Semantics, knowledge and grids on big data

Semantics, knowledge and Grids represent three spaces where people interact, understand, learn and create. Grids represent the advanced cyber-infrastructures and evolution. Big data influence the evolution of semantics, knowledge and Grids. Exploring semantics, knowledge and Grids on big data helps accelerate the shift of scientific paradigm, the fourth industrial revolution, and the transformational innovation of technologies.

Integrated soil fertility management in eastern and western Africa: The role of knowledge and innovation systems, its adoption and impact

The rise in population growth, as well as nutrient mining, has contributed to low agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A plethora of technologies to boost agricultural production have been developed but the dissemination of these agricultural innovations and subsequent uptake by smallholder farmers has remained a challenge. Scientists and philanthropists have adopted the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) paradigm as a means to promote sustainable intensification of African farming systems. This comparative study aimed: 1) To assess the efficacy of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) in East (Kenya) and West (Ghana) Africa in the communication and dissemination of ISFM (Study I); 2) To investigate how specifically soil quality, and more broadly socio-economic status and institutional factors, influence farmer adoption of ISFM (Study II); and 3) To assess the effect of ISFM on maize yield and total household income of smallholder farmers (Study III). To address these aims, a mixed methodology approach was employed for study I. AKIS actors were subjected to social network analysis methods and in-depth interviews. Structured questionnaires were administered to 285 farming households in Tamale and 300 households in Kakamega selected using a stratified random sampling approach. There was a positive relationship between complete ISFM awareness among farmers and weak knowledge ties to both formal and informal actors at both research locations. The Kakamega AKIS revealed a relationship between complete ISFM awareness among farmers and them having strong knowledge ties to formal actors implying that further integration of formal actors with farmers’ local knowledge is crucial for the agricultural development progress. The structured questionnaire was also utilized to answer the query pertaining to study II. Soil samples (0-20 cm depth) were drawn from 322 (Tamale, Ghana) and 459 (Kakamega, Kenya) maize plots and analysed non-destructively for various soil fertility indicators. Ordinal regression modeling was applied to assess the cumulative adoption of ISFM. According to model estimates, soil carbon seemed to preclude farmers from intensifying input use in Tamale, whereas in Kakamega it spurred complete adoption. This varied response by farmers to soil quality conditions is multifaceted. From the Tamale perspective, it is consistent with farmers’ tendency to judiciously allocate scarce resources. Viewed from the Kakamega perspective, it points to a need for farmers here to intensify agricultural production in order to foster food security. In Kakamega, farmers with more acidic soils were more likely to adopt ISFM. Other household and farm-level factors necessary for ISFM adoption included off-farm income, livestock ownership, farmer associations, and market inter-linkages. Finally, in study III a counterfactual model was used to calculate the difference in outcomes (yield and household income) of the treatment (ISFM adoption) in order to estimate causal effects of ISFM adoption. Adoption of ISFM contributed to a yield increase of 16% in both Tamale and Kakamega. The innovation affected total household income only in Tamale, where ISFM adopters had an income gain of 20%. This may be attributable to the different policy contexts under which the two sets of farmers operate. The main recommendations underscored the need to: (1) improve the functioning of AKIS, (2) enhance farmer access to hybrid maize seed and credit, (3) and conduct additional multi-locational studies as farmers operate under varying contexts.

