Mixed-reality interactive content support on Second Life

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores - Major de Telecomunicações. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

Effectiveness of private schools versus public schools: a comparative analysis in Portugal

This study compares the effects of private versus public school administration on student performance in Portugal, which benefits from the existence of publicly funded private schools (CA schools). We have constructed two measures of students’ achievements in order to compare the effectiveness of each type of class. Firstly, a Logit is used to estimate the probability of completing Lower Secondary School (7th to 9th grade) in three years. Secondly, we employ a Value-Added approach by OLS, to compare national exam scores at 9th grade. Our findings suggest a positive, but modest, increase in the probability of completing Lower Secondary School with zero retentions, for those students attending a publicly funded private class from 7th grade to 9th grade, when compared to those attending a strictly public class. Additionally, the results suggest that attending a publicly funded private class also increases national exam scores by 1 point in Portuguese subject and 3 points in Mathematics, when compared to strictly public class (0-100 scale). With regard to private classes, in both models, the results move in the same direction as publicly funded private classes, although with higher magnitudes, when compared to public classes

Measurement of water level in urban streams under bad weather conditions

Flood control and water resources management require monitoring the water level in rivers and streams. Water level measurement techniques increasingly consider image processing procedures. Most of the systems use a staff gauge to support the waterline detection. However, these techniques can fail when applied to urban stream channels due to water undulation, debris on the water surface, and traces of rain captured by the camera, and other adverse effects on images can be quite dramatic on the results. The importance of considering these effects is that they are usually associated with the variation in the water level with the occurrence of rain. The technique proposed in this work uses a larger detection zone to minimize the effects that tend to obstruct the waterline. The developed system uses an infrared camera to operate during the day and night. Images acquired in different weather conditions helped to evaluate the proposed technique. The water level measurement accuracy was about 1.8 cm for images taken during the day and 2.8 cm for images taken at night. During short periods of heavy rain, the accuracy was 2.6 cm for the daytime and 3.4 cm for the nighttime. Infrared lighting can improve detection accuracy at night. The developed technique provides good accuracy under different weather conditions by combining information from various detection positions to deal with waterline detection issues.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Teachers and Technology: A Complicated Relationship Pedro Brás, Guilhermina Lobato Miranda and João Marôco

Although technology is present in most classrooms and many countries have made strong recommendations for ICT integration in schools and teachers’ practices, a great number of teachers do not use ICT in their educational activities. Research has provided theories and models that explain the consistency of the relationship between attitudes and behavior. These theories converge to identify common aspects that foster technology integration.We now propose an “ICT Skills Towards Technology Use” (ISTTU) model to evaluate the impact of “ICT Knowledge” over “Intention to Use ICT” (IUICT). Based on previously validated questionnaires, we have developed a questionnaire that was applied to a sample of teachers from the vocational stream of secondary education in Portugal. The data was tested and evaluated using Structural Equation Modeling techniques and we concluded that “ICT Knowledge” is a good predictor of the “IUICT” and that “teaching area” has an impact on “Intention to Use ICT”. We also concluded that “gender” and “Learning through ICT” have no significant impact on IUICT. The ISTTU model shows that fostering the development of ICT skills (increasing “ICT Knowledge”) will develop the “intention to use technologies with students”

