Notas sobre o conceito de Singularidade Tecnológica

A ideia de uma singularidade tecnológica coloca-nos perante a questão de saber qual o lugar do ser humano num mundo onde coexiste com uma forma de super-inteligência. Embora a nossa capacidade de prever as consequências diminua com a aceleração da evolução tecnológica, este cenário suscita a necessidade de uma reflexão no âmbito da filosofia da tecnologia, que clarifique os problemas formais e materiais levantados. Entre estes estão os potenciais riscos existenciais das muitas incógnitas dos actuais rumos das tecnologias convergentes.The idea of a technological singularity raises the problem of the place of human being in a world where it would coexist with a form of super-intelligence. Although our ability to foresee any consequences diminishes with the acceleration of technological evolution, this scenario creates the need to reflect inside the philosophy of technology for clarifying some formal and material problems. Among these ones, we consider here the potential existential risks derived from certain aspects of converging technologies

Evaluating multi-locus phylogenies for species boundaries determination in the genus Diaporthe

Background. Species identification is essential for controlling disease, understanding epidemiology, and to guide the implementation of phytosanitary measures against fungi from the genus Diaporthe. Accurate Diaporthe species separation requires using multi loci phylogernes. However, defining the optimal set of loci that can be used for species identification is still an open problem. Methods. Here we addressed that problem by identifying five loci that have been sequenced in 142 Diaporthe isolates representing 96 species: TEF1, TUB, CAL, HIS and ITS. We then used every possible combination of those loci to build, analyse, and compare phylogenetic trees. Results. As expected, species separation is better when all five loci are simultaneously used to build the phylogeny of the isolates. However, removing the ITS locus has little effect on reconstructed phylogenies, identifying the TEF1-TUB-CAL-HIS 4-loci tree as almost equivalent to the 5-loci tree. We further identify the best 3-loci, 2-loci, and 1-locus trees that should be used for species separation in the genus. Discussion. Our results question the current use of the ITS locus for DNA barcoding in the genus Diaporthe and suggest that TEF1 might be a better choice if one locus barcoding needs to be done.This work was financed by European Funds through COMPETE and by National Funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within project PANDORA (PTDC/AGR-FOR/3807/2012 –FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027979). The authors received financing from FCT to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2013), Artur Alves (FCT Investigator Programme –IF/00835/2013) and a post-doctoral grant to Liliana Santos (SFRH/BPD/90684/2012), grants BFU2010-17704 from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, 2009SGR809 from Generalitat de Catalunya, and bridge grants from the Dean for Research and the Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques of the University of Lleida (Spain) to Rui Alves

Proposing an alternative allocation algorithm for smartphones: the case of Forall Phones

The refurbished market has grown at a considerable pace in recent years. The development of this market is due to the efforts of several countries to move to circular resource consumption that defines a circular economy (Mugge, Jockin, & Bocken, 2017). This is possible by reducing the waste created and reusing materials that would end up in the waste that are used again as resources (European Commission, 2019). This change has been accepted by organizations and their customers who are beginning to see the refurbished market as a great opportunity. Companies see the opportunity to dispose of used product stocks and recover some of their value (Weelden, Bakker, & Mugge, 2016). Customers see the opportunity to buy fully functional products at a fraction of the original price. The development and growth of the refurbished market has been quite noticeable in the smartphone segment, including in Portugal, where Forall Phones has been excelling. It was in the logistics area, in the allocation of smartphones to sales channels, that this project was carried out (a key area for the company's performance), with the aim of improving the allocation of smartphones to sales channels. After mapping the processes, some opportunities for improvement were identified. Then feedback on the approach (designed to respond to opportunities for improvement) was applied and implemented in Excel. The approach was then compared with other approaches being afterwards suggested some recommendations to further improve its performance.O mercado dos recondicionados tem crescido a um ritmo considerável nos últimos anos. O desenvolvimento deste mercado deve-se ao esforço de vários países em mudar para um consumo circular de recursos que é o que define uma economia circular (Mugge, Jockin, & Bocken, 2017). Isto é possível ao reduzir-se o lixo criado e ao reaproveitar materiais que iriam parar ao lixo, voltando a usá-los como recursos (European Comission, 2019). Esta mudança tem sido aceite pelas organizações e pelos seus clientes que começam a ver o mercado dos recondicionados como uma grande oportunidade. As empresas vêem a oportunidade de escoar stocks de produtos usados e de recuperar parte do seu valor (Weelden, Bakker, & Mugge, 2016). Os clientes vêem a oportunidade de comprarem produtos completamente funcionais a uma fração do preço original. O desenvolvimento e crescimento do mercado dos recondicionados tem sido bastante notório no segmento dos smartphones, incluindo em Portugal, onde a Forall Phones tem sobressaído. Foi na área logística que este projecto foi realizado (uma área fulcral para a performance da empresa), sendo o objectivo melhorar a alocação de smartphones aos canais de venda. Após o mapeamento dos processos foram identificadas algumas oportunidades de melhoria. De seguida o feedback relativamente à abordagem (criada para dar resposta às oportunidades de melhoria) foi aplicado e esta foi implementada em Excel. A abordagem foi depois comparada com outras abordagens, sugerindo-se depois recomendações para melhorar ainda mais o seu desempenho

