University Knowledge Management Tool for Academic Research Activity Evaluation

The implementation of an efficient university knowledge management system involves the de-velopment of several software tools that assist the decision making process for the three main activities of a university: teaching, research, and management. Artificial intelligence provides a variety of techniques that can be used by such tools: machine learning, data mining, text mining, knowledge based systems, expert systems, case-based reasoning, decision support systems, intelligent agents etc. In this paper it is proposed a generic structure of a university knowledge management system, and it is presented an expert system, ACDI_UPG, developed for academic research activity evaluation, that can be used as a decision support tool by the university knowledge management system for planning future research activities according to the main objectives of the university and of the national / international academic research funding organizations.University Knowledge Management, Research Activity Evaluation, Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems, Decision Support System

Consideration Regarding Diagnosis Analyze of Corporate Management

Diagnosis management aims to identify critical situations and positive aspects of corporate management. An effective diagnosis made by a team with the status of independence from the organization’s management is for managers a useful feedback necessary to improve performance. The work presented focuses on the methodology to achieve effective diagnosis, considering multitude criteria and variables to be analyzed.diagnosis criteria and variables, levels of diagnostic, qualitative and quantitative analysis

SUSTAINABILITY OF LOCAL DECISIONS DURING FINANCIAL CRISIS

Defined by its administrative and financial content, local autonomy is expressed throughout local financial decisions thus, involving the financial management of local communities. These apparent unconditioned decisions are in fact deeply influenced by a complex of political, legal, economic, social and psychological factors. This paper aims to reveal how these very factors are influencing the optimal administration of local public finance that essentially supports „ the good governance” of local communities. Based on these ideas, our paper tries to bring to light the most important premises and conditions that are influencing the involvement of local actors and local budgets in the management of local affairs, insisting on their importance in the context of the present crisis.local governments, financial management, good governance, financial crises.

Consideration Regarding Diagnosis Analyze of Corporate Management

Diagnosis management aims to identify critical situations and positive aspectsof corporate management. An effective diagnosis made by a team with thestatus of independence from the organization’s management is for managers auseful feedback necessary to improve performance. The work presented focuseson the methodology to achieve effective diagnosis, considering multitudecriteria and variables to be analyzed

An Agent-Based Knowledge Management System for University Research Activity Monitoring

Academic research activity monitoring and evaluation are major tasks of a university knowledge management system in the context of the university activity assessments for various national and international classifications. The paper proposes the architecture of a multi-agent system developed for university research activity monitoring as a knowledge management tool. Preliminary results of a prototype system run are briefly discussed

MAS_UP-UCT: A Multi-Agent System for University Course Timetable Scheduling

Many real-world applications are mapped into combinatorial problems. An example of such problem is timetable scheduling. In this case, the two basic characteristics can be defined by its distributed and dynamic environment. One efficient solution to solve this problem could be provided by an agent-based approach. A timetable scheduling problem can be modelled as a multi-agent system that provides the final schedule by taken into account all the restrictions. In this paper it is presented a preliminary research work that involves the development of a multi-agent system for university course timetable scheduling, named MAS_UP-UCT. We focus on the architecture of the multi-agent system, and on the evaluation of the communication process by using the interaction diagrams

L’expérience subjective des personnes âgées lors d’une intervention de sevrage des benzodiazépines et l’impact du sevrage sur les processus d’identité

