Modelo de maturação de processos em Instituições de Ensino Superior

A adopção de estratégias de melhoria de processos de negócio é actualmente uma procupação de qualquer organização. Os benefícios desta melhoria na optimização dos recursos e na capacidade de resposta das organizações tem suscitado diversas propostas de metodologias de melhoria de processos. Estas diferem quer nos princípios que as suportam, quer na área específica a que se destinam. No entanto, são ainda escassas as propostas e os resultados de investigação científica acerca da melhoria de processos em instituições de ensino superior, extremamente complexas e com características únicas. Este projecto de investigação pretende propôr a extensão de um modelo de melhoria de processos para este tipo específico de organizações. Este trabalho está a ser desenvolvido no âmbito do projecto de Doutoramento em Engenharia Informática.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lexical-based methodological approaches applied to foreign language for specific purposes teaching and learning

UIDB/03213/2020 UIDP/03213/2020The corpus-based approach taken as a well-established methodology with a multiplicity of applications in different knowledge domains has been largely used in language teaching. It has proven successful in language for specific purposes (LSP) teaching and learning, considering that “the compilation, description, and analysis of domain-specific corpora is one of the widest areas of research in corpus linguistics, especially as regards academic and professional settings” (Campoy-Cubillo, Bellés-Fortuño & Gea-Valor 2010: 3). When it comes to the work with terminology and specialized vocabulary, corpus-approaches derived from the lexicon sciences have taken an increasingly prominent role, such as the corpus-based terminology (Cabré, Amor-Montané & Nazar 2012), also recognized as an approach in terminology acquisition (Gamper and Stock 1998), or the corpus-based terminography (Bowker 1996, Kast-Aigner 2010), an approach with great contributions to LSP corpora compilation (Bowker 1996). Language methodological approaches applied to foreign language teaching with a focus on LSP can profit from the use of corpus-based approaches, namely the lexical approach and the data-driven learning. Considering that “language is fundamentally lexical” (Lewis 2000: 149), lexical chunks or multi-word units are at the core of the lexical approach of Lewis, a learning strategy complementary to the communicative approach. Bearing in mind the technology developments, Lewis advocates the use of language corpora and corpora for specific purposes as tools to work with multi-word chunks, especially collocations. On the other hand, the “application of computers to language-learning that has come to be known as ‘classroom concordancing’ or ‘data-driven learning’ (DDL)” (Johns & King 1991: iii), a term originally used by Johns (1991), also relies on corpora: “the use in the classroom of computer-generated concordances (…) and the development of activities and exercises based on concordance output” (ibidem). The DDL approach has been effective with writing and grammar skills teaching in foreign languages (Lin & Lee 2015), and according to recent studies, it can also contribute to the increasing of learners’ vocabulary (Soruc & Tekin 2017). Both these approaches boost students to take an active role as masters of their learning process. These learner-centered approaches to language teaching imply training in the use of corpus tools and the interpretation of the language data. Computer-mediated instruction and practices, specifically in the LSP classroom, promote the learning of specialized vocabulary in a motivating way and, ultimately, the acquisition of specialized knowledge. Having in mind this close connection between corpus-based approaches and the lexical-based methodologies to language teaching as innovative methods for the LSP classroom, I will discuss in this presentation my experience with a course of “Specialty Language” for foreign students of European Portuguese, that took place in the NOVA University of Lisbon. Although it was a short course, attended by students with different interests in what concerns the knowledge domain, the corpus-based approach has helped to overcome these challenges and proved to be an important resource to deal with terminology and specialized vocabulary in a multicultural environment.publishersversionpublishe

Perfil do profissional de animação de leitura no contexto escolar : 1º ciclo do ensino básico

44 f.O trabalho que desenvolvemos tem como objectivo traçar o perfil do profissional de animação de leitura, no contexto escolar. Numa primeira abordagem, faremos uma retrospectiva histórica que justifica a pertinência do nosso objecto de estudo. Em seguida, propomos a diferenciação dos conceitos de “mediação de leitura” e animação de leitura”, e serão descritas as competências que, resultantes da nossa pesquisa efectuada, pensamos caracterizar cada um dos conceitos. Esta caracterização será, pois complementada pelas diferentes perspectivas apresentadas pelos especialistas na área da Leitura, que entrevistámos, assim como por alguns autores especialistas na área da leitura e na formação de leitores que tivemos oportunidade de ler

Purification of complex biopharmaceuticals with new processes, advanced analytics and computer-aided process design tools

