1,269,861 research outputs found

    A fisheries management plan for the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders

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    The River Tweed is, in rod-catch terms, the second most important river in Britain for Atlantic salmon, with an annual rod catch of ca.10,000 fish. This article gives an outline of the second edition of the Tweed Fisheries Management Plan, which is defined as "The co-ordination of data collection and analyses with fundamental research into relevant topics to devise management actions that will beneficially affect the future state of fish stocks". Much of the work set down for the present is concerned with setting up recording and measuring systems for fish catches and exploitation rates, and for the operation of monitoring sites for juvenile densities and adult trout and salmon spawning runs. While surveys show the present state of affairs, the collection of records and regular monitoring of sites will mean that in the future, the past will be better known through a longer series of records. Two case histories are described. The first is concerned with setting aims for managing the brown trout of the Tweed and defining the present state of the fishery. The second is an investigation into the spring salmon of the Tweed

    Automated in situ observations of upper ocean biogeochemistry, bio-optics, and physics and their potential use for global studies

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    The processes controlling the flux of carbon in the upper ocean have dynamic ranges in space and time of at least nine orders of magnitude. These processes depend on a broad suite of inter-related biogeochemical, bio-optical, and physical variables. These variables should be sampled on scales matching the relevant phenomena. Traditional ship-based sampling, while critical for detailed and more comprehensive observations, can span only limited portions of these ranges because of logistical and financial constraints. Further, remote observations from satellite platforms enable broad horizontal coverage which is restricted to the upper few meters of the ocean. For these main reasons, automated subsurface measurement systems are important for the fulfillment of research goals related to the regional and global estimation and modeling of time varying biogeochemical fluxes. Within the past few years, new sensors and systems capable of autonomously measuring several of the critical variables have been developed. The platforms for deploying these systems now include moorings and drifters and it is likely that autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV's) will become available for use in the future. Each of these platforms satisfies particular sampling needs and can be used to complement both shipboard and satellite observations. In the present review, (1) sampling considerations will be summarized, (2) examples of data obtained from some of the existing automated in situ sampling systems will be highlighted, (3) future sensors and systems will be discussed, (4) data management issues for present and future automated systems will be considered, and (5) the status of near real-time data telemetry will be outlined. Finally, we wish to make it clear at the outset that the perspectives presented here are those of the authors and are not intended to represent those of the United States JGOFS program, the International JGOFS program, NOAA's C&GC program, or other global ocean programs

    Literature review on the utility and toles assigned to the accounting information system and accounting data in SMEs

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    The literature on the management systems of the SME manager shows that many small and medium sized entreprises would have only rudimentary management tools, this would explain the perference of SME managers for more informal media and verbal information (Mintzberg, 1990; Fallery, 1983). However, empirical research on this topic has led to nuanced conclusion. Therefoe, the vision of an embryonic accounting information system does not correspond to the real situation of all SMEs. The managers of SMEs are reported to have differentiated attitudes towards such data. In this context, the aim of this article is to try to determine, through a literature review, the extend to which SME managers consider formal accounting data to be relevant and useful. Relevance represents the ability of infirmation to influence user's decision by allowing them to either assess past, present, and future events or to confirm or correct their past assessments. The literature review carried out shows that the results of many studies have refuted the findin advanced a priori in the literature that the AIS of SMEs. Even if this word concludes that accounting pratices are not generalized to all SMEs, in-depth analysis of empirical studies indicates that SMEs have fairly complex AISs, various accounting practices and that their managers use accounting data their management. As a result, the idea of a simple, rudinmentary and systematically underutilized accounting information system would in reality only be a trend.The literature on the management systems of the SME manager shows that many small and medium sized entreprises would have only rudimentary management tools, this would explain the perference of SME managers for more informal media and verbal information (Mintzberg, 1990; Fallery, 1983). However, empirical research on this topic has led to nuanced conclusion. Therefoe, the vision of an embryonic accounting information system does not correspond to the real situation of all SMEs. The managers of SMEs are reported to have differentiated attitudes towards such data. In this context, the aim of this article is to try to determine, through a literature review, the extend to which SME managers consider formal accounting data to be relevant and useful. Relevance represents the ability of infirmation to influence user's decision by allowing them to either assess past, present, and future events or to confirm or correct their past assessments. The literature review carried out shows that the results of many studies have refuted the findin advanced a priori in the literature that the AIS of SMEs. Even if this word concludes that accounting pratices are not generalized to all SMEs, in-depth analysis of empirical studies indicates that SMEs have fairly complex AISs, various accounting practices and that their managers use accounting data their management. As a result, the idea of a simple, rudinmentary and systematically underutilized accounting information system would in reality only be a trend

