Resource management research in Passive Optical Networks (PON)

Next Generation Access Networks (NGAN) are the new step forward to deliver broadband services and to facilitate the integration of different technologies. It is plausible to assume that, from a technological standpoint, the Future Internet will be composed of long-range high-speed optical networks; a number of wireless networks at the edge; and, in between, several access technologies, among which, the Passive Optical Networks (xPON) are very likely to succeed, due to their simplicity, low-cost, and increased bandwidth. Among the different PON technologies, the Ethernet-PON (EPON) is the most promising alternative to satisfy operator and user needs, due to its cost, flexibility and interoperability with other technologies. One of the most interesting challenges in such technologies relates to the scheduling and allocation of resources in the upstream (shared) channel. The aim of this research project is to study and evaluate current contributions and propose new efficient solutions to address the resource allocation issues in Next Generation EPON (NG-EPON). Key issues in this context are future end-user needs, integrated quality of service (QoS) support and optimized service provisioning for real time and elastic flows. This project will unveil research opportunities, issue recommendations and propose novel mechanisms associated with the convergence within heterogeneous access networks and will thus serve as a basis for long-term research projects in this direction. The project has served as a platform for the generation of new concepts and solutions that were published in national and international conferences, scientific journals and also in book chapter. We expect some more research publications in addition to the ones mentioned to be generated in a few months.

Advances in Sequence Analysis: Theory, Methods, Applications

This book gives a general view of sequence analysis, the statistical study of successions of states or events. It includes innovative contributions on life course studies, transitions into and out of employment, contemporaneous and historical careers, and political trajectories. The approach presented in this book is now central to the life-course perspective and the study of social processes more generally. This volume promotes the dialogue between approaches to sequence analysis that developed separately, within traditions contrasted in space and disciplines. It includes the latest developments in sequential concepts, coding, atypical datasets and time patterns, optimal matching and alternative algorithms, survey optimization, and visualization. Field studies include original sequential material related to parenting in 19th-century Belgium, higher education and work in Finland and Italy, family formation before and after German reunification, French Jews persecuted in occupied France, long-term trends in electoral participation, and regime democratization. Overall the book reassesses the classical uses of sequences and it promotes new ways of collecting, formatting, representing and processing them. The introduction provides basic sequential concepts and tools, as well as a history of the method. Chapters are presented in a way that is both accessible to the beginner and informative to the expert.

Didactique de la géographie et formation initiale des enseignants spécialistes : conception et première évaluation du nouveau dispositif de formation initiale des enseignants de géographie du Secondaire supérieur à la HEP Vaud

Geography as a school subject is specifically thought for and by the schools. The contents of the school subject, nowadays, do not reflect the concerns and the evolution of the discipline as such. Nevertheless, official curricula set school objectives that address issues affecting the world and people's lives. These issues are coherent with the ones addressed by geography as a social science, that is to say the study of how people and their environment interact and how societies are interconnected through space. On an every day basis, Geography as a school subject is most of the time reduced to accumulating knowledge outside any given context. This knowledge may even be partially untrue or old and the related activities focus on low cognitive tensions. These practices do not contribute to the learners' understanding of the world because it does not allow them to build a geographical competence, which they. will need as future citizens in order to make responsible choices when they are confronted to questions related to how the locations of human and physical features are influenced by each other and how they interact across space. The central part of the text relies on the ideas and the processes discussed in the publications, which constitute the published file; it is divided into two parts. The first part (chapter 4) presents a didactic approach, which gives meaningful insights into Geography as a school subject and shows a brief account of the theoretical background that supports it. This socio-constructivist approach relies on the main following features: a priming stage (élément déclencheur), which presents geographical knowledge as an issue to be explored, discussed or solved; the issue is given to learners;. the planning of the teaching-learning sequence in small units launched by the main issue in the priming stage ; the interconnections of geographical knowledge with integrative concepts ; the synthetic stage or reporting stage where final concepts and knowledge are put together in order to be learned. Such an approach allows learners to re-invest the knowledge they have built themselves. This knowledge is organised by geographical integrative concepts, which represent true thinking operative tools and with which key issues in the geographical thinking are associated. The second part of the text (chapter 5) displays the didactic principles that governed the conception of the new initial training course for the future upper secondary school teachers at the HEP Vaud. The ambition of this course is to prepare future teachers to plan and realize the teaching of geography that provides pupils with the tools to understand better how people and their environment interact and how societies are interconnected through space. One of the tools for the teachers is the conceptual framework, whose most salient interest is to be relevant at every stage of the preparation and planning of the teaching, including the necessary epistemological reflection that should always be present. The synthesis of the text starts with a short account of the first evaluation of the new course. Various reflections on the future concerns and issues, that the didactics and methodology of Geography will be confronted with, constitute the synthesis.

