Learning roadmap studio : new approaches and strategies for efficient learning and training processes

Learning systems have emerged in a set of different information systems, oriented for different kinds of organizations and institutions, such as learning management systems, knowledge management systems and learning content management systems, which can be integrated or merged with others. From past experience, it has been denoted that strategies and pedagogical processes are tasks that can be created, enriched and boosted by actors who participate in learning and training processes: course managers, teachers and students. The challenge posed to the different actors involved also accelerates the changes that have been happening in education and training, empowering a society based on knowledge. Initiatives such as eLearning (EU Comission 2000), eLearningEurope, eTwinning and Education Observatories are an evidence of this challenge. Platforms, applications, tools and systems must respond to challenges that those actors face nowadays: heterogeneous target audiences, in terms of student profiles, number of participants, differentiated contents and schedules to achieve knowledge, outcomes and competences. Thus, a prototype application, named Learning Roadmap Studio (LRMS), has been developed and deployed at Aveiro Norte Polytechnic School of the University of Aveiro, in order to suppress gaps in learning processes and to power better learning and training. It represents a new challenge for the University of Aveiro for higher education and is already being tested. At its core is the concept of “learning roadmaps” that act upon two fundamental axes: education and learning. For the teachers, it aims at becoming a self-supporting tool that stimulates the organization and management of the course materials (lectures, presentations, multimedia content, and evaluation materials, amongst others). For the students, the learning roadmap aims at promoting self-study and supervised study, endowing the pupil with the capabilities to find the relevant information and to capture the concepts in the study materials. The outcome will be a stimulating learning process together with an organized management of those materials. It is not intended to create new learning management systems. Instead, it is presented as an application that enables the edition and creation of learning processes and strategies, giving primary relevance to teachers, instead of focusing on tools, features and contents

Spectacular architecture, identity crisis, cultural politics and the reinvention of the significance of museums of modern art

Much of the available literature on the impact of the architecture of museums of modern art has centred upon the 'spectacularity' of such structures and the regeneration effect on sites and/or cities triggered by their presence, often highlighting their agency in promoting mass tourist activity. However, apart from these widely debated facts, more complex circumstances regarding major shifts in the socio-cultural and political arenas may have influenced the identity, conception, design and implementation of these architectural structures within cityscapes and urban fabrics - circumstances which are often overlooked. Considering this complex contextual frameset, this work concentrates on a specific period of time, indicating the substantial renovation cities have been through since the industrialisation-boom of the 1950s, and ponders the relation between these physical and symbolic transformations and the consequences of this 'modernisation' process in the social-cultural panorama. Albeit assumed as a preponderant factor in cities' 'modernising' policies, this research does not aim to map the most significant or to construct a historiography of modern art museums. The objective is to discuss whether this 'modernisation' process is related to the transformations in the scope, form, function and identity of modern art museums in the last 60 years or so, highlighting the implications of the phenomenon that glorifies these architectural structures per se. But to what extent, or in what sense, has the set of socio-cultural transformations seen since the 1950s conceptually/concretely affected the architecture of museums of modern art? How did this particularly elitist building type emerge as such powerful element in both politico-economic and socio-cultural terms, becoming a major agent in transforming cities' identities since the 1990s? The Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro (Affonso Eduardo Reidy, 1953-1967); the Centre de Culture et d'Art Georges Pompidou, Paris (Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers Architects, 1970-1977) and the TATE Modern, London (Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron, 1994-2000) were selected to illustrate these transformations. In fact, this work discusses these museums' relevance as architectural objects ; analyses whether they have contributed (or not) to set up a new agenda for modern art museums; and investigates if these (conceptual/concrete) transformations have corresponded (or not) to major shifts in paradigms in the arts, in social-cultural trends and in the architectural practice and thinking within the period

Magnetoresistance of doped silicon

We have performed longitudinal magnetoresistance measurements on heavily n-doped silicon for donor concentrations exceeding the critical value for the metal-non-metal transition. The results are compared to those from a many-body theory where the donor-electrons are assumed to reside at the bottom of the many-valley conduction band of the host. Good qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is obtained.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Shelf-Ocean material exchange influencing the Atlantic chemical composition off NW Iberian margin since the last glaciation

