Long-term community responses to droughts in the early modern period: the case study of Terrassa, Spain

New challenges posed by global environmental change have motivated scholars to pay growing attention to historical long-term strategies to deal with climate extremes. We aim to understand long-term trends in community responses to cope with droughts, to explain how many preindustrial societies coevolved with local hydro-climatic dynamics and coped with climate extremes over time. The specific goals of this work are: (1) to analyze how local communities experienced droughts over long periods of time and (2) to document the spectrum of recorded community responses to drought. Our research covers over one century (1605-1710) of responses to drought in the community of Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. Data were collected through archival research. We reviewed and coded 2076 village council minutes. Our results show that the local community adopted a mixture of symbolic, institutional, and infrastructural responses to drought and that drought-related decisions varied through time. We discuss adaptation strategies on the basis of the distinct physical signals of drought propagation and the role of nonclimatic historical factors, such as warfare and public debt, in shaping responses. We conclude that long-term perspectives on premodern history and comparable empirical studies are fundamental to advance our understanding of past social responses to hydro-climatic extremes.

Citizen science and natural resource governance: program design for vernal pool policy innovation

Effective natural resource policy depends on knowing what is needed to sustain a resource and building the capacity to identify, develop, and implement flexible policies. This retrospective case study applies resilience concepts to a 16-year citizen science program and vernal pool regulatory development process in Maine, USA. We describe how citizen science improved adaptive capacities for innovative and effective policies to regulate vernal pools. We identified two core program elements that allowed people to act within narrow windows of opportunity for policy transformation, including (1) the simultaneous generation of useful, credible scientific knowledge and construction of networks among diverse institutions, and (2) the formation of diverse leadership that promoted individual and collective abilities to identify problems and propose policy solutions. If citizen science program leaders want to promote social-ecological systems resilience and natural resource policies as outcomes, we recommend they create a system for internal project evaluation, publish scientific studies using citizen science data, pursue resources for program sustainability, and plan for leadership diversity and informal networks to foster adaptive governance.

In Service to Iowa : Public Library Standards, 6th edition, August 8, 2016

The Standards and Accreditation Program exists to encourage the ongoing development of high quality public library services in Iowa. In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards is the manual for the State Library of Iowa’s standards program. It was first published in 1985 and was updated in 1989, 1997, 2004, 2010, and now in 2016. Iowa’s voluntary public library standards program was established to give public libraries a tool to identify strengths and areas for improvement. It is also used to document the condition of public library service in Iowa, to distribute Direct State Aid funding, and to meet statutory requirements. In 2015, the Iowa Commission of Libraries appointed the Public Library Standards Advisory Task Force to revise In Service to Iowa. The Task Force in turn solicited feedback from the State Library Advisory Panel to ensure that proposed standards meet the changing needs of Iowa’s public libraries. All task force members support and stress the importance of the accreditation process and thank the Iowa public library community for its assistance.

Systems Modeling of Lung Cancer Screening Programs to Improve Quality

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Utilização de um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem: um estudo na perspectiva da prática docente

Advances related to information technology are visible and inherent to the management of contemporary organizations, regardless of industrial action. Synchronized with this dynamic, educational institutions are incorporating technological tools that assist its management and academic support to teachers in teaching and interaction with the students. Given that technological innovations are not always taken homogeneously and with the same degree of coverage, remain current and relevant studies on how these technologies are being used in academia. The objective of this research is to identify the usage profile of the functionality of a virtual learning environment related to teaching (undergraduate or postgraduate), demographic variables (age and gender) and institutional (time of admission and academic center of origin.) The methodology applied to the study is descriptive and quantitative. The research is characterized as census, covering all 2152 teachers of undergraduate and graduate students of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, who accessed the virtual classes of the Integrated Management of Academic Activities. The study findings revealed that there is a statistically significant difference regarding the use of these tools to teachers who work with undergraduate (49.3%) compared to graduate (6.6%). Regarding gender, women (40.1%) use the system more than men (38.5%). It was also observed that the younger teachers, aged 37 years, are the most active users (42.5%) of the Virtual Class with respect to their elders. For teachers with up to three years time of admission to the UFRN, the pattern of use is more advanced than those with more seniority, as well as the faculty of the Center for Science and Technology are the least likely to use the tools available in relation to other academic centers. It is hoped that with this study managers can direct actions to improve and expand the use of this environment by teachers

Integration of learning and practice as part of the educational system development in Eritrea. "School Management" - a distance learning program by technical university of Kaiserslautern

The distance learning program "School Management" supports decision makers at the school and ministerial levels in the shaping of formal and informal learning processes at different levels in schools and curricula in Eritrea. This paper examines how the distance learning program is interconnected to educational system development. (DIPF/Orig.)

