O humano e as novas tecnologias digitais: perigos e potencialidades

[Excerto] Em primeiro lugar, assiste-se a uma alteração qualitativa na nossa interação com os objectos técnicos. Usando as palavras de Mario Perniola (2004: 37), "o cyborg filosófico-sexual apresenta uma sociabilidade intrínseca, que todavia não depende da intersubjectividade, mas de uma relação de interfaces, que interage não entre dois sujeitos mas entre duas quase coisas". O cyborg assume a ideia de que os nossos interfaces quotidianos, nas nossas carnes, também são eles interfaces de misturas de orgânico/inorgânico. De facto, a nossa experiencia de cyborg não é estranha ao ser humano

Challenges to knowledge representation in multilingual contexts

To meet the increasing demands of the complex inter-organizational processes and the demand for continuous innovation and internationalization, it is evident that new forms of organisation are being adopted, fostering more intensive collaboration processes and sharing of resources, in what can be called collaborative networks (Camarinha-Matos, 2006:03). Information and knowledge are crucial resources in collaborative networks, being their management fundamental processes to optimize. Knowledge organisation and collaboration systems are thus important instruments for the success of collaborative networks of organisations having been researched in the last decade in the areas of computer science, information science, management sciences, terminology and linguistics. Nevertheless, research in this area didn’t give much attention to multilingual contexts of collaboration, which pose specific and challenging problems. It is then clear that access to and representation of knowledge will happen more and more on a multilingual setting which implies the overcoming of difficulties inherent to the presence of multiple languages, through the use of processes like localization of ontologies. Although localization, like other processes that involve multilingualism, is a rather well-developed practice and its methodologies and tools fruitfully employed by the language industry in the development and adaptation of multilingual content, it has not yet been sufficiently explored as an element of support to the development of knowledge representations - in particular ontologies - expressed in more than one language. Multilingual knowledge representation is then an open research area calling for cross-contributions from knowledge engineering, terminology, ontology engineering, cognitive sciences, computational linguistics, natural language processing, and management sciences. This workshop joined researchers interested in multilingual knowledge representation, in a multidisciplinary environment to debate the possibilities of cross-fertilization between knowledge engineering, terminology, ontology engineering, cognitive sciences, computational linguistics, natural language processing, and management sciences applied to contexts where multilingualism continuously creates new and demanding challenges to current knowledge representation methods and techniques. In this workshop six papers dealing with different approaches to multilingual knowledge representation are presented, most of them describing tools, approaches and results obtained in the development of ongoing projects. In the first case, Andrés Domínguez Burgos, Koen Kerremansa and Rita Temmerman present a software module that is part of a workbench for terminological and ontological mining, Termontospider, a wiki crawler that aims at optimally traverse Wikipedia in search of domainspecific texts for extracting terminological and ontological information. The crawler is part of a tool suite for automatically developing multilingual termontological databases, i.e. ontologicallyunderpinned multilingual terminological databases. In this paper the authors describe the basic principles behind the crawler and summarized the research setting in which the tool is currently tested. In the second paper, Fumiko Kano presents a work comparing four feature-based similarity measures derived from cognitive sciences. The purpose of the comparative analysis presented by the author is to verify the potentially most effective model that can be applied for mapping independent ontologies in a culturally influenced domain. For that, datasets based on standardized pre-defined feature dimensions and values, which are obtainable from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) have been used for the comparative analysis of the similarity measures. The purpose of the comparison is to verify the similarity measures based on the objectively developed datasets. According to the author the results demonstrate that the Bayesian Model of Generalization provides for the most effective cognitive model for identifying the most similar corresponding concepts existing for a targeted socio-cultural community. In another presentation, Thierry Declerck, Hans-Ulrich Krieger and Dagmar Gromann present an ongoing work and propose an approach to automatic extraction of information from multilingual financial Web resources, to provide candidate terms for building ontology elements or instances of ontology concepts. The authors present a complementary approach to the direct localization/translation of ontology labels, by acquiring terminologies through the access and harvesting of multilingual Web presences of structured information providers in the field of finance, leading to both the detection of candidate terms in various multilingual sources in the financial domain that can be used not only as labels of ontology classes and properties but also for the possible generation of (multilingual) domain ontologies themselves. In the next paper, Manuel Silva, António Lucas Soares and Rute Costa claim that despite the availability of tools, resources and techniques aimed at the construction of ontological artifacts, developing a shared conceptualization of a given reality still raises questions about the principles and methods that support the initial phases of conceptualization. These questions become, according to the authors, more complex when the conceptualization occurs in a multilingual setting. To tackle these issues the authors present a collaborative platform – conceptME - where terminological and knowledge representation processes support domain experts throughout a conceptualization framework, allowing the inclusion of multilingual data as a way to promote knowledge sharing and enhance conceptualization and support a multilingual ontology specification. In another presentation Frieda Steurs and Hendrik J. Kockaert present us TermWise, a large project dealing with legal terminology and phraseology for the Belgian public services, i.e. the translation office of the ministry of justice, a project which aims at developing an advanced tool including expert knowledge in the algorithms that extract specialized language from textual data (legal documents) and whose outcome is a knowledge database including Dutch/French equivalents for legal concepts, enriched with the phraseology related to the terms under discussion. Finally, Deborah Grbac, Luca Losito, Andrea Sada and Paolo Sirito report on the preliminary results of a pilot project currently ongoing at UCSC Central Library, where they propose to adapt to subject librarians, employed in large and multilingual Academic Institutions, the model used by translators working within European Union Institutions. The authors are using User Experience (UX) Analysis in order to provide subject librarians with a visual support, by means of “ontology tables” depicting conceptual linking and connections of words with concepts presented according to their semantic and linguistic meaning. The organizers hope that the selection of papers presented here will be of interest to a broad audience, and will be a starting point for further discussion and cooperation