Entrevista y urgencia social: un reto para las competencias profesionales del educador social

Si decimos que los seres humanos sólo son capaces de vivir como tales mediante la reconstrucción narrativa de sus experiencias, estamos teniendo en cuenta conceptos e ideas que recuerdan a algunos autores contemporáneos (Ricoeur, Gadamer) que defienden la importancia de ser reconocido como una creatura hecha de palabras. En la medida en que son interpretadas, traducidas, contextualizadas y ordenadas por los profesionales, la situación dialogal significativa cobra importancia. Desde esta perspectiva hemos planteado las asignaturas: Habilidades Sociales, Técnicas de Entrevista y Gestión de Situación de Crisis diseñadas para integrar los diferentes modelos teóricos y las variables que se presentan en la relación comunicativa con el usuario y en particular en la situación de entrevista. Se mostrará también el modo cómo en nuestro proceso formativo, basado en la simulación de situaciones, se fomenta el compromiso con el trabajo en equipo, la autocomprensión y enseña a crear un clima de trabajo cooperativo en el que se hace más eficaz la relación de ayuda. A través de la presentación en clase de un caso práctico en el cual se describen todos los procedimientos y las fases del que se compone el ejercicio de la práctica profesional –paso a paso-, se busca poner de manifiesto las competencias adquiridas, los modelos empleados y las habilidades sociales que han sido necesarias para afrontar con éxito la situación de urgencia social. Finalmente se deja abierta la cuestión sobre la manera en que incide y beneficia este aprendizaje en las futuras situaciones de manejo del estrés profesional (burn out).

Genetics for clinicians: from candidate genes to whole genome scans (technological advances).

Human genetics has progressed at an unprecedented pace during the past 10 years. DNA microarrays currently allow screening of the entire human genome with high level of coverage and we are now entering the era of high-throughput sequencing. These remarkable technical advances are influencing the way medical research is conducted and have boosted our understanding of the structure of the human genome as well as of disease biology. In this context, it is crucial for clinicians to understand the main concepts and limitations of modern genetics. This review will describe key concepts in genetics, including the different types of genetic markers in the human genome, review current methods to detect DNA variation, describe major online public databases in genetics, explain key concepts in statistical genetics and finally present commonly used study designs in clinical and epidemiological research. This review will therefore concentrate on human genetic variation analysis.

Three theories of liberalism for the three theories of federalism. A Hegelian turn

This paper links different political liberal theories, considered from the perspective of their moral ontology, with federal democracies. After giving a brief description of these theories, I discuss their relationship with the theoretical and institutional models of federalism. As methodological tools, the paper introduces some Hegel’s political concepts and deals with their potential application to the analysis of federalism, taken into account the case of minorities in multinational democracies. I postulate the need for a moral and institutional refinement of liberal-democratic patterns that is better able to accommodate national pluralism than has so far been achieved by traditional constitutionalism.

Red Bull

The aim of this project is to analyze the Red Bull company in order to find out its major potentialities and weaknesses using the concepts and tools learnt in the subject "Dirección Comercial I". To this end we have focused our attention in the Red Bull classic drink, so as to see how the enterprise has positioned its product in the market and the implications it has had.

TV taskussa - tänään ja tulevaisuudessa

The objective of my thesis was to find out how mobile TV service will influence TV consumption behaviour of the Finns. In particular the study focuses on the consumption behaviour of a well educated urban people. For my thesis, I provided a detailed analysis of the study results of a large scale questionnaire research FinPilot from the year 2005 based on an assignment of Nokia Ltd. In order to deepen the study results, I focused on the above mentioned group of young people with good education. The goal of the FinPilot research was to give answers to the following questions: what kind of programs, in what kind of circumstances, and for which reasons are they watched when using the mobile television service. The results of the research consisted mainly of data like figures, graphics etc. The data was explaned from the helicopter perspective, for it gave additional value to the research and consequently to my own thesis. My study offered complementary, unique information about their needs as it was based on questionnaires supplemented by individual interviews of the group members, their free comments as well as group discussions. The study results proved that mobile TV service did not increase the total TV consumption time. The time used for watching the mobile TV was significantly shorter than the time for watching the traditional TV. According to my study, the young urban people with good education are more interested to adapt the mobile TV service than the average Finns. Being eager to utilize the added value offered by the mobile TVs they are a potential target group in launching and marketing processes. On the basis of the outcome of the thesis, the future of mobile TV service seems very promising. The content and the pricing, however, have to match the user's needs and expectations. All the study results prove that there exists a social order for mobile TV service.

