An exploratory study towards development of a new communication strategy for IBS

A ISCTE-IUL Business School (IBS) tem sido objecto de profundos transformações dos últimos anos por forma a acomodar as mudanças legislativas ocorridas tanto em Portugal como na União Europeia no sequência do “ Processo de Bolonha”. Um dos objectivos da IBS é tornar-se uma importante instituição no mercado Europeu da educação. Para atingir este objectivo, a IBS iniciou uma série de programas de carácter internacional. Na sua essência são bons programas embora ainda se verifique uma falta de experiência no que concerne à sua disponibilização no mercado. Neste contexto, é imperativo o desenvolvimento e a implementação de uma estratégia de marketing. Assim, a estratégia global a adoptar relacionar-se, nomeadamente, com a promoção da Imagem de Marca da IBS. Ao promover a sua imagem, a IBS poderá uma base sustentada a partir da qual poderá desenvolver novos programas Internacionais, mantendo uma forte notoriedade e visibilidade nos mercados Português e Europeu. Com o objectivo de endereçar esta nova direcção estratégica a IBS terá de executar um conjunto de acção que operacionalizem a nova direcção estratégica. Assim, a IBS deverá melhorar o seu sítio na Internet de modo a que seja ímpar, deverá também promover merchandizing, iniciar um programa que enfatize à publicidade “boca a boca” e ainda criar novas especializações no quadro dos programas já existentes. Afigure-se ainda fundamental a utilização da extensa rede de contactos da instituição no auxílio à promoção da IBS através da criação de novas formas de divulgação. Este conjunto de acção poderá servir o objectivo da promoção da Imagem de Marca da IBS como visto ao atingimento dos seus objectivos estratégicos de longo prazo.The ISCTE-IUL Business School (IBS) has in recent years been changing a lot in order to benefit from the legislative changes that occurred within Portugal and the European Union following the bologna process. One of the goals of the IBS is to become a strong player within the European education industry. In order to achieve this goal the IBS has started new international programs. These international programs are inherently good programs but the IBS may lack experience with regard to the communication of these programs. Therefore, it is necessary to form a coherent communication strategy and corresponding action plan. The overall strategy to be adopted is to promote the Brand Image of the IBS. By promoting the Brand Image the IBS will have a stable base on which to build further international programs while maintaining the strong position within the Portuguese and European markets. In order to realize the new strategic direction the IBS has to adopt the corresponding action planning. The IBS should adapt the website to make it more state of the art, the IBS should merchandize and start an endorsement program to support the word-of-mouth advocacy and also to create new specializations within the programs. It is also necessary for the IBS to use their extensive corporate network to create other systems in which to help promotion of the IBS. This action plan will definitely serve the goal of promoting the IBS brand image that will ultimately support the long-term goals of the IBS

Co-digestion of macroalgae for biogas production: an LCA-based environmental evaluation

Algae represent a favourable and potentially sustainable source of biomass for bioenergy-based industrial pathways in the future. The study, performed on a real pilot plant implemented in Augusta (Italy) within the frame of the BioWALK4Biofuels project, aims to figure out whether seaweed (macroalgae) cultivated in near-shore open ponds could be considered a beneficial aspect as a source of biomass for biogas production within the co-digestion with local agricultural biological waste. The LCA results confirm that the analysed A and B scenarios (namely the algae-based co-digestion scenario and agricultural mix feedstock scenario) present an environmental performance more favourable than that achieved with conventional non-renewable-based technologies (specifically natural gas - Scenario C). Results show that the use of seaweed (Scenario A) represent a feasible solution in order to replace classical biomass used for biofuel production from a land-based feedstock. The improvement of the environmental performances is quantifiable on 10% respect to Scenario B, and 38 times higher than Scenario

Progettazione digitale

Richiedendo prerequisiti minimi sotto l’aspetto informatico, tecnologico e matematico, il testo si propone di presentare principi e metodologie fondamentali per il progetto di sistemi digitali e guida lo studente mediante problemi via via più avanzati attraverso le problematiche tipiche del progetto digitale. Poiché attualmente gran parte del progetto digitale viene realizzato servendosi di strumenti di progettazione automatica (i vari tool CAD), il testo tratta costantemente la teoria facendo anche riferimento alla possibilità di sperimentazione pratica basata su strumenti automatici di progettazione. Questo approccio risulta sicuramente innovativo e stimolante e costituisce uno dei contributi principali del libro alla didattica sulla progettazione digitale

