Psychological wellbeing, satisfaction with life and optimism in sports managers

In the discourse of its managers, the competitiveness of national sport is increasingly relative, or captive, to the constraints of competitiveness of the respective national economy with an obvious impact on productivity of sports associations and clubs, reflecting a market of very unequal competition. Now, if in the modern conception of happiness, the material aspect plays a major character, the positive subjective experience, usually linked to performance and sports productivity, should result therefore from immaterial and intangible capital consisting in human potential and virtues that interests to study

Thermal performance of cool facades: evaluation by Infrared Thermography

High reflective paints (cool paints) are used on flat roofs to reduce heat gains from the incidence of solar radiation and thus improve the thermal comfort and energy efficiency of buildings, especially in summer periods. Given the application potential of these paints on vertical surfaces, a research study has been developed to evaluate the thermal performance of reflective paints on walls under real exposure conditions. Accordingly, different reflective paints have been applied as the final coating of an ETICS type solution, on the facades of a full scale experimental cell built at LNEC campus. For being applied in an ETICS system a paint has to fulfill several requirements, whether aesthetic or functional (such as the adhesion between the coating layers or the durability of the insulation), essential for its efficient performance. Since this construction coating system is subject to a prolonged sun exposure, various problems may arise, such as paint degradation or deterioration of the thermal insulation properties, particularly when dark colors are applied. To evaluate the thermal performance of the chosen paints, the method of non-destructive analysis by Infrared Thermography was used. Thermography allows knowing the temperature distribution of facades by measuring the radiation emitted by their surfaces. To complement the thermographic diagnosis, thermocouples were placed between the insulation and the paint system of the experimental cell. Additional laboratory tests allowed the characterization of the optical properties (reflectance and emittance) of the different reflective paints used in this study. The comparative analysis of the thermal performance of reflective and conventional paints revealed that the reflective paint allows a reduction of the facade surface temperature, reducing the risk of loss of insulating properties of the ETICS system and thus ensuring its longevity and functionality. The color of the paint used affects, naturally, the reflective ability of the surface and may have an important role in energy balance of the building. This paper also showed the potential of infrared thermography in the evaluation of the thermal performance of reflective paints

DEFINING COMMUNICATION: FACTORS AND BARRIERS OF A COMPLEX CONCEPT

This article aims to analyze the history of the concept of Communication, the evolution, and the different approaches from several scientific domains that led to the understanding that we have nowadays about this complex theme. Today, communication is a key issue in modern societies, not just for the individual and the current challenges in the information society, but also when the concept is understood in more complex frameworks such as organizational communication. It is this act, derived from a personal and social need, that allows human beings to live together, to establish contacts with others: the way we relate to other individuals, the greater or lesser effectiveness of these connections, depending on much of our communication skills. After analyzing the concept, the importance of communication in today’s society is evaluated, as well as the most important objectives accordingly to several uses in contemporary contexts and barriers that can affect this process. Article visualizations

FORMAL AND INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION: FRAMEWORKING ITS ROLES AND PURPOSES

This article intends to analyze communication in organizations. Public Relations aim to spread the good image of an organization among its different targets, generally seeking to reach each restricted group through different actions; this is because, in this area of activity, it is always difficult to reach all relevant audiences through a global campaign, given their specificities and differences. A first major division is therefore created between internal and external audiences, with some subdivisions still being noted in each of them. In the last three decades, personnel management strategies began to make human aspects within the institution one of their priorities. Those responsible tend to adopt more humanitarian values, which facilitate the integration of workers in the company. A slow "mental revolution" is therefore underway, renewing the ideologies of the leaders, but also their personalities and attitudes. This may result in a better rationalization of relations between the Administration and other employees. In this order of ideas, we intend to include within the scope of Internal Public Relations a section dedicated to communication in organizations; this is conceptualized as a means of providing the information and understanding necessary for the efforts of individuals, translated into appropriate attitudes for motivation, cooperation, and satisfaction at work, which allow for the improvement of performance.  Article visualizations

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION: INNOVATION, PUBLIC RESPONSABILITY AND CITIZENSHIP IMPACT

The essence of innovation is creativity, which allows finding new solutions to existing problems. Innovative organizations do not depend solely on an entrepreneur, but on teams of experts gathered to create an entrepreneurial spirit. For this reason, it is necessary to use scientific techniques to promote creativity, as well as encourage and reward people and organizations that innovate, through the recognition of successful practices, both in the public and private sectors. Thus, public communication is at the basis of the quality and effectiveness of public service, the modernization of administrations and institutions, as well as the exercise of democracy. Article visualizations

Adaptation to Resources and Environments during the Last Glacial Maximum by Hunter-Gatherer Societies in Atlantic Europe

Solutrean culture has been interpreted as a response to the Last Glacial Maximum in western Europe. However, to establish a link depends of our knowledge of the impact of global climatic changes at a local level and of the differential preservation and significance of the record. The identification of lithic sources, technology, function, and place of discard, is an effective way to mitigate some of these biases and to improve our understanding of hunter-gatherer societies. We present the results of a study of flint materials found in several rockshelters and open-air sites preserving Upper Solutrean lithic assemblages from France and Portugal, using a Geographic Information System. The network defined by a least-cost algorithm is considered a proxy for social and territoriality reconstruction. Our goal is to identify recurrences and differences in Solutrean raw material network and management as compared with Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic assemblages in the same areas, considering environmental changes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

We will be known by the tracks we leave behind: Exotic lithic raw materials, mobility and social networking among the Côa Valley foragers (Portugal)

The aim of this study is to establish different socio-cultural models based on lithic raw material sourcing integrated with regional rock art distributions to infer social behaviours within the context of central Iberian Upper Palaeolithic societies. Specifically, we focus on Upper Palaeolithic hunter–gatherer mobility and social interaction in the Côa Valley. This study relies on a knowledge of regional geology and field work to identify the sources of the lithic raw material found at Côa Valley Upper Palaeolithic sites. We expose the context of use and discard of flint, which is naturally absent from the region, and other local materials. From this, we present a GIS based analysis concerning space, time and least-cost paths travelled. This analysis, along with the environmental data available, forms a baseline to evaluate different anthropological models on hunter–gatherer lithic use, mobility, and social networks. We conclude with a three-level model for social interaction, in the context of aggregation activities between different social meta-groups, which involves embedded procurement, long-distance raw material exchange, and symbolic community, reflected in the largest known open-air Upper Palaeolithic rock art concentration.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anomalies detection in adhesive wall tiling systems by infrared thermography

Adherent tiling systems are widely used all over the world as wall cladding because of their aesthetic and technical characteristics. However, anomalous behaviours often occur; compromising the overall behaviour of facades, and possibly raising safety risks. The need to create expeditious, non-destructive and accurate methods of inspection that can encourage these systems’ inspection and maintenance fomented a research study on infrared thermography’s capacity of early detect anomalous zones in adhesive tiling systems, such as detachments or presence of humidity, in controlled in situ conditions, proving it as a valuable diagnostic tool.authorsversionpublishe

Anomaly diagnosis in ceramic claddings by thermography - A review

With the increasing importance given to building rehabilitation comes the need to create simple, fast and non-destructive testing methods (NDT) to identify problems and for anomaly diagnosis. Ceramic tiles are one of the most typical kinds of exterior wall cladding in several countries; the earliest known examples are Egyptian dating from 4000 BC. This type of building facade coating, though being quite often used in due to its aesthetic and architectural characteristics, is one of the most complex that can be applied given the several parts from which it is composed; hence, it is also one of the most difficult to correctly diagnose with expeditious methods. The detachment of ceramic wall tiles is probably the most common and difficult to identify anomaly associated with this kind of cladding and it is also definitely the one that can compromise security the most. Thus, it is necessary to study a process of inspection more efficient and economic than the currently used which often consist in semi-destructive methods (the most common is the pull off test), that can only be used in a small part of the building at a time, allowing some assumptions of what can the rest of the cladding be like. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a NDT with a wide variety of applications in building inspection that is becoming commonly used to identify anomalies related with thermal variations in the inspected surfaces. Few authors have studied the application of IRT in anomalies associated with ceramic claddings claiming that the presence of air or water beneath the superficial layer will influence the heat transfer in a way that can be detected in both a qualitative and a quantitative way by the thermal camera, providing information about the state of the wall in a much broad area per trial than other methods commonly used nowadays. This article intends to present a review of the state of art of this NDT and its potentiality in becoming a more efficient way to diagnose anomalies in ceramic wall claddings