The thinking of Emile Cioran unbearable

Cioran é um pensador incontornável do século XX. Pela originalidade do seu pensamento mas também pela recuperação de uma lição antiga. Pensar e viver são inseparáveis. O filósofo funcionário é um pensador estéril. Vive-se e pensa-se sobre o que se vive, e esse pensar retorna à vida, como experiência e promessa de sabedoria. Este é um filósofo existencial, não existencialista, que retoma as antigas lições gregas, um cínico do século XX que não foi incorporado pela máquina trituradora do cânone Ocidental, democrático e neoliberal. Pertence a uma corrente marginal da filosofia que não faz parte da versão oficial, mas não é por isso menos importante, e situa-se entre todos aqueles que colocam reservas em relação à legitimidade da existência humana, e que vão de Theognis e Diógenes até Nietzsche.Cioran is an inescapable thinker of the 20th century. For originality of this thought but also by retrieving an ancient lesson. Thinking and living are inseparable. The philosopher-employee is a sterile thinker. Living and thinking about the existence, so that this knowledge returns to life, as an experience and promise of wisdom. This is an existential philosopher, not a Existentialist, which resumes the ancient Greek Philosophy lessons. This is a cynic of the 20th century, it was not incorporated by the shredder of the Western Canon, liberal and democratic. Belongs to a marginal current of philosophy, incompatible with official version, but that's not less important. Cioran lies between all those who place reservations about the legitimacy of human existence, in a lineage that goes from Theognis and Diogenes to Nietzsche.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fernando Pessoa e a filosofia. Um dialógo com Emil Cioran e John Gray

A revista Orpheu é uma publicação ímpar na história cultural Portuguesa, a sua brevidade é sintomática do nosso modo de estar. É contudo sobre Fernando Pessoa que este texto incide. Defendemos que não é possível uma compreensão ampla de Pessoa sem analisar a importância da Filosofia na sua obra. Para sustentar esta afirmação: «Numa curta comunicação e numa dezena de páginas, não ousarei mais que utilizar uma pequena comparação e apontar alguns fragmentos e apenas de uma das suas obras, O Livro do Desassossego. Convoquei dois filósofos para estabelecer esse diálogo, Cioran e John Gray.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A importância das representações negativas e o caso português

Este texto anuncia um trabalho sobre o negativo e do negativo sobre a nossa condição, história, pensamento e cultura. A realidade pode e deve ler-se numa imagem em negativo. A sua lacuna conduz-nos a uma visão unilateral da História. Fornecer o quadro e os princípios metodológicos para a investigação do negativo aplicado às representações e percepções humanas; mostrar a sua importância e pertinência é o caminho que aqui se apresentaThis text presents our work about the negative. The negative in our condition, the negative in our history, in thought and in culture. Reality can and should be read in negative terms. The lack of this inevitably provides a misleading vision of History. To supply the context and the methodological principles necessary to make research about the negative, when applied to the real of human perception and representation, and to show its importance and relevance is the outline of this paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of compost properties in sorption of heavy metals

The feasibility of various composts to operate as sorbents for heavy metals (Cu and Zn) removal from wastewater has been evaluated. Three commercial composts obtained from municipal solid wastes (MWS), sludge sewage (SS) and poultry manure (PM) were selected as potential sorbents. Kinetic and equilibrium tests were conducted in order to assess the equilibrium conditions to remove metals from aqueous samples. For all composts, the maximum time necessary to reach the equilibrium was 240 min. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were found to fit the sorption data. The SS compost proved to be the one with highest removal capability for both assessed metals, while MWS compost showed to be the less suitable for this purpose. These results can be explained in terms of the compost surface properties, namely, with the cation exchange capacity

