The use of software Mapavox for teaching graphics and games to blind and low vision students: a development through practices

Current policies on education to visually impaired point for a growing trend of including students with special educational needs in regular schools. However, most often this inclusion is not accompanied by an appropriate professional trained or infrastructure, which has been presented as a big problem for regular school teachers who have students with visual impairments in their classroom. Based on this situation, the Group of Extension in Tactile Cartography from UNESP - University of the State of São Paulo - Campus de Rio Claro - SP - Brazil has been developing educational material of geography and cartography to blind students at a special school. Among the materials developed in this study highlight the development of graphics and board games provided with sound capabilities through MAPAVOX, software developed in partnership with UFRJ - Federal University from Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil. Through this software, sound capabilities can be inserted into built materials, giving them a multi-sensory character. In most cases the necessary conditions for building specific materials to students with visual impairments is expensive and beyond the reach of features from a regular school, so the survey sought to use easy access and low cost materials like Cork, leaf aluminum, material for fixing and others. The development of these materials was supported by preparation in laboratory and its subsequent test through practices involving blind students. The methodology used on the survey is based on qualitative research and non comparative analysis of the results. In other words, the material is built based on the special students perception and reality construction, not being mere adaptations of visual materials, but a construction focused on the reality of the visually impaired. The results proved were quite successful as the materials prepared were effective on mediating the learning process of students with disabilities. Geographical and cartographic concepts were seized by the students through the technology used, associated with the use of materials that took into account in its building process the perception of the students.

Caracterização de desempenhos envolvidos na leitura e na escrita em crianças com deficiência auditiva

Pós-graduação em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem - FC

Estudo comparativo de sistemas de rádio digital sobre fibra aplicado a C-RAN

O objetivo deste trabalho é comparar aspectos relacionados ao uso de Multiplexação por Subportadora (SCM) em um sistema de transmissão de Rádio Digital sobre Fibra (DRoF) aplicado à Arquitetura de Acesso a Rádio Centralizado (C-RAN). Para isso, foram criados dois cenários que fazem uso da tecnologia DRoF, onde no primeiro, três subportadoras são transmitidas em um comprimento de onda e, para o segundo cenário, três comprimentos de onda são transmitidos, onde cada um possui uma única subportadora. Para ambas configurações é visado alimentar unidades de rádio remoto (RRH) localizadas na torre de transmissão. São analisados aspectos de desempenho da recepção, alcance das redes e complexidade do sistema para cada um dos cenários propostos. Além disso, são mostrados passo a passo como os sistemas foram construídos utilizando o software de simulação VPITransmissionMaker. Foram considerados para cada subportadora uma taxa de 250 Mbps, modulação 16-QAM, centrados na frequência de 5GHz. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que, para SCM-DRoF, uma Taxa de Erro de Bit (BER) de 10^-6 é mantida constante para enlaces de até 20 km. No segundo modelo, sem uso de SCM, um desempenho similar foi verificado, contudo com alcance de até 40 km. Dado o contexto da aplicação, os fatores desempenho e distância levam a crer que ambos cenários de transmissão podem ser utilizadas para C-RAN. Contudo, levando em consideração o custo e a complexidade no domínio óptico, o sistema utilizando SCM, comparativamente, possui mais vantagens. Conclui-se então que o uso de SCM apresenta-se como uma forte opção para aplicações no contexto das novas tecnologias de redes de acesso móvel.

Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação em Bibliotecas Escolares: em busca de um espaço dinâmico

The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be combined with the acquisition of academic knowledge and cultural development of students, as they improve their information literacy, and why not say, also digital. Weaim in this research seek references and present experiences that encourage a new concept of school library with the use of ICT in teaching and learning in individual and collective development of the student community. To complement this study we prioritized the following objectives: to insert the technology into the routine of a school library; identify the informational and technological profile of adolescents; understand the needs and technological resources they use to obtain information in daily life and also analyze the importance the effective participation of the school library in the educational context of the school, through greater interaction between the librarian, teacher and pedagogical coordination seeking a cooperative and informal ICT teaching and learning for along with the students, sharing the search for information and knowledge, in a conscious and responsible way. Chosen as theoretical foundation the cognitive studies of Jean Piaget, witch explains how the stages of assimilation and accommodation of knowledge in cooperative practices work. As a methodology was developed a participatory-action research, to learn the behavioral state of young people and adolescents, based on the model of information search for the everyday life (Everyday Life Information Seeking) – ELIS, developed by Finnish researcher Savoleinen (2006), as well as identify the informational and technological profile of adolescents from two selected approaches in the scientific literature (HUGUES-HASSEL; AGOSTO, 2007; UCL, 2008). Thus, came up the initiative to create a Confraternity of the Library in a collaborative digital environment, providing the participants discussion and learning technologies as well as digital information literacy enhancement.

Mobi - kids - rischio di tumori cerebrali ed esposizione a campi a radiofrequenza nei bambini e negli adolescenti

Introduzione. Il rapido e globale incremento dell’utilizzo dei telefoni cellulari da parte degli adolescenti e dei bambini ha generato un considerevole interesse circa i possibili effetti sulla salute dell’esposizione a campi elettromagnetici a radiofrequenza. Perciò è stato avviato lo studio internazionale caso-controllo Mobi-kids, all’interno del quale si colloca quello italiano condotto in 4 Regioni (Piemonte, Lombardia, Toscana, Emilia-Romagna). Obiettivi. Lo studio ha come obiettivo quello di valutare la stima del rischio degli effetti potenzialmente avversi di queste esposizioni sul sistema nervoso centrale nei bambini e negli adolescenti. Materiali e Metodi. La popolazione include tutte le persone di età compresa tra 10 e 24 anni residenti nelle 4 Regioni, con una diagnosi confermata di neoplasia cerebrale primitiva, diagnosticata durante il periodo di studio (3 anni). Sono stati selezionati due controlli - ospedalizzati per appendicite acuta - per ciascun caso. I controlli sono stati appaiati individualmente a ciascun caso per età, sesso e residenza del caso. Risultati. In Italia sono stati intervistati a Giugno 2014, 106 casi e 191 controlli. In Emilia-Romagna i casi reclutati sono stati fino ad ora 21 e i controlli 20, con una rispondenza del’81% e dell’65% rispettivamente. Dei 41 soggetti totali, il 61% era di sesso maschile con un’età media generale pari a 16,5 (±4,5) anni. Inoltre il 44% degli intervistati proveniva dalla classe di età più giovane (10-14). In merito allo stato di appaiamento, nella nostra Regione sono state effettuate 7 triplette (33%) - 1 caso e 2 controlli - e 6 doppiette (29%) - 1 caso ed 1 controllo. Conclusioni. Nonostante le varie difficoltà affrontate data la natura del progetto, l’esperienza maturata fin ad ora ha comunque portato alla fattibilità dello studio e porterà probabilmente a risultati che contribuiranno alla comprensione dei potenziali rischi di neoplasie cerebrali associati all'uso di telefoni cellulari tra i giovani.