La información como soporte de supervisión de pares en enfermería

Introdução: A qualidade dos cuidados é atualmente um foco de atenção de todos os profissionais de saúde, nomeadamente dos enfermeiros. A evidência tem vindo a demonstrar que a implementação de processos supervisivos entre pares é promotora do desenvolvimento de competências profissionais, permitindo aos enfermeiros exercer uma prática profissional adequada e criticoreflexiva, o que consequentemente terá repercussões positivas na qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem. Decorrente das alterações demográficas, tecnológicas e científicas, a informação integra na atualidade o discurso dos profissionais de saúde. Desenvolvimento: a informação é uma ferramenta essencial na orientação dos cuidados de enfermagem, pelo que importa averiguar qual a informação que sustenta a tomada de decisão dos enfermeiros. Esta indagação auxilia também a identificação das necessidades de formação destes profissionais, visando o desenvolvimento pessoal e de competências profissionais. Com a presente revisão narrativa pretende-se refletir sobre a pertinência da implementação de processos supervisivo de pares em enfermagem, bem como do suporte que a informação constitui para a identificação de áreas do conhecimento necessárias à transformação das práticas. Conclusões: Como limitação na concretização deste artigo, evidenciamos a pouca bibliografia disponível principalmente no que respeita à evidência acerca da utilização da informação enquanto suporte à SC de pares em enfermagem, o que nos faz acreditar ser necessário o desenvolvimento de investigação que combine estas duas áreas.Introduction: Quality of care is currently a focus of attention for all health professionals including nurses. Evidence has shown that implementing a supervisory process between peers, promotes the development of professional skills, allowing nurses to provide an appropriate professional and critical-reflexive practice, which in turn, will have positive impact on the quality of nursing care. Resulting from the demographic, technological and scientific changes today information integrates the discourse of health professionals. Development: It is a fact that information is an essential tool in guiding nursing care and it is important to find out what information will be the basis for nurses’ decision-making. This question also helps to identify of these professionals’ training needs, in order to enhance personal development and professional skills and consequently to improve the quality of nursing care. With this narrative review, we intend to reflect on the relevance of implementing a peer supervision process in nursing, as well as, the support that information provides to identify areas of knowledge that need to be addressed with a view to transforming practices. Conclusions: It is worth noting that the dearth of literature available regarding evidence about the use of information, especially with respect to its support of peer CS in nursing is a limitation in implementing this article. This makes us believe that it is necessary to develop research that combines these two areas.Introducción: La calidad de los cuidados es actualmente un foco de atención de todos los profesionales de la salud, incluidas las enfermeras. La evidencia ha demostrado que la aplicación de los procesos de supervisión entre pares está promoviendo el desarrollo de las habilidades profesionales, permitiendo que las enfermeras ejercen la práctica profesional adecuada y crítica-reflexiva, que por lo tanto tiene impacto positivo en la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería. Derivada de los cambios demográficos, tecnológicos y científicos, la información incluye el discurso actual de los profesionales de la salud. Desarrollo: la información es una herramienta esencial en la orientación de la atención de enfermería, y que debe averiguar cuál es la información para apoyar la toma de decisiones de las enfermeras. Esta pregunta también ayuda a identificar la formación de estas necesidades de los profesionales, la orientación del desarrollo personal y habilidades profesionales. Con esta revisión narrativa tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre la pertinencia de la aplicación de los procesos de supervisión de pares en enfermería, así como el apoyo que la información da para identificar áreas de conocimiento necesarias para transformar las prácticas. Conclusiones: Es destacable que la escasez de la literatura disponible a respecto de la prueba sobre el uso de la información, sobre todo con respecto a su apoyo entre pares CS en enfermaría es una liminfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