Avaliação da Qualidade de Sono nos Estudantes de Medicina em Portugal

Introduction: Sleep is a complex physiological process shared by most living beings. Sleep disorders have been increasing exponentially. University students, particularly medical students, are especially vulnerable to this problem. However, the existing literature on the subject is scarce, especially in Portugal. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of sleep among medical students attending the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal and to analyse the differences and existing relationships according to age, gender, cohabitation status and academic year. Method: This is a cross-sectional study in which the students completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) that was previously validated for the Portuguese population. The values obtained for each component of the PSQI were initially analysed for the total sample, and then coupled with sociodemographic variables, in order to obtain statistically significant relationships. Results: Two hundred and ninety-six students completed the questionnaire. A percentage of 62.2% of them stated that their sleep was good; 42.4% scored 2 in the component 2; 50% admitted that they usually sleep between 6 and 7 hours; 73.9% of the participants showed adequate sleep efficiency; 85.5% reported little or no sleep disturbance; 83.8% reported never having used sleep medications; and 60.8% mentioned little or no daytime disturbance. As for global PSQI score, 72.6% of the students’ scores were greater than 5, which indicates poor sleep quality. 74.7% of the female participants and 67.7% of the male respondents showed poor sleep quality. 91.3% of the students who were living alone at the time also revealed poor sleep quality. Of the 1st year students, 82.4% reported poor sleep quality, as did 77.5% of the 2nd year students, 72.1% of the 3rd year students, 77.8% of the 4th year students, 65.8% of the 5th year students, and 71.4% of those attending the 6th year. Conclusion: Generally speaking, the students who took part in this study showed a poor sleep quality, with a PSQI score superior to 5. However, the ratings in each of the components are not so negative. Most of the participants rated their sleep as good or very good, almost half of the participants reported sleeping more than 7 hours and the majority had a sleep efficiency of more than 85%. Similarly, 83.8% had never used sleep medication. Since this is not a robust result, it is imperative to carry out more studies that unequivocally prove it. Moreover, such studies will also be essential to identify situations in which therapeutic intervention will improve such parameters.Introdução: O sono é um processo fisiológico complexo presente na maioria dos seres vivos. As perturbações do sono têm vindo a aumentar exponencialmente. Os estudantes universitários, particularmente, os estudantes de medicina, são especialmente vulneráveis a esta problemática. Contudo, a literatura existente relativa ao tema é escassa, especialmente, em Portugal. O objetivo deste estudo consiste em avaliar a qualidade de sono nos estudantes do curso Medicina da Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal e analisar as diferenças e relações existentes de acordo com a idade, sexo, coabitação e ano de curso. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal em que os estudantes envolvidos preencheram o Índice da Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburg (PSQI), previamente validado para a população portuguesa. Os valores obtidos, para cada componente do PSQI, foram inicialmente analisados para a população global, e posteriormente relacionados com as variáveis sociodemográficas, visando a obtenção de relações estatisticamente significativas. Resultados: Duzentos noventa seis estudantes responderam ao questionário. Destes, 62,2% consideraram o seu sono bom; 42,4% obtiveram 1 na componente latência do sono; 50% admitiu dormir entre 6 a 7 horas; 73,9% evidenciou uma eficiência de sono adequada; 85,5% relatou pouco ou nenhum distúrbio do sono; 83,8% referiu nunca ter usado medicação para dormir; e 60,8% mencionou pouca ou nenhuma disfunção diurna. Relativamente ao PSQI global, 73,1% dos estudantes obtiveram uma pontuação superior a 5, indicando uma má qualidade de sono. Das raparigas, 74,7% e dos rapazes, 67,7% revelaram uma pobre qualidade de sono. Dos estudantes, que vivem sozinhos, 91,3% também exibiram uma pobre qualidade de sono. Relativamente ao ano letivo do curso no qual o inquérito foi aplicado, 82,4% dos estudantes do 1o ano reportaram uma pobre qualidade de sono, assim como 77,5% do 2o ano, 72,1% do 3o, 77,8% do 4o, 65,8% do 5o e 71,4% do 6o ano do curso. Conclusão: Globalmente, os estudantes que participaram neste estudo apresentaram má qualidade de sono, com uma classificação no PSQI superior 5. Contudo, as classificações em cada um dos componentes não são tão negativas. A maioria dos participantes classificam o seu sono como bom ou muito bom, quase metade dos participantes referiram dormir mais de 7 horas e a maioria apresentou uma eficiência de sono superior a 85%. De igual forma, 83,8% nunca usaram medicação para dormir. Não sendo um resultado robusto, torna-se imperioso a realização de mais estudos que o comprovem inequivocamente. Mais, tais estudos também serão imprescindíveis para identificar situações em que a intervenção terapêutica melhorará tais parâmetros