Representações sobre a leitura e sua influência em práticas educativas: um estudo no 1.º ciclo de Bolonha

É amplamente reconhecida a relevância crescente da leitura no século XXI, enquanto requisito fundamental para um exercício de cidadania responsável e crítico. Por outro lado, tal como acontece com outros aspetos da vida social, a investigação reconhece a influência exercida pelas representações sociais sobre a nossa compreensão do caráter multifacetado das práticas de leitura. Tal peso assume particular relevo no que diz respeito aos estudantes do Ensino Superior, nomeadamente aos futuros profissionais da Educação, pela sua responsabilidade acrescida na formação de leitores autónomos e críticos, privilegiando a sua motivação para a leitura e o seu desempenho em compreensão na leitura. No entanto, em Portugal, poucos estudos focam as representações sobre a leitura destes estudantes e sua influência em práticas educativas futuras. Nesse sentido, realizámos um estudo cujos objetivos de investigação foram: i) Identificar e caracterizar as representações de estudantes a frequentar um primeiro ciclo de estudos de Bolonha sobre: a sua motivação para a leitura; o seu desempenho em compreensão na leitura; os fatores que os influenciariam; as competências em leitura do seu futuro público; estratégias didáticas orientadas para a motivação para a leitura e o desenvolvimento da compreensão na leitura no seu futuro público; ii) determinar a influência das representações sobre estes aspetos nas suas práticas futuras relacionadas com a motivação para a leitura e o desenvolvimento da compreensão na leitura; iii) conceber, implementar e avaliar um plano de formação em Didática do Português, visando a promoção da competência didática dos estudantes, orientada para a motivação do seu futuro público para a leitura e o desenvolvimento da compreensão na leitura. Neste estudo, participaram 53 estudantes, inscritos na unidade curricular de Iniciação à Leitura e à Escrita, integrada no 3.º ano do plano de estudos da Licenciatura em Educação Básica da Escola Superior de Educação de Viseu, no 1.º semestre do ano letivo de 2012/2013. Foram objeto de uma intervenção didática, integrada no módulo programático consagrado à leitura, que durou quatro semanas. Face aos objetivos traçados, optámos por uma abordagem de natureza qualitativa, tendo como referencial metodológico o estudo de caso único. Foram utilizados vários instrumentos de recolha de dados: para os relativos às representações, usámos um questionário, uma reflexão escrita individual e duas fichas de trabalho; para os relacionados com o desempenho, recorremos a um relatório escrito de um trabalho prático de planificação e fundamentação de atividades, com uma componente individual e outra realizada em grupo. Todos os dados recolhidos foram objeto de análise de conteúdo, complementada por uma análise estatística descritiva (frequências absolutas e relativas). O nosso estudo permitiu-nos concluir que as representações sobre a leitura destes estudantes podem ser encaradas como um constructo multifacetado e complexo, no qual assume centralidade o conhecimento, associado à valorização da leitura em contexto escolar, sendo relegada para segundo plano uma dimensão mais afetiva da leitura. Tais representações seriam influenciadas por múltiplos fatores. No que respeita à motivação para a leitura, tais fatores incluiriam o género, o estatuto sociocultural, as práticas de literacia familiar e académica, os hábitos de leitura, o gosto pela leitura e preferências de leitura. O desempenho em compreensão na leitura, de caráter multidimensional, seria influenciado pelas estratégias que os estudantes mobilizariam durante a leitura, pela sua atitude de persistência quando confrontados com dificuldades e pela facilidade com que leriam com fins informativos, académicos e recreativos. Concluímos igualmente que tais representações sobre a leitura se repercutiriam nas práticas educativas futuras dos estudantes relacionadas com a motivação para a leitura e com o desenvolvimento da compreensão na leitura. A intervenção didática realizada teria concorrido para os dotar de algumas competências didáticas relacionadas com o ensino explícito da compreensão na leitura e fazer evoluir as representações, contribuindo também para algumas alterações ao seu perfil de leitor, em termos de motivação e de desempenho. Inferimos que tal evolução se repercutiu no modo como encaravam as suas futuras práticas educativas, no que se referia à competência didática para a motivação para a leitura e desenvolvimento de competências em compreensão na leitura no seu futuro público. Da investigação realizada decorrem algumas sugestões pedagógicodidáticas com vista a contribuir para o aprofundamento das representações sobre a leitura dos estudantes futuros profissionais da Educação e sua influência em práticas educativas.

