3,040 research outputs found
Quality of experience in affective pervasive environments
The confluence of miniaturised powerful devices, widespread communication networks and mass remote storage has caused a fundamental shift in the user interaction design paradigm. The distinction between system and user in pervasive environments is evolving into an increasingly integrated loop of interaction, raising a number of opportunities to provide enhanced and personalised experiences.
We propose a platform, based on a smart architecture, to address the identified opportunities in pervasive computing. Smart systems aim at acting upon an environment for improving quality of experience: a subjective measure that has been defined as an emotional reaction to products or services. The inclusion of an emotional dimension allows us to measure individual user responses and deliver personalised services with the potential to influence experiences positively.
The platform, Cloud2Bubble, leverages pervasive systems to aggregate user and environment data with the goal of addressing personal preferences and supra-functional requirements. This, combined with its societal implications, results in a set of design principles as a concrete fruition of design contractualism.
In particular, this thesis describes:
- a review of intelligent ubiquitous environments and relevant technologies, including a definition of user experience as a dynamic affective construct;
- a specification of main components for personal data aggregation and service personalisation, without compromising privacy, security or usability;
- the implementation of a software platform and a methodological procedure for its instantiation;
- an evaluation of the developed platform and its benefits for urban mobility and public transport information systems;
- a set of design principles for the design of ubiquitous systems, with an impact on individual experience and collective awareness.
Cloud2Bubble contributes towards the development of affective intelligent ubiquitous systems with the potential to enhance user experience in pervasive environments. In addition, the platform aims at minimising the risk of user digital exposure while supporting collective action.Open Acces
Escola : família :matemática : que relações?
X Encontro da Seção de Matemática da Sociedade das Ciências da Educação, realizado na Consolação, Peniche em 2001A complexidade do mundo actual exige que a escola colabore com a família e a envolva como fazendo parte integrante da comunidade educativa. Nesse sentido foi dado um passo significativo quando se criou a Confederação Nacional da Associação de Pais (CONFAP) e quando se determina que os pais passem a participar no Conselho de escola ou Área escola (decreto lei nº172/91).
A falta de tradição em colaborações estreitas com as famílias por parte da escola corre o risco de anular na prática as disposições legais, se não forem postas em prática medidas concretas tanto a nível dos órgãos de poder da escola como da parte dos professores. Se o grande objectivo do envolvimento da família na escola é uma melhoria das aprendizagens dos alunos, há que pôr em marcha iniciativas que permitam: a)
identificar aspectos críticos da relação escola família; b) estudar processos de incentivar a colaboração dos pais; c) implementar e avaliar medidas concretas para levar a escola à família e a família à escola, nomeadamente no caso das aprendizagens da Matemática.
São desafios que se colocam a gestores, professores e a investigadores. Neste documento irão ser abordados alguns aspectos inseridos em duas partes. Na primeira far-se-á uma breve análise da relação escola – família em termos gerais procurando situar a situação portuguesa no panorama da situação de alguns países. Numa segunda parte irão ser relatados algumas conclusões de estudos feitos em Portugal e noutros países e levantadas algumas questões no âmbito da relação Matemática – família, focando-se a questão dos trabalhos de casa de Matemática e o apoio da família a esta tradicional componente da vida escolar dos nossos alunos que é o TPC
Tržišna orijentacija, inovacije i organizacijska predanost u industrijskim poduzećima
The main purpose of this article is to study the antecedents (internal market orientation) and the consequences (innovation, organizational commitment and performance) of market orientation in industrial SMEs.
This article follows a new approach: instead of analyzing the responses of CEOs to a questionnaire, commercial and marketing functional managers were addressed. Consequently, this is the first study of its kind involving industrial SMEs addressing those who implement the marketing strategy instead of those who define it.
Based on 154 valid answers, the conclusions are that, at a significant level of 1%, the internal market orientation influences positively the external market orientation, the external market orientation influences innovation and innovation, in its turn, influences business performance. Moreover, market orientation and organizational commitment only influence performance at a 5% significance level.Glavna je svrha ovoga članka proučiti prethodnike (internu tržišnu orijentaciju) i posljedice (inovativnost, organizacijsku predanost i performanse) tržišne orijentacije u malim i srednjim industrijskim poduzećima.