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em BiotecnologiaViruses are highly efficient vectors that have been used for vaccination and gene therapy applications. However, their complexity renders downstream process particularly challenging since devices and strategies especially designed for virus purification are still lacking or need further optimization. After an introduction to the challenges of virus purification and the current strategies being employed, this dissertation presents the study of three different stages of the downstream process: clarification, ultrafiltration and chromatography. A novel clarification procedure based on diatomaceous earth was evaluated. Small-scale batch incubations led to the identification of Divergan RS – a synthetic non-charged material – as the most promising candidate for integration in a scalable filtration set-up. Ultrafiltration was addressed with the evaluation of cassette and hollow fiber modules. The results obtained show that cassette module with cut-offs in the 500 kDa range and highly hydrophilic materials enable complete recovery of infective Adenovirus while reducing process time in half when compared with the best hollow fibers. Despite the encouraging results with Adenovirus, the experiments using Retrovirus resulted in low yields and possible optimization strategies were identified. Membrane technology was also evaluated as an alternative to the packed-bed chromatography columns. By using a scale-down 96-well device, the impact of ligand density, membrane structure and feed conductivity were evaluated for the purification of Adenovirus by ion exchange chromatography. The hydrogel-grafted membrane with ligand density of 2.4 μmol cm-2 operated in bind/elute mode shown the best compromise between yield and purity. Overall, this thesis contributed to the advancement of virus purification field by exploiting innovative technologies.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - (PTDC/EBBBIO/119501/2010

Analysis of the influence of non-pharmaceutical interventions and cultural differences on the evolution of COVID-19

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide have implemented a set of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) as a way to face the evolution of the pandemic. In this dissertation we propose a detailed analysis of the evolution of the pandemic that considers the degree of restriction of NPIs from March 2020 to May 2021 and the reproduction rate in five countries: India, Brazil, United Kingdom, Israel and Portugal. In addition to this, we analyse the impact that Hofstede's cultural dimensions may have between implementations of various degrees of restriction of NPIs and the reproduction rate by applying machine learning models to understand whether cultural characteristics are useful information to improve reproduction rate predictions. To achieve these objectives, we follow the CRISP-DM methodology being that we gather data from Our World in Data COVID-19, Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker and Hofstede Insights website. We show an in-depth and extensive analysis over these months of the pandemic which shows differences between the five countries that have implemented the same NPIs to different degrees and where culture plays an important role in each country's response to the various NPIs implemented.Desde o início da pandemia COVID-19 que os países do mundo inteiro implementaram um conjunto de intervenções não farmacêuticas (NPIs) como forma de combater a evolução da pandemia. Nesta dissertação propomos uma análise detalhada da evolução da pandemia que considera o grau de restrição das NPIs desde Março de 2020 a Maio de 2021 e a taxa de reprodução em cinco países: India, Brasil, Reino Unido, Israel e Portugal. Além disto, analisamos o impacto que as dimensões culturais de Hofstede podem ter entre as implementações de vários graus de restrição de NPIs e a taxa de reprodução aplicando modelos de machine learning para compreender se as características culturais são informações úteis para melhorar as previsões da taxa de reprodução. Para concretizar estes objetivos, nós seguimos a metodologia do CRISP-DM sendo que, reunimos dados de Our World in Data COVID-19, Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker e o website Hofstede Insights. Mostramos uma análise aprofundada e extensa ao longo destes meses da pandemia a qual mostra diferenças entre os cinco países que implementaram as mesmas NPIs em diferentes graus e em que a cultura desempenha um papel importante na resposta de cada país às várias NPIs implementadas

Caracterização do perfil lipídico de insetos costeiros da Ria de Aveiro: implicações para uma aquacultura mais sustentável

