Identidade, imaginário e cotidiano: concepções de alunos e professores numa escola do Nordeste do Brasil

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar as concepções escolares, apresentando uma discussão do ponto de vista teórico-metodológico acerca destas construções produzidas no âmbito escolar, através de pesquisa etnográfica, utilizando o grupo focal, levando em conta a formação ideológica (ideias sobre si, o interlocutor e o assunto) e a formação discursiva (as marcas linguísticas, temáticas e de posição ideológica) dos participantes desta pesquisa. Por meio dos posicionamentos nas categorias: identidade, cotidiano e imaginário; pudemos observar que os discursos adquirem sentido à medida que são produzidos e que carregam em si os significados que expressam idéias, sentimentos e comportamentos. As mudanças de sentido ocorrem através de outros discursos que dialogam em um processo de construção e reconstrução. Neste entremeio o indivíduo revela-se inserido sócio-culturalmente. E a escola como espaço dinâmico é preenchida de sentido e dá novos sentidos, ora reproduzindo discursos, ora reconstruindo-os, ora formulando novos. Analisando os dados da pesquisa realizada, apreendemos que os discursos de educadores e educandos são influenciados uns pelos outros, formados pelas práticas cotidianas e pela bagagem social que cada indivíduo tem. Nessa construção mútua no processo de convívio, os papeis estabelecidos pela instituição escolar ganham novos contornos e limites no percalço do ensino-aprendizagem, não podendo separar deste contexto os elementos individuais que a escola torna coletivo e que traçam um caminho discursivo novo e ao mesmo tempo pertencente desde antes aos que fazem parte da escola.

Incorporating Legacy Soil pH Databases into Digital Soil Maps

Soil data and reliable soil maps are imperative for environmental management. conservation and policy. Data from historical point surveys, e.g. experiment site data and farmers fields can serve this purpose. However, legacy soil information is not necessarily collected for spatial analysis and mapping such that the data may not have immediately useful geo-references. Methods are required to utilise these historical soil databases so that we can produce quantitative maps of soil propel-ties to assess spatial and temporal trends but also to assess where future sampling is required. This paper discusses two such databases: the Representative Soil Sampling Scheme which has monitored the agricultural soil in England and Wales from 1969 to 2003 (between 400 and 900 bulked soil samples were taken annually from different agricultural fields); and the former State Chemistry Laboratory, Victoria, Australia where between 1973 and 1994 approximately 80,000 soil samples were submitted for analysis by farmers. Previous statistical analyses have been performed using administrative regions (with sharp boundaries) for both databases, which are largely unrelated to natural features. For a more detailed spatial analysis that call be linked to climate and terrain attributes, gradual variation of these soil properties should be described. Geostatistical techniques such as ordinary kriging are suited to this. This paper describes the format of the databases and initial approaches as to how they can be used for digital soil mapping. For this paper we have selected soil pH to illustrate the analyses for both databases.

Determining nugget: sill ratios of standardized variograms from aerial photographs to krige sparse soil data

Maps of kriged soil properties for precision agriculture are often based on a variogram estimated from too few data because the costs of sampling and analysis are often prohibitive. If the variogram has been computed by the usual method of moments, it is likely to be unstable when there are fewer than 100 data. The scale of variation in soil properties should be investigated prior to sampling by computing a variogram from ancillary data, such as an aerial photograph of the bare soil. If the sampling interval suggested by this is large in relation to the size of the field there will be too few data to estimate a reliable variogram for kriging. Standardized variograms from aerial photographs can be used with standardized soil data that are sparse, provided the data are spatially structured and the nugget:sill ratio is similar to that of a reliable variogram of the property. The problem remains of how to set this ratio in the absence of an accurate variogram. Several methods of estimating the nugget:sill ratio for selected soil properties are proposed and evaluated. Standardized variograms with nugget:sill ratios set by these methods are more similar to those computed from intensive soil data than are variograms computed from sparse soil data. The results of cross-validation and mapping show that the standardized variograms provide more accurate estimates, and preserve the main patterns of variation better than those computed from sparse data.