Titanate-based paraelectric glass-ceramics for applications in GHz electronics

Das Gebiet der drahtlosen Kommunikationsanwendungen befindet sich in einem permanenten Entwicklungsprozess (Mobilfunkstandards: GSM/UMTS/LTE/5G, glo-bale Navigationssatellitensysteme (GNSS): GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou) zu immer höheren Datenraten und zunehmender Miniaturisierung, woraus ein hoher Bedarf für neue, optimierte Hochfrequenzmaterialien resultiert. Diese Entwicklung zeigt sich besonders in den letzten Jahren in der zunehmenden Entwicklung und Anzahl von Smartphones, welche verschiedene Technologien mit unterschiedlichen Arbeitsfrequenzen innerhalb eines Geräts kombinieren (data: 1G-4G, GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth). Die für zukünftige Technologien (z.B. 5G) benötigte Performance-steigerung kann durch die Verwendung von auf MIMO basierenden Antennensystemen realisiert werden (multiple-input & multiple-output, gesteuerte Kombination von mehreren Antennen) für welche auf dielectric Loading basierende Technologien als eine der vielversprechendsten Implementierungslösungen angesehen werden. rnDas Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Entwicklung einer geeigneten paraelektrischen Glaskeramik ($varepsilon_{r}$ > 20, $Qf$ > 5000 GHz, |$tau_f$| < 20 ppm/K; im GHz Frequenzbe-reich) im $mathrm{La_{2}O_{3}}$-$mathrm{TiO_{2}}$-$mathrm{SiO_{2}}$-$mathrm{B_{2}O_{3}}$-System für auf dielectric Loading basierende Mobilfunkkommunikationstechnologien als Alternative zu existierenden kommerziell genutzten Sinterkeramiken. Der Fokus lag hierbei auf der Frage, wie die makroskopi-schen dielektrischen Eigenschaften der Glaskeramik mit ihrer Mikrostruktur korreliert bzw. modifiziert werden können. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die dielektrischen Materialanforderungen durch das untersuchte System erfüllt werden und dass auf Glaskeramik basierende Dielektrika weitere vorteilhafte nichtelektro-nische Eigenschaften gegenüber gesinterten Keramiken besitzen, womit dielektrische Glaskeramiken durchaus als geeignete Alternative angesehen werden können. rnEin stabiles Grünglas mit minimalen Glasbildneranteil wurde entwickelt und die chemische Zusammensetzung bezüglich Entglasung und Redoxinstabilitäten optimiert. Geeignete Dotierungen für dielektrisch verlustarme $mathrm{TiO_{2}}$-haltige Glaskeramiken wurden identifiziert.rnDer Einfluss der Schmelzbedingungen auf die Keimbildung wurde untersucht und der Keramisierungsprozess auf einen maximalen Anteil der gewünschten Kristallphasen optimiert um optimale dielektrische Eigenschaften zu erhalten. Die mikroskopische Struktur der Glaskeramiken wurde analysiert und ihr Einfluss auf die makroskopischen dielektrischen Eigenschaften bestimmt. Die Hochfrequenzverlustmechanismen wurden untersucht und Antennen-Prototypenserien wurden analysiert um die Eignung von auf Glaskeramik basierenden Dielektrika für die Verwendung in dielectric Loading Anwendungen zu zeigen.

Portare la tecnologia in cabina: le nuove tecnologie a servizio dell'interprete e il caso della simultanea con testo

The digital revolution has affected all aspects of human life, and interpreting is no exception. This study will provide an overview of the technology tools available to the interpreter, but it will focus more on simultaneous interpretation, particularly on the “simultaneous interpretation with text” method. The decision to analyse this particular method arose after a two-day experience at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), during research for my previous Master’s dissertation. During those days, I noticed that interpreters were using "simultaneous interpretation with text" on a daily basis. Owing to the efforts and processes this method entails, this dissertation will aim at discovering whether technology can help interpreters, and if so, how. The first part of the study will describe the “simultaneous with text” approach, and how it is used at the CJEU; the data provided by a survey for professional interpreters will describe its use in other interpreting situations. The study will then describe Computer-Assisted Language Learning technologies (CALL) and technologies for interpreters. The second part of the study will focus on the interpreting booth, which represents the first application of the technology in the interpreting field, as well as on the technologies that can be used inside the booth: programs, tablets and apps. The dissertation will then analyse the programs which might best help the interpreter in "simultaneous with text" mode, before providing some proposals for further software upgrades. In order to give a practical description of the possible upgrades, the domain of “judicial cooperation in criminal matters” will be taken as an example. Finally, after a brief overview of other applications of technology in the interpreting field (i.e. videoconferencing, remote interpreting), the conclusions will summarize the results provided by the study and offer some final reflections on the teaching of interpreting.

