Approaches of Integrated Watershed Management Project: Experiences of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

Abstract

The process of innovation-development to scaling is varied and complex. Various actors are involved in every stage of the process. In scaling the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)-led integrated watershed management projects in India and South Asia, three drivers were identified—islanding approach, multi-layered partnership, and innovative means of knowledge sharing. Through a consortium mode of partnership, ICRISAT established ‘islands’ or models for showcasing soil and water conservation interventions and integrated these with other concerns of the farming system (crops and livestock) and socio-economic dimension (capacity building). Activities on the islands were planned and implemented by the locals and replicated in satellite watersheds. Partnerships forged through the consortium approach provided a dearth of resources such as social capital. Projects built on trust and good relationships can be sustained even when direct financial support ceases. Innovative means of knowledge sharing like the Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics (VASAT)—ICRISAT's innovation in capacity building and information management—provided the link between rural farm households and researchers. Credible intermediaries and markets were linked to farmers by information communication technology channels and markets through an interface of information and open/distance learning methods. VASAT's multi-dimensional strategy has been an important resource for a south–south partnership.     

Competition and diversity in higher education: an empirical approach to specialization patterns of Portuguese institutions

The expansion of higher education systems has often been associated with the need for increasing diversification, namely at the program level, based on the pressures to adapt more general programmes to a more diverse student population and multiple regional, social, and economic needs. This paper explores empirically the question of programme diversity by drawing on the Portuguese higher education’ experience, which presented massive expansion during the last decades and significant institutional competition in recent years. The study provides a longitudinal approach and analyzes in detail the evolution of diversification and specialization of the public and private sectors, as well as the university and polytechnic subsectors. The analysis aims at helping to illustrate the relevance of analysing diversity from an empirical point of view and its contribution to our understanding of the complex relationships between competition and diversity in contemporary higher education.     

The impact of a rubric and friendship on peer assessment: Effects on construct validity,performance, and perceptions of fairness and comfort

Construct validity of peer assessment (PA) is important for PA application, yet difficult to achieve. The present study investigated the impact of an assessment rubric and friendship between the assessor and assessee on construct validity of PA. Two-hundred nine bachelor students participated: half of them assessed a peer's concept map with a rubric whereas the other half did not use a rubric. The results revealed a substantial reliability and construct validity for PA. All students over-score their peers’ performance, but students using a rubric were more valid. Moreover, when using a rubric a high level of friendship between assessor and assessee resulted in more over-scoring. Use of a rubric resulted in higher quality concept maps for peer and expert ratings.     

Creative adaptation: the role of new technology based firms in Portugal

This paper reviews two recent research studies on Portuguese New Technology Based Firms (NTBFs). Attention is given to the role and contribution of NTBFs to innovation. The main argument is that, by and large, NTBFs are less concerned with the introduction of major innovations and more with creative adaptive improvements to products and services based upon new technologies first introduced elsewhere. The empirical research found that Portuguese NTBFs are a recent phenomenon associated with diffusion of Electronics and Information Technologies (EIT) during the late 1980s. They perform a wide variety of knowledge-intensive activities, which enhance local users' adoption processes and they are associated with different forms of technology transfer through external linkages. Overall, NTBFs undertake a frequently unobserved role as technology searchers and acquirers that, pushed by idiosyncratic local niche market opportunities, selectively choose among and enhance technologies developed elsewhere, introducing them into the local market.     

THE LIBRARIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LISBON: CURRENT SITUATION

The reduced budgetary appropriations that have been allocated to higher education are reflected in the management of the Portuguese university libraries. The organization of the libraries of the University of Lisbon is described, and certain deficiencies common to them and to the other Portuguese university libraries are pointed out, such as the lack of adequately trained professional staff members. Reference is made to the current state of computerization of the catalogues of collections and to the problems which have arisen as a result of the need to standardize procedures with regard to participation in the National Bibliographic Database ‐‐ PORBASE. The role of university libraries in their su rounding communities is stressed as well as the urgent need to find ways of overcoming the crisis situation which characterizes the European university libraries.     