Rivers are the main conduit of sediment to the shelf. The basin geology, the drainage area and the discharge rate are the major factors that determine their sediment load (Milliman and Syvistski, 1992). Besides suspended particles, dissolved components may also give some information on the eroded crust. Sr isotopes in carbonate shells of biological organisms have been used to study, in the geological record, the influence exerted by the chemical weathering of the continental crust on the seawater composition (Macdougall, 1991). In this work, Sr isotope ratios obtained in tests of foraminifera representing the last 40 ka are presented and discussed in the scope of the palaeogeographical evolution of NW Iberia. This work aims to present and discuss the results of Sr isotope analyses (performed, by TIMS, in the Isotope Geology Laboratory of the University of Aveiro) of tests of two species of foraminifera, from nine samples taken along the OMEX core KC 024-19 (181 cm; 42°08’98’’N, 10°29´96’’W, and 2765m), collected in the Galicia Bank area, off Galicia. Taking into account that Sr contained in the carbonate tests is usually considered as preserving the signature of the contemporaneous seawater, one planktonic species (Globigerina bulloides) and one benthic species (Cibicides wuellerstorfi) were selected in order to try to detect Sr isotope variations both through time and between two different levels of the water column. The core age model, which records the last 40 ka, is based on a combination of oxygen isotope stratigraphy, eight AMS 14C datings and the synchronisation of the last four Heinrich Events in the Iberian Margin sedimentary records. As a whole, the obtained 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary between 0.709209 and 0.709108, with a mean 2σ error of 0.000025. These values lie within the range of modern marine Sr isotope ratios (0.70910-0.70922), as previously defined using analyses of both seawater and marine carbonates (see compilation by Faure and Mensing, 2005). Despite their small variation, the 87Sr/86Sr ratios obtained in G. bulloides seem to indicate that Sr dissolved in seawater at the KC 024-19 core site became slightly less radiogenic after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This decrease is concomitant with diminishing amounts of the detrital components in the sediments (Fig. 1). Therefore, both the composition of dissolved Sr, as revealed by results on tests of planktonic foraminifera, and the proportions of suspended terrigenous particulate material arriving at the KC 024-19 site point to a decreasing importance of the contribution of the erosion of the Iberian Variscan crust since the Last Glacial Maximum and in the Holocene. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios measured in tests of benthic foraminifera (C. wuellerstorfi) are more erratic and no correlation can be established with palaeogeographical/palaeoclimatic constraints. The difference between the behaviour of Sr compositions in G. bulloides and C. wuellerstorfi may indicate that whilst the planktonic foraminifera should reproduce very closely the seawater composition, the benthic organisms should, in addition to the major role of seawater, also be affected by some sort of interaction with the sediments. As such, planktonic foraminifera are probably more reliable indicators of seawater composition in studies involving very small periods and corresponding very slight variations of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Taking into account that G. bulloides is a common planktonic species (living mostly in the first 50m of the water column), whose tests seem to be in equilibrium with sea water composition, variations in its 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be related with changes in the chemical composition of the water of the Atlantic Ocean off NW Iberian Margin. The highest 87Sr/86Sr values are contemporaneous with a period of low sea level (about -140 m; Dias et al., 2000) during the LGM. According to Dias et al. (2000) at 18 ka BP the shoreline was close to the shelf break. The summital parts of the Gerês and Estrela mountains were covered by local glaciers and close to the coast freezing occurred frequently. The river catchments, which extended far to the shelf, received more rainfall due to a longer, compared to present day conditions, wet season, which promoted both physical and chemical weathering. Higher pluviosity combined with the effect of spring ice melting maintained high river discharge and consequently caused very important sediment supply to the coastal zone. The extremely narrow shelf was a very energetic environment due to sea bottom inclination and very limited long wave refraction. Therefore, at that time, a long wet season and very competent rivers should have caused important erosion of the Variscan basement in NW Iberia. Additionally, then, the shoreline was much closer to the KC 024-19 site. The combination of all these factors favoured an important deposition of terrigenous sediments and the local slight enrichment in radiogenic Sr of the seawater. With sea level rise, after the deglaciation and during the Holocene, the river estuaries became progressively far away from the shelf break. Their competence of transport also became progressively reduced and the offshore transport of detrital sediments became progressively lower. Conversely the biogenic carbonate proportion in the sediments increased, due to lower dilution by the terrigenous particles. Simultaneously, the values of 87Sr/86Sr in the seawater at the KC 024-19 site became lower, as a consequence of a complete homogenization with the ocean global composition, which was now more effective with the increasing distance towards shoreline

Internet-of-Things: strategic research agenda evolution

Em 2007 foi constituído o European Research Cluster on the Internet of Things, com o objetivo de abordar o grande potencial de recursos baseados em Internet of Things na Europa e coordenar a convergência das atividades em curso. Esta instituição publica periodicamente Agendas Estratégicas de Investigação com previsões de tópicos de desenvolvimento e investigação tanto a curto, médio e longo prazo. É objetivo deste artigo, estudar essas Agendas e efetuar um levantamento dos tópicos, de forma a perceber a sua evolução ao longo do tempo, isto em termos de áreas que foram já investigadas (ou que a investigação já foi iniciada) bem como aquelas ainda não foram exploradas.The aim of European Research Cluster on the Internet of Things, established in 2007, is to address the large potential for Internet of Things-based capabilities in Europe and to coordinate the convergence of ongoing activities. This organization regularly publishes Strategic Research Agendas with short, medium and long term forecasts of development and research topics. The aim of this paper is to study these agendas and make an identification of topics, in order to understand its evolution over time, that in terms of areas that have already been researched (or the research has already started) as well as those not yet explored.Este trabalho foi financiado pelo projeto QVida+: Quality of Life Continuous Estimation for Effective Clinical Decision Support, Nº2015/003446 P2020 SI I&DT, (NUP, NORTE-01- 0247-FEDER-003446). Foi também suportado pela OptimizerLda, e pelo COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 e FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia UID/CEC/00319/2013Optimizer, Ldainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tolerância do sorgo forrageiro ao herbicida Primestra SC.