Cellular telephone use and time trends in brain tumour mortality in Switzerland from 1969 to 2002

A rising concern exists that with the widespread use of mobile communication technologies, the incidence of brain tumours may increase. On the basis of data from the Swiss national mortality registry from 1969 to 2002, annual age-standardized brain tumour mortality rates per 100,000 person-years were calculated using the European standard population. Time trend analyses were performed by the Poisson regression for six different age groups in men and women separately. The study period was divided into two intervals: before and after 1987, when the analogue mobile technology was introduced in Switzerland. Age-standardized brain tumour mortality rates ranged between 3.7 and 6.7 for men and 2.5 and 4.4 for women per 100,000 person-years. For the whole study period, a significant increase in brain tumour mortality was observed for men and women in the older age groups (60-74 and 75+ years) but not in the younger ones in whom mobile phone use was more prevalent. Time trend analyses restricted to data from 1987 onwards revealed relatively stable brain tumour mortality rates in all age groups. For instance, the annual change in brain tumour mortality rate for the 45-59-year age group was -0.3% (95% confidence interval: -1.7; 1.1) for men and -0.4% (95% confidence interval:-2.2; 1.3) for women. We conclude that after the introduction of mobile phone technology in Switzerland, brain tumour mortality rates remained stable in all age groups. Our results suggest that mobile phone use is not a strong risk factor in the short term for mortality from brain tumours. Ecological analyses like this, however, are limited in their ability to reveal potentially small increases in risk for diseases with a long latency period.

An initiative for participatory monitoring of large scale acquisitions: Opportunities and results thus far

Increasing commercial pressures on land are provoking fundamental and far-reaching changes in the relationships between people and land. Much knowledge on land-oriented investments projects currently comes from the media. Although this provides a good starting point, lack of transparency and rapidly changing contexts mean that this is often unreliable. The International Land Coalition, in partnership with Oxfam Novib, Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), University of Pretoria, Centre for Development and Environment of the University of Bern (CDE), and GIZ, started to compile an inventory of land-related investments. This project aims to better understand the extent, trends and impacts of land-related investments by supporting an ongoing and systematic stocktaking exercise of the various investment projects currently taking place worldwide. It involves a large number of organizations and individuals working in areas where land transactions are being made, and able to provide details of such investments. The project monitors land transactions in rural areas that imply a transformation of land use rights from communities and smallholders to commercial use, and are made both by domestic and foreign investors (private actors, governments, government-back private investors). The focus is on investments for food or agrofuel production, timber extraction, carbon trading, mineral extraction, conservation and tourism. A novel way of using ITC to document land acquisitions in a spatially explicit way and by using an approach called “crowdsourcing” is being developed. This approach will allow actors to share information and knowledge directly and at any time on a public platform, where it will be scrutinized in terms of reliability and cross checked with other sources. Up to now, over 1200 deals have been recorded across 96 countries. Details of such transactions have been classified in a matrix and distributed to over 350 contacts worldwide for verification. The verified information has been geo-referenced and represented in two global maps. This is an open database enabling a continued monitoring exercise and the improvement of data accuracy. More information will be released over time. The opportunities arise from overcoming constraints by incomplete information by proposing a new way of collecting, enhancing and sharing information and knowledge in a more democratic and transparent manner. The intention is to develop interactive knowledge platform where any interested person can share and access information on land deals, their link to involved stakeholders, and their embedding into a geographical context. By making use of new ICT technologies that are more and more in the reach of local stakeholders, as well as open access and web-based spatial information systems, it will become possible to create a dynamic database containing spatial explicit data. Feeding in data by a large number of stakeholders, increasingly also by means of new mobile ITC technologies, will open up new opportunities to analyse, monitor and assess highly dynamic trends of land acquisition and rural transformation.

