Elucidación del término “competitividad nacional” y análisis de su medición

El presente trabajo contiene un análisis profundo sobre el concepto de Competitividad Nacional y la pertinencia de su medición. El principal objetivo del estudio es aclarar la esencia de tan trascendental y utilizado término, así como la lógica imperante en los más reconocidos índices de medición de la competitividad de las naciones a nivel mundial. En el capítulo 1 se presentan los primeros pasos en el proceso de elucidación, metodología que se eligió para examinar a fondo el término; incluye la revisión histórica del concepto y las posiciones de reconocidas personalidades en el campo entorno a la definición del mismo. El segundo capítulo contiene un razonamiento personal sobre la naturaleza del término y lo que significa ser competitivo como país y, continuando con la metodología del capítulo anterior, se extraen las ideas clave y comunes de los autores citados para concluir con una propuesta de definición de Competitividad Nacional. El tercer capítulo es una presentación de los índices de medición del Foro Económico Mundial (Reporte Global de Competitividad) y de la escuela de negocios IMD (Anuario Mundial de Competitividad), para culminar esta sección con un análisis comparativo entre ambos. El cuarto capítulo es un análisis crítico sobre la validez de estos índices. Por último, el lector encontrará las conclusiones y reflexiones finales de la investigación.

Experiences, sensations and demands of citizen (in)security: recent complex configurations in Argentina

Over the last decades the issue of insecurity due to an increase in crime rates and its possible impact on the stability of Latin American democracies has sparked an ongoing debate. In this context, the present article studies, for the case of Argentina, how experiences and sensations of insecurity may be articulated to demands for greater punitive rigor. The analysis is based on two types of information. Initially, data from international surveys such as Latinoabarometer are considered. Then, these are compared to data from prolonged on-site observations in a poor neighborhood of a mid-sized Argentine city. The combination of these different types of data shows the complexity of the process. Contrary to what is often assumed, experiences and sensations of insecurity do not lineally lead to demands for greater punitive rigor. The way in which social actors elaborate their experiences of insecurity is highly situational and not systematic. We have found that there is not necessarily a consistent process of ‘meaning construction��� that articulates experiences and sensations of insecurity with political demands.

Understanding and production of prosody in children with Williams syndrome: A developmental trajectory approach

This study investigated the development of three aspects of linguistic prosody in a group of children with Williams syndrome compared to typically developing children. The prosodic abilities investigated were: (1) the ability to understand and use prosody to make specific words or syllables stand out in an utterance (focus); (2) the ability to understand and use prosody to disambiguate complex noun phrases (chunking); (3) the ability to understand and use prosody to regulate conversational behaviour (turn-end). The data were analysed using a cross-sectional developmental trajectory approach. The results showed that, relative to chronological age, there was a delayed onset in the development of the ability of children with WS to use prosody to signal the most important word in an utterance (the focus function). Delayed rate of development was found for all the other aspects of expressive and receptive prosody under investigation. However, when non-verbal mental age was taken into consideration, there were no differences between the children with WS and the controls neither with the onset nor with the rate of development for any of the prosodic skills under investigation apart from the ability to use prosody in order to regulate conversational behaviour. We conclude that prosody is not a ‘preserved’ cognitive skill in WS. The genetic factors, development in other cognitive domains and environmental influences affect developmental pathways and as a result, development proceeds along an atypical trajectory.

Quantitative comparison between the use of 3D vs 2D visualization tools to present building design proposals to non-spatial skilled end users

Information technology in construction (ITC) has been gaining wide acceptance and is being implemented in the construction research domains as a tool to assist decision makers. Most of the research into visualization technologies (VT) has been on the wide range of 3D and simulation applications suitable for construction processes. Despite its development with interoperability and standardization of products, VT usage has remained very low when it comes to communicating and addressing the needs of building end-users (BEU). This paper argues that building end users are a source of experience and expertise that can be brought into the briefing stage for the evaluation of design proposals. It also suggests that the end user is a source of new ideas promoting innovation. In this research a positivistic methodology that includes the comparison of 3D models and the traditional 2D methods is proposed. It will help to identify "how much", if anything, a non-spatial specialist can gain in terms Of "understanding" of a particular design proposal presented, using both methods.

