Querying Geometric Figures Using a Controlled Language, Ontological Graphs and Dependency Lattices

Dynamic geometry systems (DGS) have become basic tools in many areas of geometry as, for example, in education. Geometry Automated Theorem Provers (GATP) are an active area of research and are considered as being basic tools in future enhanced educational software as well as in a next generation of mechanized mathematics assistants. Recently emerged Web repositories of geometric knowledge, like TGTP and Intergeo, are an attempt to make the already vast data set of geometric knowledge widely available. Considering the large amount of geometric information already available, we face the need of a query mechanism for descriptions of geometric constructions. In this paper we discuss two approaches for describing geometric figures (declarative and procedural), and present algorithms for querying geometric figures in declaratively and procedurally described corpora, by using a DGS or a dedicated controlled natural language for queries.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted at CICM 201

A Hybrid Recommender Strategy on an Expanded Content Manager in Formal Learning

The main topic of this paper is to find ways to improve learning in a formal Higher Education Area. In this environment, the teacher publishes or suggests contents that support learners in a given course, as supplement of classroom training. Generally, these materials are pre-stored and not changeable. These contents are typically published in learning management systems (the Moodle platform emerges as one of the main choices) or in sites created and maintained on the web by teachers themselves. These scenarios typically include a specific group of students (class) and a given period of time (semester or school year). Contents reutilization often needs replication and its update requires new edition and new submission by teachers. Normally, these systems do not allow learners to add new materials, or to edit existing ones. The paper presents our motivations, and some related concepts and works. We describe the concepts of sequencing and navigation in adaptive learning systems, followed by a short presentation of some of these systems. We then discuss the effects of social interaction on the learners’ choices. Finally, we refer some more related recommender systems and their applicability in supporting learning. One central idea from our proposal is that we believe that students with the same goals and with similar formal study time can benefit from contents' assessments made by learners that already have completed the same courses and have studied the same contents. We present a model for personalized recommendation of learning activities to learners in a formal learning context that considers two systems. In the extended content management system, learners can add new materials, select materials from teachers and from other learners, evaluate and define the time spent studying them. Based on learner profiles and a hybrid recommendation strategy, combining conditional and collaborative filtering, our second system will predict learning activities scores and offers adaptive and suitable sequencing learning contents to learners. We propose that similarities between learners can be based on their evaluation interests and their recent learning history. The recommender support subsystem aims to assist learners at each step suggesting one suitable ordered list of LOs, by decreasing order of relevance. The proposed model has been implemented in the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS), and we present the system’s architecture and design. We will evaluate it in a real higher education formal course and we intend to present experimental results in the near future

Integrating DGSs and GATPs in an Adaptative and Collaborative Blended-Learning Web-Environment

The area of geometry with its very strong and appealing visual contents and its also strong and appealing connection between the visual content and its formal specification, is an area where computational tools can enhance, in a significant way, the learning environments. The dynamic geometry software systems (DGSs) can be used to explore the visual contents of geometry. This already mature tools allows an easy construction of geometric figures build from free objects and elementary constructions. The geometric automated theorem provers (GATPs) allows formal deductive reasoning about geometric constructions, extending the reasoning via concrete instances in a given model to formal deductive reasoning in a geometric theory. An adaptative and collaborative blended-learning environment where the DGS and GATP features could be fully explored would be, in our opinion a very rich and challenging learning environment for teachers and students. In this text we will describe the Web Geometry Laboratory a Web environment incorporating a DGS and a repository of geometric problems, that can be used in a synchronous and asynchronous fashion and with some adaptative and collaborative features. As future work we want to enhance the adaptative and collaborative aspects of the environment and also to incorporate a GATP, constructing a dynamic and individualised learning environment for geometry.Comment: In Proceedings THedu'11, arXiv:1202.453