Modelling complex systems for project planning - A semiotics motivated method

A large and complex IT project may involve multiple organizations and be constrained within a temporal period. An organization is a system comprising of people, activities, processes, information, resources and goals. Understanding and modelling such a project and its interrelationship with relevant organizations are essential for organizational project planning. This paper introduces the problem articulation method (PAM) as a semiotic method for organizational infrastructure modelling. PAM offers a suite of techniques, which enables the articulation of the business, technical and organizational requirements, delivering an infrastructural framework to support the organization. It works by eliciting and formalizing (e. g. processes, activities, relationships, responsibilities, communications, resources, agents, dependencies and constraints) and mapping these abstractions to represent the manifestation of the "actual" organization. Many analysts forgo organizational modelling methods and use localized ad hoc and point solutions, but this is not amenable for organizational infrastructures modelling. A case study of the infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI) will be used to demonstrate the applicability of PAM, and to examine its relevancy and significance in dealing with the innovation and changes in the organizations.

A climate change risk analysis for world ecosystems

We quantify the risks of climate-induced changes in key ecosystem processes during the 21st century by forcing a dynamic global vegetation model with multiple scenarios from 16 climate models and mapping the proportions of model runs showing forest/nonforest shifts or exceedance of natural variability in wildfire frequency and freshwater supply. Our analysis does not assign probabilities to scenarios or weights to models. Instead, we consider distribution of outcomes within three sets of model runs grouped by the amount of global warming they simulate: <2°C (including simulations in which atmospheric composition is held constant, i.e., in which the only climate change is due to greenhouse gases already emitted), 2–3°C, and >3°C. High risk of forest loss is shown for Eurasia, eastern China, Canada, Central America, and Amazonia, with forest extensions into the Arctic and semiarid savannas; more frequent wildfire in Amazonia, the far north, and many semiarid regions; more runoff north of 50°N and in tropical Africa and northwestern South America; and less runoff in West Africa, Central America, southern Europe, and the eastern U.S. Substantially larger areas are affected for global warming >3°C than for <2°C; some features appear only at higher warming levels. A land carbon sink of ≈1 Pg of C per yr is simulated for the late 20th century, but for >3°C this sink converts to a carbon source during the 21st century (implying a positive climate feedback) in 44% of cases. The risks continue increasing over the following 200 years, even with atmospheric composition held constant.

A data framework for measuring the energy consumption of the non-domestic building stock

The transition to a low-carbon economy urgently demands better information on the drivers of energy consumption. UK government policy has prioritized energy efficiency in the built stock as a means of carbon reduction, but the sector is historically information poor, particularly the non-domestic building stock. This paper presents the results of a pilot study that investigated whether and how property and energy consumption data might be combined for non-domestic energy analysis. These data were combined in a ‘Non-Domestic Energy Efficiency Database’ to describe the location and physical attributes of each property and its energy consumption. The aim was to support the generation of a range of energy-efficiency statistics for the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors of the non-domestic building stock, and to provide robust evidence for national energy-efficiency and carbon-reduction policy development and monitoring. The work has brought together non-domestic energy data, property data and mapping in a ‘data framework’ for the first time. The results show what is possible when these data are integrated and the associated difficulties. A data framework offers the potential to inform energy-efficiency policy formation and to support its monitoring at a level of detail not previously possible.

Early modern Oxford bindings in twenty-first century markup

Purpose – The Bodleian Binders Book contains nearly 150 pages of seventeenth century library records, revealing information about the binders used by the library and the thousands of bindings they produced. The purpose of this paper is to explore a pilot project to survey and record bindings information contained in the Binders Book. Design/methodology/approach – A sample size of seven pages (91 works, 65 identifiable bindings) to develop a methodology for surveying and recording bindings listed in the manuscript. To create a successful product that would be useful to bindings researchers, it addressed questions of bindings terminology and the role of the library in the knowledge creation process within the context that text encoding is changing the landscape of library functions. Text encoding formats were examined, and a basic TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) transcription was produced. This facilitates tagging of names and titles and the display of transcriptions with text images. Findings – Encoding was found not only to make the manuscript content more accessible, but to allow for the construction of new knowledge: characteristic Oxford binding traits were revealed and bindings were matched to binders. Plans for added functionality were formed. Originality/value – This research presents a “big picture” analysis of Oxford bindings as a result of text encoding and the foundation for qualitative and statistical analysis. It exemplifies the benefits of interdisciplinary methods – in this case from Digital Humanities – to enhance access to and interpretation of specialist materials and the library's provenance record.

