Using metadata for content indexing within an OER network

This paper outlines the ICT solution for a metadata portal indexing open educational resources within a network of institutions. The network is aimed at blending academic and entrepreneurial knowledge,by enabling higher education institutions to publish various academic learning resources e.g. video lectures, course planning materials, or thematic content, whereasenterprises can present different forms of expert knowledge, such as case studies, expert presentations on specific topics, demonstrations of software implementation in practice and the like. As these resources need to bediscoverable, accessible and shared by potential learners across the learning environment, it is very important that they are well described and tagged in a standard way in machine readable form by metadata. Only then can they be successfully used and reused, especially when a large amount of these resources is reached, which makes it hard for the user to locate efficiently those of interest. The metadata set adopted in our approach relies on two standards: Dublin Core and Learning Object Metadata. The aim of metadata and the corresponding metadata portal described in this paper is to provide structured access to information on open educational resources within the network

Creating an environment for free education and technology-enhanced learning

The purpose of this paper is to present a project aimed at making knowledge publically available through opene ducational resources (OER). The focus is on open online courses which will be created by educational institutions and best practice examples offered by leading companies, with the purpose to support life-long education and enhancement of academic education with practical knowledge. The goal is to create diverse high quality educational materials in electronic format, which will be publically available. The educational material will follow basic pedagogical-didactic principles, in order to best meet the needs of the potential learners. In accordance with that a review of didactic principles that can contribute to producing OER content of excellence is given. The choice of a convenient platform, as well as the application of appropriate information technologies enable content representation in a suitable, innovative and meaningful way

Performance Information and Managerial Knowledge Needs

Performance management raises managerial information needs. This paper elaborates various knowledge processes that are used for gathering, analysing and communicating performance information. Thus, the paper explores the potential contribution of knowledgebased management disciplines on performance management. Although the literature on performance measurement provides guidance on building performance measurement systems, there remains many open questions relating to how the data is obtained, analyzed and utilized. To address these phenomena knowledge-based management literature focuses on knowledge assets as performance drivers and the role of knowledge management as a lever of performance. There are also approaches that aim to streamline knowledge flows in order to improve operational performance. However, between these strategic and operative approaches is a research gap concerning thIe question, how can knowledge-based management support performance management. To address this gap in practice, the paper studies managerial information needs in 9 case environments in Finland

Análise estratigráfica do intervalo eo-permiano da Bacia do Paraná na região de Cachoeira do Sul-RS, Brasil

