Learning roadmap studio : new approaches and strategies for efficient learning and training processes

Learning systems have emerged in a set of different information systems, oriented for different kinds of organizations and institutions, such as learning management systems, knowledge management systems and learning content management systems, which can be integrated or merged with others. From past experience, it has been denoted that strategies and pedagogical processes are tasks that can be created, enriched and boosted by actors who participate in learning and training processes: course managers, teachers and students. The challenge posed to the different actors involved also accelerates the changes that have been happening in education and training, empowering a society based on knowledge. Initiatives such as eLearning (EU Comission 2000), eLearningEurope, eTwinning and Education Observatories are an evidence of this challenge. Platforms, applications, tools and systems must respond to challenges that those actors face nowadays: heterogeneous target audiences, in terms of student profiles, number of participants, differentiated contents and schedules to achieve knowledge, outcomes and competences. Thus, a prototype application, named Learning Roadmap Studio (LRMS), has been developed and deployed at Aveiro Norte Polytechnic School of the University of Aveiro, in order to suppress gaps in learning processes and to power better learning and training. It represents a new challenge for the University of Aveiro for higher education and is already being tested. At its core is the concept of “learning roadmaps” that act upon two fundamental axes: education and learning. For the teachers, it aims at becoming a self-supporting tool that stimulates the organization and management of the course materials (lectures, presentations, multimedia content, and evaluation materials, amongst others). For the students, the learning roadmap aims at promoting self-study and supervised study, endowing the pupil with the capabilities to find the relevant information and to capture the concepts in the study materials. The outcome will be a stimulating learning process together with an organized management of those materials. It is not intended to create new learning management systems. Instead, it is presented as an application that enables the edition and creation of learning processes and strategies, giving primary relevance to teachers, instead of focusing on tools, features and contents

Bragg spectroscopy of a strongly interacting Fermi gas

We present a comprehensive study of the Bose-Einstein condensate to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BEC-BCS) crossover in fermionic $^6$Li using Bragg spectroscopy. A smooth transition from molecular to atomic spectra is observed with a clear signature of pairing at and above unitarity. These spectra probe the dynamic and static structure factors of the gas and provide a direct link to two-body correlations. We have characterised these correlations and measured their density dependence across the broad Feshbach resonance at 834 G.Comment: Replaced with published versio

Non-standard employment among young people in the European Union: precariousness, multiple jobholding and unpaid overtime

[ES] El objetivo de esta tesis doctoral es analizar la precarización del empleo entre los jóvenes de los países miembro de la EU-28 tras la Gran Recesión. Para ello, se estudia el empleo no estándar como eje de la creciente flexibilización de los mercados laborales y determinante del proceso de precarización del empleo. Se abarcan tres vértices esenciales en la investigación sobre los determinantes de la precarización y la influencia del empleo no estándar en los jóvenes de la EU-28: las similitudes y diferencias en la precarización del empleo entre los países europeos, los determinantes del segundo empleo en jóvenes pluriempleados y el efecto del empleo no estándar sobre la realización de horas extra no remuneradas. La investigación se centra en el estudio de los jóvenes asalariados de entre 15 y 34 años pertenecientes a los países miembros de la EU-28 para el periodo posterior a la Gran Recesión hasta 2019. La base de datos utilizada es la Encuesta de Población Activa de la Unión Europea, lo que permite un análisis comparativo con una muestra homogénea y armonizada para todos los países miembro de la EU-28. Utilizando esta base de datos se ha desarrollado en el primer capítulo un indicador multidimensional ajustado de precariedad, al igual que se han estimado diversos modelos econométricos a lo largo del trabajo doctoral como son modelos de regresión logística o modelos de regresión logística multinivel tanto con efectos fijos como aleatorios. Los resultados muestran una elevada precarización del empleo en los países Mediterráneos seguidos de Países Bajos y Dinamarca, y una baja incidencia e intensidad de la precariedad en los países Continentales, Anglosajones y del Centro y Este de Europa, siendo los bajos salarios el principal factor determinante de la precariedad. El segundo capítulo revela un efecto positivo del empleo a tiempo parcial sobre la propensión a obtener un segundo empleo, al igual que el tercer capítulo muestra un efecto positivo del empleo temporal y, especialmente, del teletrabajo sobre la realización de horas extra no remuneradas por parte de los jóvenes. Finalmente, se observan diferencias estadísticamente significativas sobre estos resultados en función de diferentes variables sociodemográficas, del primer empleo, de la jornada laboral y de las instituciones y contextos de los mercados laborales europeos. [EN] This doctoral thesis sets out to analyse the precariousness of employment among young people in EU-28 member states following the Great Recession. This involves studying non-standard employment as the linchpin of the growing deregulation of labour markets and a key factor informing their greater precariousness. The research adopts three main approaches to the analysis of the drivers of precariousness and the impact that non-standard employment has on young people in EU-28: the similarities and differences in the levels of precariousness among young people across member states, the determinants of their multiple jobholding, and the effect that non-standard employment has on their unpaid overtime. The research focuses on young wage earners between the ages of 15 and 34 in EU-28 member states over the period following the Great Recession until 2019. The database used is the European Union Labour Force Survey, which allows for a comparative analysis to be conducted with a uniform and harmonised sample for all the member states. This database has been used in the first chapter to develop an adjusted multidimensional precariousness rate, together with the estimation of sundry econometric models throughout this doctoral thesis, such as logistic and multilevel regression with both fixed and random effects. The results reveal a high level of precariousness in Mediterranean countries, followed by the Netherlands and Denmark, and a low rate and intensity in Continental and Anglo-Saxon countries, and Central and Eastern Europe, with low wages being the common denominator of precariousness. The second chapter finds that part-time work has a positive effect on the decision to hold a second job, with the third chapter reporting a positive effect of temporary employment and, especially, working from home on unpaid overtime among young people. Finally, there are statistically significant differences between these results depending on several sociodemographic variables, first job characteristics, type of working day, and the institutions and contexts of Europe’s labour markets

