Using students’ learning style to create effective learning groups in MCSCL environments

Students have different ways for learning and processing information. Some students prefer learning through seeing while others prefer learning through listening; some students prefer doing activities while other prefer reflecting.Some students reason logically, while others reason intuitively, etc. Identifying the learning style of each student, and providing learning content based on these styles represents a good method to enhance the learning quality. However, there are no efforts onhow to detect the students’ learning styles in mobile computer supported collaborative learning (MCSCL) environments. We present in this paper new ways for automatically detecting the learning styles of students in MCSCL environments based on the learning style model of Felder-Silverman. The identified learning styles of students could be then stored and used at anytime toassign each one of them to his/her appropriate learning group.

Metallic glass/PVDF magnetoelectric energy harvester working up to the radiofrequency range

Companies and researchers involved in developing miniaturized electronic devices face the basic problem of the needed batteries size, finite life of time and environmental pollution caused by their final deposition. The current trends to overcome this situation point towards Energy Harvesting technology. These harvesters (or scavengers) store the energy from sources present in the ambient (as wind, solar, electromagnetic, etc) and are costless for us. Piezoelectric devices are the ones that show a higher power density, and materials as ceramic PZT or polymeric PVDF have already demonstrated their ability to act as such energy harvester elements. Combinations between piezoelectric and electromagnetic mechanism have been also extensively investigated. Nevertheless, the power generated by these combinations is limited under the application of small magnetic fields, reducing the performance of the energy harvester [1]. In the last years the appearance of magnetoelectric (ME) devices, in which the piezoelectric deformation is driven by the magnetostrictive element, enables to extract the energy of very small electromagnetic signals through the generated magnetoelectric voltage at the piezoelectric element. However, very little work has been done testing PVDF polymer as piezoelectric constituent of the ME energy harvester device, and only to be proposed as a possibility of application [2]. Among the advantages of using piezopolymers for vibrational energy harvesting we can remember that they are ductile, resilient to shock, deformable and lightweight. In this work we demonstrate the feasibility of using magnetostrictive Fe-rich magnetic amorphous alloys/piezoelectric PVDF sandwich-type laminated ME devices as energy harvesters. A very simple experimental set-up will show how these laminates can extract energy, in amounts of μW, from an external AC field.

Seismic retrofit of masonry-to-timber connections in historical constructions

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Civil.

Materiais de isolamento térmico de edifícios. Para além da energia operacional

The use of thermal insulation materials for the achievement of energy efficient buildings intended, in most cases, the fulfilment of the required heating and cooling needs of the operational phase. The main goal of this paper is â by using exploratory methodology, namely literature review â identify more sustainable insulating materials and, concomitantly, exposing the paradoxical effect of other insulation materials with high Global Warming Potential (GWP) highlighting the role of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Ecodesign and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tools for the framing, comparison and selection of materials. As a main conclusion, it is noticed the lack of environmental information from the producers which, together with acquisition prices that do not internalize Life Cycle Costs (LCC), has led to the use of insulation materials with high carbon footprint and to the "isolation paradox" as well.

Structural analysis of the masonry envelope of Ica Cathedral, Peru

Dissertação de mestrado em Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions

A vegetação na envolvente exterior dos edifícios: impactos, condicionantes e estratégias de intervenção ecoeficientes

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura

Implementação da Marcação CE para estruturas metálicas: estudo de caso na serralharia da Carpincasais

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Industrial

Estratégia para a incorporação de impactes ambientais, sociais e económicos específicos num método de Avaliação da Sustentabilidade de Edifícios de Saúde (HBSA)

The healthcare project design requires a several number of concerns with the satisfaction and well‐being of the working team, patient and administrators, has a strong social responsibility and impact on the city. Due to various design requirements, these buildings are not designed and used in a sustainable way, because there are still no effective methods to support designers in this context. Consequently, they do not know what the best criteria to be followed and their managers are not aware of the measuresthatshould be adopted for efficient use. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to present a proposal for a Healthcare Building Sustainability Assessment (HBSA) method adapted for the Portuguese context and considering the work developed so far in the standardization bodies (CEN and ISO). For this, the chosen methodology is analysed and compared the most relevant building sustainability assessment tools in the context of healthcare buildings.  

A integração de técnicas BIM (Building Information Modeling) no projeto e na construção de estruturas de madeira

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

A network approach to brain aging through multimodal neuroimaging

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Saúde.

Desenvolvimento de um sistema fibroso multicamada para reabilitação de edifícios

Dissertação de mestrado Internacional em Sustentabilidade do Ambiente Construído

Evaluation of the performance of steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete in elevated slab systems; from the material to the structure

Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Structural/Civil Engineering

Estudo de revestimentos ativos para o isolamento térmico de edifícios

Dissertação de mestrado em Sustentabilidade do Ambiente Construído

Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria: from bioremediation to bioenergy feedstock

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Química e Biológica.

Estufa de aproveitamento solar térmico para reabilitação de edifícios

Dissertação de mestrado em sustentabilidade do ambiente construido