Com a finalidade de avaliar a tolerância da cultura do sorgo forrageiro, em três estádios de desenvolvimento, a diferentes doses de Primestra SC (mistura pronta contendo: 200 g l-1 de atrazine + 300 g l-1 de metolachlor), com ou sem adição de Assist (óleo mineral) à calda, foi conduzido um experimento, em condições de casa-de-vegetação, na Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, em Sete Lagoas, MG. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial (4 x 2 x 3 + 3 ), com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por quatro doses de Primestra SC (3, 6, 9 e 12 l ha-1), com e sem adição de Assist (1,5 l ha-1), aplicadas em plantas de sorgo forrageiro (AG 2002), em três estádios de desenvolvimento (duas, quatro e seis folhas), acrescentando uma testemunha para cada estádio de desenvolvimento. Foram realizadas avaliações visuais de toxicidade dos herbicidas sobre as plantas de sorgo forrageiro aos 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias após as aplicações (DAA). Aos 28 DAA de cada estádio de desenvolvimento, as plantas foram colhidas, avaliando-se a altura das plantas e a produção de biomassa seca da parte aérea e das raízes. Primestra SC, com adição de Assist, provocou maior toxicidade às plantas de sorgo, comparando-se à aplicação sem adição de Assist, principalmente quando utilizado nas maiores doses. Aplicações mais precoces de Primestra SC (plantas de sorgo com duas folhas) provocaram maior toxicidade à cultura, decrescendo com aplicações mais tardias (plantas com quatro e seis folhas). Verificou-se, todavia, tendência de recuperação do desenvolvimento das plantas em função do tempo, após a aplicação do herbicida, para todas as doses avaliadas, independente do estádio em que foi feita a aplicação

Impacto econômico da cultivar de arroz de terras altas BRS Sertaneja.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal avaliar o impacto econômico da cultivar BRS Sertaneja, para o agronegócio do arroz, compreendendo os Estados de abrangência para onde foi recomendada, tendo como referência a tecnologia anterior, cultivar BRS Primavera, e o seu desempenho em quatro safras sucessivas, ou seja, de 2008/2009 a 2011/2012

Propriedades biológicas das sementes da papaia (Carica papaya L.): valorização de um resíduo alimentar

O interesse pelo reaproveitamento das diferentes partes dos frutos e vegetais tem vindo a aumentar, não só com o intuito de promover a sustentabilidade ambiental, como também pelas demais propriedades benéficas, que vários autores já identificaram. A concentração em compostos bioativos das sementes da papaia, que são quase sempre desperdiçadas, levou ao estudo de usos alternativos das mesmas. Neste âmbito, quantificou-se a concentração de compostos não-nutritivos das sementes da Carica papaya L., nomeadamente fenólicos e flavonoides totais, avaliando-se também a atividade antioxidante das mesmas. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a concentração em compostos bioativos é influenciada pelo tipo de solvente extrator utilizado (água ou etanol). O extrato aquoso evidenciou maior concentração de flavonoides, enquanto o extrato etanólico mostrou maior quantidade de compostos fenólicos. A atividade antioxidante foi avaliada, usando-se o ácido ascórbico como controlo. Apesar de a atividade antioxidante do ácido ascórbico ter sido superior à observada nos dois extratos, estes últimos poderão ser utilizados como antioxidantes naturais, sendo o extrato etanólico o que permite tirar maior partido da atividade antioxidante dos compostos bioativos das sementes da Carica papaya L.. Apesar das evidências de que as sementes da papaia podem ser utilizadas como antioxidantes naturais, nas indústrias alimentar e farmacêutica, torna-se necessário aprofundar a investigação no sentido de avaliar a toxicidade das mesmas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Technical efficiency of brazilian exporters of animal protein

This article uses censored and truncated statistical models to assess technical effects potentially affecting the production frontier of Embrapa’s (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária) research centers. Specifically the article assesses the significance of the factors level of research funds generated externally to the National Treasury, actions of partnership, technical quality of research projects, client satisfaction, change in administration, type and size on the measurement of technical efficiency of the research centers. Efficiency measures are computed both using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier methods. It is concluded that the DEA efficiency measurements provide more information regarding the assessment of technical effects and that revenue generation, actions of partnership, technical quality of projects, and size are significant factors. The statistical analysis leading to these results fits a Tobit model, defined by a distribution in the gamma family, to DEA technical efficiency measurements. This analysis is consistent with the fit of a truncated normal distribution to residuals obtained from the fit of a DEA production function