The European challenge of KMN and innovation: a skills and competence portfolio for knowledge worker in SME's

Versão editor: http://www.isegi.unl.pt/docentes/acorreia/documentos/European_Challenge_KM_Innovation_2004.pdf

On the development of textual competence in primary education

The aim of this article is to present the results of an action research project, which has been put into practice in Primary Education. This project was intended to develop students’ textual competence, considering both comprehension and textual production. Our starting hypothesis was that teaching the schematisation of text types, focusing on linguistic devices that underlie text production, would promote the development of textual competence, leading to the production of more coherent and cohesive texts. In order to test this hypothesis we implemented the project in three phases. First, before the intervention, we collected texts produced by the students. Secondly, we implemented a didactic program designed to develop students’ textual competence. Lastly, after the intervention, we collected students’ texts once again. Data was analyzed according to categories that confer cohesion and coherence to different types of texts. Narrative, descriptive, and explanatory texts were assessed in terms of 1) building an autonomous text; 2) hierarchisation of information, and 3) textual organisation. Overall, results indicate that students developed their text conceptualisations, their understanding of the different structures of texts, and produced better writing. Indeed, their written work shows a marked progression from the beginning of the intervention program to the end of the program.

Método AHP como optimização na selecção de fornecedores numa empresa de materiais de construção

Nos dias que correm cada vez mais a diferença entre o sucesso e o fracasso de uma empresa depende da estratégia que escolhem seguir, sendo de igual forma importante maximizar quer os recursos materiais quer os recursos humanos. Assim sendo, cada vez mais empresas optam por incentivar os seus colaboradores a desempenhar um papel importante no processo de decisão. Para isso a estratégia da empresa tem de estar alinhada com cada actividade desempenhada pelos seus colaboradores. Esta dissertação tem por base uma pesquisa de vários métodos multicritério existentes, tendo sido escolhido o método Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) para determinar o melhor fornecedor de cimento para a empresa Materiais de Construção da Minhoteira, Lda. Foi então necessário desenvolver um software tendo por base o Excel que permitisse fazer a análise das diversas alternativas perante os critérios mencionados. A aplicação informática “Make and Choice” procura contribuir da melhor forma para uma escolha potencialmente mais acertada. Conclui-se que “Make and Choice”, utilizando o método AHP, foi adequada para conseguir responder a todos os objectivos inicialmente propostos, foi ainda possível verificar os benefícios que advêm da sua aplicação. E desta forma, perceber que é possível ter o auxílio na tomada de decisão de ferramentas ou métodos que permitem obter a melhor solução.

The European challenge of KM and innovation: a skills and competence portfolio for the knowledge worker in SME's

This chapter appears in Innovations of Knowledge Management edited by Montano, D. Copyright 2004, IGI Global, www.igi-global.com. Posted by permission of the publisher.

Using Baseline Methods to Identify Non-technical Losses in the Context of Smart Grids

Demand response has gained increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets and smart grid environments. In addition to the importance that has been given to the development of business models for integrating demand response, several methods have been developed to evaluate the consumers’ performance after the participation in a demand response event. The present paper uses those performance evaluation methods, namely customer baseline load calculation methods, to determine the expected consumption in each period of the consumer historic data. In the cases in which there is a certain difference between the actual consumption and the estimated consumption, the consumer is identified as a potential cause of non-technical losses. A case study demonstrates the application of the proposed method to real consumption data.

Consumers Performance Evaluation of the Participation in Demand Response Programs Using Baseline Methods

Demand response has gain increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets environment. The use of demand resources is also advantageous in the context of smart grid operation. In addition to the need of new business models for integrating demand response, adequate methods are necessary for an accurate determination of the consumers’ performance evaluation after the participation in a demand response event. The present paper makes a comparison between some of the existing baseline methods related to the consumers’ performance evaluation, comparing the results obtained with these methods and also with a method proposed by the authors of the paper. A case study demonstrates the application of the referred methods to real consumption data belonging to a consumer connected to a distribution network.

