Some comments about the use of GHP in Alentejo (Portugal)

In this work we advocate the use of geothermal pumps to cool the isolated houses that can be observed in the plain of Alentejo. Passive cooling of the houses, made for centuries, becomes insufficient when it aims to promote tourism in the region. The climatic characteristics of the region and the relatively high values of the thermal conductivity of the ground favour this type of use. The available land around the houses provide places where you can drill or make trenches to put the pipes under the surface . Some values of pipe lengths were obtained using values appropriate for the region. The need to try to preserve the shape of the typical houses of the region discourages the use of solar panels placed on the roofs. The length and time of use of the equipment is another factor to take into account in the analysis of the costs.

ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION IN THE WEST REGION OF PORTUGAL

Greenhouse production is a very important activity in the West region of Portugal, with an area of approximately 800 ha where the regular production consists in two crops per year, one in winter-spring and the other in summer-autumn. Many growers are now prepared to better exploit market opportunities, since they know that the big export window opportunity is from June to September, when the production is difficult in other regions of south due to high temperatures. Grower’s use new and more productive varieties, either in soil or hydroponic systems, mostly in unheated greenhouses, naturally ventilated, and equipped with modern fertigation systems. Greenhouse production causes some environmental impacts due to the high use of inputs. Several improvements in technologies and crop practices may contribute to increase the use efficiency of resources, decreasing the negative environmental impacts. Greenhouse vegetable production in Northern EU countries is based on the supply of heating and differs significantly from the production system in the Southern EU countries. In the Northern countries, direct energy inputs, mostly for heating, are predominant while in the South the indirect energy input is also important, mainly associated with fertilizers, plastic cover materials and other auxiliary materials. The main objective of this work was to characterise the greenhouse production systems in the West region of Portugal, in order to evaluate the energetic consumptions (direct and indirect), the GHH emissions, the production costs and the farmer’s income. With this work the mostly important inputs were identified, allowing proposing alternative measures to improve efficiency and sustainability. All the data was obtained by surveys performed directly with growers, previously selected to be representative of the crop practices and greenhouse type of the region. However, more research should be performed in order to develop and to test technologies capable to improve resources use efficiency in greenhouse production.

A avaliação das escolas em Portugal: contributos para a melhoria da qualidade da educação

A qualidade em educação constitui uma das grandes preocupações de governantes, políticos, académicos e investigadores e tem sido uma questão amplamente debatida em encontros científicos e estudada em diversos programas de investigação educacional nos mais diversos países do mundo ocidental. A avaliação das escolas (interna e externa) são processos fundamentais para o desiderato da qualidade e da melhoria das escolas. Nesta comunicação apresentamos alguns dos resultados do projeto de investigação “Impacto e Efeitos da Avaliação Externa nas Escolas do Ensino não Superior”, financiado pela FCT (Projeto PTDC/CPE-CED/116674/2010), no sentido de responder ao problema de investigação – Que impacto e efeitos produz a AEE no primeiro e segundo ciclos do modelo, tendo em referência a melhoria da escola, a participação da comunidade e a implementação de políticas de accountability? Os dados empíricos recolhidos e analisados, permitem afirmar que a AEE tem produzido impacto e efeitos nas dimensões organizacionais e funcionais das escolas, os quais são visíveis: a) na melhoria da escola, mais a nível organizacional do que a nível curricular e dos modos de trabalho pedagógico, sendo o impacto nesta última dimensão reconhecido como reduzido ou inexistente; b) na aceitação e apropriação pela escola dos referentes utilizados no processo de avaliação externa e consequente consolidação da avaliação institucional; c) na participação da comunidade na vida social da escola, reforçando as parcerias existentes e dando voz aos diversos atores sociais que intervêm diretamente na escola; d) na institucionalização de planos de melhoria focados nas fragilidades identificas nos relatórios da avaliação externa das escolas; e) na monitorização de resultados académicos, embora sem efeitos visíveis; f) na apropriação do discurso da qualidade, da eficácia, da eficiência e da accountability nas escolas.

UT Austin | Portugal Workshop on Nonlinear Mechanics and Applications in Life Sciences

This is a CoLab Workshop organized as an initiative of the UT Austin | Portugal Program to reinforce the Portuguese competences in Nonlinear Mechanics and in complex problems arising from applications to the mathematical modeling and simulations in the Life Sciences. The Workshop provides a place to exchange recent developments, discoveries and progresses in this challenging research field. The main goal is to bring together doctoral candidates, postdoctoral scientists and graduates interested in the field, giving them the opportunity to make scientific interactions and new connections with established experts in the interdisciplinary topics covered by the event. Another important goal of the Workshop is to promote collaboration between members of the different areas of the UT Austin | Portugal community.

Steady tourists’ relationship with a mature destination. The case of Portugal

This article assesses how the last-visit features and the socio-demographic profile of tourists moderate repeat-visit patterns to Portugal, a mature destination where the persistence of loyal visitors has made its mark on tourism development. The methodology used is a survival analysis to assess the tourists’ repeat patterns. To test the model, a database of 4612 observations was employed, which was obtained from a survey of international tourists. Only repeat visitors with more than two visits over the years were considered for the purpose of the research. The study finds that a combination of socio-demographic characteristics, expectation/satisfaction, trip purpose, pull motivations and regional destination has a positive effect on repeat patterns, confirming that tourists’ willingness to repeat visits to Portugal is far from ceasing. Based on those tourists to Portugal who declared when they started to visit the country, and the number of years of their repeat visits, the article contributes to the literature by introducing new methods of assessing tourists’ repeat patterns for destinations.

Energy consumption and energy efficiency in olive oil mills: case studies in Portugal and Spain in the frame of TESLA project

TESLA project (Transfering Energy Save Laid on Agroindustry) financed by the European Commission, had the main goals of evaluating the energy consumption and to identify the best available practices to improve energy efficiency in key agro-food sectors, such as the olive oil mills. A general analysis of energy consumptions allowed identifying the partition between electrical and thermal energy (approximately 50%) and the production processes responsible for the higher energy consumptions, as being the in the mill and paste preparation and the phases separation. Some measures for reducing energy waste and for improving energy efficiency were identified and the impact was evaluated by using the TESLA tool developed by Circe and available at the TESLA website.

Lithosphere Thickness, Heat Flow and Moho Depth in the South of Portugal

Abstract In the last years, several models have been presented trying to obtain lithosphere and Moho thickness in the Iberian Peninsula, using data related to geoid elevation and topography, gravity, seismicity and thermal analysis. The results obtained show a decrease in the thickness of the crust and the lithosphere in the SW part of the Iberian Peninsula. Density anomalies in the crust are also referred. Data obtained in the region was collected and deviations from average values used were detected. In this work, models were made taking into account the specific characteristics of the region. Heat flow, thermal conductivity, heat production, topography, gravity, seismic and geological data available for the region, were used to adjust the model. The results show that this region is different from other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and a special attention must be given to it. This work shows the importance of trying to know and understand the thermal structure of the region.

Lithosphere Thickness, Heat Flow and Moho Depth in the South of Portugal

ABSTRACT In the last years, several models were presented trying to obtain lithosphere and Moho thickness in the Iberian Peninsula, using data related to geoid elevation and topography, gravity, seismicity and thermal analysis. The results obtained show a decrease in the thickness of the crust and the lithosphere in the SW part of the Iberian Peninsula. Density anomalies in the crust are also referred. The work I intend to present is related with the south of the Ossa Morena Zone, the South Portuguese Zone and the Algarve, in the south of Portugal. Data obtained in the region was collected and deviations from average values used were detected. Models were made taking into account the specific characteristics of the region. Heat flow, thermal conductivity, heat production, topography, gravity, seismic and geological data available for the region, are used to adapt the models. A special attention will be given to the spatial variation of heat flow values and to Moho depth in the region. The results show that this region is different from other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and a special attention must be given to it. The different values obtained using seismic, gravity, and geoid height data, and the results obtained with models using thermal data shows the importance of trying to know and understand the thermal structure of the regions. Problems related with the use of average values will be focused.

Spirituality in the Undergraduate Curricula of Nursing Schools in Portugal and São Paulo-Brazil

Spirituality is considered a dimension of nursing care, which is often recognized as being neglected, mainly due to a lack of education. Several studies have addressed nursing students’ perceptions and skills for providing spiritual care, but there is little evidence on how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. This study comprised Portuguese and Brazilian nursing schools (from São Paulo) and describes how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. It is descriptive and the survey research was performed in 2014–2015. The questionnaire was composed of closed and open-ended questions and was sent by e-mail. A total of 129 answers were obtained, mostly from Portugal. Results indicated that several curricular units include spirituality, although having different contents. The learning outcomes are consistent with improving nursing students’ integral education, developing the clinical reasoning regarding spirituality, and improving the assessment of the patient across the life span. Nevertheless, it seems that spirituality is poorly addressed in clinical practice. Few nursing schools have courses or curricular units specifically dealing with spirituality, but they do provide some form of teaching on the subject. No standard curriculum exists, but teachers believe that it is a very important subject that should be included in the courses taught.

