Improving kNN multi-label classification in Prototype Selection scenarios using class proposals

Prototype Selection (PS) algorithms allow a faster Nearest Neighbor classification by keeping only the most profitable prototypes of the training set. In turn, these schemes typically lower the performance accuracy. In this work a new strategy for multi-label classifications tasks is proposed to solve this accuracy drop without the need of using all the training set. For that, given a new instance, the PS algorithm is used as a fast recommender system which retrieves the most likely classes. Then, the actual classification is performed only considering the prototypes from the initial training set belonging to the suggested classes. Results show that this strategy provides a large set of trade-off solutions which fills the gap between PS-based classification efficiency and conventional kNN accuracy. Furthermore, this scheme is not only able to, at best, reach the performance of conventional kNN with barely a third of distances computed, but it does also outperform the latter in noisy scenarios, proving to be a much more robust approach.

Simulation of the secondary electrons energy deposition produced by proton beams in PMMA: influence of the target electronic excitation description

We have studied the radial dependence of the energy deposition of the secondary electron generated by swift proton beams incident with energies T = 50 keV–5 MeV on poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). Two different approaches have been used to model the electronic excitation spectrum of PMMA through its energy loss function (ELF), namely the extended-Drude ELF and the Mermin ELF. The singly differential cross section and the total cross section for ionization, as well as the average energy of the generated secondary electrons, show sizeable differences at T ⩽ 0.1 MeV when evaluated with these two ELF models. In order to know the radial distribution around the proton track of the energy deposited by the cascade of secondary electrons, a simulation has been performed that follows the motion of the electrons through the target taking into account both the inelastic interactions (via electronic ionizations and excitations as well as electron-phonon and electron trapping by polaron creation) and the elastic interactions. The radial distribution of the energy deposited by the secondary electrons around the proton track shows notable differences between the simulations performed with the extended-Drude ELF or the Mermin ELF, being the former more spread out (and, therefore, less peaked) than the latter. The highest intensity and sharpness of the deposited energy distributions takes place for proton beams incident with T ~ 0.1–1 MeV. We have also studied the influence in the radial distribution of deposited energy of using a full energy distribution of secondary electrons generated by proton impact or using a single value (namely, the average value of the distribution); our results show that differences between both simulations become important for proton energies larger than ~0.1 MeV. The results presented in this work have potential applications in materials science, as well as hadron therapy (due to the use of PMMA as a tissue phantom) in order to properly consider the generation of electrons by proton beams and their subsequent transport and energy deposition through the target in nanometric scales.

Changes in how prospective teachers anticipate secondary students’ answers

This study focuses on how prospective teachers learn about students’ mathematical thinking when (i) anticipating secondary students’ answers reflecting different characteristics of understanding and (ii) propose new activities in relation to the classification of quadrilaterals. The data were collected from forty-eight prospective secondary school teachers enrolled in an initial training programme. The results indicate three changes in how the prospective teachers anticipate secondary students’ answers in relation to the role given to a perceptual or relational perspective of the classification of quadrilaterals. These changes are described considering how prospective teachers grasp the students’ understanding of the inclusive relation among quadrilaterals as a conceptual advance. We argue that prospective teachers’ learning was promoted after participating in a structured environment where they had the opportunity to discuss how to recognize the features of student’s understanding.

On the behavior of the Pt(1 0 0) and vicinal surfaces in alkaline media

We address in this paper a voltammetric study of the charge transfer processes characteristic of Pt(1 0 0) and vicinal surfaces in alkaline media. The electrochemical behavior of a series of stepped surfaces of the type Pt(S)[n(1 0 0) × (1 1 1)] has been characterized using cyclic voltammetry at different pHs, charge displacement measurements and FTIR experiments for adsorbed CO. The results from these techniques allow assigning the different peaks appearing in the voltammogram to hydrogen and/or OH adsorption on the different sites of these surfaces, namely, terrace and step sites. Additionally, the potential of zero total charge (pztc) of the electrodes was determined. The resulting pztc values shift to more negative values when the step density increases on the surface up to n = 5. FTIR spectroscopy experiments have been used to monitor the adsorption of CO on the different surfaces as well as the consequent CO oxidation, accompanying a positive potential sweep. The oxidation of adsorbed CO on (1 0 0) terraces is catalyzed by the presence of the (1 1 1) steps. The FTIR spectra revealed that CO is mostly bonded in bridge configuration at low potentials interconverting to on-top when the electrode potential is increased.

Initiatives d’activisme en formation initiale de professeurs: préparer à l’action et à la transformation.

