Estudo preliminar para a avaliação da acessibilidade de um sítio Web

O avanço e difusão da tecnologia, em particular da Internet, obrigaram à disponibilização de informação com qualidade e facilmente acessível. Tais exigências vêm confirmar a relevância do papel da interface como elemento principal na interacção do utilizador com os sistemas de informação. É, por isso, fundamental que a interface seja fácil de usar e que vá ao encontro das expectativas e necessidades de todos os utilizadores. O desenvolvimento de interfaces que satisfaçam utilizadores com necessidades distintas, independentemente das suas capacidades motoras e perceptivas, culturais e sociais não é uma tarefa que possa se considerada simples [1]. De acordo com vários especialistas em Interacção Homem-Computador, [1], [2] e [3] as interfaces devem ser construídas respeitando os princípios de desenho centrado no utilizador, visando um elevado grau de usabilidade e em conformidade com directrizes de acessibilidade básicas. Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia para avaliação da acessibilidade de um sítio Web, baseado num documento disponibilizado pela Web Accessibility Initiative, WAI, [4], a ser aplicada à secretaria on-line de uma escola do ensino superior.

A checkpointing-enabled and resource-aware Java Virtual Machine for efficient and robust e-Science applications in grid environments

Object-oriented programming languages presently are the dominant paradigm of application development (e. g., Java,. NET). Lately, increasingly more Java applications have long (or very long) execution times and manipulate large amounts of data/information, gaining relevance in fields related with e-Science (with Grid and Cloud computing). Significant examples include Chemistry, Computational Biology and Bio-informatics, with many available Java-based APIs (e. g., Neobio). Often, when the execution of such an application is terminated abruptly because of a failure (regardless of the cause being a hardware of software fault, lack of available resources, etc.), all of its work already performed is simply lost, and when the application is later re-initiated, it has to restart all its work from scratch, wasting resources and time, while also being prone to another failure and may delay its completion with no deadline guarantees. Our proposed solution to address these issues is through incorporating mechanisms for checkpointing and migration in a JVM. These make applications more robust and flexible by being able to move to other nodes, without any intervention from the programmer. This article provides a solution to Java applications with long execution times, by extending a JVM (Jikes research virtual machine) with such mechanisms. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Answer: plataforma em C++ para o desenvolvimento de serviços web

Analisando as tendências actuais de mercado, observa-se a necessidade da capacidade de integração de sistemas recorrendo à utilização de serviços web. Actualmente o C++ é ainda uma das mais populares linguagens de programação, facto justificado pelo abundante portefólio de aplicações, desde alto-nível a sistemas embebidos, com inúmeras bibliotecas que tiram partido dos diversos paradigmas de programação que a linguagem suporta. Porém, e ao contrário de outras linguagens, como C# ou Java que oferecem suporte à criação de serviços web integrado com a plataforma, existe uma lacuna no suporte ao desenvolvimento de serviços web em C++. Para dar resposta à lacuna existente é criada a plataforma ANSWER, focada em C++, com ênfase num modelo de programação simples, permitindo o rápido desenvolvimento de serviços web RPC/SOAP e REST.

TINSEL – a web-based intelligent tutoring system on electrical installation design

This paper presents a project consisting on the development of an Intelligent Tutoring System, for training and support concerning the development of electrical installation projects to be used by electrical engineers, technicians and students. One of the major goals of this project is to devise a teaching model based on Intelligent Tutoring techniques, considering not only academic knowledge but also other types of more empirical knowledge, able to achieve successfully the training of electrical installation design.

Information and communication technologies in education – a web-based intelligent tutoring system on teaching and learning electrical project

Electrical activity is extremely broad and distinct, requiring by one hand, a deep knowledge on rules, regulations, materials, equipments, technical solutions and technologies and assistance in several areas, as electrical equipment, telecommunications, security and efficiency and rational use of energy, on the other hand, also requires other skills, depending on the specific projects to be implemented, being this knowledge a characteristic that belongs to the professionals with relevant experience, in terms of complexity and specific projects that were made.

A web-based intelligent tutoring system on teaching and learning electrical project

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provide new strategies for disseminating information and new communication models in order to change attitudes and human behaviour concerning to education. Nowadays the internet is crucial as a means of communication and information sharing. To education or tutorship will be required to use ICT, supported on the internet, to establish the communication of teacher-student and student-student, disseminating the content of the subjects, and as a way of teaching and learning process. This paper presents an intelligent tutor that aims to be a tool to support teaching and learning in the field of the electrical engineering project.

PCMAT Metadata Authoring Tool

This paper introduces the PCMAT platform project and, in particular, one of its components, the PCMAT Metadata Authoring Tool. This is an educational web application that allows the project metadata creators to write the metadata associated to each learning object without any concern for the metadata schema semantics. Furthermore it permits the project managers to add or delete elements to the schema, without having to rewrite or compile any code.

A Dinâmica comunicativa dos sítios Web de instituições de ensino superior militar

Neste artigo procuramos refletir sobre a forma como as instituições de ensino superior policial e militar comunicam com os seus públicos através dos respetivos sítios web. Para esse efeito, recorrer-se-á sobretudo ao enfoque epistemológico do Interacionismo Sociodiscursivo, no âmbito da Linguística do Texto e do Discurso.