Liderança Organizacional – Os Atributos do perfil dos Líder Cabo - Verdiano

A liderança tem sido um tema central na literatura organizacional sendo definida e operacionalizada de variadíssimas formas, tendo por base funções desempenhadas e/ou comportamentos apresentados, agrupados em diversos conceitos, surgindo muitas vezes sob formas de categorias bipolares apresentadas como contraditórias. Decorrendo da complexidade do ambiente, do desempenho de competências inovadores, do desenvolvimento das sociedades, do desenvolvimento das novas tecnologias, no quadro da globalização que conquista o mundo actual, novas competências são requeridas para conduta das organizações ao contorno da crise e da condução ao sucesso. Surge a necessidade em conceptualizar a liderança tendo por base este novo paradigma. Torna-se necessário utilizar instrumentos fiáveis e adaptados ao contexto cultural e organizacional de cada país. O objectivo deste trabalho é identificar os perfis de liderança existentes em Cabo Verde, identificando ainda os atributos/valores culturais que influenciam as práticas organizacionais e os tipos de comportamentos dos líderes de Cabo Verde. Leadership has been a strong core subject on the organizational literature being defined and operationalized in several ways, and based on functions performed and/or on presented behaviours, gathered according to numerous concepts, and often emerging as bipolar categories presented as contradictory. Due to the environmental complexities, to the innovating skills performance, to the society’s development and the new technologies evolution, in the context of globalization sweeping today’s world, new competencies are required for the organizations to overcome the present crisis situation and consequently achieve success. There’s a need to create a leadership concept based on this new paradigm. It becomes necessary to use trustworthy and adapted tools to each country’s cultural and organizational context. This paper goal is to identify the Capeverdian existing leadership profile, recognizing the cultural attributes/values that may influence the organizational practices and the behaviour types found amongst the Capeverdian leaders.

Una escola municipal de música per al Prat de Llobregat : anàlisi del seu valor públic

Aquest estudi es proposa analitzar el valor públic del projecte d’Escola Municipal de Música del Prat de Llobregat. A aquest efecte, s’enfoca la mesura del valor públic des de múltiples perspectives d’acord amb els treballs de diversos autors. Després d’observar el procés de concreció del projecte i interpretar les característiques i previsions del servei, podem concloure que es tracta, d’entrada, d’un projecte amb valor públic i que el procés seguit n’ha afegit més. D’altra banda, també constatem que hi ha certs aspectes als quals caldrà estar atents durant el seu desplegament.

Democratisation via elections in an African 'narco state'?

Recent development cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, focussing on good governance, state-building and conflict prevention, did not contribute to democratization nor to the stabilization of volatile political, military and economic structures. Both the portrayal of Guinea-Bissau as failed ‘narco state' as well as Western aid meant to stabilize this state by multi-party elections are based on doubtful concepts and assumptions. Certainly, the impact of drug trafficking could endanger democratization and state-building if continued unchecked. However, the most pressing need is not state-building, facilitated by external aid, yet poorly rooted in the social and political fabric of the country, but nation-building from below as a pre-condition for the creation of viable state institutions.