L’action collective raisonnée, connue sous le nom d’activisme, orientée vers la résolution de problèmes de la société, offre des possibilités d'apprentissage tout au long de la vie et permet aux étudiants de développer des connaissances du domaine de la science et de la technologie. Dans une société où les découvertes scientifiques et les progrès technologiques sont constants, les potentialités de cette approche sont également reconnues dans la formation de citoyens responsables, capables d'agir et de résoudre des problèmes, tout en essayant d'influencer d'autres citoyens à prendre des décisions sur les problèmes complexes tels que ceux que présentent les questions socialement vives. Considérant que la formation de jeunes et d’adultes plus responsables et scientifiquement informés est fondamentale, cette recherche-action visait: a) à munir les futurs enseignants de compétences dans la conception, la mise en oeuvre et l'évaluation des activités orientées vers l'action sociopolitique sur les questions socialement vives; b) promouvoir chez les participants les valeurs de citoyenneté et de sensibilisation à l'environnement; c) identifier les difficultés et le potentiel de ces initiatives; d) comprendre l'impact de ce type d'expérience éducative chez les futurs enseignants. Les participants à l'étude étaient des étudiants préparant une licence en éducation élémentaire (futurs professeurs des écoles primaires et maternelles) dans le contexte de la discipline d’Éducation à l’Environnement. L'analyse des narratives produites par les futurs enseignants a permis de constater que tous avaient développé des compétences au niveau de la planification et de l'intervention dans la société, en recourant à différents types d'initiatives. Cette expérience de formation a ainsi permis, aux participants le développement de capacités à l'action et à la transformation sociale et environnementale. Il a également été possible de sensibiliser le public-cible des actions réalisées par les futurs enseignants à agir de façon plus responsable sur l'environnement.

A articulação feita pelos profissionais de educação entre o pré-escolar e o 1º ciclo do ensino básico

Relatório de estágio para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Educação pré-escolar e ensino do 1º ciclo do ensino básico

Expressão musical na educação pré-escolar: constrangimentos e práticas educativas

Com o intuito de conhecer e combater os principais constrangimentos que levam os(as) educadores(as) de infância a não implementar atividades de expressão musical, ou à sua escassa implementação, este relatório intitulado “Expressão Musical na Educação Pré-escolar - Constrangimentos e Práticas Educativas” pretende apresentar algumas atividades, neste domínio, que poderão ser desenvolvidas por educadores(as) cuja formação inicial é globalizante e não específica - contribuindo, deste modo, para a prática educacional em contexto pré-escolar. O presente relatório enquadra-se no âmbito do Mestrado em Educação Pré-escolar, mais concretamente na unidade curricular de Prática e Ensino Supervisionada, e apresenta ainda a descrição e reflexão do percurso realizado numa instituição pública de educação pré-escolar. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, como profissionais reflexivos, recorreu-se à metodologia de Investigação-Ação. Neste sentido desenvolveu-se uma atitude de pesquisa, experimentação, análise e reflexão, sendo estas as ações elementares para melhorar a prática educativa e dar às crianças uma educação de qualidade.

A inserção dos jovens no mercado de trabalho: o caso dos jovens com o ensino secundário

Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão Estratégica de Recursos Humanos

Comparative Analysis of Existing Guidelines for Gender-Fair Language within the ITN LCG Network. ITN-LCG, Workpackage B: Report on Milestone 1

Guidelines for a gender-fair use of the languages represented in the ITN LCG network were analyzed comparatively for specific criteria. All institutional or governmental guidelines aim at attenuating male-biased representations that are brought about by certain grammatical structures of the respective language. These guidelines primarily focus on the use of masculine forms as generics because they reduce the visibility of women in language. The comparison shows that guidelines for English, a language without grammatical gender, emphasize neutralization as a means of referring to both sexes. This differs from grammatical gender languages, such as German and Italian, in which feminine-masculine word-pairs are recommended in order to avoid the masculine bias. The guidelines all aim to promote the formulation of comprehensive and readable texts that are free of discrimination.

A docência na educação infantil: representações sociais dos professores cursistas do proinfantil do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte sobre o trabalho docente

The overall objective of this research is to identify and analyze social representations of (the) teachers(the) Ranciere the Initial Training Program for Teachers in Office in Early Childhood Education - PROINFANTIL - UFRN/MEC on the teaching work, seeking to identify their constituent elements and understand the dynamics of your organization. We assume that these teachers work fundamentally, in the institutions of Early Childhood Education, with knowledge of common sense and related cultural inherent to be/do professor in the design of education guardian/giving handouts to ensure the physical integrity of children, causing a rift between the caring and educating. From this general objective, we elected as specific objectives: identify the social, economic and cultural backgrounds of these (the) teachers (sa); identify what is teaching work for them (the) as well as identify which the psychosocial implications driven by RS on teaching work that point to tensions between the training and the exercise teacher as activity profissional.Como theoretical foundation we opted for Social Representations Theory of Moscovici (2003), Jodelet (2001); Specificities of the teaching Work in Early Childhood Education: Kramer (2002; 2006); OliveiraFormosinho (2007); Zilma de Oliveira (2007), Teacher Training: Ramalho, Nunez and Galthier (2003) and Tardif and Lessard (2008), content Analysis: Bardin (2004). As methodological procedure, we chose the Central Nucleus theory, developed by Jean Claude Abric (2000). Contributed to the scope of this objective the 171 teachers (the) that concluded the Proinfantil NBs to participate of TALP with justifications. The corpus arising from evocations around the words suggested by Carlos Chagas Foundation: give classrooms, teacher, pupil and added the word Child Education, were subjected to a treatment with the aid of the EVOC software (2000), identifying the central nucleus. The results indicate the words more evoked and significant: Planning, child care, educating, and play. Indicating that for these (the) teachers (the) the teaching work in Early Childhood Education must have a systematic pedagogical to educate children. These words correspond to the specificity of being/doing teaching in Early Childhood Education. However, the data shows that it is a job with different characteristics of the teaching work in other stages of education

Formação docente e conhecimento profissional: desafios para o ensino da matemática na EJA

As for the Education for Youth and Adult (EYA), the challenge of training these teachers is to provide tools to understand and act on the teaching of mathematics. It is realized just how special education in this modality and as such teaching is lacking in an adequate and solid training in the area of knowledge. One of the major problems affecting this type of education is the high dropout and failure rates, and lack of motivation among students. Thus the need to provide differentiated profile with a professional to teach youth and adults students, so that they are able to mobilize didactic-pedagogic knowledge, methodologies and theoretical frameworks that serve as a basis for school-developed teaching practice. This thesis aims to investigate how the math teacher, who acts in adult education from elementary school, has developed its didactic and pedagogical action, and that professional knowledge has been mobilized to teach? It has highlighted the importance of initial and continuing training and professionalization of teachers dedicated to this specific type of education, when teachers should be the protagonists of their professional development. The methodological approach was begun with a literature review, then the research was anchored mainly on the ideas by Gauthier, Nuñez and Ramalho (2004); Imbernon (2011), Garcia (2006); Perrenoud (2000); Tardif (2007 ); Haddad, Di Pierro (2000), D'Ambrosio (2002), Mendes (2006, 2009), Freire (1996, 2011), and other theorists and official documents of field of adult education here and abroad. That work leads us to the understanding of the present moment from a foray into historical and conceptual aspects, as well as educational policies of EYA, as well as training, professionalism, knowledge and skills necessary for professional practice. Then, the subjects and the locus of research and the instrument for data collection were set up and led by the object of study. To consolidate the study was selected a sample of 27 mathematics teachers, working in municipal EYA Network Teaching of Natal. This research is in an investigative nature, within the quantitative and qualitative approaches focused on the responses of study subjects from the content analysis by Bardin (1977). Results from the analyzes have revealed that the initial training of mathematics teachers of adult education needs to be reconfigured in order to formalize the knowledge base of professionals (the mathematical content, didactics and professional knowledge). Thus the study suggests that this base knowledge is embedded in the pedagogical practice of these teachers, so that there is a completion of the teaching and learning process for young people and adults. The study also has pointed out that there is a need for teachers to participate in a continuing education plan that prioritizes learning situations of mathematical content considering the previous knowledge of the students. The final analyses thus indicate that knowledge of mathematics and the didactic and pedagogical strategies to be mobilized by teachers must be able to motivate the students in such a way that they feel need to incorporate in their knowledge, mathematical knowledge capable of making them more likely to have access to social, economic and labor market