Inserção da informática nos cursos de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Brasil (1994 2006): diagnósticos, rebatimentos e perspectivas nas Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior do Nordeste: UFRN, UFPB e UFPE

This work supports the formalist education s improvement of the Brazilian architect and urban designer through a better application and systematization of the computer science s teaching potentialities. The research analyzes the discipline introduction in the Brazilian courses: Computer Science Applied to Architecture and Urbanism (InfoAU) in the Architecture and Urbanism Courses of Brazil (CAUs). It goes since the discipline was obligated by the MEC s Regulation nr. 1.770 from 1994 until the CNE/CES Resolution nr. 6 from 2006; it comprehends the discipline implantation, development and current context, in order to get more detailed, the research analyses three federal universities from the Northeast of the country: UFRN, UFPB and UFPE. Once identified the historical educational needs in the CAUs, the study focus on the computer science s increasing potential as an agent of integration, communication, development and knowledge/data management. It points out new social perspectives for a better use of this tool/mechanism, which adequately structuralized and integrated, creates propitious educational and professional performance/recycling conditions and a propeller instrument of research and extension activities. Among this work, it is suggested the aggregation of elements, which are complementary to the InfoAU discipline s reorganization, throughout a computerization s plan for the CAUs, extensive to the professional formation, generating a virtuous cycle in several activities of the academic, administrative and, research and extension s departments. Therefore, the InfoAU in the Brazilian CAUs context was analyzed; the main solutions and problems found were systemized; the possibilities of computer science s uses inside AU ware structuralized, InfoAU discipline s improvement plan was also defined, as well as strategies for the implementation of the computerization s plan for the CAUs, which would guarantee its maintenance in a continuity perspective

Predominant learning styles among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil

Background: Learning styles are cognitive, emotional, and physiological traits, as well as indicators of how learners perceive, interact, and respond to their learning environments. According to Honey-Mumford, learning styles are classified as active, reflexive, theoretical, and pragmatic. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the predominant learning styles among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was conducted using the Honey-Alonso Learning Style Questionnaire. Students in the Bachelor of Pharmacy program were invited to participate in this study. The questionnaire comprised 80 randomized questions, 20 for each of the four learning styles. The maximum possible score was 20 points for each learning style, and cumulative scores indicated the predominant learning styles among the participants. Honey-Mumford (1986) proposed five preference levels for each style (very low, low, moderate, high, and very high), called a general interpretation scale, to avoid student identification with one learning style and ignoring the characteristics of the other styles. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: This study included 297 students (70% of all pharmacy students at the time) with a median age of 21 years old. Women comprised 77.1% of participants. The predominant style among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná was the pragmatist, with a median of 14 (high preference). The pragmatist style prevails in people who are able to discover techniques related to their daily learning because such people are curious to discover new strategies and attempt to verify whether the strategies are efficient and valid. Because these people are direct and objective in their actions, pragmatists prefer to focus on practical issues that are validated and on problem situations. There was no statistically significant difference between genders with regard to learning styles. Conclusion: The pragmatist style is the prevailing style among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná. Although students may have a learning preference that preference is not the only manner in which students can learn, neither their preference is the only manner in which students can be taught. Awareness of students’ learning styles can be used to adapt the methodology used by teachers to render the teaching-learning process effective and long lasting. The content taught to students should be presented in different manners because varying teaching methods can develop learning skills in students.