Cognition in males and females with autism: similarities and differences

The male bias in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) has led to females with ASC being under-researched. This lack of attention to females could hide variability due to sex that may explain some of the heterogeneity within ASC. In this study we investigate four key cognitive domains (mentalizing and emotion perception, executive function, perceptual attention to detail, and motor function) in ASC, to test for similarities and differences between males and females with and without ASC (n = 128 adults; n = 32 per group). In the mentalizing and facial emotion perception domain, males and females with ASC showed similar deficits compared to neurotypical controls. However, in attention to detail and dexterity involving executive function, although males with ASC showed poorer performance relative to neurotypical males, females with ASC performed comparably to neurotypical females. We conclude that performance in the social-cognitive domain is equally impaired in male and female adults with ASC. However, in specific non-social cognitive domains, performance within ASC depends on sex. This suggests that in specific domains, cognitive profiles in ASC are modulated by sex.

Competing priorities: Singapore teachers’ perspectives on critical literacy

This paper explores a group of Singaporean English language teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about critical literacy as well as their perspectives on how best to teach literacy and critical literacy in Singapore schools. A face-to-face survey was conducted among 58 English language teachers by using open-ended questions. The survey covered various topics related to literacy instruction including text decoding, meaning construction, and critical analysis of texts. The participating teachers believed strongly that reading and writing are transactional and interactional practices. However, they were less certain in their beliefs about teaching critical literacy including the critical, analytical and evaluative aspects of text reading. Some teachers saw a conflict between using time on teaching critical literacy and preparing students to pass their exams. As critical literacy is not a requirement at exams, they found it difficult to justify using time teaching it. The results suggest that the teachers’ belief systems are strongly influenced by the broad macrostructure of the educational system in Singapore and their own educational experiences.

Política de desenvolvimento e o setor de mineração: análise de discursos do governo do Peru no período de 1990 a 2009

Os estudos sobre desenvolvimento, sem dúvida, se mantiveram como um dos últimos bastiões do modernismo nas ciências sociais (Rapley, 2004). Muitos dos dilemas chave em estudos contemporâneos sobre desenvolvimento se centraram nas disjuntivas entre inovação teórica, política e prática (Simon, 2003). No entanto, a discussão que envolve a relação entre desenvolvimento e mineração, que interessa neste estudo, ainda permanece acrítica dentro da literatura dominante. Segundo Graulau (2008), o tema de mineração encontra-se num vaivém entre o favoritismo e a oposição. O estudo sob o ponto de vista normativo da mineração no campo de desenvolvimento mostra a mentalidade econômica de longa data que prevalece nesse campo. No Peru as reformas neoliberais implantadas desde a década 1990 têm promovido fortemente o setor de mineração. Os investimentos nacionais e estrangeiros, o volume das exportações e impostos certamente têm influenciado favoravelmente na economia em termos macroeconômicos, obtendo quantidades consideráveis de divisas (UNCTAD, 2008). Não obstante, a grande mineração parece não ter beneficiado as comunidades envolvidas com a extração de minérios (Barrantes, 2005; Glave e Kuramoto, 2007; Zegarra; Orihuela e Paredes, 2007). A quantidade e gravidade dos conflitos que vem acontecendo evidenciam a resistência ao setor, frente à ação discursiva do Estado peruano sobre o “desenvolvimento” que assegura o que a mineração traz. Neste contexto este estudo tem como objetivo analisar as práticas discursivas das políticas de mineração peruana em relação a construção do discurso de desenvolvimento no período compreendido entre 1990-2009. Com esse objetivo, foi necessário abordar primeiramente as principais teorias sobre desenvolvimento, mineração e mineração no Peru. No que diz respeito à metodologia o presente estudo utilizou duas técnicas de análise: a Análise Crítica de Discurso, baseado no método tridimensional proposto por Fairclough (2001), para realizar a análise de três discursos de representantes da política de mineração peruana, a segunda abordagem utiliza a Análise de Conteúdo de Bardin (2009), para examinar os artigos relacionados à política de mineração entre as principais revistas especializadas do setor–Mineria e Desde Adentro. Foram utilizadas também categorias de análise constantes e convergentes ao conceito de desenvolvimento para orientar a presente pesquisa. Finalmente as conclusões sugerem que as políticas de mineração reproduzidas pelas autoridades do Estado peruano introduziram práticas discursivas sobre desenvolvimento sustentável e que essas se mantêm relacionadas com as novas ordens de discurso: Responsabilidade Social, Minerção Sustentável, Mineração moderna, Gestão ambiental.