Performance of Sparse Binding Arrays for Or-Parallelism

One important problem in the design of novel logic programming systems is the support of several forms of implicit parallelism. A new binding model, the Sparse Binding Array (SBA), has been proposed for the efficient and simplified integration of Independent-And, Determinate-And and Or-parallelism. In this paper we report on the use of this model for pure Or-parallelism. The work discusses the major implementation issues in supporting this binding model for pure Or-parallelism. We show that an implementation based on this Binding model is more efficient then the original Aurora using tbe traditional Binding Array model [16]. Moreover, we explain how the notion of a variable level can be used to reduce overheads of the Orparallel system. Our results in supporting pure or-parallelism show that the approach is very promissing for combined paralell systems.</jats:p

Automatic Segmentation of Monofilament Testing Sites in Plantar Images for Diabetic Foot Management

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a major complication of diabetes mellitus, and it is the leading cause of foot ulceration and amputations. The Semmes–Weinstein monofilament examination (SWME) is a widely used, low-cost, evidence-based tool for predicting the prognosis of diabetic foot patients. The examination can be quick, but due to the high prevalence of the disease, many healthcare professionals can be assigned to this task several days per month. In an ongoing project, it is our objective to minimize the intervention of humans in the SWME by using an automated testing system relying on computer vision. In this paper we present the project’s first part, constituting a system for automatically identifying the SWME testing sites from digital images. For this, we have created a database of plantar images and developed a segmentation system, based on image processing and deep learning—both of which are novelties. From the 9 testing sites, the system was able to correctly identify most 8 in more than 80% of the images, and 3 of the testing sites were correctly identified in more than 97.8% of the images.Partially supported by FCT-UIDB/04730/2020 and FCT-UIDB/50014/2020 projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SME internationalization : the case of JIX

