SIDE – teaching support information system

The success of any information system in any area can be assessed by the voluntary accession of users. In an institution where there is a single system available to the users, this evaluation has to be done through user surveys. SIDE is a portal based on information systems architecture to support teaching, academic management of courses and the learning process, in order to support the needs of integration of information flows in several university information systems. This portal, which is in operation at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro since 2002, allows data management coming from the operation of courses, providing to the management entities one platform to support executive and decision support. This portal proved to be an architectural solution that meets the needs of the institution where it was implemented. The longevity of its use as the main information system to support teaching in the institution proves that. However these facts are not enough to conclude about the quality of the system and the relationship with the users of the services they utilize. In order to conclude about this we proceeded to carry out an opinion survey in order to get some feedback about the usability and quality of these same services. The surveys had a good participation in terms of number of people and that allowed us to take what good conclusions

A geopolítica enquanto instrumento de afirmação mundial da Rússia

Tese de Mestrado em EstratégiaA Geopolítica surge no final do séc. XIX e apresenta-se como uma ciência multidisciplinar, proveniente da Geografia Política e que estuda as relações existentes entre a actividade humana e o meio a que esta está vinculada, ou seja, de que modo determinado espaço físico influencia ou determina o poder político que dele emana. De entre os principais autores da chamada Geopolítica Clássica, destacaram-se Ratzel (determinismo geográfico), Kjellen (Estado Organicista) e Vidal de la Blache (possibilismo) nas Teorias Restritas a um determinado espaço; e Mahan (hegemonia do poder marítimo), Mackinder (hegemonia do poder continental), Douhet (hegemonia do poder aéreo), Haushofer (espaço vital e Pan-Regiões) e Spykman (supremacia dos poderes conjugados) nas Teorias Globais das relações entre a política e o espaço. A Rússia enquanto Estado cresceu com base nas teorias geopolíticas aqui em estudo, embora o aparecimento destas fosse posterior ao do país. As condições que o espaço físico a que os primeiros povos denominados de “russos” puderam usufruir permitiu-lhes numa primeira fase criar uma entidade político-estatal (Principados de Kiev e de Moscovo) e depois alavancar esse poder para a expansão geográfica do Estado russo rumo ao Império, até este se destacar dos comuns e se estabelecer como uma grande potência mundial. Geopoliticamente falando, um dos grandes pontos fortes da Rússia enquanto potência mundial está no seu Heartland, ou seja, uma porção de território de dimensão extensa, cuja principal vantagem é a de se constituir como uma fortaleza natural que a impede de ser facilmente atacada por outras potências. Tornou-se assim numa potência continental. Mas apesar de estar segura e ser suprema nesta zona, a Rússia sempre procurou fugir ao revés que esta fortaleza lhe concedeu: o encravamento continental. Para isso empreendeu desde os tempos de Pedro I, O Grande, uma política naval intensiva de modo a conseguir chegar aos mares e oceanos quentes e navegáveis do mundo e assim rivalizar com as potências marítimas como a Grã-Bretanha e os EUA.Geopolitics is a multidisciplinary science from the late 19th century, coming from the Political Geography and whose purpose is to study the relations between human activity and its physical environment, or in other words, the way that a specific territory influences or determines its political power. Inside of the Classic Geopolitics we must consider important authors such as Ratzel (geographical determinism), Kjellen (State as a living organism) and Vidal de la Blache (possibilism) in the Restricted Theories field; and Mahan (sea power hegemony), Mackinder (land power hegemony), Douhet (airpower hegemony), Haushofer (vital space and Pan-Regions) and Spykman (combined powers supremacy) in the Global Theories of the relations between space and politics. As a State, Russia was founded based on these geopolitical theories, although they have appeared after. The physical features of the territory first occupied by the “Russians” made it possible to create the State (Kiev Rus’ and Grand Duchy of Moscow) and then use that power to expand geographically the Russian State into the Empire, making it different from others more and turning it into a World Power. Geopolitically speaking, one of the major strengths of this Russian World Power is its Heartland: an enormous amount of land, whose main advantage is to establish it as a natural fortress against all other powers. Russia was then a Continental Power. But besides this safety condition and its undeniable supremacy in this zone, it also imprisoned Russia in a land-locked base. To fight that, since Peter The Great, Russia has been developing an intensive program of naval policies in order to reach the warm waters of the oceans and seas in the Globe, so that it could compete with all other Maritime Powers such as Great Britain and United States of America

Non-invasive prospection methods in the Roman City of Balsa (Luz de Tavira-Portugal): revealing the real townscape

Ever since Estácio da Veiga, at the end of the 19th century, identified the ruins of the Roman city of Balsa under Torre d’Aires estate (Luz de Tavira-Portugal) and its surroundings, the scientific questions about this Roman city have been constantly increasing. Despite the historical importance of this city, referenced in classical literature, the archaeological knowledge about it remains very scarce due to the difficulties around implementing any durable scientific research projects. Therefore, much of that written about the topographical features and configuration of the city has no unequivocal scientific support. Finally, 2019 saw the launch of this ongoing project “Balsa, searching for the origins of the Algarve”, which aims to ascertain the main features concerning the city’s extent and configuration, mainly through non-invasive methods. Since 2017, geomagnetic and geo-radar surveys have spanned several hectares and successfully identified many traces of the Roman city while discarding the existence of others in certain locations. In the last two years, the geo-radar surveys have intensified and established the boundaries to the Roman city as well as parts of its layout, remnants of buildings, and even fossilised agricultural crops in addition to other geophysical anomalies, whether or not they are subsequently confirmed by diagnostic pits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

