Agent-oriented Modeling for Collaborative Learning Environments: A Peer-to-Peer Helpdesk Case Study

In this paper, we present the analysis and modelling of Help&Learn, an agent-based peer-to-peer helpdesk system to support extra-class interactions among students and teachers. Help&Learn expands the student’s possibility of solving problems, getting involved in a cooperative learning experience that transcends the limits of classrooms. To model Help&Learn, we have used Agent-Object-Relationship Modeling Language (AORML), an UML extension for agent-oriented information systems modeling. The aim of this research is two-fold. On one hand, we aim at modeling the variety of roles and the complexity of their interactions and activities within the Help&Learn system. On the other hand, we aim at showing the expressive power and the modeling strengths of AORML

ISEKI_Food Network: Role in Food Studies and Career of Food Scientists and Food Technologists

La Commission Européenne fi nance plusieurs réseaux académiques internationaux avec des objectifs orientés vers l’éducation et la formation, la recherche et les relations avec les industries et les gouvernements. En particulier dans le domaine alimentaire le réseau ISEKI_Food (Integrating Safety and Environment Knowledge In Food towards European Sustainable Development (http://www.iseki-food.eu/) fut initié il y a 11 ans. Ce réseau s’est développé, montrant que les aspects internationaux des Sciences et Procédés Alimentaires sont de plus en plus importants pour les gouvernements, l’industrie et l’enseignement. The European Commission has been fi nancing several internacional academic networks, which the objectives are towards topics related with education/training, research, industry and governments. Particularly in the food fi eld, the ISEKI_Food (Integrating Safety and Environment Knowledge In Food towards European Sustainable Development - (http://www.iseki-food.eu/) network was initiated eleven years ago. This network has been expanding, demonstrating that international aspects of food science and engineering, as well as related subjects, are more and more important for governments, industry and the academics

Synthesis of chromone-related pyrazole compounds

Chromones, six-membered oxygen heterocycles, and pyrazoles, five-membered two-adjacent-nitrogen-containing heterocycles, represent two important classes of biologically active compounds. Certain derivatives of these scaffolds play an important role in medicinal chemistry and have been extensively used as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis. In this context, we will discuss the most relevant advances on the chemistry that involves both chromone and pyrazole rings. The methods reviewed include the synthesis of chromone-pyrazole dyads, synthesis of chromone-pyrazole-fused compounds, and chromones as starting materials in the synthesis of 3(5)-(2-hydroxyaryl)pyrazoles, among others. This review will cover the literature on the chromone and pyrazole dual chemistry and their outcomes in the 21st century.Thanks are due to University of Aveiro and FCT/MEC for the financial support of the QOPNA research unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013) and CIQ-UP, University of Porto (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006980; FCT: UID/QUI/00081/2013) through national founds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, as well as to the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança. V.L.M.S. is grateful to FCT for her grant (SFRH/BPD/108807/2015), in the ambit of “QREN e POCH e Tipologia 4.1 e Formação Avançada”, co-sponsored by FSE and by national funds of MCTES.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Arylxanthones and arylacridones: a synthetic overview

Arylxanthones and arylacridones although not yet found in nature are becoming an important group of heterocyclic compounds due to their promising biological activities. Their central cores, xanthone and acridone, are recognized as interesting motifs for drug development mainly to be used in antitumour chemotherapy. The synthesis of this type of compounds is still scarce but several successful examples were recently published and a large variety of arylated xanthone and acridone derivatives were prepared. A systematic survey of the literature dedicated to their synthesis will be presented and discussed in this review.Thanks are due to the University of Aveiro, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) FCT/MEC for the financial support of the QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013) through national founds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. V.L.M. Silva also acknowledges FCT for the financial support of her post-doctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/108807/2015), in the ambit of “QREN e POCH e Tipologia 4.1 e Formação Avançada”, co-sponsored by FSE and by national funds of MCTESinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dynamic approach for assessing food quality and safety characteristics: the case of processed foods

Thermal processes applied to foods focus on destruction of target microorganisms. Besides these processes often occur under time-varying temperature environments, microbial inactivation is commonly assessed under isothermal conditions. The development of mathematical models that describe microbial kinetics in dynamic conditions is important for processes design. Another process that occurs under time-varying temperature conditions is frozen storage of foods.Thermal inactivation of Listeria innocua (surrogate of L. monocytogenes) in parsley, and quality degradation of vegetables under frozen conditions were used as case-studies.Developed models that include timetemperature effects accurately described inactivation/degradation of the characteristics analyzed both under isothermal and dynamic conditions

The Analysis of the Prevalence of Diabetes in the Third Age in a Northeast State Between the Years From 2002 To 2013

Diabetes potentiates when the body can not control the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This disease develops when the body does not produce enough amounts of the hormone called insulin. The elderly are more fragile in not producing adequate insulin for their proper functioning, since the prevalence is related to aging, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, and these last two factors, in turn, intensify with the advancing age. The decompensated glycemia accentuates frequent difficulties in this phase of life. It can incapacitate the elderly because it increases the risk of dementias such as Alzheimer’s, in addition to diabetic neuropathy, which causes the elderly to lose firmness on the floor, the use of many medications and other problems that impact the quality of life and increase the risk of death