Insects are the most diverse animal group, but there are several aspects of their ecology and physiology that remain unknown or undervalued. The use of insects in animal feed is one such aspect. Over the past five years, this sector has undergone major developments in the western world, with insects currently being used as a source of protein and lipids in aquaculture. The production of marine organisms, in particular, is highly dependent on the supply of omega-3, which comprise a group of fatty acids crucial for these animals and for good human health. While traditionally used insect species are poor in these compounds, aquatic and coastal insects are often rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the lipid profile of two insect species collected at different sites in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon (Portugal), to study their potential in a context of sustainable exploitation of marine resources. This study was performed with a lipidomic approach, utilizing chromatographic techniques coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS and GC-MS). Two insects were investigated, namely the bush-cricket Conocephalus fuscus and the fly Machaerium maritimae, the latter in greater detail. The results revealed distinct profiles, but both interesting for different reasons. M. maritimae is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids and its lipidome has an exceptionally high molecular diversity. The profile of C. fuscus is less complex but still rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Intra-specific variations in the fatty acid profile are partially explained by factors such as geographic distribution and gender. The proximal composition of these insects is also presented. Finally, these results are discussed in the context of the species ecology and its biotechnological application as feed ingredients for aquaculture animals, with a focus on fishes.Os insetos são o grupo animal mais diverso, mas existem vários aspetos da sua ecologia e fisiologia que permanecem desconhecidos ou desvalorizados. A utilização de insetos como ingredientes na alimentação animal é um desses aspetos. Nos últimos anos, este sector sofreu importantes desenvolvimentos no mundo ocidental, sendo os insetos atualmente utilizados como fonte de proteína e lípidos em aquacultura. A produção de organismos marinhos, em particular, está muito dependente de fontes de ómega-3, os quais constituem um grupo de ácidos gordos fundamentais para estes animais e para a dieta humana. No entanto, as espécies de insetos tradicionalmente utilizadas são pobres nestes compostos, embora existam evidências de que os insetos aquáticos e costeiros são ricos em ácidos gordos polinsaturados, incluindo ómega-3. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o perfil lipídico de duas espécies de insetos, recolhidos em diferentes locais na Ria de Aveiro, com o objetivo de explorar as suas potencialidades num contexto de exploração sustentável dos recursos marinhos. Este estudo foi realizado através de uma abordagem lipidómica, recorrendo ao uso de técnicas cromatográficas acopladas a espectrometria de massa (LC-MS e GC-MS). As espécies investigadas foram o grilo Conocephalus fuscus e a mosca Machaerium maritimae, esta última com maior detalhe. Os resultados revelaram perfis distintos. A M. maritimae é particularmente rica em ácidos gordos ómega-3, e apresenta uma diversidade molecular excecionalmente elevada no seu lipidoma. O perfil do C. fuscus, embora sendo mais simples, é também rico em ácidos gordos polinsaturados. As variações intraespecíficas no perfil de ácidos gordos são parcialmente explicadas por fatores como a distribuição geográfica e o sexo dos indivíduos. A composição proximal destes insetos é igualmente apresentada. Por fim, os resultados são discutidos no contexto da ecologia das espécies e sua potencial aplicação biotecnológica como ingredientes na alimentação de organismos marinhos de aquacultura, com foco em peixes.Mestrado em Ecologia Aplicad

Uso de desbrozadora como alternativa a los herbicidas en el control de malas hierbas, en naranjo ‘Rhode’

La lucha contra malas hierbas en cítricos constituye un problema por el coste de las operaciones, el gasto de energía y el impacto ambiental cuando se usan herbicidas. Por estas razones, es importante estudiar y divulgar métodos alternativos al uso de los herbicidas. El presente estudio demuestra que en el cultivo del naranjo ‘Rhode’, el uso de una desbrozadora es igualmente eficaz que el uso de un herbicida. Los resultados demuestran que la cosecha y el calibre del fruto no son afectados por el cambio de método de control de malas hierbas. Además, se facilita la movilidad de maquinaria dentro del huerto. El coste de las operaciones de lucha contra las malas hierbas fue inferior en el tratamiento en que se usó la desbrozadora.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Activision Blizzard: Consolidation movements in a maturing videogame industry and value creation

The present thesis was done with the objective to assess if the merger between Activision and Vivendi Games created value to its shareholders and if the share price used in this transaction represented the real value of this operation. This merger occurred in difficult economic times due to the financial crisis of 2007/2008 and in a period of consolidation and maturity in the videogame industry, allied to the rising costs of development and marketing that current videogames are experiencing. The main conclusion was that this merger created value for the shareholders in 2008, mainly due to increased revenues, and is likely to create more value than both companies were initially expecting, according to the present value of the expected cash flows, that were calculated with a 5 year projection for the period 2009-2013.A presente tese foi elaborada com o objectivo de analisar a fusão entre a Activision e a Vivendi Games, e verificar se foi criado valor para os seus accionistas durante esta operação, através da análise do preço por acção em que esta transacção foi avaliada. Esta fusão ocorreu num ambiente macroeconómico adverso, relacionado com a crise financeira de 2007/2008 que começou a afectar as economias a uma escala global, bem como num período de consolidação e maturidade que a indústria de videojogos atravessa neste momento, aliado ao aumento considerável de custos de desenvolvimento e marketing que se está a verificar neste sector. A principal conclusão foi que esta fusão criou valor para os seus accionistas, em 2008, principalmente devido ao aumento dos proveitos, sendo provável que venha a criar mais valor do que ambas as empresas esperavam inicialmente, de acordo com o valor actual dos cash flows futuros estimados neste tese, com uma projecção a cinco anos para o período entre 2009 e 2013

Price linkages in pharmaceutical markets

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsThis paper studies the existing price linkage between generics and branded pharmaceuticals, in which the generic price must be a fraction of the latter. Using a vertical differentiation model, we look at the market equilibrium, the effects on the incentives for the brand producer to develop new products, and the possibility of predation by the brand producer over the generic firm. We find that the price linkage increases prices compared to no indexation and it may increase the incentives for the brand producer to expand its set of products. When prices are freely set, the branded firm may also want to expand a new product with a higher quality, but will prefer to remove the original one from the market. Predation may equally occur in both schemes but the price linkage may give fewer incentives for the branded firm to predate while compensating losses with a new drug