Precise determination of the structure factor and contact in a unitary Fermi gas

We present a high-precision determination of the universal contact parameter in a strongly interacting Fermi gas. In a trapped gas at unitarity we find the contact to be $3.06 \pm 0.08$ at a temperature of 0.08 of the Fermi temperature in a harmonic trap. The contact governs the high-momentum (short-range) properties of these systems and this low temperature measurement provides a new benchmark for the zero temperature homogeneous contact. The experimental measurement utilises Bragg spectroscopy to obtain the dynamic and static structure factors of ultracold Fermi gases at high momentum in the unitarity and molecular Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) regimes. We have also performed quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the static properties, extending from the weakly coupled Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) regime to the strongly coupled BEC case, which show agreement with experiment at the level of a few percent.Comment: Replaced with accepted versio

Suplementos alimentares numa farmácia comunitária

Monografia realizada no âmbito da unidade de Estágio Curricular do Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, apresentada à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de CoimbraA procura por um estilo de vida mais saudável implementou um crescimento na comercialização de produtos notificados como Suplementos Alimentares, aumentando assim a necessidade de uma maior fiscalização e uma maior colaboração entre as entidades competentes de modo a garantir a segurança alimentar para os consumidores. Considerados géneros alimentícios, os Suplementos Alimentares não necessitam de estudos de segurança e eficácia previamente à sua comercialização, estando a sua segurança responsabilizada pelo fabricante e a sua fiscalização pelas autoridades competentes. Os Suplementos Alimentares são considerados pela população seguros e inócuos e não necessitam de indicação médica, fatores que tornam o papel do Farmacêutico ainda mais relevante no aconselhamento prestado na farmácia comunitária. Previamente à dispensa do Suplemento Alimentar, o Farmacêutico deve tomar conhecimento da terapêutica habitual do utente, objetivando a identificação precoce de possíveis interações dos constituintes dos Suplementos Alimentares com a medicação habitual, garantindo assim a segurança do utente. A presente monografia teve como objetivos a análise da regulamentação dos Suplementos Alimentares em Portugal, a análise dos Suplementos Alimentares mais vendidos numa farmácia comunitária, as possíveis interações que poderão ocorrer aquando a sua toma com medicamentos e o papel do Farmacêutico.The seek for a healthier lifestyle enhanced the commercialization of notified products as Dietary Supplements, arising the need of a greater inspection and collaboration between the competent authorities in order to assure the food safety for the consumer. Considered as food, the Dietary Supplements don’t need safety and effectiveness studies before their commercialization, being the safety held by the manufacturer and the inspection by the competent authorities. The Dietary Supplements are considered safe and innocuous by the population and they don´t need medical indication, which make the role of the Pharmacist even more relevant in the provided counselling at the community pharmacy. Prior for the dispensing, the Pharmacist must be aware of the patient’s usual medication, aiming the early identification of possible interactions between the Dietary Supplements’ constituents and usual medication, assuring the patient’s safety. The present manuscript aimed at analyzing the Dietary Supplements’ regulatory system, the best sellers at the community pharmacy, the possible interactions that may occur during their administration with drugs and the role of the Pharmacist