End-to-end synchronization in packet switched networks

The provision of real time services through a Packet Switched Network, requires the adoption of end-to-end synchronization methods. Several of these methods, are compared and a specific hardware solution is discussed. Results obtained through a specially designed Simulation Programme are included, for several network time delay jitter distributions and synchronization methods. These results are used to evaluate systems and design parameters

Gender differences in a sample of people with heart disease

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are not unique to either men or women, so that it is important to know what differences exist between the sexes, since it is a fact that the physical and psychosocial problems that distinguish them can influence the various areas of their health, particularly cardiovascular health. Objectives: To identify gender differences in a sample of people with heart disease. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study with descriptive and multivariate data analysis using logistic regression. Results: The data indicated that women are more anxious (OR = 2.78; p = 0.018), have low perceived control (OR = 3.06; p = 0.008), do not smoke (OR = 4.41; p = 0.028) and do not drink alcoholic beverages (OR = 5.67; p = 0.000). Conclusions: Nurses should be aware that gender differences between men and women make mean they differ in terms of cardiovascular risk. For this reason, they should be aware of the need to identify the factors that can influence the risk and define and implement interventions that reduce this risk for each gender.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Time well spent”: the ideology of temporal disconnection as a means for digital wellbeing

After facing an intense negative reaction to their accumulation of social, political, and economic power and influence, several tech and social media companies rolled out “digital wellbeing” tools during the second half of 2018. This article examines the technological and discursive construction of “digital wellbeing” as enacted through operating system-based tools (Screen Time and Do Not Disturb— iOS, Digital Wellbeing—Android, My Analytics—Microsoft), and social media platforms application functions (Your Time—Facebook, Time Watched—YouTube, Your Activity—Instagram). While the companies’ discourse deploys an imaginary centered around ethics and a normative experience accentuating the willfulness and empowerment of the user, the socio-material analysis of the interfaces and features shows that they envisage simple, familiar, and limited possibilities of disconnecting. Therefore, agency is limited, and the wellbeing outcomes are indeterminate, restricted to quantifying time or controlling the intentionality of connectivity

Sound as a medium, the performer as a medium

This article intends to cross the vast and fascinating panorama of the graphic notation. The evolution of electronic music requires a new system of notation where, among other things, we seek to understand the new phenomena, such as the relationship between sonority and plastic manipulation in performance; the unpredictability and the error as ways of generating non-linear readings and/or new graphical forms of notation. In this article we intend to discuss the possibility of experiences’ systematization and concepts of ephemeral time, as well as freedom in the improvisation methodology and in real time composition, which has revolutionized the traditional system of musical graphic register. Usually, graphic notation as a musical representation aims to be interpreted by the musician/performer, whose reading can be linear or non-linear, even when is a result of concrete composition techniques. Otherwise, graphical notation arises as a result of the fusion between sound and graphic matter during the performance; a fusion that creates a close object - the score – that even so remains open, to the possibility of a new interpretation (possibly by another performer). Methodologically, we will analyze the contemporary artistic object from the performative practice, considering the reflexive approach of understanding sound as a material providing services to the performer himself and, simultaneously, the performer as a medium fused with the drawing - an object that creates crosses between form, body and duration. We propose the analysis of a case study, where the artistic object is assumed as a score, i.e., as a result of the sound register and the drawing as a visual entity, as an object of change, a game that provides new sound readings.publishe