Relatório de estágio

O presente relatório de qualificação profissional, como requisito (parcial) para obtenção do grau de mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico, é o reflexo dos saberes e competências profissionais adquiridas pelas experiências vividas durante a prática pedagógica supervisionada, desenvolvida em dois contextos de estágio: Educação Pré- Escolar e 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico. Ao longo desta formação inicial a mestranda adquiriu saberes científicos, pedagógicos, didáticos, culturais e de investigação que lhe possibilitaram o desenvolvimento de práticas sustentadas. A interação entre os saberes teóricos mobilizados e a reflexão sobre a prática, possibilitaram a construção de um quadro teórico próprio, com visão e pensamento pessoal, permitindo à futura profissional de educação melhorar e transformar a prática educativa, agindo nos contextos de forma adequada, visando a inclusão e equidade. Através da adoção de uma postura crítica, reflexiva e indagadora, apoiada nos processos da metodologia de investigação-ação – observação, planificação, ação, reflexão e avaliação – a mestranda desenvolveu a práxis de forma cíclica e articulada. Com efeito, a mestranda procurou desenvolver práticas que promovessem aprendizagens significativas e efetivas para as diferentes crianças e que lhes permitissem ser construtoras ativas do seu próprio conhecimento, numa perspetiva holística da educação e do desenvolvimento da criança, encarando-a como centro do processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Em conformidade, os estágios desenvolvidos em ambos os contextos permitiram a construção de um perfil generalista, através do desenvolvimento de competências marcadas por uma (re)construção pessoal e profissional, auxiliadas por processos colaborativos e reflexivos.

Smile-kids: uma experiência de educação e formação de educadores de infância em creches

O presente estudo pretende descrever o programa de intervenção, baseado no desenvolvimento de conhe‑ cimentos e competências em educadores de infância relacionados com a alimentação, crescimento, desen‑ volvimento e adesão a novos alimentos na primeira infância. Os educadores de infância das creches (18 no total) participaram no programa de intervenção, que ocorreu entre dezembro de 2013 e fevereiro de 2014, acreditada pelo Ministério da Educação, Conselho Científico-Pedagógico da Formação Contínua. Globalmente, a oficina de formação constituiu-se como um espaço de reflexão, análise e exploração de temáticas relacionadas com os estilos de vida na primeira infância, num total de 25 horas de formação presencias e 25 horas de experimentação no contexto de trabalho das formandas. Procurámos centrar os momentos formativos numa pedagogia baseada na partilha, expo‑ sição de perspetivas singulares entre pares, colaboração e iniciativa conjunta. Explorámos as expetativas das formandas relativamente à oficina de formação e as suas representações sobre a alimentação em crianças. A experiência terminou, mas com um sentido expectável de continuidade, pois deixou marcas em todos os que participaram. As implicações para a prática foram testemunhadas por todas as formandas.

Skin cancer in rural workers: nursing knowledge and intervention

OBJECTIVETo identify the exposure of rural workers to the sun's ultraviolet radiation and pesticides; to identify previous cases of skin cancer; and to implement clinical and communicative nursing actions among rural workers with a previous diagnosis of skin cancer.METHODObservational-exploratory study conducted with rural workers exposed to ultraviolet radiation and pesticides in a rural area in the extreme south of Brazil. A clinical judgment and risk communication model properly adapted was used to develop interventions among workers with a previous history of skin cancer.RESULTSA total of 123 (97.7%) workers were identified under conditions of exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation and pesticides; seven (5.4%) were identified with a previous diagnosis of skin cancer; four (57.1%) of these presented potential skin cancer lesions.CONCLUSIONThis study's results enabled clarifying the combination of clinical knowledge and risk communication regarding skin cancer to rural workers.

The use of mini-projects in an undergraduate laboratory course in chemistry

This paper reports the results of a three-year study of the effectiveness of mini-projects in a first year laboratory course in chemistry at a Scottish university. A mini-project is a short, practical problem which requires for its solution the application of the knowledge and skills developed in previously completed set experiments. A number of recommendations have been made about the most appropriate ways of introducing mini-projects into undergraduate laboratory course. The main hypothesis of this survey was concerned with the value of mini-projects in laboratory courses formulated within the context of Information Processing Theory.

