A Quality Management-Based Approach to Evaluate Public Services: a case study in Brazil

In this paper, we present an approach to identify and measure the best practices of quality management in public services. While many studies focus on service quality from the user’s perspective, this work pays attention to the service operation management, aiming to evaluate public services’ best practices based on the management perspective. This study was developed in cooperation with the Brazilian Government, which conducted an exploratory interview with managers of 289 federal services. Then, we performed a data mining to better understand trends, patterns and correlations from the answers obtained. As a final outcome, a questionnaire-based model was developed, called BrQM (Brazil Quality Management), in order to assist public administration managers in evaluating the quality of their services. The proposed model encodes 8 dimensions with score variables to guide evaluation actions so that public institutions can improve their services by identifying good practices in quality management adopted by other services in the same sphere

Learning programming and electronics with augmented reality

Digital native generations have been technology consumers all their life. Our children should be educated to be capable to contribute, as active producers, to the digital framework with a maturity and critical attitude. To do that children should learn to program from very early stage at school and combine this with electronics can be the right way to motivate them to develop skills such as reasoning, problems resolution, logic, creativity, perseverance and team work. This paper describes the development of an augmented reality book that can be used by children to learn programming and electronics. Students alone, in groups, at home or in the classroom can use mobile devices (smart-phones or tablets) and augmented reality to help them in the electronics assembly. We believe that the use of augmented reality will change significantly the teaching activities by enabling the addition of supplementary information that is seen on a mobile device

Government policies and Portuguese port governance in the period from 2005 to 2015

This research focuses on the effect of Portuguese government policies in portmanagement, port strategy and port performance in the period from 2005 to 2015.With the structural equation modeling, we analyzed a sample of 172 observations. Government policies influence the port sector differently. The policies adopted during the period under study produced different effects, especially the national planning policies for investments as well as the central control policy, implemented tomake operations and port labormore productive. Themain contribution of this paper resides in understanding that it is essential to ensure sustainability conditions for the national port system in an increasingly globalized market where the trend is to be less dependent on the government policies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Patos e o risco de influenza aviária em Portugal

The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 virus subtype in Western European countries induced the fear that it could reach Portugal through wild bird migration. Ducks, geese and swans are some of the bird groups with higher prevalence of influenza virus that might be vectors of virus dissemination, considering the existing studies on low pathogenic subtypes that are common in nature (Olsen et al. 2006), and also occur in Portugal (D. Rodrigues et al., unpublished data). Although swans do not occur frequently in Portugal and geese are mostly restricted to Tagus River Estuary Nature Reserve (e.g. Farinha & Costa 1999), ducks are common in Portugal and mostly concentrated on wetlands near the coast (Costa & Guedes 1997), and wintering Aythya duck species are much less numerous than wintering Anas species (e.g. Costa & Guedes 1997). The Portuguese total wintering duck population (Costa & Guedes 1997) is relatively small when compared to the total European population (Scott & Rose 1996), probably due to the location of the country on the South-West limit of the distribution for most of the species (Scott & Rose 1996). However, given the recent occurrence of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype in France, Germany, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden and Poland (OIE 2006), there is a risk that outbreaks may also occur in Portugal. In this paper, we aim to discuss the possibility of avian influenza occurrence in Portugal, under the assumptions that outbreaks will persist, will occur new ones or the virus will become endemic on the above mentioned countries and that ducks will be vectors of the viru