A influência dos media na imagem externa das Forças Armadas

A comunicação é o principal processo através do qual as organizações se dão a conhecer ao público em geral e, em particular àqueles a quem pretendem vender os seus produtos ou serviços. Para o conseguirem, essas organizações definem uma política de comunicação, utilizando diversos meios para que a sua imagem chegue ao consumidor ou cliente, constituindose os media como um dos principais intermediários neste processo. Também no caso das Forças Armadas, a transmissão de uma imagem positiva junto da opinião pública e para uma sociedade que se pretende informada e consciente, é fundamental para que o cidadão compreenda como são gastos os recursos da Nação e da importância estratégica de uma força militar bem preparada e equipada. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho pretende propor algumas medidas que contribuam para a criação e passagem de uma imagem positiva das Forças Armadas nacionais para a opinião pública. Para a investigação foi utilizado o método hipotético-dedutivo que gerou hipóteses, conceitos e indicadores (respostas) para os quais se procuraram correspondentes no real, permitindo a resposta à seguinte questão central formulada: De que forma poderão as Forças Armadas utilizar os media na difusão da imagem institucional? Para além do necessário enquadramento conceptual, tenta-se avaliar a percepção da opinião pública acerca das Forças Armadas. Concluímos, que de uma forma geral, a actual imagem junto da opinião pública é positiva, baseada sobretudo na actividade das Forças Nacionais Destacadas, que em muito têm contribuído para a política externa do Estado português. Este trabalho apresenta o actual estado da arte relativo à comunicação na estrutura de Defesa Nacional e em particular nas Forças Armadas, no qual concluímos não existirem, nesta área, as necessárias políticas de comunicação ou estruturas enquadrantes, embora os Ramos tenham um trabalho digno de destaque, sobretudo na área das relações públicas. O trabalho é ainda complementado e ampliado através da análise e interpretação de um conjunto de entrevistas e questionários realizados a diversas entidades da Defesa, assim como a jornalistas de vários OCS. O estudo termina com a apresentação de um conjunto de propostas que passam pela necessidade de definir uma política e estratégia de comunicação, baseadas sobretudo em três vectores: publicidade através dos canais públicos de rádio e televisão, marketing directo através da internet (tendo como principal público-alvo os jovens), e finalmente, o melhoramento das relações públicas, consideradas como a base para a comunicação institucional. Deverá ainda ser prevista a formação conjunta de militares na área da comunicação para operacionalizar as políticas e estratégias de comunicação superiormente aprovadas. Abstract: Communication is the main process whereby organizations are to be known by the general public, and particularly by those to sell their products or services. To do that, these organizations define a communication policy, using several ways for their image to reach the customer or client, being the media one of the main intermediaries in the process. Also in the case of the Armed Forces, the transmission of a positive image inside the public opinion and to a society that wants to be informed and conscientious, its fundamental for the citizen to understand how the nation resources are spend and of the importance of a well prepared and equipped military forces. This work wants to propose measures for creating and passing a positive image of the Armed Forces to the public opinion. For the investigation we have used the hypotheticdeductive method that generated hypothesis, concepts and indicators (answers) for which we have search correspondents on the real basis, allowing the answer to the main question formulated: In which way can the Armed Forces use the media in the diffusion of the positive image to the public opinion? Besides the necessary conceptual framing, we try to evaluate the public opinion perception about the Armed Forces. We have concluded that in general, the contemporary image of the Armed Forces inside with the public opinion is positive, based mainly in the activity of the deployed forces, which have been contributing vey much to the external policy of the Portuguese state. In this study it is performed a state of the art related to the communication in Defence and Armed Forces structures, in which we have conclude that in this area there are not the necessary framing policy and structure, besides the very respectable work made by the Navy, Army and Air Force, mainly in the public affairs area. This study is also supplemented through the analysis and interpretation of an interviews and questionnaires set made to several defence entities and media professionals. The study ends with a set of proposals that go by the need to define a communication policy and strategy based in three vectors: publicity trough the public radio and television, direct marketing through the internet (mainly to the young people), and finally, the improvement of the public affairs, considered as the basis for the institutional communication. There also be provided a joint training for the military in the communication area to operationalize the communication policies and strategies highly approved

Almofarizes béticos e lusitanos: revisão crono-morfológica de alguns tipos

Análise morfológica de almofarizes romanos lusitanos e béticos

Ammaia (S. Salvador de Aramenha, Marvão, Portugal) no âmbito dos intercâmbios de bens e de gentes com o Norte peninsular durante o Alto-Império

Ammaia. Análise das importações do Alto-Império e relações peninsulares

Information and communication technology adoption for business benefits: a case analysis of an integrated paperless system

This case study analyses the benefits of implementing a paperless software solution (Alert®pfh–Alert Paperfree Hospital, developed by Alert Life Sciences Computing) in a Portuguese Hospital, the Espírito Santo Hospital, in the city of Évora. Alert®pfh is a complete hospital clinical information system with real time clinical information input. It was implemented in emergency medical services, inpatient and outpatient services, and operating room services. Data were collected between 2006 and 2011 prior to, during and after the system's implementation. The case analysis demonstrates that paperless software systems have a significant potential when applied in healthcare organization services. Besides financial benefits, other important organizational features were identified, namely higher levels of patient and professional satisfaction; an increase in efficiency in hospital operations; improvement in the quality of information for management decision-making; and a reduction in medical errors. Lessons learned are noted and conclusions drawn for both theoretical and practical ICT benefits analysis

- Les importations de céramique culinaire africaine à Chãos Salgados, Santiago do Cacém (Mirobriga ?)

Cerâmica africana de cozinha de Chãos Salgados

Polarised Drell-Yan Process in the COMPASS Experiment

The COMPASS collaboration at CERN has been contributing to the knowledge of the nucleon structure and its description in terms of the transverse momentum dependent PDFs, accessed through the SIDIS process. In 2014/2015 the data taking was dedicated to the polarised Drell-Yan (DY) measurement with a negative pion beam and a transversely polarised proton target, as well as unpolarised nuclear targets. These data are now being analysed. One of the main goals is to verify the predicted sign change of the Sivers distribution function when accessed from DY with respect to SIDIS. The details on the experimental setup, the covered phase space, a preliminary first look into data distributions and predictions for the full data sample will be presented.Peer Reviewe