Global burned-land estimation in Latin America using MODIS composite data

This paper presents results of the AQL2004 project, which has been develope within the GOFC-GOLD Latin American network of remote sensing and forest fires (RedLatif). The project intended to obtain monthly burned-land maps of the entire region, from Mexico to Patagonia, using MODIS (moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer) reflectance data. The project has been organized in three different phases: acquisition and preprocessing of satellite data; discrimination of burned pixels; and validation of results. In the first phase, input data consisting of 32-day composites of MODIS 500-m reflectance data generated by the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) of the University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.) were collected and processed. The discrimination of burned areas was addressed in two steps: searching for "burned core" pixels using postfire spectral indices and multitemporal change detection and mapping of burned scars using contextual techniques. The validation phase was based on visual analysis of Landsat and CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) images. Validation of the burned-land category showed an agreement ranging from 30% to 60%, depending on the ecosystem and vegetation species present. The total burned area for the entire year was estimated to be 153 215 km2. The most affected countries in relation to their territory were Cuba, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Burned areas were found in most land covers; herbaceous vegetation (savannas and grasslands) presented the highest proportions of burned area, while perennial forest had the lowest proportions. The importance of croplands in the total burned area should be taken with reserve, since this cover presented the highest commission errors. The importance of generating systematic products of burned land areas for different ecological processes is emphasized.

Still searching for graves: an analytical strategy for interpreting geophysical data used in the search for “unmarked” graves

Searching for and mapping the physical extent of unmarked graves using geophysical techniques has proven difficult in many cases. The success of individual geophysical techniques for detecting graves depends on a site-by-site basis. Significantly, detection of graves often results from measured contrasts that are linked to the background soils rather than the type of archaeological feature associated with the grave. It is evident that investigation of buried remains should be considered within a 3D space as the variation in burial environment can be extremely varied through the grave. Within this paper, we demonstrate the need for a multi-method survey strategy to investigate unmarked graves, as applied at a “planned” but unmarked pauper’s cemetery. The outcome from this case study provides new insights into the strategy that is required at such sites. Perhaps the most significant conclusion is that unmarked graves are best understood in terms of characterization rather than identification. In this paper, we argue for a methodological approach that, while following the current trends to use multiple techniques, is fundamentally dependent on a structured approach to the analysis of the data. The ramifications of this case study illustrate the necessity of an integrated strategy to provide a more holistic understanding of unmarked graves that may help aid in management of these unseen but important aspects of our heritage. It is concluded that the search for graves is still a current debate and one that will be solved by methodological rather than technique-based arguments.

Flood Risk Assessment in Coastal Drainage Basins through a Multivariate Analysis within a GIS-Based Model

This paper presents a GIS-based multicriteria flood risk assessment and mapping approach applied to coastal drainage basins where hydrological data are not available. It involves risk to different types of possible processes: coastal inundation (storm surge), river, estuarine and flash flood, either at urban or natural areas, and fords. Based on the causes of these processes, several environmental indicators were taken to build-up the risk assessment. Geoindicators include geological-geomorphologic proprieties of Quaternary sedimentary units, water table, drainage basin morphometry, coastal dynamics, beach morphodynamics and microclimatic characteristics. Bioindicators involve coastal plain and low slope native vegetation categories and two alteration states. Anthropogenic indicators encompass land use categories properties such as: type, occupation density, urban structure type and occupation consolidation degree. The selected indicators were stored within an expert Geoenvironmental Information System developed for the State of Sao Paulo Coastal Zone (SIIGAL), which attributes were mathematically classified through deterministic approaches, in order to estimate natural susceptibilities (Sn), human-induced susceptibilities (Sa), return period of rain events (Ri), potential damages (Dp) and the risk classification (R), according to the equation R=(Sn.Sa.Ri).Dp. Thematic maps were automatically processed within the SIIGAL, in which automata cells (""geoenvironmental management units"") aggregating geological-geomorphologic and land use/native vegetation categories were the units of classification. The method has been applied to the Northern Littoral of the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil) in 32 small drainage basins, demonstrating to be very useful for coastal zone public politics, civil defense programs and flood management.