A estratigrafia das rochas sedimentares da região de Cachoeira do Sul no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, pertencentes à Bacia do Paraná, no seu intervalo Eo-Permiano, foi analisada com utilização do arcabouço conceitual da Estratigrafia de Seqüências e através do estudo dos icnofósseis identificados. Abrangendo uma área de 2.592 Km2, o trabalho utilizou como fonte de dados: vinte furos de sondagens, com seus respectivos perfis descritivos, geofísicos (raios-gama) e testemunhos; pertencentes à Companhia de Pesquisas de Recursos Minerais (CPRM). Também foram estudados seis afloramentos, assim denominados: Mina do Iruí, Mina da Cascatinha, Fazenda N. Sª das Graças, Mina do Capané, Cerro Coroado e Barrocada. A faciologia da área correspondente às unidades litoestratigráficas Itararé, Rio Bonito e Palermo, foi dividida nas associações de fácies de 1 a 9, assim interpretadas: Arenitos Fluviais, Diamictitos e Conglomerados de Leques Aluviais; Diamictitos e Turbiditos; Pelitos e Arenitos Finos Marinhos; Carvão, Pelitos e Arenitos Flúvio- Deltaicos e Estuarinos; Carvão, Pelitos e Arenitos de Planície Costeira; Arenitos Marinhos Rasos (Ilhas de Barreiras ou Cordões Litorâneos); Arenitos e Pelitos de Planícies de Maré; Pelitos e Arenitos de Costa-Afora; e Arenitos Finos e Siltitos com Teichichnus. O estudo dos icnofósseis acrescentou informações importantes para um melhor entendimento da distribuição física dos paleoambientes deposicionais. Assim, as principais contribuições se deram para a interpretação das associações de fácies VII, VIII e IX, as quais apresentam os graus de bioturbação mais significativos da faciologia descrita. O condicionamento de ocorrência das icnofácies (Skolithos, Skolithos/Cruziana), com relação à intercalação dos subambientes de uma planície de maré; a icnofácies Glossifungites aparecendo, na maioria das vezes, demarcando o topo de ciclos de raseamento para o topo (parasseqüências); e a presença predominante do icnofóssil tipo Teichichnus, na Associação de Fácies IX, aliado a evidências como a pouca quantidade de matéria orgânica e altos níveis de energia do ambiente, indicando um meio agitado e com maiores taxas de sedimentação. Após a análise faciológica e icnológica, terminou-se o trabalho com o estabelecimento do arcabouço estratigráfico formado por três seqüências de terceira ordem. As superfícies limítrofes destas seqüências, são caracterizadas como discordâncias resultantes de movimentos positivos do embasamento, os quais causariam quedas do nível relativo do mar. Estas quedas pontuariam uma elevação contínua do nível marinho, resultante, primeiramente, do degelo ocorrido após a glaciação Neo- Carbonífera/Eo-Permiana e, após, da interação entre tectônica e eustasia; os quais imprimem um caráter transgressivo para a maior parte do pacote sedimentar estudado.The stratigraphy of the sedimentary rocks of the area of Cachoeira do Sul in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, belonging to the Early Permian interval of the Paraná Basin, was analyzed with use of the conceptual framework of Sequence Stratigraphy and through the study of the identified icnofossils. Including an area of 2.592 Km2, the work used as source of data: twenty entirely cored well logs, with its respective descriptive and geophysical profiles (gamma-ray); belonging to the Brazilian agency CPRM. And additional six outcrops were studied: Mina do Iruí, Mina da Cascatinha, Fazenda N. Sª das Graças, Mina do Capané, Cerro Coroado and Barrocada. The faciological framework of the area, corresponding to the lithostratigraphic units Itararé, Rio Bonito and Palermo, as divided into 9 facies associations: Fluvial Sandstones, Diamictites and Conglomerates of Alluvial Fans; Diamictites and Turbidites; Mudstones and Marines Fines Sandstones; Coal, Mudstones and Fluviatile and Estuarines Sandstones; Coal, Mudstones and Sandstones of Coastal Plain; Shallow Marines Sandstones (Barriers Islands); Sandstones and Mudstones of Tidal Flats; Mudstones and Sandstones of Offshore; and Fine Sandstones and Siltstones with Teichichnus; respectively. The study of the icnofossils resulted in important information for a better understanding of the physical distribution of the depositional paleoenvironmental, mainly for the interpretation of the facies associations VII, VIII and IX, which present the degrees of more significant bioturbation of the described facies. The conditioning of occurrence of the icnofacies (Skolithos, Skolithos/Cruziana), with relationship to the intercalation of the sub-environmental of a tidal flat; the icnofacies Glossifungites appearing, most of the time, demarcating the top of upward-shoaling cycles (parassequences); and the predominant presence of the icnofossil type Teichichnus, in Facies Association IX, allied to evidences as the little amount of organic matter and high levels of energy of the environment, indicating an agitated environment with higher sedimentation rates. After the the faciological and icnological analysis, the work concluded with the construction of the stratigraphic framework formed by three sequences of third order. The boundaries surfaces of these sequences are characterized as unconformities resulting of uplift movements of the embasament, which would cause falls of the relative sea level. These falls would punctuate a continuous elevation of the marine level, resultant, firstly, of the deglaciation that has ocurred after the Late-Carboníferous/Early-Permian glaciation and, after, of the interaction among tectonic and eustasy; which imprints a transgressive character to most of the studied sedimentary package

Prognostic value of soluble major histocompatibility complex class I polypeptide-related sequence A in non-small-cell lung cancer - significance and development

Soluble major histocompatibility complex class I polypeptide-related sequence A (sMICA) is a useful marker in surveillance of lung cancer. High serum sMICA level in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) seems to be a poor prognostic factor being correlated with poor differentiation and advanced stage. However, the low specificity limits its role as a single prognostic marker of NSCLC, but its evaluation, in addition to standard serum markers, could improve the staging of NSCLC. Despite promising, all current studies are insufficient to assess the real efficiency of sMICA as a prognostic marker of NSCLC, and hence, future studies are required to validate it

photo induced ignition phenomenon of carbon nanotubes by xenon pulsed light ignition tests analysis automotive and new potential applications future developments