Análise Económica e Financeira como Instrumento de Apoio ao Processo Decisório

O foco central deste relatório consiste em mostrar a total importância da Análise Económica e Financeira como instrumento de apoio ao processo decisório. No contexto actual onde a concorrência é cada vez mais forte e a busca pela competitividade é uma necessidade constante, as empresas necessitam de informações precisas e oportunas para apoiar o processo decisório. A escassez de recursos financeiros e o elevado custo, aliado com a falta de planeamento e controle, têm contribuído para que muitas empresas encerrem suas actividades. A tomada de boas decisões torna-se, então, um factor crucial para assegurar a sobrevivência, crescimento e permanência da empresa no mercado. Neste sentido, buscamos trazer para todos os interessados alguns conceitos e técnicas fundamentais de análise e medição da performance económica e financeira das empresas que será igualmente útil, quer a nível académica, como também a nível profissional. Procuramos evidenciar a importância de se conhecer os indicadores que podem ser vistos como alertas de possíveis falências de empresas e com base nisso, tomar decisões que determinam que estratégias utilizar para enfrentar a concorrência. A finalizar este relatório procedemos a uma pesquisa Estudo de Caso que engloba uma análise económica e financeira, baseada na análise das Demonstrações Financeiras e demais informações complementares da TRANSCOR-SV, S.A. Foram explorados alguns conceitos relacionados com o tema, mostrando de forma simples e objectiva a situação de como a empresa vem actuando no mercado. Constámos algumas deficiências, pois, foram verificados alguns pontos fracos. Diante dos problemas, sugerimos formas de mudanças e de viabilidade dos mesmos. Esperamos, então, que este relatório contribua para a empresa analisar melhor a forma de administrar a parte económica e financeira e demais sectores.The central focus of this report consists of showing to total importance of the Analysis Economic and Financial as support instrument to the ruling process. In the context actual where the competition is more and more strong and the search for the competitiveness is a constant need, the companies need necessary and opportune information to support the ruling process. The shortage of financial resources and the high cost, ally with the planning lack and control, they have been contributing so that a lot of companies contain their activities. The socket of good decisions becomes, then, a crucial factor to assure the survival, growth and permanence of the company in the market. In this sense, we looked for to bring for all the interested parties, some concepts and fundamental techniques of analysis and measurement of the performance economic and financial of the companies, which will be equally useful, he/she wants to academic level, as well as at professional level. We tried to evidence, the importance of knowing the indicators that you/they can be seen as alerts of possible bankruptcies of companies and with base in that, to make decisions that determine which strategies to use to face the competition. To conclude this report we proceeded to a research Study of Case that includes an analysis economic and financial, based on the analysis of the Financial Demonstrations and other complementary information of TRANSCOR-S.V., S.A. Some concepts related with the theme were explored, showing the situation of simple form and objective of as the company is acting in the market. It was verified some deficiencies, because, some weak points were verified. Before the problems, we suggested forms of changes and of viability of the same ones.We waited, then, which this report contributes to company to analyze the form better of administering the part economic and financial and other sectors.

LSTA Five Year Plan 2003-2007, 2007

The Iowa Commission of Libraries, the State Library’s governing board, convened the Library Services Task Force in August 2000. This group consisted of 46 Iowans from across the state, including librarians from all types of libraries, library trustees, legislators, members of Iowa Regional Library system (now called Library Service Areas) and Area Education Agencies, and citizens. Their mission was to make recommendations to the Commission on positioning libraries to effectively and efficiently meet the future needs of Iowans. Needs and expectations of Iowa Library customers and funding authorities were identified and examined by the Task Force, and are reflected in its recommendations. The Commission received the Task Force recommendations in December 2000, carefully studied them, solicited input from the Iowa library community, and with a few changes, forwarded the recommendations to the Governor and the Iowa General Assembly. These recommendations are now known as Iowa Commission of Libraries priorities and serve as a blueprint for future development of the Iowa library system. A second need assessment was conducted in 2001 as part of the process to formulate the joint Library Service Area – State Library Plan of Service 2003-2005. Biennial development of this plan is mandated by the Code of Iowa. In 2001, Library Service Area and Library Development staff from the State Library chose to completely revamp this plan, and used the process outlined in the The New Planning for Results by Sandra Nelson (the Public Library Association planning model) to do so. The group conducted a strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threat analysis of the Iowa library situation, identified needs and put them in priority order, and identified service responses. Needs identified by the Library Services Task Force were similar to those identified by the Library Service Area and Library Development staff group. These needs were further analyzed and documented by State Library staff during the development of the LSTA plan. Sources consulted are identified in the text of the LSTA plan and/or listed at the close of this document. The text of the Library Services Task Force report and the documents created during the development of the Plan of Service 2003-2005 are cited in the appendix to this document.

Estudo de caso: o uso da língua portuguesa por jovens provindos de outros países no domínio privado, público e educativo

