Nowcasting an Economic Aggregate with Disaggregate Dynamic Factors: An Application to Portuguese GDP

This paper consists of an empirical study comparing a dynamic factor model approach to estimate the current quarter aggregate GDP with the alternative approach of aggregating the forecasts obtained from specific dynamic factor models for each major expenditure disaggregate. The out-of-sample forecasting performance results suggest that there is no advantage in aggregating the disaggregate forecasts.Forecasting; Dynamic Factor Model; Temporal Disaggregation

Estratégia Nacional de Segurança do Ciberespaço

A aprovação da estratégia nacional de segurança do ciberespaço representa um momento basilar para o esforço e afirmação nacional neste domínio. A estratégia apresenta as orientações a seguir para a proteção do ciberespaço e, simultaneamente, origina um conjunto de responsabilidades, oportunidades e desafios que importa analisar no desenvolvimento deste artigo. Estas notas foram tomadas a Julho de 2015, um mês após a Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º36/2015 que aprova a Estratégia Nacional de Segurança do Ciberespaço, Diário da República, 1ª série - N.º 113 - 12 de junho de 2015.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Research Letter Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes Efficiency Dependence on Bipolar Charge Traps Concentration

The efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-1,4-benzo-{2,1 -3}-thiadiazole)], F8BT, is optimized upon simultaneous doping with a hole and an electron trapping molecule, namely, N,N -Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N -diphenylbenzidine and 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, respectively. It is shown that, for devices with poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonic acid as hole-injection layer material and magnesium cathodes, the efficiency is nearly doubled (from ca. 2.5 to 3.7 cd/A) upon doping with ca. 0.34% by weight of both compounds

Improving the performance of input interfaces through scaling and human motor models

The performance of interfaces is affected by human factors, which vary from one person to another, and by the inherent characteristics of the various devices involved. A set of techniques has been studied in order to improve the efficiency and efficacy of input interface devices. These techniques are based on the modification of the motor scaling factor, a transformation similar to the known Control-Display ratio (CD ratio). Operation time, the accuracy of the task and user workload are the indicators used in this work. By means of models based on the various human motor behaviors, the improvement of such indicators has been demonstrated. Using some common input interface devices, a number of experiments have been carried out to evaluate the presented methodology. The results show that the overall performance of input interfaces is significantly improved by applying such methodology.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Las Competencias de comunicación intercultural en la empresa global y su desarrollo en el Aula de español para fines económicos y comerciales

La presente investigación surge en el ámbito del proyecto financiado por la Unión Europea a través de la agencia Erasmus +, ICCAGE-Intercultural Communicative Competence: an advantage for global employability(http://iccageproject.wixsite.com/presentation), cuya finalidad es, mediante el incremento de la competencia comunicativa intercultural de los estudiantes de la educación superior de Portugal, España, Hungría y la República Checa, mejorar los índices de inserción laboral de los recién graduados de estos cuatro países especialmente damnificados por el desempleo juvenil. Pretendemos con este estudio determinar qué competencias de comunicación intercultural empresarial son requeridas en la actualidad por los empleadores internacionales, y averiguar cuál es el modo más adecuado de activarlas e incorporarlas a los estudiantes de español para fines económicos y comerciales (ELEFEC) en la enseñanza superior. El instrumento de recogida de datos destinado a averiguar cuál es el papel que juega en nuestros días la comunicación empresarial internacional, es un cuestionario/entrevista que fue creado por un conjunto de especialistas en comunicación intercultural empresarial de Hungría, España, Portugal y la República Checa. El cuestionario/entrevista se aplicó, entre noviembre de 2015 y enero de 2016, a un total de 28 empleadores que desarrollaban su actividad profesional en empresas de ámbito internacional. Los datos obtenidos nos permiten identificar cuáles son las competencias en comunicación empresarial internacional imprescindibles para integrarse con éxito en los contextos multiculturales y multilingües que caracterizan a las empresas actuales, así como averiguar cuál es la metodología más adecuada para desarrollar estas destrezas, conocimientos, actitudes y conciencia crítica intercultural en el marco de la enseñanza y aprendizaje de ELEFEC en la educación superior.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of Input/output Operations on Processor Performance