VISION: VIdeo StabilisatION using automatic features selection for image velocimetry analysis in rivers

VISION is open-source software written in MATLAB for video stabilisation using automatic features detection. It can be applied for any use, but it has been developed mainly for image velocimetry applications in rivers. It includes a number of options that can be set depending on the user’s needs and intended application: 1) selection of different feature detection algorithms (seven to be selected with the flexibility to choose two simultaneously), 2) definition of the percentual value of the strongest features detected to be considered for stabilisation, 3) geometric transformation type, 4) definition of a region of interest on which the analysis can be performed, and 5) visualisation in real-time of stabilised frames. One case study was deemed to illustrate VISION stabilisation capabilities on an image velocimetry experiment. In particular, the stabilisation impact was quantified in terms of velocity errors with respect to field measurements obtaining a significant error reduction of velocities. VISION is an easy-to-use software that may support research operating in image processing, but it can also be adopted for educational purposes

Validation of landslide hazard assessment by means of GPS monitoring technique ? a case study in the Dolomites (Eastern Alps, Italy)

International audienceIn the last years a research project aimed at the assessment of the landslide hazard and susceptibility in the high Cordevole river basin (Eastern Dolomites, Italy) have been carried out. The hazard map was made adopting the Swiss Confederation semi-deterministic approach that takes into account parameters such as velocity, geometry and frequency of landslides. Usually these parameters are collected by means of geological and morphological surveys, historical archive researches, aerophotogrammetric analysis etc. In this framework however the dynamics of an instable slope can be difficult to determine. This work aims at illustrating some progress in landslide hazard assessment using a modified version of the Swiss Confederation semi-deterministic approach in which the values of some parameters have been refined in order to accomplish more reliable results in hazard assessment. A validation of the accuracy of these new values, using GPS and inclinometric measurements, has been carried out on a test site located inside the high Cordevole river basin

Bipartite quantum states and random complex networks

We introduce a mapping between graphs and pure quantum bipartite states and show that the associated entanglement entropy conveys non-trivial information about the structure of the graph. Our primary goal is to investigate the family of random graphs known as complex networks. In the case of classical random graphs we derive an analytic expression for the averaged entanglement entropy $\bar S$ while for general complex networks we rely on numerics. For large number of nodes $n$ we find a scaling $\bar{S} \sim c \log n +g_e$ where both the prefactor $c$ and the sub-leading O(1) term $g_e$ are a characteristic of the different classes of complex networks. In particular, $g_e$ encodes topological features of the graphs and is named network topological entropy. Our results suggest that quantum entanglement may provide a powerful tool in the analysis of large complex networks with non-trivial topological properties.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Pile setup in sand – the "PAGE" joint industry project

The reliability of long-term axial capacity predictions for large, offshore-scale, piles is uncertain. Current databases of static load tests include very few entries with diameters ≥ 1m, and none >2m. Also, most of the available tests were conducted at relatively early ages after driving. The PAGE Joint Industry Project addressed this knowledge gap by collating and analysing dynamic driving data from 25 offshore piles with 1.6 to 3.4m outside diameters and contrasting these with dynamic re-strike tests conducted between 1h and 1 year after driving. Systematic signal matching was performed with two independent codes that applied different soil models and the outcomes were compared with predictions from modern CPT-based static capacity design methods. Additional supporting analyses were performed on other piles, where static and dynamic tests had been conducted, to help assess the relationships between statically and dynamically measured resistances. Piles with 0.3 to 3.5m outside diameters followed broadly common trends over the first 30 days after driving, with shaft capacities approximately doubling. While smaller (<1m) diameter piles driven at onshore/nearshore sites display marked further capacity growth, larger offshore piles showed little additional capacity gain after 30 days. The CPT-based Unified offshore pile design method offered conservative predictions for long-term shaft resistance, while no bias was apparent with the ICP-05 approach. An inverse relationship was identified between long-term shaft setup and diameter, which is ascribed to enhanced dilatancy applying at the pile-sand interface. The base capacities interpreted from dynamic analyses consistently fell far below the monotonic loading capacities predicted by current design methods and showed no significant trend to increase over time