Ontological modelling of content management and provision

Information provision to address the changing requirements can be best supported by content management. The Current information technology enables information to be stored and provided from various distributed sources. To identify and retrieve relevant information requires effective mechanisms for information discovery and assembly. This paper presents a method, which enables the design of such mechanisms, with a set of techniques for articulating and profiling users' requirements, formulating information provision specifications, realising management of information content in repositories, and facilitating response to the user's requirements dynamically during the process of knowledge construction. These functions are represented in an ontology which integrates the capability of the mechanisms. The ontological modelling in this paper has adopted semiotics principles with embedded norms to ensure coherent course of actions represented in these mechanisms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Defining user perception of distributed multimedia quality

This article presents the results of a study that explored the human side of the multimedia experience. We propose a model that assesses quality variation from three distinct levels: the network, the media and the content levels; and from two views: the technical and the user perspective. By facilitating parameter variation at each of the quality levels and from each of the perspectives, we were able to examine their impact on user quality perception. Results show that a significant reduction in frame rate does not proportionally reduce the user's understanding of the presentation independent of technical parameters, that multimedia content type significantly impacts user information assimilation, user level of enjoyment, and user perception of quality, and that the device display type impacts user information assimilation and user perception of quality. Finally, to ensure the transfer of information, low-level abstraction (network-level) parameters, such as delay and jitter, should be adapted; to maintain the user's level of enjoyment, high-level abstraction quality parameters (content-level), such as the appropriate use of display screens, should be adapted.

Distributed multimedia quality: the user perspective

Distributed multimedia supports a symbiotic infotainment duality, i.e. the ability to transfer information to the user, yet also provide the user with a level of satisfaction. As multimedia is ultimately produced for the education and / or enjoyment of viewers, the user’s-perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to extensively measure the user-perspective of multimedia video quality, we introduce an extended model of distributed multimedia quality that segregates quality into three discrete levels: the network-level, the media-level and content-level, using two distinct quality perspectives: the user-perspective and the technical-perspective. Since experimental questionnaires do not provide continuous monitoring of user attention, eye tracking was used in our study in order to provide a better understanding of the role that the human element plays in the reception, analysis and synthesis of multimedia data. Results showed that video content adaptation, results in disparity in user video eye-paths when: i) no single / obvious point of focus exists; or ii) when the point of attention changes dramatically. Accordingly, appropriate technical- and user-perspective parameter adaptation is implemented, for all quality abstractions of our model, i.e. network-level (via simulated delay and jitter), media-level (via a technical- and user-perspective manipulated region-of-interest attentive display) and content-level (via display-type and video clip-type). Our work has shown that user perception of distributed multimedia quality cannot be achieved by means of purely technical-perspective QoS parameter adaptation.

How level and type of deafness affects user perception of multimedia video clips

Our research investigates the impact that hearing has on the perception of digital video clips, with and without captions, by discussing how hearing loss, captions and deafness type affects user QoP (Quality of Perception). QoP encompasses not only a user's satisfaction with the quality of a multimedia presentation, but also their ability to analyse, synthesise and assimilate informational content of multimedia . Results show that hearing has a significant effect on participants’ ability to assimilate information, independent of video type and use of captions. It is shown that captions do not necessarily provide deaf users with a ‘greater level of information’ from video, but cause a change in user QoP, depending on deafness type, which provides a ‘greater level of context of the video’. It is also shown that post-lingual mild and moderately deaf participants predict less accurately their level of information assimilation than post-lingual profoundly deaf participants, despite residual hearing. A positive correlation was identified between level of enjoyment (LOE) and self-predicted level of information assimilation (PIA), independent of hearing level or hearing type. When this is considered in a QoP quality framework, it puts into question how the user perceives certain factors, such as ‘informative’ and ‘quality’.

Higher Education: Understanding the impact of distance learning mode on user information assimilation and satisfaction

There is increasing pressure to capture of video within Higher Education. Although much research has looked at how communication technologies enhance information transfer during playback of video, consideration of technical issues seems incongruous if we do not consider how presentation mode affects information assimilated by, and satisfaction of, learners with a range of individual differences, and from a range of different backgrounds. This paper considers whether a relationship exists between the media and presentation mode used in recorded content, and the level of information assimilation and satisfaction perceived by learners with a range of individual differences. Results aim to inform learning practitioners whether generic delivery is justified, or whether tailoring content delivery enhances the experience of specific learner groups.

