Using virtual worlds in distance learning environments

This paper presents two tools developed to facilitate the use and automate the process of using Virtual Worlds for educational purposes. The first tool has been developed to automatically create the classroom space, usually called region in the virtual world, which means, a region in the virtual world used to develop educational activities between professors, students and interactive objects. The second tool helps the process of creating 3D interactive objects in a virtual world. With these tools educators will be able to produce 3D interactive learning objects and use them in virtual classrooms improving the quality and appeal, for students, of their classes. © 2011 IEEE.

Simulation environment of distance protection with ATP and foreign models

This paper presents an interactive simulation environment for distance protection, developed with ATP and foreign models based on ANSI C. Files in COMTRADE format are possible to generate after ATP simulation. These files can be used to calibrate real relays. Also, the performance of relay algorithms with real oscillography events is possible to assess by using the ATP option for POSTPROCESS PLOT FILE (PPF). The main purpose of the work is to develop a tool to allow the analysis of diverse fault cases and to perform coordination studies, as well as, to allow the analysis of the relay's performance in the face of a real event. © 2011 IEEE.

Information Visualization to support decision making in the context of distance learning: A study with VLE TelEduc

Digital data sets constitute rich sources of information, which can be extracted and evaluated applying computational tools, for example, those ones for Information Visualization. Web-based applications, such as social network environments, forums and virtual environments for Distance Learning, are good examples for such sources. The great amount of data has direct impact on processing and analysis tasks. This paper presents the computational tool Mapper, defined and implemented to use visual representations - maps, graphics and diagrams - for supporting the decision making process by analyzing data stored in Virtual Learning Environment TelEduc-Unesp. © 2012 IEEE.

Influence of distance, geometry and number of control stations on quality of local geodetic networks for the purpose of georeferencing of rural properties

The implementation of local geodetic networks for georeferencing of rural properties has become a requirement after publication of the Georeferencing Technical Standard by INCRA. According to this standard, the maximum distance of baselines to GNSS L1 receivers is of 20 km. Besides the length of the baseline, the geometry and the number of geodetic control stations are other factors to be considered in the implementation of geodetic networks. Thus, this research aimed to examine the influence of baseline lengths higher than the regulated limit of 20 km, the geometry and the number of control stations on quality of local geodetic networks for georeferencing, and also to demonstrate the importance of using specific tests to evaluate the solution of ambiguities and on the quality of the adjustment. The results indicated that the increasing number of control stations has improved the quality of the network, the geometry has not influenced on the quality and the baseline length has influenced on the quality; however, lengths higher than 20 km has not interrupted the implementation, with GPS L1 receiver, of the local geodetic network for the purpose of georeferencing. Also, the use of different statistical tests, both for the evaluation of the resolution of ambiguities and for the adjustment, have enabled greater clearness in analyzing the results, which allow that unsuitable observations may be eliminated.

Metacommunity structuring in stream networks: roles of dispersal mode, distance type, and regional environmental context

Within a metacommunity, both environmental and spatial processes regulate variation in local community structure. The strength of these processes may vary depending on species traits (e.g., dispersal mode) or the characteristics of the regions studied (e.g., spatial extent, environmental heterogeneity). We studied the metacommunity structuring of three groups of stream macroinvertebrates differing in their overland dispersal mode (passive dispersers with aquatic adults; passive dispersers with terrestrial adults; active dispersers with terrestrial adults). We predicted that environmental structuring should be more important for active dispersers, because of their better ability to track environmental variability, and that spatial structuring should be more important for species with aquatic adults, because of stronger dispersal limitation. We sampled a total of 70 stream riffle sites in three drainage basins. Environmental heterogeneity was unrelated to spatial extent among our study regions, allowing us to examine the effects of these two factors on metacommunity structuring. We used partial redundancy analysis and Moran's eigenvector maps based on overland and watercourse distances to study the relative importance of environmental control and spatial structuring. We found that, compared with environmental control, spatial structuring was generally negligible, and it did not vary according to our predictions. In general, active dispersers with terrestrial adults showed stronger environmental control than the two passively dispersing groups, suggesting that the species dispersing actively are better able to track environmental variability. There were no clear differences in the results based on watercourse and overland distances. The variability in metacommunity structuring among basins was not related to the differences in the environmental heterogeneity and spatial extent. Our study emphasized that (1) environmental control is prevailing in stream metacommunities, (2) dispersal mode may have an important effect on metacommunity structuring, and (3) some factors other than spatial extent or environmental heterogeneity contributed to the differences among the basins.

THE MAPPING IN THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OF TEACHERS: AN EXPERIENCE THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING

In this work, we show the experience of continuing teacher education in Cartography in the period from 03/11/2009 to 03/11/2010, it was held by the Center for Continuing Education in Mathematics Education, Science and Environment (CECEMCA) - UNESP - Rio Claro, in DL (Distance Learning). This experience was through the extension course set in TelEduc platform. The course was titled Introduction to Cartography and aimed primarily: Present concepts of systematic and thematic mapping and its potential application in teaching practices, increase knowledge in the areas of Geography, Cartography and Environment; Offer alternatives for implementing content mapping in the classroom.

Patch size, shape and edge distance influences seed predation in a keystone palm in tropical rainforests

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

Online distance mathematics education in Brazil: research, practice and policy

In this article, we address online distance mathematics education research and practice in Brazil, which are relative newcomers to the educational scene. We present the national context of education in Brazil, highlighting the organization of the educational system, and also a summary of national legislation on distance education and an overview of digital inclusion in the country. We outline the potential and relevance of distance education for the Brazilian educational system and show how it could intervene in the system. With respect to research and practice in online mathematics education, we present support for research, examples of studies and highlight different aspects being addressed, including its essential components. In addition, we discuss the synergy between distance education and teacher education, and mathematics distance education and modeling, as well as other initiatives in the national scenario.

Distance exercised during submaximal training on race winnings for Thoroughbred racehorses

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The effect of gastrointestinal nematode infection level on grazing distance from dung

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Image segmentation through combined methods: watershed transform, unsupervised distance learning and normalized cut

Research on image processing has shown that combining segmentation methods may lead to a solid approach to extract semantic information from different sort of images. Within this context, the Normalized Cut (NCut) is usually used as a final partitioning tool for graphs modeled in some chosen method. This work explores the Watershed Transform as a modeling tool, using different criteria of the hierarchical Watershed to convert an image into an adjacency graph. The Watershed is combined with an unsupervised distance learning step that redistributes the graph weights and redefines the Similarity matrix, before the final segmentation step using NCut. Adopting the Berkeley Segmentation Data Set and Benchmark as a background, our goal is to compare the results obtained for this method with previous work to validate its performance.

Short distance QCD contribution to the electroweak mass difference of pions

It is known that the short distance QCD contribution to the mass difference of pions is quadratic on the quark masses, and irrelevant with respect to the long distance part. It is also considered in the literature that its calculation contains infinities, which should be absorbed by the quark mass renormalization. Following a prescription by Craigie, Narison, and Riazuddin of a renormalization-group-improved perturbation theory to deal with the electromagnetic mass shift problem in QCD, we show that the short distance QCD contribution to the electroweak pion mass difference (with mu=md≠0) is finite and, of course, its value is negligible compared to other contributions.

Soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir

Crops close to small water bodies may exhibit changes in yield if the water mass causes significant changes in the microclimate of areas near the reservoir shoreline. The scientific literature describes this effect as occurring gradually, with higher intensity in the sites near the shoreline and decreasing intensity with distance from the reservoir. Experiments with two soybean cultivars were conducted during four crop seasons to evaluate soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir and determine the effect of air temperature and water availability on soybean crop yield. Fifteen experimental sites were distributed in three transects perpendicular to the Itaipu reservoir, covering an area at approximately 10 km from the shoreline. The yield gradient between the site closest to the reservoir and the sites farther away in each transect did not show a consistent trend, but varied as a function of distance, crop season, and cultivar. This finding indicates that the Itaipu reservoir does not affect the yield of soybean plants grown within approximately 10 km from the shoreline. In addition, the variation in yield among the experimental sites was not attributed to thermal conditions because the temperature was similar within transects. However, the crop water availability was responsible for higher differences in yield among the neighboring experimental sites related to water stress caused by spatial variability in rainfall, especially during the soybean reproductive period in January and February.

Repeated sprint ability tests and intensity-time curvature constant to predict short-distance running performances

Anaerobic efforts are commonly required through repeated sprint during efforts in many sports, making the anaerobic pathway a target of training. Nevertheless, to identify improvements on such energetic way it is necessary to assess anaerobic capacity or power, which is usually complex. For this purpose, authors have postulated the use of short running performances to anaerobic ability assessment. Thus, the aim of this study was to find a relationship between running performances on anaerobic power, anaerobic capacity or repeated sprint ability. Methods Thirteen military performed maximal running of 50 (P50), 100 (P100) and 300 (P300) m on track, beyond of running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST; RSA and anaerobic power test), maximal anaerobic running test (MART; RSA and anaerobic capacity test) and the W′ from critical power model (anaerobic capacity test). Results By RAST variables, peak and average power (absolute and relative) and maximum velocity were significantly correlated with P50 (r = −0.68, p = 0.03 and −0.76, p = 0.01; −0.83, p < 0.01 and −0.83, p < 0.01; and −0.78, p < 0.01), respectively. The maximum intensity of MART was negatively and significantly correlated with P100 (r = −0.59) and W′ was not statistically correlated with any of the performances. Conclusion MART and W′ were not correlated with short running performances, having a weak performance predicting probably due to its longer duration in relation to assessed performances. Observing RAST outcomes, we postulated that such a protocol can be used during daily training as short running performance predictor.

Is Drosera meristocaulis a pygmy sundew? evidence of a long-distance dispersal between Western Australia and northern South America

Background and aims South America and Oceania possess numerous floristic similarities, often confirmed by morphological and molecular data. The carnivorous Drosera meristocaulis (Droseraceae), endemic to the Neblina highlands of northern South America, was known to share morphological characters with the pygmy sundews of Drosera sect. Bryastrum, which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. The inclusion of D. meristocaulis in a molecular phylogenetic analysis may clarify its systematic position and offer an opportunity to investigate character evolution in Droseraceae and phylogeographic patterns between South America and Oceania. Methods Drosera meristocaulis was included in a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Droseraceae, using nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid rbcL and rps16 sequence data. Pollen of D. meristocaulis was studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques, and the karyotype was inferred from root tip meristem. Key Results The phylogenetic inferences (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches) substantiate with high statistical support the inclusion of sect. Meristocaulis and its single species, D. meristocaulis, within the Australian Drosera clade, sister to a group comprising species of sect. Bryastrum. A chromosome number of 2n = approx. 32–36 supports the phylogenetic position within the Australian clade. The undivided styles, conspicuous large setuous stipules, a cryptocotylar (hypogaeous) germination pattern and pollen tetrads with aperture of intermediate type 7–8 are key morphological traits shared between D. meristocaulis and pygmy sundews of sect. Bryastrum from Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this study (using morphological, palynological, cytotaxonomic and molecular phylogenetic data) enabled us to elucidate the relationships of the thus far unplaced taxon D. meristocaulis. Long-distance dispersal between southwestern Oceania and northern South America is the most likely scenario to explain the phylogeographic pattern revealed.