MERCADO FUTURO DE SOJA NA BMFE CBOT: UMA ANÁLISE NO PERÍODO DE 2005 A 2007

O presente trabalho busca calcular a base e o risco de base, razão ótima e eficiência do hedge da soja brasileira comercializada através dos contratos da Bolsa de Mercadorias e Futuros (BMF) e contrato de soja Latino-Americana da Chicago Board of Trade (SA-CBOT) e contrato de soja da Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). O valor médio da base e o risco de base foram calculados na semana de vencimento dos 50 contratos considerados no periodo entre janeiro de 2005 a julho de 2007. O método adotado no cálculo da base é está em acordo com Hull (2005); o risco de base e a efetividade de hedge são propostos por Silveira (2002); Myers; Thompson (1989) estabelecem a motodologia para o cálculo da razão ótima. Do procedimento adotado neste, foram possivel observar os seguintes resultados: i) os menores valores médios da base foram em Paranaguá (em todas as bolsas). ii) apesar de possuir os menores valores médios de base, a CBOT apresentou maior risco de base que a BMF. Tanto o Mercado Futuro de soja da BMF quanto o mercado da CBOT, mostraram-se eficientes. Porém, não foi possível afirmar com precisão que o mercado futuro SA-CBOT é eficiente. A razão de hedge mostrou-se elevada, variando entre 87,20% - 64,77% (para BMF). A razão de hegde da soja em Illinois apresentou-se consideravelmente maior que as demais quando comercializada na CBOT. Conclui-se assim, que sojicultores brasileiros possuem, de maneira geral, melhor instrumento de proteção ao risco de preço quando comercializam na BMF.---------------------------------------------This dissertation analyses the hedge soybeans operations by using BMF and CBOT`s contracts, and considering Paranagua (PR), Sorriso (MT), Barreiras (BA) and Cascavel (PR). Initially, it was calculated the basis risk from the hedge operations in the ending week of each contract. It was considered transactions between BMF, CBOT and SA-CBOT (South America Soybeans Contract). It was also calculated the optimal hedge ratio by Myers; Thompson (1989) methodology. During January 2005 and July 2007, these exchanges had commercialized 50 contracts. this paper reaches the following results: i) the lower basis’ average was in Paranagua (considering all stock exchanges); ii) CBOT had smaller basis’ average but greater basis’ risk then BMF. On the second step of this analysis, both BMF and CBOT were considered efficient. However, the same result was not observed on SA-CBOT, which wasn’t possible to precise about its efficiency. The optimal hedge ratio (OHR) was high to BMF (87.20% - 64.77%). The OHR to Illinois was the greatest, 93.41% when commercialized with CBOT. This number is consistent with Dorfman; Sanders (2006). However, CBOT presents lower OHR whenever we consider the Brazilians places in this study (55.88% - 35.7%). We conclude that Brazilians soybeans’ farmers which want to protect against price in future market have a better tool by commercializing with BMF that CBOT or SA-CBOT.Mercado Futuro, Soja, Hedge, Future Markets, Soybean, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

A Educação Básica e o estágio supervisionado dos estudantes do curso de Licenciatura em Computação da UFJF no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19

O presente texto tem por objetivo analisar as modificações no ensino ministrado na Educação Básica brasileira no contexto da pandemia do SARS-CoV-2, também conhecido como o coronavírus ou COVID-19. Ademais, busca-se analisar como as mudanças implementadas no ensino escolar no contexto da pandemia impactaram a formação inicial de docentes, especialmente da Licenciatura em Computação da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF)

“NO INTUITO DE PROMOVER OS MELHORAMENTOS MATERIAES E MORAES DA NOSSA BELLA PROVÍNCIA”: ATUAÇÃO E REDES DO MEDIADOR MENANDRO RODRIGUES FONTES (RIO GRANDE DO SUL, SÉC. XIX)

RESUMO A longa duração do sistema político do Segundo Reinado deve-se, em grande parte, aos mediadores que desempenharam a função de negociar as demandas das elites locais com os interesses do governo central. Neste artigo, pretende-se analisar alguns fragmentos da trajetória de Menandro Rodrigues Fontes, um mediador político específico e secundário. A hipótese é de ele que foi recrutado pela elite da periférica Freguesia do Arroio Grande, localizada no espaço fronteiriço meridional do Rio Grande do Sul, para intermediar a aproximação do local com o centro de poder provincial, visando a obtenção de recursos por vias institucionais na década de 1870. Contudo, a mediação de Menandro está repleta de ações aparentemente contraditórias. Nesse sentido, acredita-se que a análise dessas particularidades pode contribuir para o conhecimento histórico sobre o sistema e as realidades dos grupos políticos atuantes no bojo de uma conjuntura específica da província rio-grandense. Palavras-chave: Brasil Império. Mediação política. Elites.   ABSTRACT The long duration of the Second Reign's political system is largely due to the mediators who played the role of negotiating local elite demands with interests of the central government. In this article, the intention is analyzing some trajectory fragments of Menandro Rodrigues Fontes, a specific and secondary political mediator. The hypothesis is that he was recruited by the peripheral parish’s elite of Arroio Grande, located in the southern border area of ​​Rio Grande do Sul, to mediate the approximation of the place with the provincial power center, to obtain resources through institutional means in the 1870s. However, Menandro's mediation is full of apparently contradictory actions. In this sense, it is believed that the analysis of these particularities can contribute to the historical knowledge about the system and the realities of the political groups acting in the midst of a specific conjuncture in the province of Rio Grande do Sul. Keywords: Brazil Empire. Political mediation. Elites