A construção do discurso sobre os alimentos geneticamente modificados no Brasil : análise crítica do discurso da revista Veja

Este artigo examina a construção do discurso sobre os alimentos geneticamente modificados a partir da ótica de um importante periódico nacional, a revista Veja. O quadro teórico baseia-se no debate sobre os alimentos geneticamente modificados no campo dos estudos organizacionais, no qual se verificou negligência sobre o papel da mídia como formadora de opinião e sua capacidade em influenciar os leitores. A contribuição para este campo está em verificar o papel da mídia na construção de um tema – os alimentos transgênicos. O método utilizado é a análise crítica do discurso. Os resultados da análise crítica do discurso da Veja sugerem que os alimentos transgênicos são construídos pelo discurso através de duas perspectivas, uma técnica e outra moral e o domínio discursivo é articulado de forma a promover a aceitação dos alimentos transgênicos como opção viável e benéfica de consumo, sem agredir a saúde humana e o meio ambiente.

Máquina de vetores-suporte intervalar

The Support Vector Machines (SVM) has attracted increasing attention in machine learning area, particularly on classification and patterns recognition. However, in some cases it is not easy to determinate accurately the class which given pattern belongs. This thesis involves the construction of a intervalar pattern classifier using SVM in association with intervalar theory, in order to model the separation of a pattern set between distinct classes with precision, aiming to obtain an optimized separation capable to treat imprecisions contained in the initial data and generated during the computational processing. The SVM is a linear machine. In order to allow it to solve real-world problems (usually nonlinear problems), it is necessary to treat the pattern set, know as input set, transforming from nonlinear nature to linear problem. The kernel machines are responsible to do this mapping. To create the intervalar extension of SVM, both for linear and nonlinear problems, it was necessary define intervalar kernel and the Mercer s theorem (which caracterize a kernel function) to intervalar function

Histórias de professores universitários sobre ensinar inglês para fins específicos

This research has as its theoretical and methodological assumptions (1) the Narrative Inquiry (CLANDININ; CONNELLY, 2011), (2) the Systemic Functional Grammar (HALLIDAY, 1985, 1994; THOMPSON, 2002; EGGINS, 1994; HALLIDAY; MATTHIESSEN, 2004) and (3) the English for Specific Purposes Approach (ESP - HUTCHINSON; WATERS, 1987; CELANI, 2005; RAMOS, 2005), and its overall objective is to survey the meanings construed by the participants who are ESP practitioners and have not received a specific education to teach this approach at their undergraduation. The field texts and therefore the analises were divided into two distinct groups: the first with data generated from a questionnaire applied to nine professors from a federal university in the northeast of Brazil, which contains open and closed questions about their training and their experiences in teaching ESP; the second group, focusing this time on the experiences of three professors from the first group who were still teaching ESP, with data generated from interviews with these participants in addition to the data generated from their autobiographies and from the researcher´s as well. The computational tool WordSmith Tools 6.0 (SCOTT, 2012) was used to select, organize, and quantify data to be analyzed in the first group of texts, identifying the types of Processes and Participants through the Transitivity System (HALLIDAY; MATTHIESSEN, 2004). The Processes which were more used by the professors in the questionnaire were the Material, followed by the Relational and then the Mental ones, indicating that most professors reported their actions related to the teaching of ESP, rated or evaluated the approach, their training to teach it and their experiences, hence, rarely showing their thoughts and emotions about teaching ESP. Most of the nine professors say they carry out needs analysis, but not all do it according to the authors cited by them or the ones that are considered a reference in this area, such as the ones used in this research as reference. Similarly, their definitions and conceptions of ESP, in most cases, differed from these authors. All the professors claim not having had specific education to teach ESP at the undergraduation. When examining the stories of the four teachers, in the second group of the field texts, based on meaning composition according to Ely, Vinz, Downing and Anzul (2001), it was revealed that the kind of knowledge they report using when they teach ESP is related to their Personal Practical Knowledge and their Professional Knowledge (ELBAZ, 1983; CLANDININ, 1988). In their autobiographies, metaphors were also identified and they represent their concepts of teaching and being a teacher. Through this research, we hope to contribute to the understanding of what teaching ESP might mean for professors in the researched context and also to the continuing education of ESP practitioners, as well as to a review of the curricula in the English language undergraduate courses and of the role of ESP in the training of these professionals

