Required skills for employability in Portugal from graduates and students of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB)

[EN] The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB) developed an online survey, called the Observatory of Students and Graduates, aimed at entities in Portugal as a means of gathering information about the stakeholders view of IPB graduates and students, regarding skills for employability. Of the total (424) entities contacted, 118 responded, representing 28% of the total. It was noted that 79 of the responses have included IPB students and graduates in their staff, being 27% entities of the Agroforestry-food sector, 16% from the Consulting, Real Estate and Finance sector, and 14% from the Transport and Commerce sector. IPB graduates and students’s skills were discussed from the perspective of employers. 12 skills were listed, with an average of 95% of responses between "Very Important" and "Important".´The skills that stood out the most were: “Learning” and “Motivation/Involvement”. The lowest priority skills were: “Physical: Robustness and manual dexterity”, followed by “General Culture”. These data point to the clear fact that the soft skills have greater relevance than hard skills. One of the justifications is that the advent of artificial intelligence, and other technologies that have been performing functions that overlap with technical - human knowledge.Ferro-Lebres, V.; Marim Lopes, J.; Pereira, JP.; Paulo, H.; Sampaio, JH. (2021). Required skills for employability in Portugal from graduates and students of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB). En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1105-1111. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13123OCS1105111

TV WPN : programa de cálculo automático para análise da vulnerabilidade de redes de abastecimento de água

A aplicação da teoria da vulnerabilidade a redes de abastecimento de água reais é um procedimento complexo e moroso, tornando imperativo o desenvolvimento de ferramentas informáticas que agilizem e automatizem esse processo. O programa de cálculo automático que está a ser desenvolvido, designado por TV WPN (Theory of Vulnerability of Water Pipe Networks), constitui um importante estímulo à inclusão do estudo da vulnerabilidade e da avaliação do risco na conceção, dimensionamento e reabilitação de sistemas de abastecimento de água. Até à data, a aplicação desta teoria restringia-se apenas a exemplos de teste correspondentes a redes fictícias de abastecimento de água, com geometria simples e um limitado número de troços. Com esta nova ferramenta, tais limitações podem ser ultrapassadas, pois o tempo de computação torna-se significativamente mais rápido, mesmo considerando redes reais complexas. Deste modo, o aprofundamento e validação dos fundamentos desta teoria podem ganhar um forte e decisivo impulso, permitindo explorar o seu promissor potencial de aplicação às redes hidráulicas em geral, assumindo-se o novo paradigma da gestão do risco em sistemas urbanos de águas

Contribution for the vulnerability assessment of water pipe network

Water pipe network systems are key public utilities which require being robust, protected and preserved. Knowing their weaknesses will help these processes. The theory of vulnerability of water pipe networks can contribute in this context because it is able to map the vulnerable parts of this type of system. The meaning of vulnerability has been defined as being the disproportionateness of the failure consequences in relation to the initial damage and, in particular, its theoretical concepts. The main objectives of this paper are to briefly introduce this theory, to illustrate its application highlighting its potential. The application of the theory is presented using an example of a simple water pipe network. In a real water supply utility, where the vulnerabilities of WPN components are less evident, the identification of the most vulnerable ones may play an important contribution as support decision during WPN design period and for a sustainable infrastructure asset management. Further work is in progress to account for different type of damage and consequences and thus manage risks due to failure scenarios not identified by the classical theories.(undefined

The past lost train is the new futur!

The northeast region of Portugal named Trás-os-Montes is an historical province of Portugal, integrated in the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro region, where breathtaking landscapes made up of abounding vast plateaus, river valleys, mountains and castles. The people of Trás-os-Montes are authentic, hardworking and characterized by their honesty, tenacity and willingness to win, always ready to help others. Historically this region has always maintained its own identity, largely due to the fact that it is a region of difficult access. In this context of isolated region the train has always been the main vehicle for transporting not only people and goods, but also news and news that came from the rest of the country, particularly from the cities of Lisbon and Porto.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Academic entrepreneurship framework: the best practices of Bragança Polytechnic Institute

Academics in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation studies have long been interested in the entrepreneurial behaviour of Higher Education researchers and Higher Education Institutions entrepreneurial activities more generally (Chrisman et al., 1995; Stuart & Ding, 2006; Rothaermel et al., 2007). Some academics are in agreement that the contribution of academic researchers in business activities solves some imperfections in the transmission of knowledge, and motivates researchers to undertake projects with greater economic and social relevance (Gittelman & Kogut, 2003; Etzkowitz, 2004)

Required skills for employability in Portugal from graduates and students of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB)

The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB) developed an online survey, called the Observatory of Students and Graduates, aimed at entities in Portugal as a means of gathering information about the stakeholders view of IPB graduates and students, regarding skills for employability. Of the total (424) entities contacted, 118 responded, representing 28% of the total. It was noted that 79 of the responses have included IPB students and graduates in their staff, being 27% entities of the Agroforestry-food sector, 16% from the Consulting, Real Estate and Finance sector, and 14% from the Transport and Commerce sector. IPB graduates and students’s skills were discussed from the perspective of employers. 12 skills were listed, with an average of 95% of responses between "Very Important" and "Important".´The skills that stood out the most were: “Learning” and “Motivation/Involvement”. The lowest priority skills were: “Physical: Robustness and manual dexterity”, followed by “General Culture”. These data point to the clear fact that the soft skills have greater relevance than hard skills. One of the justifications is that the advent of artificial intelligence, and other technologies that have been performing functions that overlap with technical - human knowledge.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field