Framework for the collection of good practices regarding the welcoming and integration of refugees and migrants

The present document is the framework of one specificactivity of the PandPAS projectPre and Post-Arrival Schemes to facilitate inclusion and prevent xenophobia and radicalization. The framework has been drafted by CIES, ISCTE-IUL, with the goal of supporting the collection and analysis of good practices regarding refugees welcoming and integrationbyall partners of the PandPAS procect.The PandPASproject focuses onpost-arrival support for the integration of asylum seekers, and migrants.Itaims at producing tools for pre departure activities and pilot experiences for the social inclusion and active participation of migrants in hosting territories.Thisdocument starts with the description of the project activityin which the collection was carried out. It continues with the definition of a good practice andthe criteria to choose a good practice regarding the welcoming and integration of refugees and migrants. The process of collecting the good practices is also described. In the last section of the document is provided the template to fill-in regardingeach good practice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“Welcome!”: collection of good practices already existing for refugees’ welcoming and first inclusion

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The many faces of LINER-like galaxies: a WISE view

We use the SDSS and WISE surveys to investigate the real nature of galaxies defined as LINERs in the BPT diagram. After establishing a mid-infrared colour W2-W3 = 2.5 as the optimal separator between galaxies with and without star formation, we investigate the loci of different galaxy classes in the W_{Ha} versus W2-W3 space. We find that: (1) A large fraction of LINER-like galaxies are emission-line retired galaxies, i.e galaxies which have stopped forming stars and are powered by hot low-mass evolved stars (HOLMES). Their W2-W3 colours show no sign of star formation and their Ha equivalent widths, W_{Ha}, are consistent with ionization by their old stellar populations. (2) Another important fraction have W2-W3 indicative of star formation. This includes objects located in the supposedly `pure AGN' zone of the BPT diagram. (3) A smaller fraction of LINER-like galaxies have no trace of star formation from W2-W3 and a high W_{Ha}, pointing to the presence of an AGN. (4) Finally, a few LINERs tagged as retired by their W_{Ha} but with W2-W3 values indicative of star formation are late-type galaxies whose SDSS spectra cover only the old `retired' bulge. This reinforces the view that LINER-like galaxies are a mixed bag of objects involving different physical phenomena and observational effects thrusted into the same locus of the BPT diagram.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 9 pages, 6 figure

Random walks in directed modular networks

Because diffusion typically involves symmetric interactions, scant attention has been focused on studying asymmetric cases. However, important networked systems underlain by diffusion (e.g. cortical networks and WWW) are inherently directed. In the case of undirected diffusion, it can be shown that the steady-state probability of the random walk dynamics is fully correlated with the degree, which no longer holds for directed networks. We investigate the relationship between such probability and the inward node degree, which we call efficiency, in modular networks. Our findings show that the efficiency of a given community depends mostly on the balance between its ingoing and outgoing connections. In addition, we derive analytical expressions to show that the internal degree of the nodes do not play a crucial role in their efficiency, when considering the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi and Barab\'asi-Albert models. The results are illustrated with respect to the macaque cortical network, providing subsidies for improving transportation and communication systems

Ecology and environment, an urban scale comparative study between contemporary and vernacular city of Nablus

The harmony between environment and buildings is the strongest point of vernacular architecture. In this context, the Mediterranean vernacular architecture is harmonized with its local context, including culture and traditions. In addition, it respects environmental and climatic factors, construction materials and morphology. In the past, people in Palestine built their houses according to their possibilities, needs, available materials, topography, and culture. Without any control from the government or any legal limitations or architects, it was people architecture, simple architecture. This paper discusses the differences between vernacular and contemporary cities of Palestine at the urban scale. The research methodology adopts explanatory qualitative analysis and comparative synthesis methods for both the old and the new area of the city of Nablus and considers many parameters of the cities such as the city layout, skyline, infrastructure and public spaces. The outcomes of this research allow understanding how the new city is far away from the sustainability principles and how the old city is closer to it and how the architects and stakeholders could learn from the strategies of vernacular architecture. The paper draws a set of recommendations for more in-depth studies, based on quantitative survey with energy efficiency measurements in the Mediterranean climate

Beyond the prophecy success: how place attachment and future time perspective shape rural university students intentions of returning to small islands

Rural areas are struggling with youth mobility to urban centers. We address this challenge by testing the interplay between objective factors underlying mobility, namely socio-economic status indicators, and subjective factors, specifically Place Attachment (PA) and Future Time Perspective (FTP), and how they connect with the returning intentions of university students with a rural background after their graduation. We also explore how the connections between these variables vary across gender. Our study involved 337 university students (M = 21.55; SD = 2.48; 63.50% female) enrolled in tertiary education in mainland Portugal. The participants were from The Azores Islands, a remote and mostly rural Portuguese region. Using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) approach, we found that greater PA significantly improved their prospects of returning, rather than greater expected monthly income 3 years after graduation. However, these trends were only relevant among young women. Our findings indicate the need to strengthen youth civic engagement policies, as well as new youth employment packages that diversify the transition from education to the labor market or better match local resources with more promising and rewarding careers.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Healthcare building sustainability assessment tool - Sustainable effective design criteria in the Portuguese context

Tools and methods to improve current practices and quality in the healthcare building sector are necessary to support decision-making at different building life cycle phases. Furthermore, Healthcare Building Sustainability Assessment (HBSA) Methods are based on criteria organised into different levels, such as categories and indicators. These criteria highlight aspects of significant importance when designing and operating a sustainable healthcare building. To bring more objectivity to the sustainability assessments, the standardisation bodies (CEN and ISO) proposed core indicators that should be used in the evaluation of the environmental, societal and economic performances of buildings. Nevertheless, relying on state of the art analysis, it is possible to conclude that there are aspects of major importance for the operation of healthcare buildings that are not considered in the HBSA methods. Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss the context of sustainability assessment methods in the field of healthcare buildings and to present a proposal for the incorporation of Sustainable-Effective Design (SED) criteria in a new HBSA method. The used research method is innovative since in the development of the list of sustainability criteria it considers the opinion of main healthcare buildings' stakeholders, the existing healthcare assessment methods and the ISO and CEN standardisation works in the field of the methods to assess the sustainability of construction works. As a result, the proposed method is composed of fifty-two sustainability indicators that cover the different dimensions of the sustainability concept to support decision making during the design of a new or retrofitted healthcare building in urban areas.The authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and POPH/FSE for its financial support for this study (Reference SFRH/BD/77959/2011). A special thank you is also addressed to Donald Ellis for proofreading the English text.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio