Some practical approaches to a course on paraconsistent logic for engineers

This paper describes a non-classical logic course primarily indicated for graduate students in electrical engineering and energy engineering. The content of this course is based on the vision that it is not enough for a student to indefinitely accumulate knowledge; it is necessary to explore all the occasions to update, deepen, and enrich that knowledge, adapting it to a complex world. Therefore, this course is not tied to theoretical formalities and tries at each moment to provide a practical view of the non-classical logic. In the real world, the inconsistencies are important and cannot be ignored because contradictory information brings relevant facts, sometimes modifying the entire result of the analysis. As consequence, the non-classical logics, such as annotated paraconsistent logic – APL, are efficiently framed in the approach of complex situations of the real world. In APL, the concepts of unknown, partial, ambiguous, and inconsistent knowledge are referred not to trivialise any system in analysis. This course presents theoretical and applicable aspects of APL, which are successfully used in decision-making structures. The course is divided into modules: Basic, 2vAPL, 3vAPL, 4vAPL, and Final Project.     

Packaging and unpackaging knowledge in mass higher education—a knowledge management perspective

The progressive deployment of market-oriented regulatory frameworks in mass Higher Education Institutions (MHEI hereafter) triggered, in a wide variety of forms and degrees, the application of Knowledge Management principles in MHEI. This means the application of the knowledge ‘codification strategy’, where the focus is on the economies of the re-use of centrally developed knowledge through codifying, storing and distributing knowledge. This process however, presents significant challenges. Both knowledge and non-knowledge related aspects might constrain the application of knowledge codification strategies in MHEI. The aim of this paper is to better understand the application of knowledge codification strategies in MHEI, from a knowledge management perspective. This is done by examining the use of course outlines as the critical means to ‘transfer’ codified knowledge. The research site was a MHEI that explicitly followed a ‘codification strategy’, where the profits come from the economies of scale and low cost operation. Research findings point out mixed outcomes. The set of cost-saving managerial-oriented initiatives together with the deployment of knowledge codification strategies simultaneously supported the knowledge transfer of codified-oriented courses associated to low levels of tacit knowledge and constrained knowledge transfer of codified-oriented courses associated with slightly higher levels of tacit knowledge. This finding can be credited to a set of both knowledge and non-knowledge related issues. The implications for the management of knowledge in MHEI were explored.     

Effect of biological maturation on maximal oxygen uptake and ventilatory thresholds in soccer players: An allometric approach

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of biological maturation on maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2max) and ventilatory thresholds (VT₁ and VT₂) in 110 young soccer players separated into pubescent and post-pubescent groups.. Maximal oxygen uptake and [Vdot]O₂ corresponding to VT₁ and VT₂ were expressed as absolute values, ratio standards, theoretical exponents, and experimentally observed exponents. Absolute [Vdot]O₂ (ml · min^?1) was different between groups for VT₁, VT₂, and [Vdot]O_2max. Ratio standards (ml · kg^?1 · min^?1) were not significantly different between groups for VT₁, VT₂, and [Vdot]O_2max. Theoretical exponents (ml · kg^?0.67 · min^?1 and ml · kg^?0.75 · min^?1) were not properly adjusted for the body mass effects on VT₁, VT₂, and [Vdot]O_2max. When the data were correctly adjusted using experimentally observed exponents, VT₁ (ml · kg^?0.94 · min^?1) and VT₂ (ml · kg^?0.95 · min^?1) were not different between groups. The experimentally observed exponent for [Vdot]O_2max (ml · kg^?0.90 · min^?1) was different between groups (P = 0.048); however, this difference could not be attributed to biological maturation. In conclusion, biological maturation had no effect on VT₁, VT₂ or [Vdot]O_2max when the effect of body mass was adjusted by experimentally observed exponents. Thus, when evaluating the physiological performance of young soccer players, allometric scaling needs to be taken into account instead of using theoretical approaches.     

Total Protein of Whole Saliva as a Biomarker of Anaerobic Threshold

Saliva provides a convenient and noninvasive matrix for assessing specific physiological parameters, including some biomarkers of exercise. We investigated whether the total protein concentration of whole saliva (TPWS) would reflect the anaerobic threshold during an incremental exercise test. After a warm-up period, 13 nonsmoking men performed a maximum incremental exercise on a cycle ergometer. Blood and stimulated saliva were collected during the test. The TPWS anaerobic threshold (PAT) was determined using the Dmax method. The PAT was correlated with the blood lactate anaerobic threshold (AT; r = .93, p < .05). No significant difference (p = .16) was observed between PAT and AT. Thus, TPWS provides a convenient and noninvasive matrix for determining the anaerobic threshold during incremental exercise tests.     