Subsídios para a joalharia contemporânea em Portugal

Para se efectuar a investigação sobre a joalharia portuguesa contemporânea, a partir de 1950, procedeu-se ao seu enquadramento histórico e geográfico. À semelhança do que se verificava resto do mundo, constata-se uma interdisciplinaridade com as restantes artes plásticas (em especial com o design). E consequente alteração das formas, materiais e técnicas anteriormente usadas. Também ao nível da função da jóia se observaram alterações. Foi, então, estudada a relação da joia com o corpo. Portugal conta com um conjunto de artistas joalheiros em plena produção. Existem estruturas de ensino e profissionais, sem, contudo, haver um museu de joalharia contemporânea. Mesmo assim, é de notar o elevado número de exposições e projectos relacionados com esta temática. Neste panorama, surge uma joalharia contemporânea liberta de uma identidade, que permite que o trabalho de cada artista seja singular, sem obedecer a regras limitativas ou castradoras da criatividade. /ABSTRACT: It was during the 50s that in order to carry out the research on the contemporary portuguese jewellery, one had to establish its historical and geographical approach. As it happened in the rest of the world, one may say there was an interdisciplinary with the other fine arts (specially with the design) and the consequent change in the shapes, materials and techniques previously used. The jewel was not an exception to these changes as far its function is concerned. Due to these factors, the relationship between the jewel and the body started to be studied. Nowadays Portugal counts a set of jewelers in full production. There are specialized schools in this area as well as professionals although there isn't a museum of contemporary jeweler. ln spite of this, a huge number of exhibitions and projects concerning this area, take place in Portugal. Taking all these aspects into consideration, a free contemporary jewelry is emerging, allowing the work of each artist may be unique without obeying to any strict or limitative rules that could work as a barrier to their creativity.

Contributos para o estudo da arquitectura cisterciense, em Portugal, no âmbito do Projecto ORFEUS: forma e música

Abstract This communication reflects the work done in the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Beira Interior (Portugal), and still ongoing, in the framework of the project ORFEUS - The Tridentine Reform and music in the cloistral silence: the Monastery of S. Bento de Cástris (Project FCT EXPL/EPH-PAT/2253/2013) and aims to bring the debate to a contribution to the study of the specificity of the monastery of St. Bento de Cástris in the context of Cistercian architecture, in which the shape and the music are intertwined. In this way, two dissertations have been developed in Architecture (integrated master course of architecture of the University of Beira Interior) within the project ORFEUS, which are divided by the importance and contributions of the Cistercian Architecture in contemporary religious architecture, the morphology of the Cistercian churches and the relationship between architecture and music in the specific case study of the church of the monastery of St. Bento de Cástris. Resumo Esta comunicação reflecte o trabalho desenvolvido no Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Arquitectura da Universidade da Beira Interior, e ainda em curso, no âmbito do Projecto ORFEUS - A Reforma tridentina e a música no silêncio claustral: o mosteiro de S. Bento de Cástris (Projecto FCT EXPL/EPH- PAT/2253/2013) e pretende-se com esta comunicação trazer a debate um contributo para o estudo da especificidade do Mosteiro de S. Bento de Cástris, no contexto da arquitectura cisterciense, no qual a forma e a música se entrelaçam. Neste sentido foram desenvolvidas duas dissertações de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura, no âmbito do Projecto ORFEUS, que se repartem pela importância e contributos da Arquitectura Cisterciense na Arquitectura religiosa contemporânea, a morfologia das igrejas cistercienses e a relação entre a arquitectura e música patente no estudo de caso da igreja do Mosteiro de S. Bento de Cástris.

DNI Measurements in the South of Portugal: Long Term Results through Direct Comparison with Global and Diffuse Radiation Measurements and Existing Time Series

The present work describes the measurement effort for direct normal irradiance (DNI) evaluation in the sunny south of Portugal, with a network of eight radiation measurement stations in several locations (including Évora) providing a good coverage of the region. This new initiative for DNI measurement will still need many years (typically 10 or more) to produce a time series which can claim having long term statistical value. This problem can, however, be temporarily mitigated by measuring DNI at the same time as GHI and DHI, in a place where long term series dating back, already exist for those two. It so happens that a long term series (20 years) of global and diffuse solar irradiation exists for the location Évora. So the expectation is to establish correlations with the goal of attributing at least some long term statistical significance to the short and recent DNI series. The paper describes the setup of the measuring stations and presents the preliminary measurements obtained. It further presents the first correlations of monthly averages between normal beam (DNI), global and diffuse radiation. It then uses these correlations, admittedly without acceptable statistical significance (short series of less than one year of measured data), to exemplify how to get a prediction of long term DNI for Évora. This preliminary obtained value is compared to that predicted by the commercial data from Meteonorm.