    Data Mining Applications in Higher Education and Academic Intelligence Management

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    Higher education institutions are nucleus of research and future development acting in a competitive environment, with the prerequisite mission to generate, accumulate and share knowledge. The chain of generating knowledge inside and among external organizations (such as companies, other universities, partners, community) is considered essential to reduce the limitations of internal resources and could be plainly improved with the use of data mining technologies. Data mining has proven to be in the recent years a pioneering field of research and investigation that faces a large variety of techniques applied in a multitude of areas, both in business and higher education, relating interdisciplinary studies and development and covering a large variety of practice. Universities require an important amount of significant knowledge mined from its past and current data sets using special methods and processes. The ways in which information and knowledge are represented and delivered to the university managers are in a continuous transformation due to the involvement of the information and communication technologies in all the academic processes. Higher education institutions have long been interested in predicting the paths of students and alumni (Luan, 2004), thus identifying which students will join particular course programs (Kalathur, 2006), and which students will require assistance in order to graduate. Another important preoccupation is the academic failure among students which has long fuelled a large number of debates. Researchers (Vandamme et al., 2007) attempted to classify students into different clusters with dissimilar risks in exam failure, but also to detect with realistic accuracy what and how much the students know, in order to deduce specific learning gaps (Piementel & Omar, 2005). The distance and on-line education, together with the intelligent tutoring systems and their capability to register its exchanges with students (Mostow et al., 2005) present various feasible information sources for the data mining processes. Studies based on collecting and interpreting the information from several courses could possibly assist teachers and students in the web-based learning setting (Myller et al., 2002). Scientists (Anjewierden et al., 2007) derived models for classifying chat messages using data mining techniques, in order to offer learners real-time adaptive feedback which could result in the improvement of learning environments. In scientific literature there are some studies which seek to classify students in order to predict their final grade based on features extracted from logged data ineducational web-based systems (Minaei-Bidgoli & Punch, 2003). A combination of multiple classifiers led to a significant improvement in classification performance through weighting the feature vectors. The author’s research directions through the data mining practices consist in finding feasible ways to offer the higher education institutions’ managers ample knowledge to prepare new hypothesis, in a short period of time, which was formerly rigid or unachievable, in view of large datasets and earlier methods. Therefore, the aim is to put forward a way to understand the students’ opinions, satisfactions and discontentment in the each element of the educational process, and to predict their preference in certain fields of study, the choice in continuing education, academic failure, and to offer accurate correlations between their knowledge and the requirements in the labor market. Some of the most interesting data mining processes in the educational field are illustrated in the present chapter, in which the author adds own ideas and applications in educational issues using specific data mining techniques. The organization of this chapter is as follows. Section 2 offers an insight of how data mining processes are being applied in the large spectrum of education, presenting recent applications and studies published in the scientific literature, significant to the development of this emerging science. In Section 3 the author introduces his work through a number of new proposed directions and applications conducted over data collected from the students of the Babes-Bolyai University, using specific data mining classification learning and clustering methods. Section 4 presents the integration of data mining processes and their particular role in higher education issues and management, for the conception of an Academic Intelligence Management. Interrelated future research and plans are discussed as a conclusion in Section 5.data mining,data clustering, higher education, decision trees, C4.5 algorithm, k-means, decision support, academic intelligence management