Determining the Adjustment Baseline Parameters to Define an Accurate Customer Baseline Load

Demand response is an energy resource that has gained increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets and of smart grids. New business models and methods designed to integrate demand response in electricity markets and of smart grids have been published, reporting the need of additional work in this field. In order to adequately remunerate the participation of the consumers in demand response programs, improved consumers’ performance evaluation methods are needed. The methodology proposed in the present paper determines the characterization of the baseline approach that better fits the consumer historic consumption, in order to determine the expected consumption in absent of participation in a demand response event and then determine the actual consumption reduction. The defined baseline can then be used to better determine the remuneration of the consumer. The paper includes a case study with real data to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology.

Constituição da baseline para projectos de carbono no Parque Natural da Cufada no âmbito do mecanismo REDD+

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil de Gestão e Sistemas Ambientais

Evaluating vehicle painting plans in an automobile assembly plant using an integrated AHP-PROMETHEE approach

The painting activity is one of the most complex and important activities in automobile manufacturing. The inherent complexity of the painting activity and the frequent need for repainting usually turn the painting process into a bottleneck in automobile assembly plants, which is reflected in higher operating costs and longer overall cycle times. One possible approach for optimizing the performance of the paint shop is to improve the efficiency of the color planning. This can be accomplished by evaluating the relative merits of a set of vehicle painting plans. Since this problem has a multicriteria nature, we resort to the multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology to tackle it. A recent trend in the MCDA field is the development of hybrid approaches that are used to achieve operational synergies between different methods. Here we apply, for the first time, an integrated approach that combines the strengths of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), aided by Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA), to the problem of assessing alternative vehicle painting plans. The management of the assembly plant found the results of value and is currently using them in order to schedule the painting activities such that an enhancement of the operational efficiency of the paint shop is obtained. This efficiency gain has allowed the management to bid for a new automobile model to be assembled at this specific plant.

Baseline Susceptibility of Primary HIV-2 to Entry Inhibitors

BACKGROUND: The baseline susceptibility of primary HIV-2 to maraviroc (MVC) and other entry inhibitors is currently unknown. METHODS: The susceptibility of 19 HIV-2 isolates obtained from asymptomatic and AIDS patients and seven HIV-1 clinical isolates to the fusion inhibitors enfuvirtide (ENF) and T-1249, and to the coreceptor antagonists AMD3100, TAK-779 and MVC, was measured using a TZM-bl cell-based assay. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)), 90% inhibitory concentration (IC(90)) and dose-response curve slopes were determined for each drug. RESULTS: ENF and T-1249 were significantly less active on HIV-2 than on HIV-1 (211- and 2-fold, respectively). AMD3100 and TAK-779 inhibited HIV-2 and HIV-1 CXCR4 tropic (X4) and CCR5 tropic (R5) variants with similar IC(50) and IC(90) values. MVC, however, inhibited the replication of R5 HIV-2 variants with significantly higher IC(90) values (42.7 versus 9.7 nM; P<0.0001) and lower slope values (0.7 versus 1.3; P<0.0001) than HIV-1. HIV-2 R5 variants derived from AIDS patients were significantly less sensitive to MVC than variants from asymptomatic patients, this being inversely correlated with the absolute number of CD4(+) T-cells. CONCLUSIONS: T-1249 is a potent inhibitor of HIV-2 replication indicating that new fusion inhibitors might be useful to treat HIV-2 infection. Coreceptor antagonists TAK-779 and AMD3100 are also potent inhibitors of HIV-2 replication. The reduced sensitivity of R5 variants to MVC, especially in severely immunodeficient patients, indicates that the treatment of HIV-2-infected patients with MVC might require higher dosages than those used in HIV-1 patients, and should be adjusted to the disease stage.

Outcomes of communication competence: A study on a Portuguese restaurant chain

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

Selecção de fornecedores utilizando o método analítico hierárquico (AHP) e a análise de risco de fornecimento na indústria farmacêutica: caso de estudo

Dissertação para a obtenção de Grau de Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

electronic payments in mozambique: A Baseline on their adoption in Maputo and Matola

This study analyses the access and use of financial services by small business owners in the cities of Mozambique, as an important tool for boosting economic growth and diminishing inequality. It correlates owners’ and business characteristics with the probability of adopting Points-of-Sale (POS), Mobile Banking and Mobile Money in everyday transactions. The main findings highlight that what mostly affects the use of POS is the size of business and the volume of transactions (positively correlated with POS adoption), while using mobile phone technologies for payments predominantly depends on the owner’s age and whether he/she is a frequent cellphone user. Moreover, to increase the use of electronic means of payment it is necessary to increase financial literacy and improve the banking services.