Quality of life of the caregivers of people with aphasia. A systematic review.

Purpose: Systematic review to identify the factors associated to the quality of life (QOL) of the caregivers of people with aphasia (PWA). Methods: Studies were searched using Medline, Pubmed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases. Peer-reviewed papers that studied the QOL of PWA’s caregivers or the consequences of aphasia in caregivers’ life were included. Findings were extracted from the studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results: No data is available reporting particularly the QOL of PWA caregivers’ or their QOL predictors. Nevertheless, it was possible to extract aspects related to QOL from the studies that report the consequences of aphasia, and life changes in PWA’s caregivers. Nine (9) studies including PWA’s caregivers were found, but only 5 reported data separately on them. Methodological heterogeneity impedes cross-study comparisons, although some considerations can be made. PWA’s caregivers reported life changes such as: loss of freedom; social isolation; new responsibilities; anxiety; emotional loneliness; need for support and respite. Conclusions: Changes in social relationships, in emotional status, increased burden and need for support and respite were experienced by PWA’s caregivers. Stroke QOL studies need to include PWA caregivers’ and report separately on them. Further research is needed in this area in order to determine their QOL predictors and identify what interventions and referrals better suit their needs.

Book citations: influence of epidemiologic thought in the academic community

Whilst their 'death' has often been certified, books remain highly important to most professions and academic disciplines. Analyses of citations received by epidemiologic texts may complement other views on epidemiology. The objective was to assess the number of citations received by some books of epidemiology and public health, as a first step towards studying the influence of epidemiological thought and thinking in academia. For this purpose, Institute for Scientific Information/ Thomson Scientific - Web of Science/ Web of Knowledgedatabase was consulted, in May 2006. The book by Rothman & Greenland appeared to have received the highest number of citations overall (over 8,000) and per year. The books by Kleinbaum et al, and by Breslow & Day received around 5,000 citations. In terms of citations per year the book by Sackett et al ranks 3rd, and the one by Rose, 4th of those included in this preliminary study. Other books which were influential in the classrooms collected comparatively less citations. Results offer a rich picture of the academic influences and trends of epidemiologic methods and reasoning on public health, clinical medicine and the other health, life and social sciences. They may contribute to assess epidemiologists' efforts to demarcate epidemiology and to assert epistemic authority, and to analyze some historical influences of economic, social and political forces on epidemiological research.

Revista de Saúde Pública: quarenta anos da produção científica no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Reconhecer as características e trajetória da Revista de Saúde Pública pela análise da produção científica por ela veiculada, no período de 1967-2005. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados por métodos cientométricos dados referenciais dos artigos publicados na Revista e recuperados nas bases de indexação do Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)/Thomson Scientific (Web of Science), National Library of Medicine (PubMed) e Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SciELO). RESULTADOS: A Revista, sendo a única na área da saúde pública no Brasil, indexada pela ISI/Thomson Scientific, destaca-se como veículo de divulgação da produção científica brasileira em saúde pública e exibe crescimento geométrico de publicações e citações, cujas taxas anuais são de 4,4% e 12,7%, respectivamente. O número de autores cresceu de uma média de cerca de dois por item publicado até 3,5 para os dias atuais. Embora os artigos originais de pesquisa predominem, nos últimos anos aumentou o número de revisões, estudos multicêntricos, ensaios clínicos e de validação; cresceu também o número de artigos publicados em língua estrangeira, com 13% do total, destacando-se a participação da Inglaterra, Estados Unidos, Argentina e México. Aumentou o número e diversidade de revistas que citam a Revista de Saúde Pública, com expressiva participação de revistas internacionais. A distribuição de autorias por autor da Revista ajusta-se muito bem à Lei de Lotka, mas seus parâmetros sugerem maior concentração e menor dispersão do que o esperado. Entre os temas de interesse dos itens publicados, doenças infecto-parasitárias e vetores, promoção, políticas, administração de saúde e epidemiologia, vigilância e controle de doenças responderam por mais de 50% do volume total. CONCLUSÕES: A Revista mostra grande dinamismo sem sinais que sugiram qualquer esgotamento ou estabilidade em futuro próximo. Há sinais de progressivo aumento de complexidade dos estudos publicados, bem como de maior multidisciplinaridade. A Revista parece alargar seu alcance e repercussão embora continue fiel aos temas de interesse da saúde pública do Brasil.

Comment on R. Woodroffe et al. Perspective in Ecology "To Fence or Not to Fence" (4 April 2014, Science, 344: 46-48)

Fences must be used with care in biodiversity conservation to avoid unintended consequences.

Perspectives and progress of ecology and conservation science in the Azores: the possible contribution of Artificial Intelligence

EPIA 2013 - XVI Portuguese Conference on Artificial Intelligence Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal, 9 – 12 September.

Investigando o passado para planear o futuro: uma análise bibliométrica das publicações dos Açores em revistas do SCI entre 1974-2012

Jornadas "Ciência nos Açores – que futuro? Tema Ciências Naturais e Ambiente", Ponta Delgada, 7-8 de Junho de 2013.

Synthesis of meeting and recommendations from the Net-Biome round table discussion on "motivated" science on biodiversity management and use in support of overseas sutainable development

Net-Biome Final Meeting (Paris, 15 & 16 February, 2012).