    Managing long-term access to digital data objects: a metadata approach

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    As society becomes increasingly reliant on information technology for data exchange and long-term data storage the need for a system of data management to document and provide access to the 'societal memory' is becoming imperative. An examination of both the literature and current 'best Practice' underlines the absence to date of a proven universal conceptual basis to digital data preservation. The examination of differences in nature and sources of origin, between traditional 'print-based' and digital objects leads to a re-appraisal of current practices of data selection and preservation. The need to embrace past, present and future metadata developments in a rapidly changing environment is considered. Various hypotheses were formulated and supported regarding; the similarities and differences required in selection criteria for different types of Digital Data Objects (DDOs), the ability to define universal threshold standards for a framework of metadata for digital data preservation, and the role of selection criteria in such a framework. The research uses Soft Systems Methodology to investigate the potential of the metadata concept as the key to universal data management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the attitudes of information professionals in the United Kingdom towards the challenges facing information-dependent organisations attempting to preserve digital data over the long-term. In particular, the nature of DDOs being encountered by stakeholders, the reasons, policies, and procedures for preserving them, together with a range of specific issues such as; the role of metadata, access to, and rights management of DDOs. The societal need for selection to ensure efficient long-term access is considered. Drawing on - SSM modelling, this research develops a flexible, long-term management framework for digital data at a level higher than metadata, with selection as an essential component. The framework's conceptual feasibility has been examined from both financial and societal benefit perspectives, together with the recognition of constraints. The super-metadata framework provides a possible systematic approach to managing a wide range of digital data in a variety of formats, created/owned by a spectrum of information-dependent organisations

    Retention of Institutional Memory Via Knowledge Management: Perceptions Regarding the Effectiveness of Corporate Approaches Applied in Higher Education

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    Research has shown that private industry has a better grasp on knowledge management concepts and practices than in the higher education arena. Given the internal and external challenges facing colleges and universities, the processes and systems associated with knowledge management could serve as a resource for performance improvement and greater levels of effectiveness and efficiency. This phenomenological study was conducted to determine the perceptions and perspectives of deans regarding the usefulness and value of implementing knowledge management best practices typically employed by organizations in the private sector. Four research questions guided this study: 1) What level of awareness exists of the impact of knowledge management in higher education administration? 2) What methods exist for capturing and sharing knowledge? 3) Can knowledge management strategies practiced in private industry translate successfully in the higher education arena? 4) What elements exist in the administration of higher education that either support or prevent the retention of institutional knowledge? Data was gathered in the form of a series of semi-structured interviews of past or present deans of public RU/VH institutions (Research University with Very High research activity as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education) in the southern portion of the United States. Participants for this study were selected based on their leadership positions in the administration at the selected institution, each were interviewed, in part, to determine their awareness and perception of knowledge management. The following themes surfaced after data analysis was performed: 1) there is a general lack of awareness of the specific term, knowledge management; 2) deans understand the conceptual value of knowledge management and are open to employing its practices in their college, but are resistant to doing so as it relates to their job responsibilities; 3) a cultural misalignment exists between the higher education environment and private industry; 4) the human resource is a highly valued commodity in higher education; 5) knowledge management practices are siloed and limited in scope; and 6) obstacles exist that thwart the growth of knowledge management in higher education. Finally, recommendations, limitations, suggestions for future research, and conclusions are offered to encourage the expansion of this specific topic