A Floating-point Extended Kalman Filter Implementation for Autonomous Mobile Robots

Localization and Mapping are two of the most important capabilities for autonomous mobile robots and have been receiving considerable attention from the scientific computing community over the last 10 years. One of the most efficient methods to address these problems is based on the use of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The EKF simultaneously estimates a model of the environment (map) and the position of the robot based on odometric and exteroceptive sensor information. As this algorithm demands a considerable amount of computation, it is usually executed on high end PCs coupled to the robot. In this work we present an FPGA-based architecture for the EKF algorithm that is capable of processing two-dimensional maps containing up to 1.8 k features at real time (14 Hz), a three-fold improvement over a Pentium M 1.6 GHz, and a 13-fold improvement over an ARM920T 200 MHz. The proposed architecture also consumes only 1.3% of the Pentium and 12.3% of the ARM energy per feature.

Representation type of Jordan algebras

The problem of classification of Jordan bit-nodules over (non-semisimple) finite dimensional Jordan algebras with respect to their representation type is considered. The notions of diagram of a Jordan algebra and of Jordan tensor algebra of a bimodule are introduced and a mapping Qui is constructed which associates to the diagram of a Jordan algebra J the quiver of its universal associative enveloping algebra S(J). The main results are concerned with Jordan algebras of semi-matrix type, that is, algebras whose semi-simple component is a direct sum of Jordan matrix algebras. In this case, criterion of finiteness and tameness for one-sided representations are obtained, in terms of diagram and mapping Qui, for Jordan tensor algebras and for algebras with radical square equals to 0. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Colorizing Grey Scale Images

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a working methodology to color a grey scale image. This thesis is based on approach of using a colored reference image. Coloring grey scale images has no exact solution till date and all available methods are based on approximation. This technique of using a color reference image for approximating color information in grey scale image is among most modern techniques.Method developed here in this paper is better than existing methods of approximation of color information addition in grey scale images in brightness, sharpness, color shade gradients and distribution of colors over objects.Color and grey scale images are analyzed for statistical and textural features. This analysis is done only on basis of luminance value in images. These features are then segmented and segments of color and grey scale images are mapped on basis of distances of segments from origin. Then chromatic values are transferred between these matched segments from color image to grey scale image.Technique proposed in this paper uses better mechanism of mapping clusters and mapping colors between segments, resulting in notable improvement in existing techniques in this category.

Identifiering och kartläggning av buller i centrala Falun

Ett problem i dagens moderna samhälle är att bullernivåerna är för höga. Dessa höga bullernivåer är en hälsorisk och kan ge människan permanenta skador. Buller är något som inte får försummas. Syftet med examensarbetet är att identifiera och kartlägga bullret på Holmgatan i centrala Falun. Syftet är också att analysera resultatet och sätta det i förhållande till myndigheternas krav och riktlinjer avseende bullernivåer. Examensarbetet avgränsas till bullermätning och kartläggning på delar av Holmgatan i centrala Falun, som bedömts vara extra utsatta för buller. Bullermätningarna utfördes under fyra vardagar och under tider från det att de flesta affärer öppnar till att de stänger, kl. 10-18. Metoden bestod utav bullermätningar som utfördes med en timmes intervall längs den utvalda delen av Holmgatan. Dagarna då dessa mätningar utfördes var 2/12 till 5/12-2013. Resultatet redovisas som medelvärdet per timme av alla dagar då bullermätningarna utfördes. Resultatet varierade, det lägsta bullermedelvärdet var 57 dB och det högsta bullermedelvärdet var 83 dB. Det syns tydligt att de högre värdena ligger närmare en gata som används av bussar och andra transportfordon. De lägre värdena låg oftast i närheten av Geislerka parken, som är en stor och öppen yta mitt i Holmgatan. Över lag så låg bullermedelvärdena mellan 60-65 dB. Slutsatsen tyder på att bullernivån på Holmgatan överskrider inte myndigheternas krav på vad som anses som skadligt men ligger strax under riktlinjerna för maximalnivån för utomhusbuller (70 dB). Åtgärder såsom att plantera vegitation på fasader och omleda trafiken skulle kunna vidtas för att minska bullernivån på Holmgatan.