Experiences with a voluntary surveillance system for early detection of equine diseases in Switzerland

Clinical observations made by practitioners and reported using web- and mobile-based technologies may benefit disease surveillance by improving the timeliness of outbreak detection. Equinella is a voluntary electronic reporting and information system established for the early detection of infectious equine diseases in Switzerland. Sentinel veterinary practitioners have been able to report cases of non-notifiable diseases and clinical symptoms to an internet-based platform since November 2013. Telephone interviews were carried out during the first year to understand the motivating and constraining factors affecting voluntary reporting and the use of mobile devices in a sentinel network. We found that non-monetary incentives attract sentinel practitioners; however, insufficient understanding of the reporting system and of its relevance, as well as concerns over the electronic dissemination of health data were identified as potential challenges to sustainable reporting. Many practitioners are not yet aware of the advantages of mobile-based surveillance and may require some time to become accustomed to novel reporting methods. Finally, our study highlights the need for continued information feedback loops within voluntary sentinel networks.

Perhaps Triangulation Isn’t Enough: a Call for Crystallization as a Methodological Referent in NOS Research

This research compares the methodological tools employed in NOS research, with analysis of what the comparison implies about the structure of nature of science knowledge. Descriptions of practicing teachers’ nature of science conceptions were compared based on data collected from forced choice responses, responses to a qualitative survey, and course writing samples. Participants’ understandings were scored differently on the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS) than the forced-choice measure, Scientific Thinking and Internet Learning Technologies (STILT). In addition, analysis of the writing samples and observations combined with interviews portrayed more sophisticated, but more variable, understandings of the nature of science than was evidenced by either the survey or the forced-choice measure. The differences between data collection measures included the degree to which they drew upon context bound or context general reasoning, the degree to which they required students to move beyond the simple intelligibility of their responses and allowed students to explore the fruitfulness of the constructs, as well as the degree to which they revealed the interconnection of participants NOS conceptions. In light of the different portrayals of a participants NOS conceptions yielded by these different measures, we call for the use of crystallization as a methodological referent in research.

Educational innovation applied in the UNESCO chair of mining and industrial heritage

The “Innovatio Educativa Tertio Millennio” group has been 10 years developing educational innovation techniques, actually has reached the level of teaching on the technical teachers has developed, and share them with other groups, that can implement them in their teaching activities. UNESCO Chair of Mining and Industrial Heritage has been years working on heritage, and on the one hand teaching in conservation and maintenance of heritage, and on the other doing raise awareness of the meaning of heritage, the social value and as must be managed effectively. Recently these two groups work together, thus is spreading in a much more effective manner the concepts of heritage, its meaning, its value, and how to manage it and provide effective protection. On one hand being a work of dissemination based on internet and on radio broadcasting, and on the other one of teaching based on educational innovation, and courses, conferences, and face-to-face seminars or distance platforms.

Specific skills assessment learned by students of building engineering and technical architecture in topics relating to durability and control of concrete structures

In many university courses such as Building Engineering or Technical Architectural, the high density of the contents included in the curriculum, make the student, after graduation, unable to develop the skills already acquired and evaluated in the disciplines of the first courses. From the Group of Educational Innovation at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) "Teaching of Structural Concrete" (GIEHE) we have conducted a study in which are valued specific skills acquired by students after the first courses of career. We have worked with students from UPM fourth-year career and with Technical Architecture students who have completed their studies and also have completed the Adaptation Course of Technical Architecture to the Building Engineer. The work is part of the Educational Innovation Project funded by the UPM "Integration of training and assessment of generic and specific skills in structural concrete" We have evaluated specific skills learned in the areas of durability and control of structural concrete structures. The results show that overall, students are not able to fully develop the skills already acquired earlier, even being these essential to their professional development. Possibly, the large amount of content taught in these degrees together with a teaching and assessment of "flat profile", ie, which are presented and evaluated with the same intensity as the fundamental and the accessory, are causes enough to cause these results.