Crystal structure of the zinc-, cobalt-, and iron-containing adenylate kinase from Desulfovibrio gigas: a novel metal-containing adenylate kinase from Gram-negative bacteria

J Biol Inorg Chem (2011) 16:51–61 DOI 10.1007/s00775-010-0700-8

Management Structure and Work Team Processes; Responsibilities and Responsiveness

This paper explores the management structure of the team-based organization. First it provides a theoretical model of structures and processes of work teams. The structure determines the team’s responsibilities in terms of authority and expertise about specific regulation tasks. The responsiveness of teams to these responsibilities are the processes of teamwork, in terms of three dimensions, indicating to what extent teams indeed use the space provided to them. The research question that this paper addresses is to what extent the position of responsibilities in the team-based organization affect team responsiveness. This is done by two hypotheses. First, the effect of the so-called proximity of regulation tasks is tested. It is expected that the responsibility for tasks positioned higher in the organization (i.e. further from the team) generally has a negative effect on team responsiveness, whereas tasks positioned lower in the organization (i.e. closer to the team) will have a positive effect on the way in which teams respond. Second, the relationship between the number of tasks for which the team is responsible with team responsiveness is tested. Theory suggests that teams being responsible for a larger number of tasks perform better, i.e. show higher responsiveness. These hypotheses are tested by a study of 109 production teams in the automotive industry. The results show that, as the theory predicts, increasing numbers of responsibilities have positive effects on team responsiveness. However, the delegation of expertise to teams seems to be the most important predictor of responsiveness. Also, not all regulation tasks show to have effects on team responsiveness. Most tasks do not show to have any significant effect at all. A number of tasks affects team responsiveness positively, when their responsibility is positioned lower in the organization, but also a number of tasks affects team responsiveness positively when located higher in the organization, i.e. further from the teams in the production. The results indicate that more attention can be paid to the distribution of responsibilities, in particular expertise, to teams. Indeed delegating more expertise improve team responsiveness, however some tasks might be located better at higher organizational levels, indicating that there are limitations to what responsibilities teams can handle.

Children, space, and the urban street: an ethnomathematics posture

Dissertation presented for the PhD Degree in Education Science – Curricular Theory and Science Teaching, by Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

The intersection of people, technology and local space. PPGIS and Web in practice for participatory planning

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies

Educação alimentar infantil: potencialidades de estudantes de educação de infância