eLabs – platform for online laboratory management

We observe, today, an unprecedented development of information technologies in various organizational, social and economic fields. The Web is the main driver of this evolution from a simple display system of linked pages to a powerful platform for information and communication, having the interaction, the dynamism and multimedia resources their main features. At the organizational level, the Web has introduced several improvements, turning the business processes more effective and centered on users. The deployment of portals to support management and communication in organizations was the first step in the integration of information technologies in several fields of organizations. One of the most relevant technologies to support business process management is workflow, representing the most significant solution for process automation and information management inside an organization. According to Hales (1997) workflow is a proactive management system that manages the workflow among the participants (users or other systems), according to predefined procedures that define the tasks. This article discusses the development of a platform for online laboratory management based on workflow technologies, with the main goals to improve communication, cooperation and integrated management of resources, promoting greater efficiency in laboratory management. The eLabs platform is been used in Instituto Politécnico de Bragança for laboratory management, integrating the management of internal and external services, equipment, resources and tasks. The results obtained demonstrate an improvement in the efficiency of resources management and the enhancement of quality of services realized inside the institution and to the community

Padrões de referência da pressão plantar no movimento do cão da Serra da Estrela

Neste trabalho caracteriza-se em termos de pressão plantar o movimento do Cão da Serra da Estrela no andamento "Marcha Semelhante ao Pacing" ("Ambladura"). Foram analisados 11 cães Serra da Estrela, isentos de displasia da anca e sem sinais visíveis de patologias que afectem o movimento, recorrendo a um sistema de plataformas de pressão plantar (RSSCAN) com 2 metros de comprimento. Para a caracterização do movimento do Serra da Estrela foi desenvolvido um software de apoio que permite a análise cinética, determinando-se vários parâmetros espaciais, temporais e cinéticos relativos ao movimento do Cão da Serra da Estrela, que poderão servir de referência em futuros estudos sobre patologias do aparelho locomoto

Computational algorithms for the segmentation of the human ear

The main goal of this project is to identify an efficient segmentation algorithm for each anatomic structure of the ear. Therefore, in this paper, it is presented and analyzed computational algorithms that have been used to segment structures in images, especially of the human ear in Computed Tomography (CT) images

Artificial intelligence applied to potential assessment and talent identification in an organisational context

França, T. J. F., São Mamede, J. H. P., Barroso, J. M. P., & Santos, V. M. P. D. D. (2023). Artificial intelligence applied to potential assessment and talent identification in an organisational context. Heliyon, 9(4), 1-25. [e14694]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14694Our study provides valuable insights into the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and Human Resource Management (HRM). We have minimised bias and ensured reliable findings by employing a systematic literature review and the PRISMA statement. Our comprehensive synthesis of the studies included in this research, along with a bibliometric analysis of articles, journals, indexes, authors' affiliations, citations, keyword co-occurrences, and co-authorship analysis, has produced robust results. The discussion of our findings focuses on critical areas of interest, such as AI and Talent, AI Bias, Ethics and Law, and their impact on Human Resource (HR) management. Our research highlights the recognition by organisations of the importance of talent management in achieving a competitive advantage as higher-level skills become increasingly necessary. Although some HR managers have adopted AI technology for talent acquisition, our study reveals that there is still room for improvement. Our study is in line with previous research that acknowledges the potential for AI to revolutionise HR management and the future of work. Our findings emphasise the need for HR managers to be proactive in embracing technology and bridging the technological, human, societal, and governmental gaps. Our study contributes to the growing body of AI and HR management knowledge, providing essential insights and recommendations for future research. The importance of our study lies in its focus on the role of HR in promoting the benefits of AI-based applications, thereby creating a larger body of knowledge from an organisational perspective.publishersversionpublishe

Métodos de segmentação para modelação 3D do ouvido a partir de imagens

O objectivo principal deste artigo centra-se na apresentação de métodos de segmentação de imagem adequados para a construção de modelos geométricos 3D das estruturas do ouvido a partir de imagens médicas de Tomografia Computorizada (TC), sendo discutidas as vantagens e desvantagens de cada um. Os métodos são classificados de acordo com as técnicas utilizadas; nomeadamente, em métodos de thresholding, de clustering e de modelos deformáveis. Neste artigo, são também apresentados e discutidos resultados experimentais de segmentação das estruturas do ouvido em imagens de TC

Digital technologies for innovative mental health rehabilitation

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness, characterized by the loss of the notion of reality, failing to distinguish it from the imaginary. It affects the patient in life’s major areas, such as work, interpersonal relationships, or self-care, and the usual treatment is performed with the help of anti- psychotic medication, which targets primarily the hallucinations, delirium, etc. Other symptoms, such as the decreased emotional expression or avolition, require a multidisciplinary approach, including psychopharmacology, cognitive training, and many forms of therapy. In this context, this paper addresses the use of digital technologies to design and develop innovative rehabilitation techniques, particularly focusing on mental health rehabilitation, and contributing for the promotion of well-being and health from a holistic perspective. In this context, serious games and virtual reality allows for creation of immersive environments that contribute to a more effective and lasting recovery, with improvements in terms of quality of life. The use of machine learning techniques will allow the real-time analysis of the data collected during the execution of the rehabilitation procedures, as well as enable their dynamic and automatic adaptation according to the profile and performance of the patients, by increasing or reducing the exercises’ difficulty. It relies on the acquisition of biometric and physiological signals, such as voice, heart rate, and game performance, to estimate the stress level, thus adapting the difficulty of the experience to the skills of the patient. The system described in this paper is currently in development, in collaboration with a health unit, and is an engineering effort that combines hardware and software to develop a rehabilitation tool for schizophrenic patients. A clinical trial is also planned for assessing the effectiveness of the system among negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients.This work is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth - Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health, Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio