Paths of the vocational training graduates: Estimation of a multi-state model using a stationary Markov chain.

Located at the hinge of education and employment, vocational training is supposed to provide profiles adapted to the labour market requirements. However, Moroccan graduates of vocational training often find it difficult to fit into the labour market. Indeed, according to the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, only 63% of the graduates in 2006 succeeded in integrating the working environment. Yet, this rate hides several realities and is likely to overestimate integration since it does not take into account some crucial variables in the analysis of professional integration, namely the duration of employment, the precariousness of employment, etc. Studies about the paths of vocational training graduates realized periodically (every two years) since 1987 by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training aim, by virtue of their longitudinal aspect, to analyze the stability and the evolution of these graduates employment as well as their behaviour. In other words, these studies seek to answer some questions about the dynamics of youth employment in the labour market. This work aims to model the transitions of vocational training graduates using a retrospective calendar recalling their professional situation starting from the date of obtaining the diploma (2002) until the date of the survey (2006). Our model uses a transition process generated by a homogeneous, stationary and ergodic Markov chain for the graduates state space. We propose to explain the transitions from one state to another, via a multivariate logistic link, through variables which can influence between-state transitions. This leads that the processual variables explain these transitions. To estimate the parameters of our model, we use an iterative method of unconstrained nonlinear optimization: Conjugate Gradient "CG”. The stationarity of the Markov chain and the estimation of the transition matrix allow us to compute labour market indicators used to describe the behaviour of young graduates as well as their professional mobility.llabour market, transitions, vocational training, Markov chain, "CG” Method, Morocco

Weakly Charged Compact Stars in f(R)f \left( R \right) gravity

We study electrically charged compact stars in the framework of extended theory of gravity (ETG). We assume that the charge density is proportional to the energy density. The polytropic equation of state is chosen to describe the state of the charged perfect fluid. We aim to find the Oppenheimer Volkoff (OV) mass limit for charged compact stars. A detailed numerical study is performed. We show the dependence of the mass-radius diagram of the spheres on the values of the perturbatif parameter $\beta$, the polytropic exponent $\gamma$ and the charge fraction $\alpha$. Our results are compared with those found in the literature in the case of applying General Relativity (GR).Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Especificidades da formação de professores de artes e de humanidades

A questão de partida da presente reflexão é a de saber se a formação de professores deve ter em conta a especificidade do domínio de conhecimento dos formandos. Será que um professor de artes e um professor de humanidades deve ter exactamente a mesma formação que um professor de ciências naturais ou exactas? Ou será que deve haver uma diferenciação em termos de formação? Se sim, a que nível? Na base desta questão encontra‑se o debate acerca da generalidade versus especificidade do desenvolvimento e da produção do conhecimento. Será que o desenvolvimento do conhecimento e a sua produção são gerais, independentes dos domínios onde surgem, como no caso dos grandes criadores do Renascimento que “brilhavam” tanto nas ciências como nas artes (Martindale, 1989)? Ou será que se trata de conhecimentos isolados em múltiplos domínios como avançam autores como Gardner (1988)? Ou será, ainda, que a produção do conhecimento num determinado domínio constitui uma forma de expressão diferente de um mesmo processo de desenvolvimento que deve ser tido em conta na formação de professores? A análise dos argumentos esgrimidos por 46 professores de humanidades e de artes que frequentaram nos últimos anos o Curso de Profissionalização em Serviço da FPCE‑UL sobre necessidade de uma formação específica permite avançar com a ideia de que o contexto particular deste domínio do conhecimento deve ser tido em conta na formação, nomeadamente, o seu carácter estético, crítico e criativo. Os professores inquiridos foram unânimes em afirmar que a formação deve ser específica, referindo não só razões didácticas, como também aspectos de natureza teórica e meta‑teórica relativas à especificidade natureza das disciplinas que leccionam bem como às dificuldades na implementação dos seus conteúdos concretos. Estas respostas parecem ir ao encontro da assunção de Boorstin e Pelikan (1981) de que existem algumas diferenças em termos dos domínios específicos do desenvolvimento e da produção do conhecimento e que essas diferenças devem ser tomadas em consideração quando se procura fomentar o processo de desenvolvimento e de produção do conhecimento, que constitui, em última instância, o objectivo central da formação de professores

Estimular talentos na sala de aula: os múltiplos prismas da questão

Num mundo em constante mudança em que a produção do conhecimento e a inovação são indiscutivelmente necessárias para a construção de uma sociedade diferente daquela que conhecemos, o desenvolvimento pleno do potencial dos mais novos afigura-se de extrema importância. O primeiro passo só pode ser dado quando aceitarmos verdadeiramente as diferenças interpessoais, respeitando-as e promovendo-as. Os locais privilegiados para essa promoção são, indiscutivelmente, os múltiplos contextos educacionais que, face à cada vez mais premente necessidade de diferenciação pedagógica, se vêem obrigados a uma mudança de paradigma em termos de avaliação e de intervenção. Esse novo paradigma opõe-se à visão estática do “nós versus eles” e obriga a perspectivar a diferença como uma interacção dinâmica, sistémica e dialéctica entre as características pessoais e as características do meio envolvente. Consequentemente, uma intervenção educacional promotora do pleno desenvolvimento do potencial cognitivo exige uma avaliação abrangente e dinâmica das múltiplas dimensões que confluem no desenvolvimento pessoal: motora, perceptiva, cognitiva, sócio-emocional, moral, comportamental e, exige também a integração desses dados num quadro de referência teórica eclético