Children's play and leisure : connections with emotional competence

O jogo e o lazer são elementos importantes para o desenvolvimento das crianças. O objetivo geral desta tese foi o de investigar o modo como o jogo e o lazer estão relacionados com diferentes aspetos das competências emocional e social das crianças e jovens. Nesta tese foram investigados três aspetos do jogo: o tempo, a forma e o nível social, diferentes formas de lazer, e vários elementos chave do funcionamento sócio-emocional, através da combinação de observações naturalistas, tarefas, questionários e de um método inovador de mensuração, baseado em Identificação por Rádio-Frequência. O panorama que surge dos estudos incluídos nesta tese é que o jogo e o lazer estão relacionados com o funcionamento sócio-emocional, embora de formas distintas, e por vezes inesperadas. Os estudos no recreio revelaram que as crianças envolvem-se predominantemente no jogo de atividade física. Contudo, enquanto que uma forma de jogo de atividade física, o jogo de exercício, foi associado a melhor competência social, a outra forma, o jogo de luta-e-perseguição, foi associado à agressividade. O facto de o jogo de faz-de-conta, em estudos anteriores, ter sido maioritariamente estudado em espaços interiores, pode explicar o porquê das associações negativas encontradas entre o jogo de faz-de-conta, quer em grupo, quer solitário (nas raparigas) e a competência sócio-emocional, que contrastam com a literatura. De facto, as crianças que não conseguem juntar-se aos seus pares no jogo de exercício podem optar por esta alternativa, o que sugere que crianças socialmente competentes poderão retirar maior vantagem das oportunidades existentes, adaptando melhor os seus comportamentos de jogo. As crianças mais velhas têm geralmente mais liberdade de decisão sobre o seu tempo de lazer. Quando perguntámos às crianças mais velhas e aos adolescentes como passavam a sua semana, as atividades de ecrã destacaram-se. Contudo, as atividades de ecrã e as atividades intelectuais foram relacionadas a mais problemas de saúde mental, enquanto que as atividades desportivas foram associadas a melhor saúde mental. Concluindo, diferentes formas de jogo e de lazer podem ter diferentes funções, de uma forma positiva ou negativa, dependendo da situação em que a criança se encontra.

A review of the development of regional sludge treatment centres and a baseline characterisation of Irish sewage sludges

This Study assessed the development of sludge treatment and reuse policy since the original 1993 National Sludge Strategy Report (Weston-FTA, 1993). A review of the 48 sludge treatment centres, current wastewater treatment systems and current or planned sludge treatment and reuse systems was carried out Sludges from all Regional Sludge Treatment Centres (areas) were characterised through analysis of selected parameters. There have been many changes to the original policy, as a result of boundary reviews, delays in developing sludge management plans, development in technology and changes in tendering policy, most notably a move to design-build-operate (DBO) projects. As a result, there are now 35 designated Hub Centres. Only 5 of the Hub Centres are producing Class A Biosolids. These are Ringsend, Killamey, Carlow, Navan and Osberstown. Ringsend is the only Hub Centre that is fully operational, treating sludge from surrounding regions by Thermal Drying. Killamey is producing Class A Biosolids using Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion (ATAD) but is not, as yet, treating imported sludge. The remaining three plants are producing Class A Biosolids using Alkaline Stabilisation. Anaerobic Digestion with post pasteurisation is the most common form of sludge treatment, with 11 Hub Centres proposing to use it. One plant is using ATAD, two intend to use Alkaline Stabilisation, seven have selected Thermal Drying and three have selected Composting. While the remaining plants have not decided which sludge treatment to select, this is because of incomplete Sludge Management Plans and on DBO contracts. Analysis of sludges from the Hub Centres showed that all Irish sewage sludge is safe for agricultural reuse as defined by the Waste Management Regulations {Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) (S.I. 267/2001), providing that a nutrient management plan is taken into consideration and that the soil limits of the 1998 (S.I. 148/1998) Waste Management Regulations are not exceeded.