Enhancing Customer Knowledge and Its Sharing At a Paper Production Line

This study has been made for specific paper production line at an international forest industry company in Finland. The main purpose for the study was a need to examine the current situation of the customer knowledge and its’ sharing at case production line, recognize the problems in it and finally, find out the improvement actions. The study is composed of theoretical and empirical parts. In theoretical part, knowledge management and information sharing in addition to customer knowledge management are presented. Empirical data from case production line was collected by using survey questionnaires. The results are analyzed in discussion and conclusions and finally, study ends with summary which includes recommendations. Based on the study, the amount and quality of customer knowledge and gaining and transferring the customer knowledge were found as the main challenges. The proposed solutions were discovered from moving towards more dynamic operating environment and in the area of customer knowledge management, especially from the communities of creation.

Copy of a report of a Committee of the Honorable and Executive Council dated May 6, 1859 approved by His Excellency the Governor General in Council

Copy of a report of a Committee of the Honorable and Executive Council dated May 6, 1859 approved by His Excellency the Governor General in Council. This is in regard to charges made by Joshua Manly of Port Colborne against Mr. Woodruff, the superintendent and other persons connected with the Welland Canal. The accusations have been substantiated by the committee. This is accompanied by a petition accusing Mr. Woodruff of gross corruption and jobbery [the practice of using a public office or position of trust for one's own advantage]. This was signed by a number of petitioners on July 2, 1858 (2 pages, handwritten), 1859.

Construção de uma nova profissionalidade docente das equipas pedagógicas dos cursos de educação e formação através da sua transformação em comunidades de aprendizagem profissional

O sistema educativo e formativo português tem vindo a mudar significativamente, devido ao fenómeno da globalização e às exigências da sociedade do conhecimento. Com efeito, os desafios de uma economia mais dinâmica e competitiva, baseada no conhecimento requerem a definição de novas políticas educativas. Os objetivos de aumentar a equidade e a oportunidade de educação para todos os alunos e de combater o abandono e o insucesso escolar conduziram à implementação, em Portugal, de algumas medidas que envolvam os jovens em programas de formação, tais como os cursos de educação e formação (CEF). É no seio deste novo e complexo contexto educativo que colocamos a relevante questão: como podem as equipas pedagógicas dos cursos de educação e formação responder, adequadamente, às exigências de atuação neste tipo de percurso diversificado de formação? A natureza dos constantes constrangimentos que os professores enfrentam permitiu-nos concluir que estes têm de trabalhar sobre a sua própria capacidade de mudança, de forma a responderem a todas estas crescentes demandas, pelo que, neste sentido, a mudança assume-se como uma extraordinária oportunidade de desenvolvimento profissional. Esta construção de capacidade ou reculturing (Fullan, 2007) é o resultado de várias adaptações e decisões, tomadas pelos professores, colaborativamente como comunidades de aprendizagem profissional (CAP). Na verdade, nas CAP os docentes estão moral e intelectualmente comprometidos com a melhoria, a inovação e a sustentabilidade da educação, por conseguinte elas não são apenas um meio de melhorar os resultados dos alunos e de aumentar as suas aprendizagens, como são, também, o processo mais eficaz de implicar os docentes no desenvolvimento profissional contínuo, profundamente ligado à ação. Consequentemente, no sentido de transformar as equipas pedagógicas em comunidades de aprendizagem profissional apresentamos um projeto de formação que se concretizará através da implementação de um círculo de estudos, no contexto escolar, que pretende assegurar o desenvolvimento e a atualização dos conhecimentos e competências dos professores dos CEF e melhorar a qualidade e eficácia da aprendizagem e da prática docente. As expectativas em relação aos resultados desta formação são bastante elevadas e alicerçam-se na recetividade e disponibilidade demonstradas, por todos os professores dos CEF, para participarem neste projeto de formação.