Nowadays, computers are frequently equipped with peripherals that transfer great amounts of data between them and the system memory using direct memory access techniques (i.e., digital cameras, high speed networks, . . . ). Those peripherals prevent the processor from accessing system memory for significant periods of time (i.e., while they are communicating with system memory in order to send or receive data blocks). In this paper we study the negative effects that I/O operations from computer peripherals have on processor performance. With the help of a set of routines (SMPL) used to make discrete event simulators, we have developed a configurable software that simulates a computer processor and main memory as well as the I/O scenarios where the periph-erals operate. This software has been used to analyze the performance of four different processors in four I/O scenarios: video capture, video capture and playback, high speed network, and serial transmission

Aprender una/ en una lengua extranjera: percepciones de empleadores y alumnos

Introduction: Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are allegedly preparing students for a globalized working area where people will need to be ready to communicate effectively in one or more foreign languages in international working environments, which puts a lot of pressure on how foreign languages (FL) are learned in Higher Education (HE). Methods: This article explores how a FL or learning through a FL could be approached in HEI, focusing mainly on what employers claim in terms of skills of recent graduates or on-the-job workers. Case studies are used, combining interviews to employers and questionnaires to HE students to find out their perceptions on FL learning requirements for greater employability. Conclusions: A series of recommendations are made for HEI on how to promote students’ employability skills; on the best practices for the development of intercultural communicative competence and FL skills to communicate effectively in international or digitally-mediated working environments; as well as on how to prepare the teaching staff for emerging trends that involve using a FL as medium of instruction or CLIL, a content and language integrated approach. These testify to the importance of learning a FL or through a FL, as well as the need to combine transversal skills development in connection to FL learning.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Situation of HIV/Mycobacterium tuberculosis Co-Infection in South America

The work summarizes the results of a survey on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) situation that was undertaken within the frame of the EC FP7 EucoNet project. Updated data on HIV infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis (TB) in South America are presented as well as a state of the art regarding disease management and research activities in 10 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The average HIV prevalence is 0.5-140/100,000) whereas Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela bear the lowest (prevalence <25/100,000). HIV prevalence in incident TB cases ranges between 3% and 15% and mortality attributable to HIV/MTB co-infection is <1/100,000. All countries run national HIV/AIDS and TB control programmes with various degrees of efficiency and data availability/reliability. Diagnosis and treatment are free of charge and all countries adhere to diagnosis and treatment standards for TB and HIV/AIDS according to World Health Organisation guidelines. The main weaknesses are related to insufficient involvement of government administrations, poverty-related pockets of HIV/MTB co-infection in urban/suburban settings and lack of interaction between HIV/AIDS and TB programmes. Funds for HIV/AIDS are disproportionally higher than those allocated to TB and there is hardly any investment in the dual infection. Challenges and priority areas for research are presented, as stated by the South American experts at the EucoNet Workshop “Clinical and translational aspects of HIV/MTB co-infection” held in Stellenbosch, South Africa on July 23-24, 2009.Fil: Ritacco, Gloria Viviana. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Morgado, Mariza Gonçalves. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: García, Luis Fernando. Universidad de Antioquia; Colombi

Gestión sostenible de los espacios recreacionales para una mejor adaptación social de los habitantes en un distrito urbano, 2022

En este trabajo de investigación tuvo como objetivo general Determinar la relación de la gestión sostenible de los espacios recreacionales con la adaptación social de los habitantes de un distrito urbano ,2022. La presente investigación, fue de tipo básica, diseño investigativo diseño no experimental, enfoque cuantitativo, los resultados se muestra la prueba Rho de Spearman, aplicada por tener datos no paramétricos entre gestión sostenible de los espacios recreacionales y la adaptación social, el coeficiente de correlación RS=0.878, nos indica que existe una relación directa y alta entre ambas variables. Es decir, a medida que los puntajes gestión sostenible en los espacios recreacionales se incrementan, la adaptación social también aumenta. El coeficiente de determinación R2=0.798, indica que el ajuste del modelo es bueno, ya que el valor es cercano a 1, de este modo, el 79.8% de la variabilidad de la variable adaptación social a su promedio es explicado por el modelo de regresión ajustado