Effects of caffeine chewing gum on race performance and physiology in male and female cyclists

This investigation reports the effects of chewing caffeinated gum on race performance with trained cyclists. Twenty competitive cyclists completed two 30-km time trials that included a maximal effort 0.2-km sprint each 10-km. Caffeine (~3–4 mg · kg^?1) or placebo was administered double-blind via chewing gum at the 10-km point following completion of the first sprint. Measures of power output, oxygen uptake, heart rate, lactate and perceived exertion were taken at set intervals during the time trial. Results indicated no substantial differences in any measured variables between caffeine and placebo conditions during the first 20-km of the time trial. Caffeine gum did however lead to substantial enhancements (mean ± 90% confidence limits (CLs)) in mean power during the final 10-km (3.8% ± 2.3%), and sprint power at 30-km (4.0% ± 3.6%). The increases in performance over the final 10-km were associated with small increases in heart rate and blood lactate (effect size of 0.24 and 0.28, respectively). There were large inter-individual variations in the response to caffeine, and apparent gender related differences in sprint performance. Chewing caffeine gum improves mean and sprint performance power in the final 10-km of a 30-km time trial in male and female cyclists most likely through an increase in nervous system activation.     

Contextualised skill acquisition research: a new framework to study the development of sport expertise

Background: Under the view of dynamical system theory, expertise in sports emerges from the interaction of multiple constraints. At an individual level, important interactions amongst constraints could include the relationships that evolve between one's family, playmates/coaches, and specific training activities. Or more broadly, other environmental constraints can be the strong socio-cultural-historical contexts that influence expertise development in sports around the world, such as rugby (e.g. New Zealand) and football (e.g. Brazil). An increasing number of studies have demonstrated the influence of environmental constraints on the development of sport expertise. Whilst making important contributions to knowledge, such studies have been limited in scope and fail to consider in depth how informal and even aversive learning environment constraints affect skills development.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to outline a new contextualised approach to studying socio-cultural constraints on individuals, proposing an interpretive, multi-method approach to holistically investigate the interacting constraints on an athlete's development pathway.

Aims: We explain a rationale for adopting an interpretive research paradigm (in contrast to traditional positivist approaches) for exploring socio-cultural constraints. The epistemological and methodological assumptions of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model of Human Development are proposed as an underpinning framework for data collection and organisation of material. We advocate for ethnographic strategies of inquiry, followed by a discussion of potential methods for generating and analysing data: contextual analysis, participant-observation, and open-ended interviews. Finally, we discuss evaluation criteria for this contextualised approach viewed from a coherence theory of truth.

Purpose: This position statement seeks to: (1) promote methodological possibilities to investigate the effect of socio cultural constraints on expertise acquisition in sport and (2) offer significant new theoretical and epistemological insights from the constraints-led approach to expertise and to integrate some of the interdisciplinary differences that exist in the body of sciences.

Final thoughts: Our tentative contribution to the development of the proposed contextualised skill acquisition research framework is to build bridges across the methodological boundaries between sociology and motor learning in the first instance, rather than offering a unifying approach for the whole field. We hope that this position statement will provide a foundation for future related empirical papers and to stimulate other researchers to consider the framework for their own investigations of motor learning in the field.     

Towards a heuristic frame for transferring e-government technology

This article addresses challenges in accomplishing technology transfer process involving the adaptation and implementation of e-government applications from a donor country to a recipient country. Here it is claimed that prior e-government research has overlooked existing technology transfer literature from the field of knowledge management. This work is aimed at addressing the underlying issues associated with the transfer of e-government technology, given different characteristics of donor and recipient organizations in terms of the socio-economic context and the dynamics of the technological infrastructure. Based on a review, interpretation, and synthesis of a broad range of both technology transfer, e-government and knowledge management literature, we extend the Information Technology Transfer Life-Cycle Model, as this well-known model was derived entirely based on empirical evidence. To this end, we propose a heuristic frame for e-government technology transfer. Finally, five propositions accrued from both the literature review and the proposed heuristic frame are set forth to be further tested, in order to better understand the process dynamics of e-government technology transfer between countries.     

Exploring marine ecosystems with elementary school Portuguese children: inquiry-based project activities focused on ‘real-life’ contexts

The purpose of the study was to investigate how young students engage in an inquiry-based project driven by real-life contexts. Elementary school children were engaged in a small inquiry project centred on marine biodiversity and species adaptations. All activities included the exploration of an out-of-school setting as a learning context. A total of 49 students and 2 teachers were involved in the activities. The research methods included observation, document analysis and content analysis of the answers to a questionnaire and an interview. The results revealed that most of the students acquired scientific knowledge related to biological diversity and adaptations to habitat. Moreover, students progressively demonstrate greater autonomy, argumentative ability and decision-making. One implication of the present study is that elementary science curriculum could be better managed with inquiry project-based activities that explore different types of resources and out-of-school settings.