Monitoring of Spatial Data Infraestructures

SDI monitoring and evaluation is increasingly attracting the attention of both public sector bureaucrats seeking justification for providing public sources to SDI and SDI practitioners requiring a measure of success of their SDI strategy. In recent years, a shift from an intuitive to more rational SDI assessments can be observed. SDI monitoring and evaluation is becoming operational and is already part of some SDI implementations and practices. Based on an analysis of the operational monitoring systems of the Dutch national SDI (GIDEON), the European SDI (INSPIRE) and the Catalan SDI (IDEC). We describe, analyze and compare comprehensively the design and application of operational SDI monitoring systems and identify common issues to be taken into account for monitoring of SDIs. This can support further improvement of evaluation practices and operational setups of SDI monitoring systems

Teacher design teams as a strategy for professional development : the role of the facilitator

The goal of the current study was to explore the role and importance of the facilitator in Teacher Design Teams. The study took place in the context of a pre-service teacher education institution in Belgium, where teacher design teams were set up to facilitate the professional development of teacher educators. The findings from focus group discussions with team members and semi-structured interviews with facilitators confirm that the perceived importance of a facilitator depends on several factors, such as team characteristics and the design phase. Moreover, we found that a facilitator can fulfil three roles in a dynamic way: 1) providing logistic support, 2) scaffolding the design process and 3) monitoring the design process. The discussion centers on how these results can be used to support facilitators for successful Teacher Design Teams

Developing a goal-oriented SDI assessment approach using GIDEON - the Dutch SDI implementation strategy - as a case study

In 2008, the Dutch government approved the GIDEON document as a policy aiming at the implementation of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in the Netherlands. The execution of GIDEON should take place by pursuing seven implementation strategies which lead to the achievement of the GIDEON goals. GIDEON also expresses the need to monitor the progress of implementing its strategies and realization of its goals. Currently, the work has been started on monitoring the GIDEON implementation strategies. However, there is still a lack of knowledge and methods to monitor GIDEON goals realization. The challenge is to come up with an approach to assess to what extent these goals are achieved. As a response to the challenge of assessing the GIDEON goals, this paper explores the possibility of using the Multi-view SDI assessment framework (Grus et al., 2007). This paper presents and discusses the method that applies the Multi-view SDI assessment framework, its indicators and measurement methods to create a GIDEON assessment approach. The method of creating a GIDEON assessment approach consists of several procedural steps: formulating specific GIDEON objectives, organizing a one-day workshop involving focus group of specific stakeholders responsible for creation and execution of NSDI, asking the workshop participants to select from a long list those indicators that best measure the achievement of each GIDEON goals. The key step of GIDEON approach is a one-day workshop. The workshop participants represented all organizations that cooperated and/or created GIDEON. The workshop consisted of two parts: first part explained the context of a challenge of assessing GIDEON, second part included participants activity to select and come to the consensus on the list of indicators that would best measure GIDEON goals realization. Additionally, the participants were asked to evaluate and express feedback on the usefulness of the method of creating GIDEON assessment approach. The results show that several indicators that relate to specific SDI goals could be selected by a significant number of workshop participants. The indicators that have been selected are not the final ones yet, but provide a guideline and form a base of what has to be measured when assessing GIDEON goals. Involving the representatives of all parties committed to GIDEON into the process of GIDEON assessment approach creation will strengthen its robustness and acceptance. The results of the feedback form filled by each participant show that the presented method is useful or very useful to create GIDEON assessment approach. Additionally, some of the participants provided already their own indicators which are very specific for Dutch SDI monitoring.The method presented in this research, assuming that SDI goals are defined and the organizations that participate in SDI creation are known, can be applied in any other country to develop country-specific and practical SDI assessment approach

Disruption of insulin signalling preserves bioenergetic competence of mitochondria in ageing Caenorhabditis elegans

Background: The gene daf-2 encodes the single insulin/insulin growth factor-1-like receptor of Caenorhabditis elegans. The reduction-of-function allele e1370 induces several metabolic alterations and doubles lifespan. Results: We found that the e1370 mutation alters aerobic energy production substantially. In wild-type worms the abundance of key mitochondrial proteins declines with age, accompanied by a dramatic decrease in energy production, although the mitochondrial mass, inferred from the mitochondrial DNA copy number, remains unaltered. In contrast, the age-dependent decrease of both key mitochondrial proteins and bioenergetic competence is considerably attenuated in daf-2(e1370) adult animals. The increase in daf-2(e1370) mitochondrial competence is associated with a higher membrane potential and increased reactive oxygen species production, but with little damage to mitochondrial protein or DNA. Together these results point to a higher energetic efficiency of daf-2(e1370) animals. Conclusions: We conclude that low daf-2 function alters the overall rate of ageing by a yet unidentified mechanism with an indirect protective effect on mitochondrial function

Conditions for the successful implementation of teacher educator design teams for ICT integration : a Delphi study

Teacher educators often struggle to model effective integration of technology. Several studies suggest that the involvement of teacher educators in collaborative design is effective in developing the competences necessary for integrating information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching. In a teacher educator design team (TeDT), two or more teacher educators (re-)design curriculum materials together. For the successful implementation of TeDTs, conditions at both team and institutional levels have to be taken into account. However, there is little consensus among stakeholders about which of these conditions are of highest priority. Most studies present priority or critical conditions from the viewpoint of just one group (e.g., school leaders). A Delphi study was set up aiming at synthesising the knowledge and views of various stakeholders about the conditions for the successful implementation of TeDTs for ICT integration. Consensus about the importance of ten conditions was reached in the entire sample after three rounds. These conditions include a long-term vision, trust, ownership, time and supportive institutional policies