Child anxiety, resiliency, and the FRIENDS for Life program

Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed group of mental disorders in children (Kessler et al., 2012). Resiliency, defined as a child’s ability to successfully overcome an adverse event (Newland, 2014) is believed to be comprised of protective factors such as self-esteem and positive coping strategies (Rutter, 1987). These protective factors are related to child anxiety in that their presence or absence may augment or hinder a child’s resiliency towards anxiety-provoking events and situations (Lo Casico, Guzzo, & Pace, 2013; Thorne, Andrews, & Nordstokke, 2013). The FRIENDS for Life (FFL) program is a school-based anxiety prevention program which aims to decrease anxiety and increase resiliency in 8- to 11-year-old children (Barrett & Sonderegger, 2003). Previous studies have shown FFL to be an effective tool in decreasing anxiety and increasing resiliency; however, not all previous studies have utilized control or comparison groups (Brownlee et al., 2013; Neil & Christensen 2007; Stopa, Barrett, & Golingi, 2011). Moreover, existing FRIENDS literature has not previously considered the potential role of parent anxiety in child outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate child anxiety, resiliency, and parent anxiety in relation to the FFL program while including a no-treatment control group. It was hypothesized that child anxiety would decrease and child resiliency would increase following FFL. Results obtained from a non-identified school-based sample were not entirely consistent with predictions, such that decreases in anxiety and increases in resiliency were observed in both the experimental and control groups.

Variational ensemble Kalman filtering applied to data assimilation problems in computational fluid dynamics

One challenge on data assimilation (DA) methods is how the error covariance for the model state is computed. Ensemble methods have been proposed for producing error covariance estimates, as error is propagated in time using the non-linear model. Variational methods, on the other hand, use the concepts of control theory, whereby the state estimate is optimized from both the background and the measurements. Numerical optimization schemes are applied which solve the problem of memory storage and huge matrix inversion needed by classical Kalman filter methods. Variational Ensemble Kalman filter (VEnKF), as a method inspired the Variational Kalman Filter (VKF), enjoys the benefits from both ensemble methods and variational methods. It avoids filter inbreeding problems which emerge when the ensemble spread underestimates the true error covariance. In VEnKF this is tackled by resampling the ensemble every time measurements are available. One advantage of VEnKF over VKF is that it needs neither tangent linear code nor adjoint code. In this thesis, VEnKF has been applied to a two-dimensional shallow water model simulating a dam-break experiment. The model is a public code with water height measurements recorded in seven stations along the 21:2 m long 1:4 m wide flume’s mid-line. Because the data were too sparse to assimilate the 30 171 model state vector, we chose to interpolate the data both in time and in space. The results of the assimilation were compared with that of a pure simulation. We have found that the results revealed by the VEnKF were more realistic, without numerical artifacts present in the pure simulation. Creating a wrapper code for a model and DA scheme might be challenging, especially when the two were designed independently or are poorly documented. In this thesis we have presented a non-intrusive approach of coupling the model and a DA scheme. An external program is used to send and receive information between the model and DA procedure using files. The advantage of this method is that the model code changes needed are minimal, only a few lines which facilitate input and output. Apart from being simple to coupling, the approach can be employed even if the two were written in different programming languages, because the communication is not through code. The non-intrusive approach is made to accommodate parallel computing by just telling the control program to wait until all the processes have ended before the DA procedure is invoked. It is worth mentioning the overhead increase caused by the approach, as at every assimilation cycle both the model and the DA procedure have to be initialized. Nonetheless, the method can be an ideal approach for a benchmark platform in testing DA methods. The non-intrusive VEnKF has been applied to a multi-purpose hydrodynamic model COHERENS to assimilate Total Suspended Matter (TSM) in lake Säkylän Pyhäjärvi. The lake has an area of 154 km2 with an average depth of 5:4 m. Turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentrations from MERIS satellite images for 7 days between May 16 and July 6 2009 were available. The effect of the organic matter has been computationally eliminated to obtain TSM data. Because of computational demands from both COHERENS and VEnKF, we have chosen to use 1 km grid resolution. The results of the VEnKF have been compared with the measurements recorded at an automatic station located at the North-Western part of the lake. However, due to TSM data sparsity in both time and space, it could not be well matched. The use of multiple automatic stations with real time data is important to elude the time sparsity problem. With DA, this will help in better understanding the environmental hazard variables for instance. We have found that using a very high ensemble size does not necessarily improve the results, because there is a limit whereby additional ensemble members add very little to the performance. Successful implementation of the non-intrusive VEnKF and the ensemble size limit for performance leads to an emerging area of Reduced Order Modeling (ROM). To save computational resources, running full-blown model in ROM is avoided. When the ROM is applied with the non-intrusive DA approach, it might result in a cheaper algorithm that will relax computation challenges existing in the field of modelling and DA.

Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines -- MenACWY and MPSV4 : What You Need to Know

This paper describes meningococcal disease and the vaccines used to treat it. Topics include: Why get vaccinated?, Meningococcal ACWY vaccines, some people should not get this vaccine, risks of a vaccine reaction, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and how to learn more.

Working with Student Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study to Examine the Roles and Self-Identified Dispositions of Cooperating Teachers

A critical component of teacher education is the field experience during which candidates practice under the supervision of experienced teachers. Programs use the InTASC Standards to define the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions for teaching. Practicing teachers are familiar with the concepts of knowledge and skills, but they are less familiar with dispositions. Practicing teachers who mentor prospective teachers are underrepresented in the literature, but they are critical to teacher preparation. The research goals were to describe the self-identified dispositions of cooperating teachers, identify what cooperating teachers consider their role in preparing prospective teachers, and explain challenges that cooperating teachers face. Using a mixed methods design, I conducted a quantitative survey followed by a qualitative case study. When I compared survey and case study data, cooperating teachers report possessing InTASC critical dispositions described in Standard 2: Learning Differences, Standard 3: Learning Environments, and Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, but not Standard 6: Assessment and Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration. Cooperating teachers assume the roles of modeler, mentor and advisor, and informal evaluator. They explain student teachers often lack skills and dispositions to assume full teaching responsibilities and recommend that universities better prepare candidates for classrooms. Cooperating teachers felt university evaluations were not relevant to teaching reality. I recommend modifying field experiences to increase the quantity and duration of classroom placements. I suggest further research to detail cooperating teacher dispositions, compare cooperating teachers who work with different universities, and determine if cooperating teacher dispositions influence student teacher dispositions.

O colégio Pedro II e os livros didáticos

O presente trabalho investiga a análise dos critérios de seleção e escolha do livro didático de História pelos professores da rede pública de educação do Colégio Pedro II da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, no período entre 2010-2012, período dos processos de escolha do livro didático, promovidos pelo Programa Nacional do Livro Didático – PNLD e o Programa Nacional do Livro do Ensino Médio. Através da análise dos critérios de seleção do livro didático de história, dos professores da rede pública de educação do Colégio Pedro II da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, propomos compreender os processos educativos formais e não formais que envolvem o fazer docente, nesse caso a própria elaboração do currículo, e as influências do livro didático diretamente nos contextos educacionais, com base nas pesquisas que visam habilitar o historiador-docente a ter capacidade de auxiliar o ensino dos discentes de forma a contribuir significativamente para um ensino pautado em métodos e pesquisas que possibilitem o próprio historiador-docente a desenvolver seu trabalho não somente através de pesquisas, mas também práticas, alcançando a práxis de um currículo pautado em pesquisas historiográficas.

O idoso e as ações sociais em prol desse grupo etário: um estudo sobre a qualidade de vida na Terceira Idade e o Projeto Saúde e Cidadania na Melhor Idade

The present study regards an applied qualitative social research (descriptive) which approaches the matter between old age and Brazilian social actions performed in social projects, aiming a qualified life and citizenship for this group of age. The objective of the study is to evaluate the contribution of Project Health and Citizenship in Old Age regarding social actions from the government directed to old age individual treatment for life quality improvement. The theoretical fundamentals of this work is, in a first moment, about old age and certain existing theories about aging process, as well as the differences and perspectives that come up throughout this process. In a second moment, some reflections are developed about the relation between life quality and leisure regarding old age, with the conception and historical rescue about these questions, as well as the evidence of leisure as an instrument of well-being feasibility and a better life quality in old age. Then the study contextualizes Brazilian government treatment to old age individuals, cutting off the Constitution of Republic from 1988 and some social attitudes taken by the government in a try to reach this specific group. Finally, the study presents the Project Health and Citizenship in Old Age , as a social program which belongs to extension activities from Federal Center of Technological Education of Rio Grande do Norte (CEFET-RN), which aims old age treatment and their citizenship and life quality. After the application of a semi-structured interview using the technique of Analysis of content for the Analysis and Discussion of Results, it is possible to conclude that the Project Health and Citizenship in Old Age fulfils its objective regarding contribution, through offered leisure activities, for old age well-being and life quality improvement. Hence, on this regard, it is possible to observe the importance and value of government actions, social projects and programs assisting old age individuals, for they are able to provide this group the opportunity to live out activities that allow their citizenship and socialization, regarding well-being and life quality improvement.