‘Suburbanism as a Way of Staying Alive’: Reinventing the Rural

This paper will focus on the social transformations that took place in the Portuguese rural space. In particular, we will study the village of Albernoa in the region of Alentejo in Southern Portugal in order to characterize the deep structural social change this place has gone through. In fact, similarly to what has happened to the major rural areas in the region, this village has suffered progressive ageing and continuous depopulation. These tendencies occurred simultaneously with the reduction of several agricultural enterprises and activities. We will also identify some dynamic indicators connected with the increasing spatial mobility (sprawl) and the gradual integration of urban habits. Albernoa is now at the crossroads between urbanization and marginalization. To analyze these changes we will use a multidimensional perspective of the concept of social space, based on the theoretical approach presented by Lefebvre. This author states that space should not be interpreted as a mere receptacle of social relationships. On the contrary, social space is produced daily in concrete places and is grounded in different kinds of practices and social representations. The distinction and consequently the inter-relation between the notions of space and place helps us to dismantle the various mechanisms that make up these complex social exchanges in which the concepts of rural and urban are constantly re-inventing themselves

Exact Algorithms for the Graph Coloring Problem

The graph coloring problem is the problem of partitioning the vertices of a graph into the smallest possible set of independent sets. Since it is a well-known NP-Hard problem, it is of great interest of the computer science finding results over exact algorithms that solve it. The main algorithms of this kind, though, are scattered through the literature. In this paper, we group and contextualize some of these algorithms, which are based in Dynamic Programming, Branch-and-Bound and Integer Linear Programming. The algorithms for the first group are based in the work of Lawler, which searches maximal independent sets on each subset of vertices of a graph as the base of his algorithm. In the second group, the algorithms are based in the work of Brelaz, which adapted the DSATUR procedure to an exact version, and in the work of Zykov, which introduced the definition of Zykov trees. The third group contains the algorithms based in the work of Mehrotra and Trick, which uses the Column Generation method

Modelo Integrado de Sistemas de Informação para apoio aos vários níveis de decisão da FAP

Este trabalho de investigação pretende trazer à discussão os Sistemas de Informação da Força Aérea Portuguesa, numa perspectiva de adequação à capacidade de em cada momento poder fornecer a informação que os decisores aos vários níveis carecem para que as suas acções sejam efectivas. Para tal, inicia-se com a definição conceptual de informação e de sistema de informação. Num segundo momento descreve-se a evolução dos actuais sistemas para que melhor se perceba a actual situação dos mesmos em face das necessidades da organização. Este enquadramento, é completado com a caracterização dos sistemas com relevo para o levantamento dos problemas resultantes da percepção obtida junto de elementos chave da organização. Ou seja, qual a dimensão dos problemas e quais as principais dificuldades causadas pela actual situação. Tendo sido caracterizadas as várias dimensões do problema, observava-se uma particular incidência na dificuldade do sistema suportar a decisão de actividades, com relevância para o aprontamento de aeronaves e a sustentação logística das mesmas. Assim passou-se para a criação de um modelo susceptível de representar os sistemas da Força Aérea Portuguesa, cuja validação pudesse contribuir para definição de indicadores e que pudessem fundamentar a formulação de hipóteses viáveis para a resolução do problema. Estabelecidos os indicadores e formuladas as hipóteses passou-se à avaliação das vantagens e desvantagens das mesmas, que variavam desde a manutenção da situação actual, até à solução em que era preconizado um envolvimento mais acentuado da organização. Desta análise resultou que a hipótese de solução em que é requerida uma maior participação da organização era aquela que oferecia a melhor resposta aos problemas tendo em atenção fundamentalmente a emergência da situação. Assim, foi recomendado que a solução para melhor integrar os sistemas de informação da Força Aérea Portuguesa, passaria por um levantamento processual que resultaria no desenvolvimento de soluções técnicas, com uma forte liderança do Estado Maior da Força Aérea e com o envolvimento directo da Direcção de Comunicações e Sistemas de Informação. Abstract: This research work aims to bring discussion to the Information Systems of Portuguese Air Force in terms of adequacy of the capacity in each time to provide information that decision makers at various levels need to ensure that their actions are effective. To do this, it´s necessary to start with the conceptual definition of information and information system. Afterwards there is the need to describe the evolution of current systems to better understand the present situation in view of the needs of the organization. This framework is complemented with the characterization of systems that have relevance to the survey of key issues that the organization is perceived or what the extent of the problems and what the main problems caused by the current situation. Having characterized the various dimensions of the problem there is observed a particular focus on the difficulty of the system to support the implementation of activities with relevance to the aircraft readiness and its logistics support. So there was the need to create a model capable of representing the systems of the Portuguese Air Force and a validation which could contribute to the development of indicators that could support the formulation of viable possibilities to solve the problem. Established the indicators and the assumptions made it was necessary to appraise the advantages and disadvantages of hypotheses, ranging from the current situation, until the solution in which was advocated a greater involvement of the organization. This analysis led to the hypothesis of a solution in which is required a greater involvement of the organization. This was the one that offered the best answer to the problems concerning the emergence of the situation. Thus it was recommended that the solution to integrate information systems of the Portuguese Air Force would be a procedural review that would result in the development of technical solutions, with strong leadership of the Staff of the Air Force with the direct involvement of the Directorate of Communications and Information Systems

Between two Worlds: Representations of the Rural and the Urban in two Portuguese Municipalities

In a context of contemporaneousness in which there is little mention of the articulation between urban spaces and those with predominantly “rural” characteristics, we seek to make a contribution towards the “social construction of the rural space” and towards an understanding of the relation spheres and articulation between these spaces and the dynamics of urbanisation. This analysis was conducted within the context of a larger study that used several tools for gathering information (analysis of secondary data, questionnaires and interviews) in seeking to understand the principle recent transformations in the more peripheral and rural areas of the Algarve region. The Algarve is better known, both nationally and internationally, as an attractive tourist destination for those seeking sun and accessible beaches; however, it is also a very diverse region (with mountainous and rural landscapes), and one, moreover, little studied by the social sciences. Here we discuss and problematize social representations of the local space by the residents of two municipalities: São Brás de Alportel and Alcoutim. Based on the results of a study concluded in 2010, we discuss the responses to a survey of 678 residents in both municipalities (the questionnaire was given to a representative sample of residents according to gender and age [2001 Census]), in order to understand their views on the development of their municipality, about the area’s strong and weak points and about the main changes taking place in respect of the (re)composition of the local population. These two municipalities, which are very different despite their geographical proximity, were selected in order to allow an analysis of long-term structural changes; however, here we are particularly interested in discussing some of the exploratory analysis indicators associated with the respondents’ subjective perceptions. The representations by residents of both municipalities are various and contrasting, with asymmetries and diversities between them. This analysis leads us to a conclusion in respect of the limits on the use of conceptions that are naturalist, a priori and which are based on the reification of the spatial characteristics and social practices of social protagonists within rural spaces. It is necessary to devise alternative conceptual tools, ones that take into consideration the relational spaces promoting the dynamics of inter-relationship, diversity and of hybridism that must be incorporated into socio-territorial and multi-scale projects and policies (local base, connected to the national and the international)

Chapter 16 Afterword

The digital PDF of the Afterword of this title are available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The word ‘precarity’ is widely used when discussing work and employment, social conditions and lived experiences, and social classes. There is not, however, a consensus on the precise meaning of the term or how it should best be used to explore social changes. Bringing together an international group of thinkers from a diverse range of fields, this book offers a distinctive and critical perspective approach to an important topic

The cyberdivisions produced by the design of VGI under the platform economy: the Case of the Restaurant Sector in TripAdvisor

There is increasing concern regarding the inequalities produced by digital platforms based on volunteered geographic information (VGI). Several forms of inequalities have been observed, namely the unequal spatial coverage and the uneven levels of usage even in territories with good coverage. However, VGI platforms under the logic of platform economy have generated other forms of spatial inequality that require more attention. The cyberspace within VGI platforms is producing different cyberspatialities, especially with the platformisation processes that have made this type of inequality more evident. With this in mind, this paper aims to explore the making of cyberdivisions under the platform economy. We argue that the design of VGI within digital platforms is generating cyberdivisions in the urban economy. This research is particularly interested in exploring the restaurant sector in the TripAdvisor platform in the city of Lisbon. In this paper, we draw on a representative survey by questionnaire to restaurant firm owners. We obtained 385 responses out of a universe of 3453 restaurants. This sample provides a confidence level of 95% and a confidence interval of 5%. In addition, we webscraped data from TripAdvisor to assess its coverage in Lisbon. This study reveals that there are different forms of online presence and engagement which have generated cyberdivisions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is the COVID‐19 pandemic accelerating the platformization of the urban economy?

This article shows that, while the pandemic lockdown decelerated everyday life, it has also potentiated further acceleration of the platformization of urban economic sectors. We show this through an empirical qualitative study of the restaurant sector in Lisbon, in which we found that: (i) the digitalisation of three management tasks during the COVID-19 lockdown – namely marketing, customer relationship management, and delivery tasks – was the trigger for the acceleration of the platformization of the restaurant sector in Lisbon, and (ii) restaurant firms had different departure points in terms of the use of digital technologies – which are linked to their location within the city –, and these led to different rhythms in the platformization of restaurants. We conclude that, as the lockdown measures led to a deceleration of social and economic activities, they also promoted further acceleration of economic change, especially under the logic of the platform economy. Additionally, we show that firms unable to engage with digital platforms have been trying to mimic online dynamics through the implementation of non-platformized digital processes, which lead us to consider that the effects of the process of platformization extend beyond the platform itself.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Chapter Introduction

The digital PDF of the Introduction of this title are available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The word ‘precarity’ is widely used when discussing work and employment, social conditions and lived experiences, and social classes. There is not, however, a consensus on the precise meaning of the term or how it should best be used to explore social changes. Bringing together an international group of thinkers from a diverse range of fields, this book offers a distinctive and critical perspective approach to an important topic

Bloom's taxonomy and its adequacy to define instructional objective in order to obtain excellence in teaching

Muitos são os instrumentos existentes para apoiar o planejamento didático-pedagógico, a estruturação, a organização, a definição de objetivos instrucionais e a escolha de instrumentos de avaliação. A Taxonomia de Bloom é um desses instrumentos cuja finalidade é auxiliar a identificação e a declaração dos objetivos ligados ao desenvolvimento cognitivo que, no contexto deste artigo, engloba a aquisição do conhecimento, competência e atitudes, visando facilitar o planejamento do processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Embora este seja um instrumento adequado para utilização no ensino superior, poucos educadores fazem uso dele por não conhecerem uma maneira adequada de utilizá-lo. Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar a Taxonomia de Bloom e as modificações ocorridas nos últimos anos, assim como esclarecer a forma como ela pode ser utilizada dentro do contexto de ensino de engenharia.Bloom's taxonomy was created in order to support the classification of educational objectives and facilitate the process of teaching, learning and the cognitive development. Even though Bloom's Taxonomy has proven to be a significant tool for the process of teaching, learning, and assessment, few educators use it adequately, mostly because its use is not as clear as it should be. This paper describes the Bloom's Taxonomy including its updated version, and has the objective of clarifying some important points of how to Bloom's Taxonomy can be used in engineering courses (teaching, learning, and assessment) to provide an adequate, planed, and controlled cognitive development.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Universidade Simon Frasie