Ovaj članak slijedi novi pristup, umjesto analiziranja odgovora izvršnih direktora prikupljenih putem upitnika, kontaktiralo se s upraviteljima komercijalne i marketinške funkcije. Posljedično, ovo je prva studija ovakve vrste koja obuhvaća one koji implementiraju marketinšku strategiju umjesto onih koji je definiraju u industrijskim malim i srednjim poduzećima.
Na temelju 154 važeća odgovora može se zaključiti da na razini 1% signifikantnosti interna tržišna orijentacija pozitivno utječe na eksternu tržišnu orijentaciju, eksterna tržišna orijentacija utječe na inovacije, a one utječu na poslovne performanse. Osim toga, tržišna orijentacija i organizacijska predanost utječu na performanse samo na razini 5% signifikantnosti
Leverage variation and its relation to the industry characteristics
In this study we have focused on North American companies from 1974 until 2015. Based on this sample, it was our objective, to better understand the three dimensions of capital structure variation: within-firm, within-industry and between industries. We concluded that most of the variation in financial structures arises from within-industries rather than between industries. Additionally, in the period considered, within-industry variation was interpreted as the one that showcased the greatest increase, (43%) Taking into consideration these intriguing results, we decided to regress leverage ratios on industry leverage medians, which confirmed the little importance of industry in explaining firm financial structure. In order to better understand how leverage is organized within the different industries, we developed the concept of “level” and “consistency”, reaching a new stylized fact in this area of research, by concluding that industries which portray the highest or the lowest capital structures’ dispersion tend to remain this way for long periods of time. Finally, we proved that capital structure variation is associated to firms in industries with shorter longevities, higher probabilities of default, as well as, to higher leverage ratios.Este estudo foca-se em empresas norte americanas para o período entre 1974 e 2015. Com base nesta amostra, pretendemos perceber melhor como é que a variação na estrutura de capital está dividida pelas suas três componentes: dentro da empresa, dentro da indústria e entre indústrias. Concluímos que grande parte da variação nas estruturas de financiamento tem origem dentro das indústrias em vez de entre as indústrias. Ainda em relação ao período da nossa amostra, constatamos que a variação dentro da indústria foi a que teve um maior aumento, de cerca de 43%. Ao obter estes resultados intrigantes, decidimos estimar uma regressão entre os rácios de financiamento e os valores medianos por indústria, acabando este passo por confirmar a pouca importância que a indústria tem em explicar as estruturas de capital. Com o objetivo de perceber melhor como é que a estrutura de capital está organizada dentro das várias indústrias, criámos os conceitos de “level” e “consistency”. Concluímos que as indústrias com maior e menor dispersão do endividamento, tendem a manter-se dessa forma por longos períodos de tempo. Para terminar, mostramos que as indústrias com grande dispersão de financiamento estão associadas a indústrias cujas empresas demonstram : menos anos de vida, maior probabilidade de falência e maiores níveis de endividamento
Payment perception in the emergency department: The mediating role of perceived quality of healthcare and patient satisfaction
The aim of this research is to identify the main factors associated with patients’ payment perception and the effects of these factors on payment perception. Patients admitted between January and December 2016 at an emergency department of a public hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, were included in this study, with a representative sample size of 382 patients. A 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval were used, and all the data were collected between May and November 2017. To test the mediation models, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used. The effect of doctors on payment perception through satisfaction and through perceived quality of healthcare (PQHC) is explained by 3% and 4% of the variation, respectively, with statistically significant results (P < .01). Moreover, the effect of privacy and meeting expectations on payment perception through PQHC is explained by 4% and 4% of the variation, with statistically significant results (P < .01). Doctors play a crucial role in understanding the patients’ payment perception (with direct and indirect effects). Mediators, in turn, strengthen this effect, in which the contribution of PQHC is more significant than that of satisfaction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Accuracy of patients’ waiting time perceptions in the emergency department
In a recent publication, Suriyawongpaisal et al.indicated that waiting time lies among the top priorities for patients. The researchers note that care providers should focus on managing perceptions rather than decreasing actual waiting time to improve patient experience.2 By means of actual waiting times, researchers can identify patients whose waiting time perceptions differ from the reality. Using recorded data from the hospital database, we demonstrate how patients’ perceptions of waiting time diverge from the objective clinical data used as a reference point and identify the motives behind the formation of these inaccurate perceptioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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