User perspectives on the Swedish Maternal Health Care Register

Background: Established in 1999, the Swedish Maternal Health Care Register (MHCR) collects data on pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period for most pregnant women in Sweden. Antenatal care (ANC) midwives manually enter data into the Web-application that is designed for MHCR. The aim of this study was to investigate midwives? experiences, opinions and use of the MHCR. Method: A national, cross-sectional, questionnaire survey, addressing all Swedish midwives working in ANC, was conducted January to March 2012. The questionnaire included demographic data, preformed statements with six response options ranging from zero to five (0 = totally disagree and 5 = totally agree), and opportunities to add information or further clarification in the form of free text comments. Parametric and non-parametric methods and logistic regression analyses were applied, and content analysis was used for free text comments. Results: The estimated response rate was 53.1%. Most participants were positive towards the Web-application and the included variables in the MHCR. Midwives exclusively engaged in patient-related work tasks perceived the register as burdensome (70.3%) and 44.2% questioned the benefit of the register. The corresponding figures for midwives also engaged in administrative supervision were 37.8% and 18.5%, respectively. Direct electronic transfer of data from the medical records to the MHCR was emphasised as significant future improvement. In addition, the midwives suggested that new variables of interest should be included in the MHCR ? e.g., infertility, outcomes of previous pregnancy and birth, and complications of the index pregnancy. Conclusions: In general, the MHCR was valued positively, although perceived as burdensome. Direct electronic transfer of data from the medical records to the MHCR is a prioritized issue to facilitate the working situation for midwives. Finally, the data suggest that the MHCR is an underused source for operational planning and quality assessment in local ANC centres.

Ontologia para moelos de negócios de redes sociais na internet: um ensaio teórico-exploratório

Atualmente, uma profusão de soluções chamadas de Web 2.0 e redes sociais está causando um grande impacto no desenvolvimento da Internet, comparando-se à era “ponto-com” em termos de crescimento, investimentos e empolgação. Estas iniciativas possuem em comum um elevado grau de formação de comunidades, e de criação e compartilhamento de conteúdo por parte do usuário, dentre outras características. Acredita-se que as redes sociais possuam um grande potencial inovador e disruptivo tanto para a sociedade quanto para o mundo empresarial. Entretanto, como transformar as redes sociais e aplicações Web 2.0 em modelos de negócios auto-sustentáveis ainda é um desafio para o mercado. Esta dissertação objetiva auxiliar a compreensão e abordagem deste tema propondo uma ontologia específica para modelos de negócios de redes sociais na internet. Isto se realiza por meio do desenvolvimento de um ensaio teórico de viés exploratório, baseado em extensa, porém não exaustiva, revisão de literatura abordando modelos de negócios, redes sociais e demais temas relacionados. A ontologia criada é então aplicada na representação de modelos de negócio de redes sociais na internet. Este trabalho também fornece uma visão geral do fenômeno Web 2.0, abordando algumas de suas principais características tecnológicas e socioeconômicas.

Ontology-based metadata for e-learning content

Nowadays, the popularity of the Web encourages the development of Hypermedia Systems dedicated to e-learning. Nevertheless, most of the available Web teaching systems apply the traditional paper-based learning resources presented as HTML pages making no use of the new capabilities provided by the Web. There is a challenge to develop educative systems that adapt the educative content to the style of learning, context and background of each student. Another research issue is the capacity to interoperate on the Web reusing learning objects. This work presents an approach to address these two issues by using the technologies of the Semantic Web. The approach presented here models the knowledge of the educative content and the learner’s profile with ontologies whose vocabularies are a refinement of those defined on standards situated on the Web as reference points to provide semantics. Ontologies enable the representation of metadata concerning simple learning objects and the rules that define the way that they can feasibly be assembled to configure more complex ones. These complex learning objects could be created dynamically according to the learners’ profile by intelligent agents that use the ontologies as the source of their beliefs. Interoperability issues were addressed by using an application profile of the IEEE LOM- Learning Object Metadata standard.

Touch ‘n’ sketch: pen and fingers on a multi-touch sketch application for tablet PC’s

In many creative and technical areas, professionals make use of paper sketches for developing and expressing concepts and models. Paper offers an almost constraint free environment where they have as much freedom to express themselves as they need. However, paper does have some disadvantages, such as size and not being able to manipulate the content (other than remove it or scratch it), which can be overcome by creating systems that can offer the same freedom people have from paper but none of the disadvantages and limitations. Only in recent years has the technology become massively available that allows doing precisely that, with the development in touch‐sensitive screens that also have the ability to interact with a stylus. In this project a prototype was created with the objective of finding a set of the most useful and usable interactions, which are composed of combinations of multi‐touch and pen. The project selected Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools as its application domain, because it addresses a solid and well‐defined discipline with still sufficient room for new developments. This was the result from the area research conducted to find an application domain, which involved analyzing sketching tools from several possible areas and domains. User studies were conducted using Model Driven Inquiry (MDI) to have a better understanding of the human sketch creation activities and concepts devised. Then the prototype was implemented, through which it was possible to execute user evaluations of the interaction concepts created. Results validated most interactions, in the face of limited testing only being possible at the time. Users had more problems using the pen, however handwriting and ink recognition were very effective, and users quickly learned the manipulations and gestures from the Natural User Interface (NUI).

Direito autoral e tecnologias de informação e comunicação no contexto da produção, uso e disseminação de informação: um olhar para as Licenças Creative Commons

The development of information and communication technologies, in particular, Internet, and its Web 2.0 information environment has led to significant changes in contemporary society as to the ways of producing informational content. Collaboration and remix, favored by the new services and applications resulting from the development of the Web, are practices which contribute for the exponential growth of information producers. An important part of humanity ceases to be a mere consumer of symbolic goods and becomes a member in a society that sees in the collaboration and remix a new form of creation, use and dissemination of intellectual content. However, as such practices involve the production and use of information intelectual content, and are ruled by a legisltion which determine determines under what conditions the author and the user must produce and use the intellectual work. This legislation established for a context prior to the develompment of the Web has created an imbalance in the context of Web 2.0 which needs to be solved in some way so as to provide the required rebalance for the flow of information. This study explores the collaborative Web environment, the scope of copyright law in Web enviroment and the Creative Commons licenses as an alternative for producers and users of information to create, recreate, share, use, reuse and disseminate legally the intellectual production for the benefit of the construction of knowledge.

Nutrients foliar content for high productivity cultivars of guava in Brazil

Commonly grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions, guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an important fruit crop of Brazil. It is cultivated on a large scale in São Paulo state, and covers about 6,500 hectares. As a result of the guava selection program developed at FCAV/UNESP, two new cultivars were created: 'Rica' and 'Paluma' with a high productivity, and also with higher nutritional requirement. Leaves analysis has become a powerful tool in mineral-nutrition research with fruit crops, not only to determine response to different nutrients, but also for diagnostic techniques in making fertilizer recommendations and assessing deficiency symptoms. Nutrient composition of the leaves varies depending on the leaf maturity, tree age, variety and nutrient supply. For the interpretation of analytical values, selection of the index tissue is important. The results of experiments conducted in the field during 1989-2000 were studied. The nutritional status was evaluated by annual leaf sampling, carried out at full bloom. Recent fully developed leaves, corresponding to the third pair (with the petiole) were collected, starting at the end of the branch, all around the tree, at a height of 1.5 m from the soil, with a total of 30 leaf pairs per sample. The yield was evaluated by weighing all the fruits in the useful area of each lot. Foliar chemical analysis showed excellent correlation with the fruit production. Through the results it was verified that the maximum yield was associated to the following levels: N = 22-26; P = 1.5-1.9; K = 17-20; Ca = 11-15; Mg = 2.5-3.5; S = 3.0-3.5 g kg -1; B = 20-25; Cu = 10-40; Fe = 50-150; Mn = 180-250; Zn = 25-35 mg kg-1 DW in the leaves of the 'Rica' guava and to N = 20-23; P = 1.4-1.8; K = 14-17; Ca = 7-11; Mg = 3.4-4.0; S = 2.5-3.5 g kg-1; B = 20-25; Cu = 20-40; Fe = 60-90; Mn = 40-80; Zn = 25-35 mg kg-1 DW in the leaves of the 'Paluma' guava.

User Manual for the Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography