott Rosas, directeur van Concept Systems in Ithaca, in de USA
The Impact of Tourism on Curacao's Economy: A Scenario Approach
No full textCuraçao is an autonomous countrywithin the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The governmentwants to support tourism development. However,various development strategies are possible. This articlepresents four scenarios of marketing and investmentstrategies that will affect the number of tourists fromThe Netherlands and North America (USA and Canada)in different ways. A multiplier model was used to calculatethe economic impacts of the four scenarios. Bydoing so, this article shows how the government’s decisionto support particular marketing and investmentstrategies may have certain outcomes for the number ofjobs in Curaçao’s tourism industry
Model Validation and New Water Control Strategies in Drinking Water Treatment Plant Wim Mensink
No full textStimela is an environment for standardized mathematical models of drinking water treatment processes. It can be used to predict the future water treatment situation which may happen or change. In water treatment plant Wim Mensink, the Stimela model train was set up to compare with other alternative water control strategies. Before starting the work of developing new water control strategies with Stimela model, Stimela model for Wim Mensink must be validated so that the model can be seen as a reliable and stable tool for the next work. Before the validation work, the current water control strategy for the treatment process needs to be investigated clearly to fulfil all the input control information is correct. Besides this, an experiment for obtaining the measured results of pellet diameters over different layers was performed in Wim Mensink. The validation work starts with single pellet softening process for three different reactors over first month from January 20th to February 20th. The fluidized bed height, pressure drop over total height of reactor, pellet diameters and porosities are validated. After that, the validation work is integrated with whole water treatment system to prove the function of pellet softening reactor and the four important water quality parameters over two important locations (after weir aerator location and final RO mixing location). The validated results of softening process are analysed by the relative error way to prove the reliability of the model results compared with measured results. The final step of the thesis work is developing the new water control strategies to optimize the current control plans of Wim Mensink. Five different water control strategies are put forward. They can be either reached separately according to their own advantages and limitations or fulfil with a step by step order as a whole optimization process. Moreover, the other water control strategies developed by engineering consultancy company DHV are evaluated here with Stimela model so that they can be proved reliable and achievable. In the future, the application of Stimela model will be spread over all the drinking water treatment plants in the Netherlands and contributes to the central automated control as a drinking water treatment operator training simulator.Sanitary EngineeringWatermanagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Use of Axle Load Spectra (ALS) for Estimating Calibration Drift in Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Systems
No full textThis analysis's main objective is to determine WIM system errors based on axle loading without physically performing WIM equipment performance validation using test trucks. The presented methodology can be used to estimate systematic errors (calibration drift) in the WIM system at any point in time after the equipment calibration. This approach can help highway agencies select optimum timings for routine maintenance and calibration of WIM equipment without compromising its accuracy. The results show that the WIM accuracy for the single axle (SA) and tandem axle (TA) can be estimated with SA and TA NALS shape factors with an acceptable degree of error for bending plate (BP) and quartz piezo QP) sensors. The application and significance of the developed models were explained with the help of an example. The use of NALS to estimate the WIM system accuracy can save a significant amount of time and resources required for field validation of WIM performance every year.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
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