Quantifying innovation in surgery

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the applicability of patents and publications as metrics of surgical technology and innovation; evaluate the historical relationship between patents and publications; develop a methodology that can be used to determine the rate of innovation growth in any given health care technology. Background: The study of health care innovation represents an emerging academic field, yet it is limited by a lack of valid scientific methods for quantitative analysis. This article explores and cross-validates 2 innovation metrics using surgical technology as an exemplar. Methods: Electronic patenting databases and the MEDLINE database were searched between 1980 and 2010 for “surgeon” OR “surgical” OR “surgery.” Resulting patent codes were grouped into technology clusters. Growth curves were plotted for these technology clusters to establish the rate and characteristics of growth. Results: The initial search retrieved 52,046 patents and 1,801,075 publications. The top performing technology cluster of the last 30 years was minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery, surgical staplers, and image guidance were the most emergent technology clusters. When examining the growth curves for these clusters they were found to follow an S-shaped pattern of growth, with the emergent technologies lying on the exponential phases of their respective growth curves. In addition, publication and patent counts were closely correlated in areas of technology expansion. Conclusions: This article demonstrates the utility of publically available patent and publication data to quantify innovations within surgical technology and proposes a novel methodology for assessing and forecasting areas of technological innovation

Vegetation and the importance of insecticide-treated target siting for control of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes

Control of tsetse flies using insecticide-treated targets is often hampered by vegetation re-growth and encroachment which obscures a target and renders it less effective. Potentially this is of particular concern for the newly developed small targets (0.25 high × 0.5 m wide) which show promise for cost-efficient control of Palpalis group tsetse flies. Consequently the performance of a small target was investigated for Glossina fuscipes fuscipes in Kenya, when the target was obscured following the placement of vegetation to simulate various degrees of natural bush encroachment. Catches decreased significantly only when the target was obscured by more than 80%. Even if a small target is underneath a very low overhanging bush (0.5 m above ground), the numbers of G. f. fuscipes decreased by only about 30% compared to a target in the open. We show that the efficiency of the small targets, even in small (1 m diameter) clearings, is largely uncompromised by vegetation re-growth because G. f. fuscipes readily enter between and under vegetation. The essential characteristic is that there should be some openings between vegetation. This implies that for this important vector of HAT, and possibly other Palpalis group flies, a smaller initial clearance zone around targets can be made and longer interval between site maintenance visits is possible both of which will result in cost savings for large scale operations. We also investigated and discuss other site features e.g. large solid objects and position in relation to the water's edge in terms of the efficacy of the small targets

Equilibrium Chemical Engines

An equilibrium reversible cycle with a certain engine to transduce the energy of any chemical reaction into mechanical energy is proposed. The efficiency for chemical energy transduction is also defined so as to be compared with Carnot efficiency. Relevance to the study of protein motors is discussed. KEYWORDS: Chemical thermodynamics, Engine, Efficiency, Molecular machine.Comment: 5 pages, late

A race for maintaining personal data - how to manage consumers´ data under the right to be forgotten and the right to data portability of the new EU GDPR

The phenomenon of Big Data is revolutionizing business and imposes the study of two underlying issues: data protection and economic value of personal data. With the new EU Data Protection Regulation, the use of personal data by corporations has become more limited, giving individuals the right to ask from companies to delete their personal data or transfer it to other competitors. Under these conditions, this preliminary study explores how individuals in the European Union view their new data protection rights and whether they put a price on their privacy, showing that a significant number is willing to make trade-offs