A characterization of Volunteered Geographic Information

This paper characterizes the Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) phenomenon and explores comprehensively its relation with SDI. The SDI component view is used as common framework for describing the main characteristics of VGI and as framework for exploring VGI and SDI relation. Openstreetmap, Wikiloc, 360.org, Wikimapia and Eye on earth are evaluated to indentify general characteristics of VGI initiatives and discuss differences and similarities between VGI and SDI. Despite differences between VGI and SDI similarities can be identified. Characteristics of all SDI components have been identified in the VGI case studies. Despite differences between VGI and SDI similarities can be identified. Characteristics of all SDI components have been identified in the VGI case studies

The impact of different lenses on visual and musculoskeletal complaints in VDU workers with work-related neck complaints : a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: The impact of wearing lenses on visual and musculoskeletal complaints in VDU workers is currently unknown. The goal of this study was 1) to evaluate the impact of wearing VDU lenses on visual fatigue and self-reported neck pain and disability, compared to progressive lenses, and 2) to measure the effect of both lenses on head inclination and pressure pain thresholds during the performance of a VDU task. Methods: Thirty-five eligible subjects were randomly assigned to wear progressive VDU lenses (VDU group) (n = 18) or progressive lenses (P group) (n = 17). They were enquired about visual complaints (VFQ), self-perceived pain (NRS) and disability (NDI) at baseline (with old lenses), and 1 week, 3 months and 6 months after wearing their new lenses. In addition, Forward Head Angle (FHA) and PPTs were assessed during and after a VDU task before and 6 months after wearing the new lenses. A short questionnaire concerning the satisfaction about the study lenses was completed at the end of the study. Results: In both groups, visual fatigue and neck pain was decreased at 3 and 6 months follow up, compared to baseline. All PPTs were higher during the second VDU task, independent of the type of lenses. The VDU group reported a significantly higher suitability of the lenses for VDU work. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is little difference in effect of the different lenses on visual and musculoskeletal comfort. Lenses should be adjusted to the task-specific needs and habits of the participant

Detonatie en deterritorialisatie:

Mijn paper onderzoekt het einde van de mens zoals geformuleerd door Lacoue-Labarthe en Nancy in Les fins des hommes. In de twintigste-eeuwse cultuurfilosofie staat de mens centraal en vooral hoe deze mens langzaam maar zeker lijkt te ‘eindigen’. Dit begint met Walter Benjamins opmerking dat het doel van zijn tijd lijkt om de mens “af te schaffen”. In mijn paper analyseer ik de ‘eindes’ van de mens. Mijn stelling is dat het einde van de mens gelezen kan worden als een hele reeks eindes die in elkaar vervat liggen. Het gaat in werkelijkheid niet om het einde van de mens, maar om een mise-en-abîme van dat einde: deze structuur laat zich vatten met het begrip ‘detonatie’ – net als bij een detonatie gaat het hier om een explosie van de mens die zich in verschillende concentrische cirkels door het filosofisch-theoretische landschap beweegt. Een eerste einde van de mens vinden we tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog – de mens wordt een onderdeel van de Materialschlacht – en wordt in de filosofie gearticuleerd door Benjamin. Dit einde ontlokt echter een reactieve beweging: in plaats van het einde van de mens te onderkennen tracht men een nieuwe mens te construeren, een project dat opnieuw uitmondt in de annihilatie van miljoenen mensen. Het doel van deze paper is om iedere destructie van de mens te begrijpen als een nieuwe constructie, een heruitvinding van de mens. In de terminologie van Deleuze en Guattari kunnen we het einde van de mens begrijpen als een proces van gelijktijdige deterritorialisatie en reterritorialisatie: enerzijds ontwrichten de materiële gebeurtenissen het theoretische veld waarin het begrip van de mens geworteld is (dit gebeurt steeds wanneer oorlog en technologie voorbijrazen – en er raast weinig anders voorbij in de twintigste eeuw), anderzijds leidt deze detterritorialisatie van begrippen en concepten onmiddellijk tot een reterritorialisatie waarin alternatieve opvattingen van de mens ontwikkeld worden. Om deze structuur van het einde van de mens te kunnen analyseren moeten we precies onze toewending nemen tot de cultuurfilosofie, in zoverre dat het de cultuurfilosofie is die poogt om de effecten van de materiële gebeurtenissen (die als zodanig niet door de filosofie zelf gerecupereerd kunnen worden) in rekening te brengen.Tammy Lynn Castelein werkt als AiO aan de UvA, bij de leerstoelgroep Kunst en Cultuur van de afdeling wijsbegeerte (promotor: Prof.dr. Josef Früchtl), aan een proefschrift over de militarisering van het denken na de Eerste Wereldoorlog bij Heidegger, Jünger, Benjamin en Freud. Ze is als onderzoekster aangesteld door de Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis. Ze gaf lezingen over gerelateerde onderwerpen in Oxford, Leiden en Amsterdam en ze redigeerde (met Bram Ieven) een themanummer van Ethiek en Maatschappij

The economic value of the Dutch geo-information sector

Defining the geo-information sector and estimating its economic value on a national level is difficult and standard methodologies are not available. The aim of this paper is to clearly define the geo-information sector and to measure its economic value in terms of turnover, employment, activities and the market. The results of the survey in the Netherlands estimate the economic value of the Dutch geo-information sector at € 1.4 billion, 0.25% of the national GDP. Furthermore, the results show that the Dutch geo-information sector is a fast developing sector with high potential. The authors conclude that the definition used and the developed survey methodology provides a good basis for measuring the value of the national geo-information sector. They suggest carrying out comparable studies in other countries in order to increase awareness of the geo-information sector as a sector of economic importance and to stimulate further development and innovatio