Morbilidade evitável relacionada com medicamentos: Desenvolvimento de novos indicadores e validação preliminar para cuidados primários em Portugal

Sumário: A morbilidade evitável relacionada com medicamentos (MERM) é um problema de saúde pública com considerável impacto negativo para os doentes e os sistemas de saúde. Os indicadores de MERM constituem medidas operacionais de gestão do risco terapêutico, uma vez que permitem identificar processos de cuidados de saúde que predizem um resultado clínico negativo potencialmente evitável. O uso destes indicadores pode contribuir para reduzir a morbilidade evitável relacionada com medicamentos, evitando danos desnecessários e desperdício de recursos. Objectivo: Desenvolver novos indicadores de MERM para cuidados primários em Portugal a partir da análise de resumos das características de medicamentos (RCM's) e determinar a validade preliminar de face e de conteúdo dos indicadores derivados para este setting. Métodos: A primeira fase deste estudo consistiu num ensaio piloto, com o intuito de testar uma metodologia de inclusão dos RCM's com base na frequência de dispensa da especialidade farmacêutica no ambulatório. Seguidamente procedeu-se ao desenvolvimento de mais indicadores de MERM utilizando a metodologia testada no ensaio piloto. Os indicadores obtidos foram alvo de uma primeira análise com base em aspectos como duplicações e relevância para cuidados primários, de modo a seleccionar os que poderiam passar à fase de validade preliminar de face e de conteúdo. Procedeu­ se então à pesquisa de evidência clínica em fontes de referência para estes indicadores. Na última fase do estudo estes indicadores, bem como a respectiva evidência clínica, foram analisados por um painel de peritos constituído por quatro académicos (dois médicos de família e dois farmacêuticos), sendo aprovados ou eliminados com base num critério de consenso. Resultados: Obteve-se um total de 64 indicadores de MERM, a partir da análise de 35 RCM's. Sujeitaram-se à determinação da validade preliminar de face e de conteúdo 44 indicadores. Foram aprovados por consenso 28 indicadores, tendo sido excluídos 17 (4 por consenso e 13 sem obtenção de consenso). Conclusão: É exequível derivar novos indicadores de MERM para cuidados primários a partir da análise de RCM's. A validade formal de face e de conteúdo destes indicadores obtidos será objecto de estudo de ulterior investigação. /ABSTRACT: Backgroud: Preventable drug-relate morbidity (PDRM) is a public health problem with significant negative impact at a patient and system level. PDRM indicators are operational measures of therapeutic risk management; they identifying processes of care leading to preventable adverse outcomes. The use of these indicators may contribute to tackle preventable drug related morbidity, avoiding unnecessary harm and waste of resources. Objective: To develop new PDRM indicators to Portuguese primary care based on the analysis of summaries of product characteristics (SPC’s) and to determine their preliminary face and content validity to this setting. Methods: Firstly a pilot study was conducted to test a methodology for including SPC's based on the most frequently sold medicines in the ambulatory. Then more indicators were developed using the previously tested methodology. The indicators obtained were analyzed in respect to aspects such as duplications and relevance for primary care to select those that could proceed to the next stage. Clinical evidence was searched for each of these indicators in gold-standard information sources. Finally, this set of indicators and the respective clinical evidence were analysised by a panel of four experts (two academic general practitioners and two academic pharmacists). Preliminary face and content validity was established by means of consensus. Results: A total of 64 indicators was obtained, based on the analysis of 35 SPCs. Forty­ four indicators were subjected to a preliminary assessment of face and content validity, resulting in 28 consensus-approved indicators. Seventeen indicators were excluded (4 rejected by consensus and 13 that did not reach consensus). Conclusion: lt is feasible to derive new PDRM indicators for primary care based on SPC's. The formal face and content validity of the indicators will be determined in a further study.