Cultura & desenvolvimento rural - o teatro regional da serra de Montemuro – Portugal

No início dos anos noventa, mercê de alguma tradição cultural, emergiu na pequena aldeia de Campo Benfeito (concelho de Castro Daire, Serra do Montemuro) uma iniciativa teatral que viria a tornar-se uma figura ímpar no desenvolvimento da aldeia, do concelho e região de Montemuro: o Teatro Regional da Serra do Montemuro. Depois de um período de aprendizagem, a companhia apresenta em 1995 o primeiro espetáculo a nível internacional. Graças ao interesse entretanto despertado pelas entidades que assistiram ao espetáculo, a companhia decide pedir ajuda ao Estado Português, tendo adquirido a partir desse ano um estatuto também profissional. O teatro continua até hoje a ser a fonte de sustento e rendimento para seis pessoas que nele trabalham a tempo inteiro. Adicionalmente, os benefícios da iniciativa repercutem-se na própria comunidade rural, nomeadamente ao nível da revitalização socioeconómica local e a nível ambiental. Prova disto, é o festival Altitudes, os Serões da Serra e as sinergias criadas com toda a população local e ainda a inserção da aldeia na rede de “Aldeias de Portugal”. Baseados numa análise qualitativa o propósito deste estudo é pois o de explorar o contributo desta iniciativa no próprio desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional dos atores envolvidos e o contributo para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável, em particular da aldeia de Campo Benfeito.IPV - Cernasinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Propriedade intelectual e internet: a relação entre os tratados internacionais de direitos autorais e a criatividade no ciberespaço

The rise of the internet and digital medias caused a revolution in the way content consumers engage and relate with creative productions. These new creative relations in common spaces in the virtual media often go on a collision course with regulations expressed in the international treaties dedicated to copyright protections such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which represent the interests of copyright holders and of the United States along with other countries which comprise the global North. This dissertation aims to understand the interactions and implications between creativity and innovation on the internet and the most recently negotiated international treaties on intellectual property, exposing the positions of civil society groups which represent the interests of users, through a qualitative exploratory method. In conclusion, the copyright protection regulations expressed in the related international treaties are framed by civil society groups as dangerous for the preservation of creativity and innovation in the cyberspace, as they potentialize the criminalization of new productions and individual freedoms of speech and access to information.NenhumaA ascensão da internet e das mídias digitais causou uma revolução na forma em que consumidores de conteúdo entram em contato e se relacionam com produções criativas. Essas novas relações criativas em espaços comuns no meio digital, por diversas vezes, entram em rota de colisão com as previsões dos tratados internacionais voltados à proteção de direitos autorais como o Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), que representam os interesses de detentores de direitos autorais e dos Estados Unidos junto a outros países do Norte global. Essa dissertação busca compreender as interações e implicações entre a criatividade e inovação na internet e os mais recentemente negociados tratados de propriedade intelectual, expondo os posicionamentos de grupos da sociedade civil que representam os interesses de usuários, por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa de caráter exploratório. Em conclusão, as previsões de proteção de direitos autorais encontradas nos tratados internacionais do tema são vistas pelos grupos da sociedade civil como perigosas para a preservação da criatividade e da inovação dentro do ciberespaço, ao potencializar a criminalização de novas produções e liberdades individuais de expressão e acesso à informação