A mobile health care rule-based system

The relation between patient and physician in most modern Health Care Sys- tems is sparse, limited in time and very in exible. On the other hand, and in contradiction with several recent studies, most physicians do not rely their patient diagnostics evaluations on intertwined psychological and social nature factors. Facing these problems and trying to improve the patient/physician relation we present a mobile health care solution to im- prove the interaction between the physician and his patients. The solution serves not only as a privileged mean of communication between physicians and patients but also as an evolutionary intelligent platform delivering a mobile rule based system.

A creative solution for rapid and inexpensive model-making in product design processes

Innovative Developments in Virtual and Physical Prototyping

A creative solution for rapid and inexpensive model-making in product design processes

Rapid prototyping (RP) is an approach for automatically building a physical object through solid freeform fabrication. Nowadays, RP has become a vital aspect of most product development processes, due to the significant competitive advantages it offers compared to traditional manual model making. Even in academic environments, it is important to be able to quickly create accurate physical representations of concept solutions. Some of these can be used for simple visual validation, while others can be employed for ergonomic assessment by potential users or even for physical testing. However, the cost of traditional RP methods prevents their use in most academic environments on a regular basis, and even for very preliminary prototypes in many small companies. That results in delaying the first physical prototypes to later stages, or creating very rough mock-ups which are not as useful as they could be. In this paper we propose an approach for rapid and inexpensive model-making, which was developed in an academic context, and which can be employed for a variety of objects.

Planning Considerations for Tourism in the Minho-Lima Region (Northwest Portugal)

In administering their territories, most local municipalities aim to preserve their natural, historical and ethnographical resources while simultaneously using them to increase revenue and employment. In order to efficiently promote the products and services available and attract tourists, decision makers, private and public, need to know and incorporate tourists’ preferences in their marketing strategies. In this chapter we illustrate the use of stated preferences as an instrument to identify national and foreign tourists’ preferences regarding the products and services that the touristic destination of the Minho-Lima region (Northwest Portugal) should offer. As a starting point, we have taken the three general groups of touristic resources mentioned above as attributes. We take Ponte de Lima, a municipality in this region that has a strong cultural tourism potential as an example to identify possible future tourism scenarios for this territory. We believe the previously identified methodology can be a valuable instrument in the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the selected territory and, thus, support the decision making process behind its future tourist development and marketing strategies.

Determinant factors of the implementation of the balanced scorecard in Portugal: empirical evidence in public and private organizations

In this article we aim to identify and analyze a set of variables that can potentially influence the adoption of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)in Portugal. Hypotheses were tested using data obtained from a questionnaire sent to 591 publicly-owned organizations (local governments, municipal corporations and hospitals) and 549 privately-owned organizations (large companies and small and medium enterprises) in Portugal, with an overall response rate of 31.3%. The results allow us to conclude that although the majority of respondents claimed to know the BSC, its use in Portugal is still limited and very recent, particularly in the public sector organizations. However, it should be noted that its use has increased in Portugal in recent years. Using as theoretical framework the contingency and institutional theories, we found that decentralization, vertical differentiation and the degree of higher education are associated with the implementation of the BSC.

A «corrupção e a fraude» no espaço comunicacional português e europeu: contributo para uma visão interdisciplinar constitucional criminológica e jurídico-penal

As formas de definir «corrupção e fraude» são infinitas, pelo que a aplicação do Direito penal constitucional pode ficar prejudicada. A comunicação e o comentário público e política são por vezes feitos em termos profundamente equivocados. Recentemente, em Portugal, destacados políticos e comentadores chegaram a apelar à «criminalização do enriquecimento ilícito», nem que fosse com o sacrifício da própria Constituição ou do Estado de Direito. É a democracia que passa a estar em perigo. Ao mesmo tempo que se defende com fanatismo quase teológico o sistema económico capitalista, procura-se consagrar na lei a sua destruição. Ou seja, há uma certa demagogia política que quer ter tudo ao mesmo tempo como se isso fosse possível. Perante isto, resta ao cidadão comum agir se for necessário sob as possibilidades das causas de justificação e fazendo uso do direito constitucional de resistência. ABSTRACT Ways to define «corruption and fraud» are endless, so the application of constitutional criminal law may be impaired. The communication and public comment and politics are sometimes done in terms profoundly mistaken. Recently, in Portugal, prominent politicians and commentators have come to call the «criminalization of illicit enrichment» (embezzlement) even if it was at the sacrifice of the Constitution or the rule of law. It is democracy that happens to be in danger. At the same time it defends itself with almost theological fanaticism the capitalist economic system, seeking to enshrine in law its destruction. That is, there is a certain political demagoguery that wants to have everything at the same time as if that were possible. Given this, it remains to ordinary act if necessary under the scope of defenses and making use of the constitutional right of resistance.

A HIPÓTESE INTEGRADORA DA GOVERNANÇA CORPORATIVA E DA RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL CORPORATIVA SOB O ENFOQUE DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS

A governança corporativa e a responsabilidade social corporativa são dois instrumentos que têm o caráter de atingir a excelência da organização empresarial. Por sua vez, os mesmos foram instrumentalizados como meio de proteção dos interesses dos agentes privados com vista à potencialização da sociedade empresarial, motivados pela desconfiança dos processos decisórios dos administradores societários. Posteriormente, evoluiram sob a forma de códigos de condutas, ditados pelos organismos de controle empresarial, sempre conservando o caráter voluntário de sua aceitação. Alguns objetivos sequer foram incluídos nos seus processos internos de excelência, como por exemplo os direitos humanos de determinados stakeholders. Esse ponto é o objeto principal desta investigação, que busca evidenciar a hipótese de integração da governança corporativa e da responsabilidade social corporativa sob o enfoque dos direitos humanos. § The Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility are two instruments that have the character to achieve excellence in business organization. On the other hand, they have been exploited as a way of protecting the interests of private agents for enhancement of corporate society, motivated by the distrust of the decision-making process of corporate managers. Later, it evolved in the form of codes of conduct, dictated by the bodies of corporate control, always preserving the voluntary nature of their acceptance. Some objectives were not even included in its internal process of excellence, such as the human rights of certain stakeholders. This point is the main object of this research, which seeks to demonstrate the possibility of integration of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility in the human rights perspective.