An ontological modelling of user requirements for personalised information provision

The knowledge economy offers opportunity to a broad and diverse community of information systems users to efficiently gain information and know-how for improving qualifications and enhancing productivity in the work place. Such demand will continue and users will frequently require optimised and personalised information content. The advancement of information technology and the wide dissemination of information endorse individual users when constructing new knowledge from their experience in the real-world context. However, a design of personalised information provision is challenging because users’ requirements and information provision specifications are complex in their representation. The existing methods are not able to effectively support this analysis process. This paper presents a mechanism which can holistically facilitate customisation of information provision based on individual users’ goals, level of knowledge and cognitive styles preferences. An ontology model with embedded norms represents the domain knowledge of information provision in a specific context where users’ needs can be articulated and represented in a user profile. These formal requirements can then be transformed onto information provision specifications which are used to discover suitable information content from repositories and pedagogically organise the selected content to meet the users’ needs. The method is provided with adaptability which enables an appropriate response to changes in users’ requirements during the process of acquiring knowledge and skills.

Effects of structure of self-knowledge on mood-incongruent effect

Some people recall more positive memories in negative moods than in neutral moods, which is called mood-incongruent effect. Although previous research suggested that structure of self-knowledge influences mood-incongruent effect (Sakaki, 2004), it is possible that motivation for mood-regulation mediates relation between structure of self-knowledge and mood-incongruent effect. The present study aimed at exploring this possibility by using self-complexity. In Study 1, participants with higher self-complexity, whose self-knowledge has more self-aspects with a higher level of differentiation, recalled more positive memories in negative moods (compared to neutral moods) than participants with lower self-complexity, whose self-knowledge has a fewer self-aspects with larger overlap. Study 1 also revealed that these effects hold even when the motivation for mood-regulation was partialed out. Study 2 examined mood-incongruent effect under positive moods, in which participants are unlikely motivated to alter their moods, and it was found that participants with higher self-complexity recalled more negative memories in positive moods (compared to neutral moods) than participants with lower self-complexity.

Entrepreneurial dynamics and higher education institutions in the post-communist world

This study draws on the institutional and regional entrepreneurship literature to develop a conceptual framework that analyses the impact of higher education institutions on entrepreneurial dynamics. It is used to examine the cities of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during the period 1995–2008. Extending the multi-pillar institutional concept, it is found that higher education institutions play a prominent role in fostering entrepreneurial dynamics in CIS cities through multiple channels, including human capital development, cultivating a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship, affecting the perceptions of the knowledge and skills needed to start up a successful business, and knowledge spillovers.

The gay subject in business and its discursive formation: an exploration on power, knowledge and sexuality

Issues related to the reality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals are being incorporated into institutional and social discourses, and show the challenges that must be overcome towards citizenship. The inclusion of gay rights in the domain of institutions like the United Nations and the Brazilian Secretariat of Human Rights are a response to broader movements that places the gay subject as an important topic of debate in the social-political sphere. In this scenario, some institutions deserve close attention from researchers related to gay issues, the business environment being a good example. In this domain, diversity has become an important topic of debate between scholars, where the question of sexual identity in most cases does not appear. The literature that actually focuses on the theme is explored through approaches that are not able to break with universalisms and a normatized vocabulary. Therefore, this research explores discursive structures related to sexuality and examines the meanings construed throughout these structures as described by gay individuals working in business. Furthermore, it investigates patterns of discursive normative structures and consequential challenges faced by gay people in the working environment, and also complements the current debate both in the socio-political sphere and in academic reality on LGBT challenges. The Foucauldian notions of discourse, knowledge and power, and the main concepts of queer theory are incorporated to the analysis, as well as concepts related to the politics of post-colonial sexuality, subordination, and hegemonic forces, together with role of reflexivity in modernity and its impacts on secularized mental structures. The research design takes a phenomenological approach and bases its knowledge claim on a participatory perspective, where the sample chosen for data collection consisted of gay individuals working in the business environment, aiming at generate categories of meanings through the description of their experiences.

Estágio supervisionado na formação docente em serviço: do 'aproveitamento' da prática à tentativa de reinventar os professores

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Knowledge and life /

Mode of access: Internet.