Promotion of literacy skills in early childhood: a follow-up study from kindergarten to Grade 1 / Fomento de habilidades de lecto-escritura en la primera infancia: estudio de seguimiento desde la educación infantil al primer curso de educación primaria

Several researchers have shown that invented spelling activities in kindergarten foster preschool children’s early literacy skills. However, few studies have assessed its impact on learning to read and write in the first year of primary school. Our goal was to analyse the impact of an invented spelling programme with kindergarteners on their literacy skills until the end of Grade 1. A follow-up study was conducted with 45 five-year-old Portuguese children attending two classes of two schools in Lisbon. The teaching effect was controlled as children from each class were randomly assigned into two groups (experimental/control) — equivalent on letter knowledge, cognitive abilities and phonological awareness. The participants were assessed in kindergarten with a pre-test, immediate post-test and delayed post-test (spelling; reading; phonemic awareness) and at the end of Grade 1 (spelling; reading). The experimental group participated in invented spelling sessions, while control children participated in storytelling activities. Data analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups. The experimental group scored higher, not only in kindergarten but also in the follow-up year for all literacy measures.     

Exploring marine biodiversity through inquiry with primary school students: a successful journey?

In this work, we present a marine ecology inquiry-based activity, implemented with 164 primary school students. The main goal was to evaluate the activity's impact on students’ understanding about biodiversity and scientific procedures. We also aimed to analyse the potential use of personal meaning maps (PMMs) to assess the impact of the activity on students’ ideas about the topics explored. The results revealed that fieldwork and the exploration of real data were the aspects most emphasised by all intervenient. Finally, the PMMs proved to be a good tool to evaluate the impact of activities developed outside classroom, with primary school levels.     

前列腺癌:亟待肿瘤标志物和治疗新靶点(英文)简

Prostate cancer （PCa） incidence and mortality have decreased in recent years. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most prevalent cancers in men, being a disquieting cause of men＇s death worldwide. Changes in many cell signaling pathways have a predominant role in the onset, development, and progression of the disease. These include prominent pathways involved in the growth, apoptosis, and angiogenesis of the normal prostate gland, such as an- drogen and estrogen signaling, and other growth factor signaling pathways. Understanding the foundations of PCa is leading to the discovery of key molecules that could be used to improve patient management. The ideal scenario would be to have a panel of molecules, preferably detectable in body fluids, that are specific and sensitive biomarkers for PCa In the early stages, androgen deprivation is the gold standard therapy. However, as the cancer progresses, it even- tually becomes independent of androgens, and hormonal therapy fails. For this reason, androgen-independent PCa is still a major therapeutic challenge. By disrupting specific protein interactions or manipulating the expression of some key molecules, it might be possible to regulate tumor growth and metastasis formation, avoiding the systemic side effects of current therapies. Clinical trials are already underway to assess the efficacy of molecules specially designed to target key proteins or protein interactions. In this review, we address that recent progress made towards under- standing PCa development and the molecular pathways underlying this pathology. We also discuss relevant molecular markers for the management of PCa and new therapeutic challenges.     

Polychronicity: review of the literature and a new configuration for the study of this hidden dimension of online learning

Polychronicity is the natural tendency or preference for structuring time that has an influence on people’s behaviors. Highly polychronic individuals are involved in everything, doing many things at once because they value human relationships and interactions over arbitrary schedules and appointments. In contrast, highly monochronic individuals focus on one thing at a time, perceive other events as interruptions, and stress a high degree of scheduling, and promptness in meeting obligations and attending appointments. Although time is an important variable in educational contexts, and in particular in online learning, there is a lack of studies on polychronicity in educational research. This article reviews, summarizes, and extends the literature on polychronicity conceptualization and assessment; it discusses the limitations of the results and offers a multidimensional proposal for a polychronicity construct. Finally, the implications of students’ time differences and their impact on instructional situations are discussed.     

What it is important to know about the effect of religious beliefs on entrepreneurial intention: The case of university students

Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) is one of the dimensions most studied and validated scientifically in the literature associated with entrepreneurship. This study intends to go one step further in developing the literature by presenting little studied dimensions as direct antecedents of EI. Its aim is to analyse the influence of the dimensions of Religious Beliefs, Psychological and Cognitive Factors, and Social Influence on the EI of students in higher education institutions (HEI). Five hundred and eight questionnaires were collected from higher education students, 32% of them male and 68% female. The results show that the model proposed has good explanatory power and confirms its robustness in forecasting students' EI, validating all the research hypotheses with very robust and statistically significant factor loadings. This corroborates the scarce literature on the subject, especially concerning the influence of Religious Beliefs on EI.