Abstract The possibility to use carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enriched with a certain amount of metal nanoparticles for photo-inducing the combustion of liquid fuel sprays, gaseous and solid fuels was investigated in different research works. CNTs photo-ignition phenomenon has been used to trigger the combustion of different fuel typologies, demonstrating better features compared with those obtained by employing a traditional spark-plug. These improvements are due to the presence of distributed ignition nuclei inside the combustion chamber, so obtaining better values of the peak pressure, ignition delay and combustion duration. In this work, the CNTs photo-ignition phenomenon has been analyzed in order to find the minimum energy values needed to trigger the ignition, by varying the light pulse parameters and the nanoparticles concentration, Multi Wall CNTs (MWCNTs) – ferrocene, by weight. Afterwards, the results of combustion processes, triggered by using the nanoparticles, are shown comparing them with those obtained by means the spark plug and with results already published related to other fuel typologies. Hence, an overview of the possible applications of this photo-ignition phenomenon, beside that of the automotive field, is presented, also considering the disadvantages of the Xe-lamp based triggering system. Therefore, after a critical discussion on the light source typology until now used (Xenon lamp), by reporting the possible contraindications deriving from the use of this light source in most of the applicative fields, a solution is here proposed. It involves the substitution of the Xe lamp with LED sources, showing also the related experimental setup. This solution is also strengthened by the our experimental observations of CNTs photo-ignition by using high-power white LEDs as light source, never reported up to now in the literature, and by better characteristics of adaptability, robustness, easy driving and benefits provided by the LEDs rather than the Xenon lamp

Benefits and Risks of the Technological Creep of LED Light Technologies Applied to the Purse Seine Fishery

This study is a first attempt to investigate the catch efficiency of LED light technology compared to the traditional incandescent lamp that is used in the purse seine fishery (PS) in the Central Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Catches per unit effort were adopted to assess the performance of lighting systems, considering the electrical energy and the fuel consumption as effort units. Concerning the catch efficiency, the white LED, which emits the same light spectra as the incandescent lamp, increased the yield by over 2 times per consumption unit of energy and fuel. The yield efficiency increased up to approximately 6 and 9 times when adopting the pulsing white or blue LED, respectively. These increases were due to the energy savings resulting from the flashing of the white LED or by the greater water penetration of the blue LED. No significant difference in target species sizes was detected between the use of LEDs and the incandescent lamp. The results obtained from estimates of the hourly fuel consumption and CO2 emissions stress potential benefits in the reduction of the carbon footprint due to the use of LEDs within the PS fishery. Positive economic impacts were derived from the LED technology on the PS fishery, with the fuel cost-saving percentages all being higher than 60%. The LED technology clearly shows potential benefits at the economic level for the fishermen, and the possibility of mitigating indirect negative effects on the environment due to fuel combustion and greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the application of new technology that improves the catch efficiency of fishing gears should be carefully considered. The lack of regulations controlling technological advancement could cause unwanted long-term effects

Light-Induced ignition of Carbon Nanotubes and energetic nano-materials: a review on methods and advanced technical solutions for nanoparticles-enriched fuels combustion

Abstract Aim of the present manuscript is to provide an overview of all possible methods and light source typologies used by the different research groups for obtaining the energetic nano-materials' photo-ignition, showing the latest progress related to such phenomenon employing, also, alternative radiation sources to the common Xe lamp. In fact, the employment of a different source typology can open new usage prospects respect to those enabled by the Xe lamp, mainly due to its technological limitations. Therefore, several studies are faced to test light sources, such as lasers and LEDs, for igniting the nano-energetic materials (as CNTs mixed with metallic catalyzers, Al / CuO nano-particles, etc); these nano-materials are usefully employed for starting, in volumetric and controlled way, the combustion of air-fuel mixtures inside internal combustion engines, leading to significant benefits to the combustion process also in terms of efficiency, reliability, and emissions of pollutants. Several research works are presented in literature concerning the ignition of liquid / gaseous fuels, without nano-particles, employing laser sources (i.e laser-based plugs in place of the common spark plugs); therefore, an innovative solution is proposed that employs multi-point laser-plugs for inducing the ignition of nano-materials dispersed into the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder, so further improving the combustion of the fuel in an internal combustion engine

Behavioral Pattern of Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central-Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Relatively scant information is available on the Risso’s dolphin in comparison to the other species regularly present in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, its conservation status has been updated to Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in this Sea. Therefore, the need to increase information on its biology and ecology is even more urgent. This study reports the first preliminary information on the behavioral traits of the species occurring in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea). Data on predominant behavioral activity states and on a set of group composition variables (group formation, cruising speed, dive duration and interaction between individuals) were collected from April 2019 to September 2021, applying the focal-group protocol with instantaneous scan sampling. Group size, depth and group composition variables were compared between activity states. Results highlight that both the group size and the several variables considered varied significantly depending on activity state. The group size was significantly smaller during feeding than resting and traveling and a characterization in terms of group formation, cruise speed, dive duration and interaction between animals is provided for the different activity states. Moreover, a list of behavioral events which occurred, as well as their relative frequency of distribution among activity states, is reported. Finally, details on the sympatric occurrences between Risso’s and striped dolphins, as well as the repetitive interaction observed between adult individuals and plastic bags floating on the sea surface, are reported and discussed