    On the scope and assessment of pesticides in groundwater in SkĂĄne, Sweden

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    Pesticides are known to occur in groundwater worldwide. However, long-term pollution concerns and cause-effect relationships for specific regions remain limited. This thesis explores the occurrence of pesticides in south-Swedish groundwater, with the aims of providing a better knowledge basis for assessment and management of present-day and future pollution risks. The investigations are restricted to Skåne, which is a relatively populous, intensively cultivated and geologically diverse region located at the tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The research shows that pesticides are present in very different types of groundwater systems around Skåne, suggesting a wide-ranging, multi-faceted and potentially long-lasting pollution concern. Seemingly, it is only the groundwater environments devoid of influence of waters having recharged since the onset of widespread pesticide use that may be regarded as completely safe and unaffected. Many of the pesticides detected stem from past, less restricted use, primarily for weed control outside of agriculture. Yet, current and future pollution concerns should not be regarded only as a matter of “old sins” as residues from currently used substances manifestly continue to leach towards and into the groundwater system. Through various analyses of comprehensive data sets both at the regional and the catchment scale, a number of particularly important aspects of regional pesticide occurrence in groundwater and future prediction thereof are inferred and investigated. In addition to application intensities and fundamental physicochemical pesticide properties, these include precipitation and recharge patterns in relation to pesticide application events, (mainly superficial) sorption and degradation processes efficiencies, multiple-scale subsurface physical heterogeneity directing water and solute flow (particularly the presence of preferential flow pathways), and groundwater turnover rates. Environmental tracers show great potential as tools for simple but effective calibration of transport models and for deciphering pollution trends and patterns. However, there are certain tracer-specific complications in need of further attention for future application in Skåne. For the future, regional as well as nationwide monitoring of pesticides in groundwater needs to be expanded and regulated for sound groundwater and pollution risk management and in order to be able to comply with environmental directives and the EU Water Framework Directive

    Editorial: Long-Term Perspectives on Circumpolar Social-Ecological Systems

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    Modern climate change is having profound environmental impacts at the world's higher latitudes, leading to the disappearance of sea ice, the melting of permafrost and the northward shift of major biogeographic zones. These changing conditions have consequences for contemporary Arctic Indigenous peoples and their traditional lifeways. As planning and mitigation efforts intensify, there is renewed interest in looking back through time to understand how past Arctic societies were able to maintain a long-term—and often highly-resilient —presence in these ever-changing ecosystems. Of particular interest is how past groups coped with earlier changes in climate, both shorter-term “shocks” as well as longer-term up- and downturns in temperatures. A number of recent publications have highlighted the abundance of high-resolution and human-scale data that archaeology is uniquely positioned to contribute to this discussion (Riede, 2014; Jackson et al., 2018; Fitzhugh et al., 2018). So far, however, the practical integration of such long-term “paleo-” perspectives on specific future-orientated planning and management efforts has been limited. For example, the Arctic Council's Arctic Resilience Report (2016)—an in-depth comparative analysis of fragility and resilience in numerous local circumpolar social-ecological systems—acknowledges the importance of “deep history”, and the role of flexibility and traditional knowledge, while the chronological coverage of all 25 local case-studies remains firmly rooted in the present and very recent historical past. The overarching aim of this Special Issue is to explore the gap in knowledge between archaeological understandings of long-term Arctic adaptations and the practical application of these insights to the future-oriented challenges of sustainability and cultural survival. The first objective is to illustrate the wealth and diversity of archaeological research that is currently taking place in both the northern and southern polar regions. The issue showcases a selection of case-studies focusing on long-term human-environment interactions, integrating archaeological, climatic and paleoecological datasets. A wide range of insights emerge in terms of cultural responses to specific climatic fluctuations, but also in terms of longer-term cultural trajectories, including major shifts in settlement, subsistence, demography and interaction networks, all of which can be understood in terms of fragility and resilience in particular social-ecological systems. Another objective of the volume is to stimulate reflection and debate about what these archaeological datasets—and the long-term insights that emerge—can contribute to future planning and mitigation efforts. Seventeen papers in this issue “look back”, examining human-environment interactions in three regions: Arctic Eurasia; Arctic North America and Greenland; and Sub-Antarctic South America. Conversely, three papers “look ahead”, exploring emerging challenges and future implications. We conclude this editorial with a series of recommendations – or “action points” – that are addressed to the wider interdisciplinary research community
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