Mestrado em Gestão/MBAO principal objetivo desta tese é obter uma definição estratégica e um plano de internacionalização, que guiarão uma Pequena e Média Empresa (PME) portuguesa no seu processo de internacionalização. Desta forma, será possível definir uma estratégia e metodologia de internacionalização tendo em conta os objetivos de expansão internacional e os principais objetivos comerciais da empresa, nomeadamente: i) alcançar receitas de 5 milhões de euros por ano, dentro de 4 anos; ii) com 100% das vendas no mercado externo e iii) abrangendo 50% do mercado mundial. Num mundo cada vez mais globalizado, as PMEs precisam dos mercados internacionais para aumentar seu desempenho económico-financeiro, aumentar o seu nível de competitividade e assegurarem a sua sobrevivência. A União Europeia passa por uma das maiores crises das últimas décadas e Portugal é um dos países mais afetados, apresentando baixas taxas de sobrevivência das empresas nacionais e com elevada saturação do mercado interno. De forma a assegurarem a sua sobrevivência, as empresas nacionais precisam de investir em novos mercados onde surgem novas oportunidades de negócios, permitindo que invistam no seu crescimento e que sejam criadas condições de sustentabilidade a longo prazo. As empresas portuguesas precisam de defender uma posição no mercado internacional, especialmente no contexto actual da União Europeia. A pesquisa teórica realizada para esta tese explora conceitos, modos e processos relacionados com internacionalização e gestão estratégica de PMEs, e aplica essa base teórica a um plano de internacionalização para um caso específico de uma PME portuguesa.The main objective of this thesis is to obtain a strategic definition and an internationalization plan that will guide a Portuguese Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) in its internationalization process. Therefore, it will be possible to follow its international expansion objectives and enterprise main objectives, namely: i) to achieve revenues of 5 million euros per year, within four years; ii) with 100% of sales from the foreign market and iii) covering 50% of the worldwide market. In an increasingly globalized world, SMEs need to rely on foreign markets to increase their economic and financial performance, their level of competitiveness and this way their survival. The European Union is going through one of the biggest crises of recent decades and Portugal is one of the most affected countries, presenting a low survival rate for domestic companies and high saturation of the internal market. To survive, domestic companies need to invest in new markets where new business opportunities emerge, allowing them to invest in their growth and create long-term sustainability conditions. Portuguese companies need to defend a position in the international market, especially in the context of the European Union. The theoretical research conducted for this thesis explores concepts, modes and processes related to SMEs internationalization and strategic management, and applies that theoretical base to an internationalization plan for a case of a Portuguese SME.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A capela do Palacio Archiepiscopal de Braga: entre a eloquência setecentista e o abandono republicano

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A indústria de cutelarias em Guimarães: um património a conhecer e a valorizar

Nos finais do século XIX, o sector das cutelarias, uma das actividades industriais que durante séculos, e até hoje, marcaram o concelho de Guimarães, iniciou o seu processo de industrialização no âmbito do qual se registou um relativo aperfeiçoamento técnico e se fundaram algumas fábricas modernas. Um dos problemas que então se colocava dizia respeito ao da força motriz necessária para o accionamento destas fábricas. Este problema resolveu-se através da instalação de aproveitamentos hidráulicos e/ou da adaptação de outros já existentes, os quais vieram a garantir o fornecimento da energia necessária ao accionamento daquelas unidades.Com esta comunicação procura-se apresentar alguns exemplos desse processo, assim como do património que lhe está associado, procurando igualmente chamar a atenção para a necessidade de se aprofundar o conhecimento do património da indústria de cutelarias em todas as suas vertentes, e de se implementarem medidas para a sua salvaguarda e valorização

O arquivo da Administração da Região Hidrográfica do Norte: um contributo na abordagem histórico-geográfica do domínio público hídrico

Conforme o Decreto-Lei n.º 47/2004 de 3 de Março, o Estado, especialmente através da administração central, bem como as demais entidades públicas e privadas, tem o direito e o dever de preservar, organizar, defender e valorizar o património arquivístico nacional. A Administração da Região Hidrográfica do Norte (ARH do Norte) é possuidora de um valioso acervo resultante da actividade centenária desenvolvida pelos diferentes organismos com tutela sobre a gestão da água e o planeamento dos recursos hídricos, disperso pelas cidades do Braga, Porto, Viana do Castelo e Vila Real. A partir de vários casos de estudo que percorrem os usos das águas públicas para diferentes fins, as modalidades da sua utilização, sem esquecer os usos públicos e a ocupação das margens para outras actividades, pretendemos identificar alguns dos problemas que decorrem dos modelos de gestão, baseado no licenciamento para o uso da água e a ocupação do Domínio Público Hídrico. Por outro lado, queremos igualmente contribuir para o debate relativo aos modelos tradicionais de intervenção no Domínio Público Hídrico que se reveste de grande actualidade e que em Portugal surge ainda como um tema pioneiro e pouco divulgado nos âmbitos científico e técnico. Perante a importância da informação disponível no arquivo histórico da ARH-Norte, os desafios que se afiguram a esta instituição são vários, dos quais queremos destacar os seguintes, que serão abordados na comunicação a apresentar: - a salvaguarda de um importante fundo documental que se encontra numa situação de progressivo abandono e degradação com o risco de desaparecer de forma permanente; - a divulgação do arquivo e o seu acesso duma forma simples e actualizada; - a colaboração com as instituições académicas