A afluência de imigrantes a Portugal, nas últimas três décadas transformou radicalmente todo o tecido social português, caracterizando-se hoje pela sua heterogeneidade. Até ao início da década de 90 do século XX, os fluxos migratórios provinham essencialmente dos Países de Língua Oficial Portuguesa, com maior incidência de Cabo Verde, Brasil e Angola. É nessa década que se registam movimentos bastante significativos de imigrantes provenientes da Europa Central e Oriental, principalmente da Ucrânia, Rússia, Roménia e Moldávia, assim como da Ásia, destacando-se os naturais da China, Índia, Paquistão e das antigas repúblicas soviéticas. De acordo com a análise apresentada pelo Instituto Nacional de Estatística em Dezembro de 2006, residiam de forma legal em Portugal 329 898 cidadãos de nacionalidade estrangeira, sendo as maiores comunidades de Cabo Verde (57 349), Brasil (41 728) e Angola (28 854). A sociedade portuguesa do século XXI, distancia-se cada vez mais do conceito de monolinguismo, tal como se evidencia no Projecto Gulbenkian “Diversidade Linguística na Escola Portuguesa”, que, segundo o estudo feito, onze por cento dos alunos residentes na área da Grande Lisboa nasceram fora de Portugal e têm como línguas maternas cinquenta e oito idiomas. É urgente uma intervenção diferente no que corresponde a esta nova realidade linguística em Portugal e sobretudo no que concerne à integração do “outro”, reconhecendo e respeitando as várias línguas maternas e culturas, como também a sua preservação a fim de possibilitar o desenvolvimento íntegro e harmonioso da identidade. A heterogeneidade da actual sociedade portuguesa impõe um olhar atento para com esta nova realidade no país, sobretudo em muitas das escolas onde a par do uso da língua portuguesa outras línguas são também usadas como forma de comunicação entre os mesmos pares, situação esta perfeitamente desajustada da realidade escolar madeirense Estudo de caso: O uso da Língua Portuguesa por jovens oriundos de outros países nos domínios privado, público e educativo. 10 de inícios da década de 90 do século XX, à excepção dos alunos provenientes da Venezuela, os denominados luso-descendentes. A escola mudara, tudo se alterara, havia que tentar perceber o que estava a ocorrer, um novo Mundo “invadira” as turmas, prontas a aprender, a saber, a descobrir. Era preciso preencher o silêncio expectante. Aprender uma nova língua, a portuguesa, decorrente da obrigatoriedade implícita de tratar-se da língua oficial, obrigava a repensar o ensino, a continuamente desvendar novos caminhos possibilitadores de encontro entre a língua materna e a segunda, de reencontro com a identidade linguística e cultural que não se quer perdidas, só tornado possível na diferença. A par de uma escola que se apresentava de forma diferente, cuja intervenção teria de ser oposta à de então, uma vez que a aprendizagem do português era feita como língua segunda (L2), muitas foram e são as inquietações, um turbilhão de interrogações decorriam deste contacto constante de uma língua que se diz minha, fonte de partilha com outros jovens. O uso da língua portuguesa confinar-se-á unicamente à escola com os professores e colegas ou despoletará curiosidades, vontades, interesses, motivados por objectivos confinados ao percurso e à história humana? Muitas são as interrogações que ocorrem, muitos são também os momentos de sabedoria mútua de línguas e países a desvendar num contínuo ininterrupto e é essa constante procura que determina a busca de respostas. Entre muitas interrogações uma afigurava-se de forma latente, quiçá fonte de resposta para outras interrogações inerentes à língua portuguesa como língua segunda. A sua utilização por parte dos alunos de outras nacionalidades nos domínios privado, público e educativo engloba domínios diversos capazes de informar acerca do uso dessa mesma língua. Importa no entanto reforçar que estes alunos constituem um grupo heterogéneo sob diversos pontos de vista: etário, linguístico e cultural. Do ponto de vista linguístico a população que tem o português como língua segunda abrange alunos falantes de diferentes línguas maternas, umas mais próximas, outras mais afastadas do português, propiciando diferentes graus de transferência de conhecimentos linguísticos e de experiências comunicativas, como também em diferentes estádios de aquisição e que fora da escola o usam em maior ou menor número de contextos e com um grau de frequência desigual. Estudo de caso: O uso da Língua Portuguesa por jovens oriundos de outros países nos domínios privado, público e educativo. 11 Dispõem também de diferentes capacidades individuais para discriminar, segmentar e produzir sequências linguísticas. Já do ponto de vista cultural apresentam diferentes hábitos de aprendizagem, bem como diferentes representações e expectativas face à escola. Todos estes factores determinarão ritmos de progressão distintos no que respeita à aprendizagem do português como língua segunda. As oportunidades de aprendizagem e de uso que cada indivíduo tem ao longo da vida, determinantes no processo de aquisição, desenvolvimento e aprendizagem de uma língua, variam bastante de indivíduo para indivíduo. Os alunos podem viver num mesmo contexto no entanto razões variadíssimas determinarão diferentes oportunidades de aprendizagem e de uso. Viver-se num contexto de imersão não é suficiente para que todos tenham o mesmo grau de exposição a material linguístico rico e variado da L2. Essas oportunidades também se relacionam com a distância linguística entre língua primeira (L1) e a língua segunda, quanto mais afastadas são as duas línguas mais os falantes da L2 se refugiam na sua língua materna, assim como também se associam aos hábitos culturais da comunidade e da família.