A controlled clinical trial on the effects of motor intervention on balance and cognition in institutionalized elderly patients with dementia

Purpose: To analyse the effects of two interventions on the cognition and balance of institutionalized elderly people with mixed dementia.Methods: Fifty-four participants were allocated into three groups. Group 1 was assisted by an interdisciplinary programme comprising physiotherapy, occupational therapy and physical education. A physiotherapist alone carried out the intervention in group 2. Group 3 was considered as control. Assessors were blinded to guarantee the absence of bias. Cognitive functions were analysed with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery. Balance was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Get-Up-and-Go Test. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test possible main effects of the interventions.Results: The results showed benefits on the balance of subjects in both groups 1 (F=3.9, P < 0.05) and 2 (F= 3.1, P < 0.05), compared with group 3. MANOVA did not indicate benefits on the cognitive functions between groups 1 and 3 (F= 1.1, P > 0.05) and groups 2 and 3 (F= 1.6, P > 0.05). However, univariate analysis indicated some benefits of the interdisciplinary intervention on two specific domains measured by the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (F=26.5, P < 0.05; F= 4.4, P < 0.05).Conclusion: Six months of multidisciplinary or physiotherapeutic intervention were able to improve a person's balance. Although global cognition did not improve through treatment, when the intervention was carried out on a multidisciplinary basis we observed an attenuation in the decline of global cognition on two specific cognitive domains. Exercises applied in different contexts may have positive outcomes for people with dementia.

Desempenho cognitivo em diferentes níveis de escolaridade de adultos e idosos ativos

OBJETIVO: Comparar o desempenho cognitivo em diferentes níveis de escolaridade de indivíduos adultos e idosos praticantes de atividade física. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 122 indivíduos sem comprometimento cognitivo, idade entre 46 a 85 anos e escolaridade entre 1 a 15 anos, praticantes de atividade física há mais de 6 meses no Programa de Atividades Físicas e Recreativas para a Terceira Idade. Foi aplicada uma bateria de testes cognitivos para verificar as seguintes variáveis: memória de curto prazo, linguagem, aprendizagem, taxa de esquecimento e funções executivas. RESULTADOS: O teste de Kruskal-Wallis apontou diferenças entre os grupos, com diferentes níveis de escolaridade, apenas para a memória de curto prazo, sendo que o teste de U Mann Whitney demonstra diferença entre o grupo de menor escolaridade (1-4 anos) com o grupo de maior escolaridade (> 12 anos). CONCLUSÃO: Diante disso, sugere-se que adultos e idosos ativos, em diferentes níveis de escolaridade, apresentam um perfil cognitivo semelhante para os seguintes domínios cognitivos: linguagem, aprendizagem, taxa de esquecimento e funções executivas.

Envelhecimento: um processo multifatorial

O envelhecimento é um processo do desenvolvimento normal, envolvendo alterações neurobiológicas estruturais, funcionais e químicas. Também incidem sobre o organismo fatores ambientais e socioculturais - como qualidade e estilo de vida, dieta, sedentarismo e exercício - intimamente ligados ao envelhecimento sadio ou patológico. Este estudo teórico tem como objetivo ressaltar tópicos relevantes para o envelhecimento sadio e o envelhecimento doentio, fundamentados em resultados recentes da pesquisa em neurociências. Conclui-se que o aumento da idade não significa necessariamente adoecer; com medidas preventivas pode-se manter o idoso em condições saudáveis nos domínios físico e cognitivo, mantendo a autonomia de vida por longo período. Contudo, na presença de disfunções, o diagnóstico e a intervenção precoces podem propiciar uma melhor qualidade de vida ao paciente e sua família.

Cursos de Pedagogia em Universidades Federais brasileiras: políticas públicas e processos de ambientalização curricular

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

As práticas e os saberes médicos no Brasil colonial (1677-1808)

Pós-graduação em História - FCHS