Essai doctoral d’intégration présenté en vue de l’obtention du grade de Docteur en psychologie clinique, option D. Psy.La consommation de benzodiazépines pour gérer l’anxiété et l’insomnie demeure un phénomène préoccupant chez les personnes âgées bien que les effets nocifs du médicament soient davantage vulgarisés auprès de cette population et que des interventions diversifiées leur soient proposées pour arrêter leur utilisation. Compte tenu du fait que les perceptions de Soi des aînés quant à leurs compétences de gérer leurs difficultés avec ou sans médicament, tout en maintenant une image de Soi positive, semblent influencer la prise de BZD et leur résultat au sevrage, cette étude qualitative porte sur l’impact de celles-ci sur les trajectoires développées par les participantes lors d’une intervention de sevrage. Ainsi, douze participantes ayant reçu trois types d’interventions différentes ont été interviewées, dans les trois à quatre ans suivant l’intervention de sevrage afin de recueillir et analyser leurs expériences lors des interventions. En utilisant la théorisation ancrée comme démarche analytique, une attitude d’agentivité, une attitude de résignation et une attitude d’ambivalence ont été identifiées en réponse au sevrage sur la base de la variabilité d’un nombre de caractéristiques communes. Ces caractéristiques comprennent l’état général de santé, la qualité de la relation avec les professionnels de la santé, la qualité de l’introspection concernant les effets nocifs des BZD et des processus psychologiques impliqués dans l’apparition et le maintien de l’insomnie et/ou de l’anxiété, le type de motivation, la conviction en sa compétence de se sevrer, les attitudes envers l’utilité de prendre de BZD, la durée de la prise de BZD, la sévérité des symptômes de sevrage, les attentes par rapport au soutien offert par la recherche et, enfin, les attitudes envers l’âgisme et la prescription des médicaments chez les personnes âgées. La variabilité de ces caractéristiques mène les participantes à développer des stratégies d’action par l’engagement ou par le désengagement lors de l’intervention de sevrage ce qui aboutit soit à un sevrage complet ou quasi complet (correspondant à l’agentivité), soit à une diminution ou maintien de la consommation de la molécule (correspondant à la résignation et à l’ambivalence). Il en résulte un renforcement ou des réajustements des perceptions de Soi relatives aux compétences de gérer la santé en vieillissant de sorte que la personne âgée maintient une image cohérente et positive de Soi peu importe le résultat du sevrage. Pour conclure, les résultats de cette étude indiquent que les professionnels de la santé pourraient dépister l’attitude qu’une personne âgée serait encline à développer lors du sevrage à l’aide des outils conçus sur la base des caractéristiques identifiées qui semblent avoir un rôle prédicteur des stratégies d’action qui seraient employées et, subséquemment, des résultats des interventions de sevrage. Ainsi, en dépistant l’attitude qu’une personne serait encline à développer lors du sevrage et en la dirigeant vers l’intervention la plus appropriée selon ses besoins (par ex., auto-sevrage à la maison à l’aide d’une grille de sevrage, entrevue motivationnelle, suivi régulier effectué par des professionnels de la santé, groupe de thérapie), les chances d’arrêter le médicament et de maintenir le résultat à long terme seraient maximisées.The use of benzodiazepines to manage anxiety and insomnia remains a concern in the elderly, although the harmful effects of these drugs are more widely publicized to this population and a variety of interventions are offered to help them cease their use. The seniors' self-perceptions of their competences to cope with difficulties, with or without use of medication, while maintaining a positive self-image, seem to influence their BZD intake and the discontinuation outcome. This qualitative study explores the impact of these self-perceptions on the trajectories developed by the participants during a discontinuation intervention. Thus, twelve participants having undergone three different types of intervention were interviewed for this study, within three to four years after the discontinuation intervention to record and analyze their experiences throughout the interventions. Using grounded theory as an analytical approach, an attitude of agency, an attitude of resignation, and an attitude of ambivalence were identified in response to withdrawal based on the variability in a number of common characteristics. These characteristics include the general health status, the quality of the relationship with health professionals, the quality of introspection regarding the harmful effects of BZDs and the psychological processes involved in the onset and maintenance of insomnia and/or anxiety, the type of motivation, the belief in one's competence to discontinue the medication, the attitudes toward BZD use, the duration of their use, the severity of withdrawal symptoms, the expectations regarding the research support, and the attitudes toward ageism and medication prescription among the elderly. The variability of these characteristics leads the participants to develop action strategies by engaging or disengaging in the withdrawal intervention, which results either in a complete or nearly complete discontinuation (corresponding to agency), or in a decrease or maintenance of the BZD intake (corresponding to resignation and ambivalence). The outcome is a reinforcement or readjustment of self-perceptions related to health management skills so that the elderly maintain a coherent and positive self-image regardless of their withdrawal result. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that health professionals could use screening tools based on the identified characteristics to predict the attitude that a BZD user is likely to develop during discontinuation as these characteristics appear to be predictive of the action strategies that are likely to be employed and, subsequently, of the outcomes of withdrawal interventions. Thus, by predicting the attitude that an elderly person could develop during withdrawal and by directing one to the most appropriate intervention according to one’s needs (e.g., self-discontinuation at home using a withdrawal grid, motivational interviewing, regular follow-ups with health professionals, therapy group), the chances of stopping the medication and maintaining the long-term outcome are likely to be maximized

New perspectives into art therapy approaches for clients with Alzheimer's disease, informed by neuroscience findings related to implicit memory rocesses. A theoretical study

The focus of this study is on how research on implicit memory preserved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can inform art therapy approaches for this population, and on the possibility of art therapy to use and stimulate implicit processes that are still available in this neuropathology. Therefore, this paper connects findings about implicit brain processes in AD, about types of brain stimulation during art-making process, and research data from art therapy for clients with AD. The theoretical methodology based on literature review was an appropriate tool to explore this topic. Available implicit memory processes in AD – related to sensory processes, emotions, perceptual and procedural memory, implicit associative processes, and attention – were found to play a consistent role in art therapy for those suffering of AD. The comparison led to findings that, besides clients’ changes in artistic expression due to cognitive loss in AD, art therapy can rely on implicit processes and has a great potential in offering multisensory and motor-sensory stimulation, enhancing attention and associative functions, regulating emotions, reducing anxiety, stimulating skill learning, and improving the overall well-being. This study could offer a background of understanding on how art therapy is using implicit brain processes and could provide directions for future research