Química em cena: uma proposta para formação inicial de professores de química

In educational observed difficulty in train teachers to meet the medium and higher education needs, and one reason for this is the different experiences in the training of educators in relation to those found in the classroom. So often arise criticisms related to relevance and efficiency of degree courses, as regards the performance of its natural mission, which weakens the teacher training. Thus, improving the quality of education is very dependent on the initiatives of teachers, creating teaching alternatives to strengthen their performance in school. From this reflection, it is concluded that teacher training needs new educational proposals that qualify, and so can promote the formation of his students more adequately. Among the educational proposals as alternatives to initial teacher training may use the scientific theater (TC). Considering this possibility, this work has been proposed as investigate and discuss the influence of TC combined with experimentation in the initial training of future teachers in Chemistry who participate in the Groups Fanatics chemistry Theatre (UERN) and Chemistry on Stage (UFRN). Therefore, there was, in a first stage, theatrical essays based on the theater of the oppressed, and written dramaturgical scripts, a collaborative proposal. To incorporate experimentation in chemistry to theater rehearsals, there was a systematic literature search and after content analysis, were selected categories, materials and reagents easily accessible, easy procedures and implementation with low risk of accidents and easy care chemical waste. In the second part we identified: a) the beliefs of student teachers in the use of TC ally trial for initial training of chemistry teachers; b) the influence of TC ally to trial on learning of chemical concepts of high school students who attended the shows; c) the reasons for using or not TC ally to trial by chemistry teachers who participated in the TC group and currently work in the classroom. In this study, questionnaires and interviews were used, compounds, respectively, by a Likert scale and open questions. Quantitative data were analyzed by classical statistics the media, using as centrality measures the average, the concordance argument and the average deviation. Qualitative data were discussed according to content analysis, with categories that emerged from reading the answers. These analyzes concluded that the licensees have a positive view on the use of scientific theater for disclosure of the chemical for use in the learning of chemical concepts, pedagogical and disciplinary knowledge, and to form promotion strategy for research and extension at the University. They credit improvements in their initial training on the use of scientific theater combined with experimentation. The TC provides motivation for the construction of conceptual thinking in an informal way of chemical communication, allowing the student to expand their knowledge, not only favoring the phenomenological approach, but also the construction of chemical knowledge and the internalization of scientific concepts.

A reductionist approach to model photosynthetic self-regulation in eukaryotes in response to light

© 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited. This work was supported by the Marie Curie Initial Training Network AccliPhot financed by the European Union [grant number PITN-GA-2012-316427 (to A.M. and O.E.)]; and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, CEPLAS (EXC 1028) (to O.E.)].

O programa institucional de bolsa de iniciação à docência PIBID na formação inicial de professores de matemática

This research sought to understand the space training provided by Institutional Scholarship Program Initiation of Teaching to a group of students of Degree in Mathematics that had activities developed in the same public school. The goal is to qualify them for teaching practice for these basic institutions. We decided to conduct a qualitative study of type ethnographic case study. For a year and a half while we were at the meetings and activities of the Group, we did what we call as a participant observation. To obtain the data, we used different survey instruments: the researcher\'s field notes through his observation of everyday life of the group, photographs and filming of the activities, document analysis and database produced, physically and digitally, in addition to questionnaires and interviews with records written, which complemented each other and helped establish a triangulation of information collected. We analyze the trajectory of the group on three axes: on the first, we present and understand the paths taken by the Group in the process of setting up training spaces, and production of their professional training, in the second, we analyze how the space of PIBID is being integrated with others spaces of formations in the educational institution of the degree course in mathematics and, in the third axis, we understand the process of knowledge production of that group. The trajectory taken by the group was marked by a process of reflection and discussion systematic and collective, which favored the pursuit for be a better professional and also confirmed a possible path to be followed in initial teacher education.

Los estilos de enseñanza: construyendo puentes para transitar las diferencias individuales del alumnado

Para progresar en el camino hacia una efectiva atención a la diversidad, es inevitable desarrollar un estilo de enseñanza que tenga en cuenta las diferencias individuales que presenta el alumnado, muy vinculadas a intereses, necesidades, aptitudes, potencialidades y estilos de aprendizaje particulares del educando. Rasgos, todos ellos, que los hace únicos y diferenciados. Así, desde el estudio de la variabilidad intersujeto y partiendo de un marco teórico multidimensional, se describen y analizan las diferencias interindividuales e intergrupales de 555 estudiantes de la Facultades de Ciencias de la Educación de Galicia pertenecientes a las Universidades de Coruña, Santiago de Compostela y Vigo, bajo el prisma de los siguientes estilos de enseñanza: reflexivo, cooperador, individualizador, innovador, indagador y académico. Los resultados obtenidos revelan la existencia de diferencias significativas en las preferencias sobre estilos de enseñanza en función de las variables propuestas: Universidad, especialidad, sexo y edad.