Resumo: Na promoção de comportamentos alimentares saudáveis ao longo da vida. que deve iniciar-se o mais precocemente possível, a educação alimentar é um elemento chave. O jardim-de-infância é um espaço efectivo na implementação de projectos de educação alimentar, onde os educadores de infância são actores imprescindíveis. Este estudo teve como objectivo desenvolver uma metodologia apropriada para identificar as capacidades de estudantes de educação de infância e avaliar as suas aptidões no contexto da educação alimentar infantil. A população alvo do estudo foram estudantes do 4ºano da licenciatura em educação de infância de instituições públicas e privadas da área metropolitana de Lisboa (n=287). Construiu-se um videograma, integrador dos domínios da aprendizagem (cognitivo e afectivo) e dos factores associados aos comportamentos em saúde (predisponentes, capacitadores e de esforço). A construção dos questionários estruturou-se em: conhecimentos-atitudes-comportamentos.Pretendia-se que os estudantes transmitissem a sua opinião, de acordo com os questionários.Os estudantes manifestaram conhecimentos, no âmbito da alimentação infantil e da utilidade e aplicabilidade da educação alimentar.Nenhum estudante apresentou conhecimentos negativos, numa escala de zero a 18 valores, 86,9% obtiveram uma classificação entre 11 e 17 valores e 13,1% a classificação máxima.A atitude dos estudantes revelou-se consensual com o desejável, 98,5% apresentaram atitudes positivas face aos aspectos estruturadores das actividades de educação alimentar.No domínio do "saber fazer" 51,0% dos estudantes demonstraram fragilidades no seu desempenho/comportamento. Em conclusão, a utilização do questionário demonstrou ser apropriado para a medição dos conhecimentos, das atitudes e como forma de os estudantes, após visionarem o videograma, espelharem o seu desempenho/comportamento face à representação do educador de infância. A taxa de resposta nunca foi inferior a 98,9% (n=284). No domínio dos conhecimentos, os estudantes manifestaram concepções positivas no campo da alimentação infantil e da educação alimentar. As atitudes enfatizaram-se no domínio afectivo, nos aspectos relacionais e comunicacionais. No domínio dos comportamentos, 91,8% dos estudantes apresentaram dificuldades na identificação dos aspectos menos correctos do desempenho dos actores do video, o que pode sugerir lacunas no âmbito do "saber fazer". Abstract:Nutrition education is key element to promote lifelong healthy eating behaviours and it must begin since early stages of life. Nursery schools are an effective space in the implementation of nutrition education projects, where the nursery teachers are indispensable actors. The aim of this study was to develop an appropriate methodology to identify nursery education student´s skills and evaluate their attitudes in the childhood nutrition education's context. The study's population were students of the 4th degree in private and public nursery education universities in Lisbon metropolitan area (n=287). A video integrator of learning domains (cognitive and affective) and of factors associated with health behaviours (predisposing, enabling and reinforcing) was developed. Questionnaire´s construction was structured in: knowledge-attitudes-behaviours.According to the questionnaires students were asked to transmit their opinion. Students revealed knowledge, in the scope of the childhood nutrition and in utility and applicability of nutrition education. No students presented negative results in knowledge ina zero - 18 scale; 86,9% students obtained a classification between 11 and 17 and the maximum classification was obtained by 13.1% students. Student's attitude was according to win the desirable, 98,5% student´s revealed positive attitudes in the nutrition education's structure aspects of chilhood activities.In the domain of the "know to do" 51,0% of students showed fragilities in their performance/behaviour. In conclusion, the questionnaire´s utilization confirm to be appropriated in measurement knowledge and attitudes and also, after watching the video, as a way for students reflect their performance/behaviour face to the nursery teacher´s representation. Answer´s rate was never lower than 98.9% (n=284). In the knowledge's domain students demonstrated positive conceptions in the childhood nutrition and nutrition education's fields. Attitudes were emphasized in the effective domain in the communication and relational aspects. In behaviour's domain 91.8% students presented difficulties in identifying the less correct aspects of the video actor's performance what may suggest gaps in the "know to do" scope.

Multy-dimensional composition by objectives in aspect-oriented requirements analysis

Thesis submitted to Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia of Universidade Nova de Lisboa in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Computer Science

China's space program : a new tool for PRC "soft power" in international relations?

When China launched an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon in January 2007 to destroy one of its inactive weather satellites, most reactions from academics and U.S. space experts focused on a potential military “space race” between the United States and China. Overlooked, however, is China’s growing role as global competitor on the non-military side of space. China’s space program goes far beyond military counterspace applications and manifests manned space aspirations, including lunar exploration. Its pursuit of both commercial and scientific international space ventures constitutes a small, yet growing, percentage of the global space launch and related satellite service industry. It also highlights China’s willingness to cooperate with nations far away from Asia for political and strategic purposes. These partnerships may constitute a challenge to the United States and enhance China’s “soft power” among key American allies and even in some regions traditionally dominated by U.S. influence (e.g., Latin America and Africa). Thus, an appropriate U.S. response may not lie in a “hard power” counterspace effort but instead in a revival of U.S. space outreach of the past, as well as implementation of more business-friendly export control policies.

FROM NON-PLACE TO PLACE: A STUDY OF EUROPEAN PUBLIC SPACE AS A SPACE OF IDENTITY

Master Erasmus Mundus Crossways in European Humanities

Negative non-ground queries in well founded semantics

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Computational Logic

Three transducers for one photodetector: essays for optical communications

Dissertation presented to obtain the PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Electronics

Public Participation geographic information systems in developing countries: lessons from Uganda on the impacts of interactive screens PPGIS and community perceptions of space

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Structural transformation and specialization patterns in the product space: assessing China and India

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Renova black toilet paper: The creation of a glocal market space

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

THE U.S. and European M&A cycles: A Markov switching and state space approach

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Mota-Engil: A solution to turnover its negative stock market performance

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics