A qualitative description of soil parameters variation due to a prescribed fire in Portuguese northwestern forests using Fuzzy Boolean Nets — The case study of Cabreira mountain

In this paper we study the modifications that occurred in some forest soil properties after a prescribed fire. The research focused on the alterations of soil pH, soil moisture and soil organic matter content during a two-year span, from 2008 to 2009. The study site is located in Anjos, Vieira do Minho municipality, a forest site that has suffered from recurrent wildfires for several decades. Furze (Ulex, sp.), broom (Cytisus, sp.), gorse (Chamaespartum tridentatum) and a very few disperse adult pine (Pinus sylvestris) are the predominant vegetation type in the study area. The average height of this shrub vegetation is around 1.5 m. The prescribed fire was conducted by the National Forestry Authority (AFN) in November 2008. Fuzzy Boolean Nets (FBN) were used to evaluate the alteration in soil parameters when compared with adjacent spots where: i) no fire occurrence was registered since 1998; ii) fire occurrence was registered in 2008; and iii) vegetation pruning by mechanical cut was done in Spring six months prior to the prescribed fire event. Results suggest that in the particular case of the studied site, Anjos, the observed soil properties alterations cannot be related with the prescribed fire.

A Implementação de um sistema de gestão da qualidadena Junta de Freguesia de Gandra

Trabalho de Projeto apresentado ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Auditoria Orientado por: Doutora Alcina Augusta de Sena Portugal Dias

The importance of qualitative methodology in management empirical research

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of qualitative research within the scope of management scientific studies, referring to its philosophy, nature and instruments. It also confronts it with quantitative methodology, approaching its differences as well as its complementariness and synergies, with the purpose of explaining, from a more analytic point of view, the relevance of qualitative methodology in the course of an authentic and real research despite its complexity. Design/methodology/approach: Regardless of its broad application, one may attest the scarcity literature that focuses on qualitative research applied to the management scientific area, as opposed to the large amount that refers to quantitative research. Findings: The paper shows the influence that qualitative research has on management scientific research. Originality/value:. Qualitative research assumes an important role within qualitative research by allowing for the study and analysis of certain types of phenomena that occur inside organisations, and in respect of which quantitative studies cannot provide an answer.

Preparatory and field work phases in the qualitative empirical research process in management: the case studies approach

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to promote qualitative methodology within the scientific community of management. The specific objective is oriented to propose an empirical research process based on case study method. This is to ensure rigor in the empirical research process, that future research may follow a similar procedure to that is proposed. Design/methodology/approach: Following a qualitative methodological approach, we propose a research process that develops according to four phases, each with several stages. This study analyses the preparatory and field work phases and their stages. Findings: The paper shows the influence that case studies have on qualitative empirical research process in management. Originality/value:. Case study method assumes an important role within qualitative research by allowing for the study and analysis of certain types of phenomena that occur inside organisations, and in respect of which quantitative studies cannot provide an answer.

Mental imagery in interpreting – a neurocognitive perspective

The paper discusses mental imagery as an important part of information processing performed during interpreting. Mental imagery is examined to see if visual processing used to remember the source text or to facilitate its understanding helps to ‗off-load‘ other cognitive (mainly linguistic) resources in interpreting. The discussion is based on a neurocognitively-oriented depictivist model by Kosslyn (1994). The overview of mental imagery processes and systems is followed by the discussion of imagery used in interpreting. First, imagery development in student interpreters is described on the basis of a note-taking course for would-be consecutive interpreters organized by the author at AMU. The initial part of the course devoted to imagery involves visualizations of geographical, descriptive and narrative texts. The description abounds in authentic examples and presents conclusions for interpreting trainers. Later, imagery as employed by professional interpreters is discussed on the basis of a qualitative survey. General implications of the use of mental imagery for cognitive processing limitations in interpreting are presented in the concluding section.

Self-similarity principle: the reduced description of randomness

A new general fitting method based on the Self-Similar (SS) organization of random sequences is presented. The proposed analytical function helps to fit the response of many complex systems when their recorded data form a self-similar curve. The verified SS principle opens new possibilities for the fitting of economical, meteorological and other complex data when the mathematical model is absent but the reduced description in terms of some universal set of the fitting parameters is necessary. This fitting function is verified on economical (price of a commodity versus time) and weather (the Earth’s mean temperature surface data versus time) and for these nontrivial cases it becomes possible to receive a very good fit of initial data set. The general conditions of application of this fitting method describing the response of many complex systems and the forecast possibilities are discussed.

Gestão do risco de crédito e rentabilidade dos bancos: o caso português

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Contabilidade e Finanças, sob orientação do Mestre Adalmiro Álvaro Malheiro de Castro Andrade Pereira.

Inspecção, diagnóstico e projecto no âmbito da reabilitação de edifícios antigos do Porto

Mestre em Engenharia Civil - Especialização em Estruturas

O reportório como recurso pedagógico nas aulas de formação musical

Este documento tem como objetivo relatar aquilo que foi a prática educativa realizada ao longo do último ano letivo. Numa primeira parte, consta deste documento uma descrição da instituição de ensino onde foi realizada a prática educativa, seguindo-se a reflexão das observações realizadas às aulas dos professores cooperantes, bem como a reflexão e descrição daquilo que foi lecionado na disciplina de formação musical em contexto de prática educativa supervisionada. No capítulo terceiro deste documento, encontra-se o projeto de investigação – o cerne deste trabalho – realizado ao longo deste ano letivo. Este projeto trata da questão do uso do reportório como recurso pedagógico nas aulas de formação musical, e foi desenvolvido tendo uma abordagem metodológica qualitativa, onde foram entrevistados um conjunto de professores de formação musical – escolhidos segundo critérios abaixo referenciados – com o intuito de perceber se usam o reportório – quer na audição musical quer no estudo da partitura – como recurso pedagógico nas aulas. Será apresentada uma breve reflexão final acerca das implicações deste estudo, sendo visível as suas limitações, e deixando em aberto possíveis investigações futuras com o objetivo do alargamento e verificação da viabilidade desta questão – o reportório como recurso pedagógico nas aulas de formação musical.