Adsorption-Desorption Behavior and Pesticide Bioavailability of Biochar in Soil

Biochar is a porous carbon-rich substance generated by anoxic pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar has a high adsorption capacity for organic contaminants in water and soil environmental media due to its large specific surface area and surface physical and chemical characteristics. The effects of biochar application on the adsorption-desorption behavior and bioavailability of pesticides in soil are illustrated in this paper; biochar can strongly adsorb pesticides in soil due to its loose and porous properties, large specific surface area and surface energy, and highly aromatic structure. Residual pesticide pollutants are reduced, as is desorption hysteresis, which reduces pesticide desorption. Furthermore, the use of biochar reduced the absorption and efficacy of pesticides in soil. At the same time, it describes the present gaps in research on the influence of biochar on pesticide migration mechanisms and its application in pesticide pollution control, and it identifies the major scientific issues that need to be addressed. Finally, the potential application of biochar in pesticide pollution management is discussed

Modernidad y tradición : un análisis comparativo : la Villa Mairea de Alvar Aalto y la Casa Elías n. 06 de Josep Maria Sostres

En la Villa Mairea, a partir de una malla ortogonal conformada por el cuadrado definido por el sector social, se pueden establecer algunas relaciones geométricas, algo que no ocurre en la Casa Elías n. 06. A través de esa malla, se puede percibir la intención de liberar un área en el patio de igual tamaño al sector social, y se percibe también que la forma del foso de la piscina actúa como cerra miento del patio. Se puede percibir, además, que al trazarse una línea diagonal desde la arista del sector de servicios hasta la arista del sector social, esa línea sirve como límite del retranqueo del volumen del comedor, dejando libre la visual hacía el sector de servicios, lo cual evidencia la intención del arquitecto de que los diversos volúmenes sean percibidos y vividos.Peer Reviewe

Polycladida biodiversity and systematics: an integrative approach

In face of the fact that marine biodiversity is highly threatened by human impacts on the environment, it is important to know what we want to protect. This thesis addresses the biodiversity and systematics of Polycladida, which are free-living Platyhelminthes with highly ramified intestine. Polylclads live in all types of marine environments whereas most areas of the world remain unsampled. From the around 1000 species considered valid many were described based on single or immature specimens and few have designated type material or specimens deposited in museums or research institutions. This is especially the case for Brazilian species that had no type material designated, labeled with codes in the publication or deposited. Characters used traditionally in polyclad taxonomy concern eyespots, type of pharynx, reproductive system, especially prostatic vesicle, but so far, those characters have not been tested against molecular evidence. The order Polycladida has two suborders, Cotylea and Acotylea, and their systematics is based on two conflictive classifications in use, which reflects inadequacy in characters choice. Molecular data from this group is still scarce and there is no morphological or molecular phylogeny that includes the whole order. Three gaps in knowledge are addressed in this work: biodiversity, type material and phylogeny with character evolution. Here I contribute to fill the first one by describing some new species, and by adding novel information, such as color photographs of living animals and microscopic observations to species that are already known. Samplings were made in some previously non-assessed areas in Brazil, Senegal and Cape Verde. One new species from each area is described and distribution ranges are discussed. The genus of the African species Pseudobiceros wirtzi is revised based on literature records. Additionally species associated to aquaculture were sampled for the first time in Brazil. To fill the second gap I studied species from Brazil described by Ernst Marcus and / or Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus. Specimens donated by Eveline Marcus to the Swedish Museum of Natural History were analyzed and I recognized holotypes, paratypes, and designated lectotypes and paralectotypes, as required. Before this work began, most Brazilian species had unknown type material, whereas in this work type specimens of 52 species were designated or recognized. Out the 71 species reported from Brazil, ten remain without information about type material. 4 As a way to fill the third gap I present here a new and comprehensive set of partial 28S nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) data across Polycladida families. Our phylogenetic analysis, despite being based only on a single molecular marker, is the first to test traditional morphology-based hypotheses on relationships inside the order. Remarkably, all our molecular trees were fully resolved and most nodes robustly supported. The overall topology is consistent with evidences from an updated and revised list of morphological and histological characters. Albeit largely congruent at genus and family level, our integrative phylogenetic hypothesis is not compatible with superfamilies and suborders of neither of the two conventional yet conflicting classification systems by Faubel and Prudhoe. The suborders Acotylea and Cotylea, as traditionally considered, were rejected in the hypothesis tests, thus the taxa were amended to reflect molecular monophyly. According to our trees, just two of Prudhoe’s and Faubel’s superfamilies were monophyletic; a novel concept of polyclad superfamily was thus proposed. Molecular results revealed that prominent characters used in previous classifications, such as the position of eyespots, the type of pharynx, and the type of prostatic vesicles were prone to homoplasy in both the Acotylea and the Cotylea branches. A novel scenario of morphological character evolution is suggested and the significance of certain features for taxonomy is discussed. Overall, samples from areas not previously sampled resulted in several new records for Brazil and two new species in this thesis, indicating the potential for future biodiversity exploration. The re-discovery of Ernst and Eveline Marcus’ type material is very important for both the contemporary and future study of Atlantic Polycladida. Our molecular results and its combination to morphological data is a unique effort in Polycladida phylogeny. Even though they are preliminary, the novel hypotheses and the data presented here provide a fresh baseline for future studies on Polycladida systematics