Tectonic and lithological controls on fluvial landscape development in central-eastern Portugal: Insights from long profile tributary stream analyses

This study examines the long profiles of tributaries of the Tagus and Zêzere rivers in Portugal (West Iberia) in order to provide new insights into patterns, timing, and controls on drainage development during the Quaternary incision stage. The studied streams are incised into a relict culminant fluvial surface, abandoned at the beginning of the incision stage. The streams flow through a landscape with bedrock variations in lithology (mainly granites and metasediments) and faulted blocks with distinct uplift rates. The long profiles of the analyzed streams record an older transitory knickpoint/knickzone separating (1) an upstream relict graded profile, with lower steepness and higher concavity, that reflects a long period of quasi-equilibrium conditions reached after the beginning of the incision stage, and (2) a downstream rejuvenated long profile, with steeper gradient and lower concavity, particularly for the final reach, which is often convex. The rejuvenated reaches testify to the upstream propagation of several incision waves, interpreted as the response of each stream to increasing crustal uplift and prolonged periods of base-level lowering by the trunk drainages, coeval with low sea level conditions. The morphological configurations of the long profiles enabled spatial and relative temporal patterns of incisions to be quantified. The incision values of streams flowing on the Portuguese Central Range (PCR; ca. 380–150 m) are variable but generally higher than the incision values of streams flowing on the adjacent South Portugal Planation Surface (SPPS; ca. 220–110 m), corroborating differential uplift of the PCR relative to the SPPS. Owing to the fact that the relict graded profiles can be correlated with the Tagus River T1 terrace (1.1–0.9 My) present in the study area, incision rates can be estimated (1) for the streams located in the PCR, 0.38–0.15 m/ky and (2) for the streams flowing on the SPPS, 0.22–0.12 m/ky. The differential uplift inferred in the study area supports the neotectonic activity of the bordering faults, as proposed in previous studies based upon other geological evidence.

Empregabilidade e inserção no mercado de trabalho das comunidades ciganas em Portugal e Espanha

A investigação desenvolvida é sobre a empregabilidade e inserção no mercado de trabalho da comunidade cigana portuguesa. Deste ponto de vista, a investigação recai sobre o processo desenvolvido de integração social nas últimas décadas onde se questiona, os Planos de Ação para a Inclusão das Comunidades Ciganas e o seu impacto na vida socioprofissional das mesmas. Para o efeito, será realizado um estudo comparado entre Portugal e Espanha no que concerne ao processo de integração social das comunidades ciganas. Estudos recentes do Instituto Português de Administração e Marketing (IPAM) referem que o emprego é mais difícil de conseguir para pessoas deficientes e pessoas ciganas (os cegos lideram a tabela com 71,6 por cento, seguindo-se a etnia cigana com 47,3).1 Um dos principais obstáculos que se tem verificado em relação à inserção no mercado de trabalho é consequência do problema da discriminação institucional (direta ou indireta)2, relutância por parte das próprias entidades responsáveis pela implementação do desenvolvimento dos programas de emprego. Devido à importância do exercício da cidadania no processo de integração social, realizar-se à uma parte empírica dedicada ao movimento associativo em Portugal e Espanha, de modo a perceber qual o seu envolvimento na definição da política social e respetivas prioridades em relação ao emprego e defesa dos direitos humanos. No quadro da compreensão, será desenvolvido uma investigação qualitativa e quantitativa, com recurso à aplicação de inquérito junto de dirigentes/representantes de ONG´S Ciganas nos dois países, no que concerne à participação/representação das mesmas, na definição de estratégias de intervenção social tendo em conta a politica social nacional e as orientações da União Europeia como é exemplo, a Estratégia Nacional Para a Integração da Comunidade Cigana; EMPLOYABILITY AND INTEGRATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET OF THE GYPSY IN PORTUGAL AND SPAIN Abstract: The research carried out is on employability and inclusion in the Community Portuguese Gypsy labor market. From this point of view, the investigation lies with the developed process of social integration in recent decades where it questions the Action Plans for Inclusion of Roma communities and their impact on the socio-professional life of the community Gypsy. For this purpose, a comparative study between Portugal and Spain regarding the process of social integration of Roma will be held. Recent studies of the Portuguese Institute of Administration and Marketing (IPAM), indicate that employment is more difficult to achieve for disable people and Roma people (the blind lead the table with 71.6 percent, followed by 47%). One of the main obstacles that has been seen in relation to the insertion in the labor market is a result of the problem of institutional discrimination (direct or indirect), reluctance by the very entities responsible for implementing the development of employment programs. Because of the importance of citizenship in the social integration process, carried out the empirical part dedicated to the associative movement in Portugal and Spain, in order to understand what their involvement in the definition of social policy and respective priorities in relation to employment and defense of human rights. In the context of understanding, a qualitative research will be developed, using the application survey of leaders / representatives of NGOs Roma in both countries, with respect to participation / representation of the same in the definition of social intervention strategies taking into account national social policy and the guidelines of the European Union as example, the national Strategy for the Integration of Roma Community.