An unsupervised heuristic-based approach for bibliographic metadata deduplication

Digital libraries of scientific articles contain collections of digital objects that are usually described by bibliographic metadata records. These records can be acquired from different sources and be represented using several metadata standards. These metadata standards may be heterogeneous in both, content and structure. All of this implies that many records may be duplicated in the repository, thus affecting the quality of services, such as searching and browsing. In this article we present an approach that identifies duplicated bibliographic metadata records in an efficient and effective way. We propose similarity functions especially designed for the digital library domain and experimentally evaluate them. Our results show that the proposed functions improve the quality of metadata deduplication up to 188% compared to four different baselines. We also show that our approach achieves statistical equivalent results when compared to a state-of-the-art method for replica identification based on genetic programming, without the burden and cost of any training process.     

Connecting languages: the use of the portfolio as a means of exploring and overcoming frontiers within the curriculum

The Linguistic European Policy stresses the importance of linguistic diversity and encourages students to learn several languages, believing that the more languages we know, the better we can understand each other and preserve our languages. To preserve diversity and to value all the languages (either included in the curriculum or not) is a first step to develop a plurilingual and intercultural competence in the classroom as a means of overcoming frontiers between languages and between people. A second step is to work with teachers and to value what they know by helping them to find new and innovative answers to meet these professional challenges. Thus, this paper describes the work within a project for professional development of a group of in‐service language teachers. The teacher education programme suggests a portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach that promotes plurilingualism. We will analyse the teachers' starting point and their willingness to work within an innovative and challenging approach. The analysed data include a questionnaire prior to the starting of the programme and three written reflections at the end of the programme concerning professional development, new concepts, teaching approach and working habits. The conclusions indicate that the teachers were not familiar with either the concept of plurilingualism or the portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach. Nevertheless, they clearly show their willingness to try a new approach in their teaching practice.

La politique linguistique européenne défend l'importance de la diversité linguistique et encourage l'apprentissage de diverses langues, en croyant que la maîtrise de plusieurs langues augmente la capacité de comprendre les autres et de préserver nos propres langues. Préserver et valoriser toutes les langues (présentes, ou pas, dans le curriculum scolaire) est le début du développement de la compétence plurilingue et interculturelle. Ceci constitue un moyen de dépasser les barrières entre des langues et des peuples différents. Un deuxième pas est le travail avec les enseignants, en valorisant leurs connaissances et en les aidant à découvrir de nouvelles réponses, capables de faire face aux défis de la gestion de la diversité. Cet article décrit le travail mené au sein d'un programme de formation continue destiné à un groupe d'enseignants de langues. Ce programme de formation se construit autour d'une approche plurilingue où le portfolio est le concept‐clé. Le texte présente l'analyse du point de départ des enseignants, en explicitant leurs prédispositions à travailler d'une autre façon. Les données analysées incluent les réponses à un questionnaire antérieur au programme de formation et trois réflexions écrites à la fin de ce même programme à propos du développement professionnel (nouveaux concepts, nouvelle approche, nouvelles habitudes). Les résultats montrent que les enseignants n'étaient familiarisés ni avec le concept de plurilinguisme ni avec l'utilisation du portfolio. Toutefois, les enseignants révèlent le désir d'essayer une nouvelle approche dans leurs pratiques d'enseignement.

La política lingüística europea defiende la importancia de la diversidad lingüística y alienta a aprender varios idiomas, en la convicción de que cuantos más idiomas sabemos, mejor podemos entendernos y preservar nuestros idiomas. Preservar y valorar todas las lenguas (estén o no presentes en el currículum) es un primer paso para desarrollar una capacidad plurilingüe e intercultural en clase, que se convierte en un medio de superar las barreras entre idiomas y entre pueblos. Un segundo paso es trabajar con profesores, valorando lo que saben y ayudándolos a descubrir nuevas e innovadoras respuestas para su desarrollo profesional en momentos de cambios. Este escrito describe el trabajo llevado a cabo en el marco de un proyecto para el desarrollo profesional de un grupo de profesores en un instituto, a partir de un programa de formación sobre enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Analizaremos el punto de partida de su camino y la predisposición para trabajar un abordaje innovador y desafiante del currículum. Los datos analizados incluyen las respuestas a un cuestionario anterior al programa de formación y tres reflexiones escritas en el término de ese programa, sobre desarrollo profesional, nuevos conceptos y hábitos de trabajo. Las conclusiones indican que los profesores no estaban familiarizados ni con el concepto de plurilingüismo ni con la enseñanza y aprentisage de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Sin embargo, evidencian predisposición para intentar nuevos abordajes en sus practicas profesionales.

Die Europäische Sprachenpolitik legt grossen Wert auf die linguistische Vielfalt. Eine der Prioritäten ist demnach, Schüler zum Erlernen mehrerer Fremdsprachen zu motivieren. Diese Idee basiert auf der Grundlage, dass das Erlernen mehrerer Sprachen nicht nur eine bessere Verständigung zwischen Kulturen ermöglicht, sondern auch die eigene Sprache und Kultur erhält. Die linguistische Vielfalt zu erhalten und grossen Wert auf alle Sprachen zu legen (im Lehrplan beinhaltet oder nicht) stellt einen ersten Schritt dar, eine mehrsprachige und interkulturelle Kompetenz im Klassenzimmer zu entwickeln, zur Überwindung von Grenzen zwischen Sprachen und Leuten. Ein zweiter Schritt ist die Arbeit mit Lehrern, in der deren Vorkenntnisse wichtig genommen werden und ihnen damit geholfen werden soll, neue Antworten für die entsprechenden beruflichen Herausforderungen auszuarbeiten. In diesem Vortrag soll die Zusammenarbeit mit einer Lehrergruppe im Rahmen einer beruflichen Weiterbildung beschrieben werden. Das Lehrerausbildungsprogramm schlägt ein portfolio‐orientiertes Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vor, das Sprachenvielfalt fördert. Es soll analysiert werden, aus welchen Ausgangspunkten die Lehrer kommen und welche Bereitschaft sie zu einer innovativen Unterrichtspraxis zeigen. Die analysierten Daten, ein Fragebogen vor Programmbeginn und drei schriftliche Reflexionen am Ende des Programms, beziehen sich auf professionelle Entwicklung neuer Konzepte, Unterrichtspraxis und Arbeitsmitte. Die Schluβfolgerungen zeigen, dass die Lehrer weder mit dem Konzept der Mehrsprachigkeit noch mit dem portfolio‐orientierten Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vertraut waren. Andererseits deuten sie auf eine Bereitwilligkeit von Seiten der Lehrer, eine neue Herangehensweise ihre Unterrichtspraxis zu erproben.     

Comparative analysis of expectancies of efficacy in in-service and prospective teachers

This study examines the beliefs about effective teaching in student teachers and inservice teachers. We constructed a measurement composed of an adaptation in Spanish of the Gibson and Dembo's (1984. Teacher efficacy: A construct validation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 569–582). Teacher Efficacy Scale and of the items included in Emmer and Hickman's (1991. Teacher efficacy in classroom management and discipline. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 51, 755–765) “classroom management/discipline efficacy” dimension. A total of 339 participants took part in the study. The factor analysis carried out of the results obtained showed three principal factors: classroom management/discipline efficacy, personal teaching efficacy and general teaching efficacy. Analyses which compared efficacy expectancies showed significant differences in the management and discipline dimension in favour of the group of working teachers, whereas an opposite pattern emerged in the general teaching dimension. In addition, there were differences in the management/discipline dimension in terms of the number of years’ experience in the group of inservice teachers. The interpretation of the results is expressed in terms of the Bandura's perceived self-efficacy theory. We also indicate some implications that the analysis of these expectancies may have for the training and professional development of teachers, and we suggest lines for future research.     

论小城镇建设在西部大开发中的地位和作用——德江县煎茶镇集镇建设调研启示

作者根据我国城市化道路的基本方针 ,运用社会学的社区研究方法 ,对贵州省德江县煎茶镇集镇建设的情况进行了考察调研 ,通过对煎茶镇集镇建设 1 5年取得的成就分析 ,认为贵州省在西部大开发中 ,只有走小城镇带动战略的振兴之路 ,才能迎头赶上东部地区的发展。同时分析了集贸型小城镇的弱点 ,认为贵州要振兴 ,应该按费孝通教授指出的大力发展庭院经济 ,完成“公司 +基地 +农户”的发展阶段 ,同时要学习借鉴东部城镇建设的经验 ,将集贸型小城镇逐步改造成工业型、贸易型、特色型小城镇 ,大、中、小城镇合理布局 ,协调发展 ,与长江流域、珠江流域的城市群融为一体 ,贵州才能实现全面振兴的目标。     

A Remote Sensing Class Exercise to Study the Effects of El Niño in South America

Satellite remote sensing techniques can be used for conducting environmental change detection studies following a natural disaster. Modern computer technology and free access to global satellite imagery allows educators to introduce undergraduate students to the fields of remote sensing and encourage their scientific participation through a research assignment that also serves as an educational exercise. The undergraduate physical science laboratory manuals used in higher education that contain printed remote sensing material often fail to effectively achieve these goals. This class exercise utilizes digital satellite imagery for studying the floods that resulted in the Paraná River region in South America during El Niño 1997–98. In addition, it examines vegetation cover and spectral profiles from the study area in order to further understand and assess the changes that were caused by this recurrent climatic anomaly.     

Effects of slag fineness on durability of mortars

In recent years, the usages of by-products and wastes in industry have become more important. The importance of the sustainable development is also of increasing. The utilizations of wastes, as mineral admixture or fine aggregate, reduce the consumption of the natural resources and improve the durability of concrete. In this study, the effect of the fineness on the high temperature and sulphate resistances of concrete mortar specimens, produced with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) replacing cement, is investigated. The compressive and flexural strength test results for all series related to durability effects, exposing temperature and solutions, exposure times for these durability effects, slag content and fineness are discussed. Conse- quently, the optimum slag contents are determined for producing the sulphate and high temperature resistant mortars.     

Infant joint attention, temperament, and social competence in preschool children

Infant joint attention has been observed to be related to social-emotional outcomes in at-risk children. To address whether this relation is also evident in typically developing children, 52 children were tested at 12, 15, 24, and 30 months to examine associations between infant joint attention and social outcomes. Twelve-month initiating and responding to joint attention were related to 30-month social competence and externalizing behavior, even when accounting for 15-month temperament ratings, 24-month cognition and language, and demographic variables. These results suggest that, in addition to associations with language and cognition, infant joint attention reflects robust aspects of development that are related to individual differences in the emergence of social and behavioral competence in childhood.     

伊朗伊拉克关系研究(1979-1991)

在过去40余年中，伊朗和伊拉克两国关系错综复杂，特别是在伊朗1979年革命以后，由于教派分歧、地区领导权争夺、领土纠纷等因素，两伊冲突呈加剧趋势，并且最终导致爆发两伊战争。海湾战争使两伊关系有所改善，但好景不长。随着冷战结束和地区形势变化，两国的国际处境越发困难，国内问题也层出不穷，因此在经历了革命与战争的磨难后，两国关系渐趋解冻并获绳一些发展，但前景仍不容乐观。