Publications Repository of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança
Not a member yet
30168 research outputs found
Sort by
Pedestrianismo e turismo no Vale do Tua: Estudo exploratório sobre atributos, motivações e satisfação
Get PDFAs características, motivações e satisfação em percursos pedestres e turismo de caminhada raramente são recolhidas e analisadas por forma a melhorar o planeamento e gestão destas iniciativas. Este estudo dirige-se a essa lacuna e tem por objetivos: estabelecer o perfil sociodemográfico do pedestrianista, avaliar as suas motivações e grau de satisfação, analisar o efeito das variáveis sociodemográficas sobre as motivações e grau de satisfação. Foi realizado um inquérito por questionário online junto dos 805 inscritos, sendo que o questionário foi preenchido por 243 participantes, onde 238 respostas foram consideradas válidas, resultando numa taxa de resposta de aproximadamente 30%. Os participantes, maioritariamente entre os 40 e 59 anos, com ensino superior, trabalham por conta de outrem, têm experiência em eventos similares e são acompanhados por amigos e/ou companheiro/a. Os principais motivos para a participação são "mudar para um ambiente diferente e ter novas experiências" e "estar com amigos e desenvolver amizades". A satisfação global com o evento, transversal a diferentes indivíduos com diferentes atributos, foi elevada e a maioria dos participantes pretende regressar na próxima edição, refletindo o sucesso do festival. A aplicabilidade dos resultados da pesquisa e as sugestões de melhoria, provenientes dos inquiridos, permitem a evolução do evento formulando estratégias socialmente relevantes e sensíveis às preferências dos participantes e comunidades locais
A musicoterapia na reabilitação de crianças com paralisia cerebral: uma revisão de escopo
Get PDFA paralisia cerebral constitui uma das principais causas da neurodeficiência infantil mundial, devido a complexidade dos distúrbios motores, funcionais, cognitivos e emocionais que ela provoca nas crianças. A reabilitação dessas crianças requer abordagens centrada numa avaliação integral e nesse contexto a musicoterapia surge como uma técnica complementar de reabilitação que pode enriquecer os planos de cuidados devido ao seu carater inovador e promissora na neuroreabilitação infantil.
Objetivo: Mapear as evidências científicas sobre a musicoterapia na reabilitação de crianças com paralisia cerebral.
Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão de escopo utilizando as diretrizes da JBI (Joanna Briggs Collaboration). As bases de dados utilizadas na pesquisa foram a MEDLINE e a Scopus, a literatura cinzenta foi feita no RCAAP (Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal) e no NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations). Foram considerados estudos da musicoterapia em crianças até 12 anos em contexto de reabilitação. Os estudos incluídos foram em português e inglês sem limite de tempo.
Resultados: Foram identificados 100 estudos no total, após triagem e seleção 8 estudos foram inclusos na análise. Os principais achados foram as melhorias motoras e funcionais, o desenvolvimento cognitivo, comunicação e atenção, o impacto emocional e comportamental, qualidade de vida e relações familiares.
Conclusão: A musicoterapia revela-se uma intervenção eficaz e multifacetada na reabilitação de crianças com paralisia cerebral. Apesar das limitações metodológicas dos estudos disponíveis, os resultados sustentam o seu uso como recurso complementar. O enfermeiro de reabilitação pode ter um papel fundamental na integração e adaptação dessa abordagem, especialmente em contextos com recursos limitados, como Cabo Verde.Cerebral palsy is one of the main causes of childhood neurodisability worldwide, due to the complexity of the motor, functional, cognitive and emotional disorders it causes in children. The rehabilitation of these children requires approaches centered on a comprehensive assessment and in this context, music therapy emerges as a complementary rehabilitation technique that can enrich care plans due to its innovative and promising character in childhood neurorehabilitation.
Aim: To map the scientific evidence on music therapy in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.
Methods: This is a scoping review using the JBI (Joanna Briggs Collaboration) guidelines. The databases used in the research were MEDLINE and Scopus, the gray literature was searched in RCAAP (Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal) and NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations). Studies of music therapy in children up to 12 years old in a rehabilitation context were considered. The studies included were in Portuguese and English with no time limit.
Results: A total of 100 studies were identified after screening and selection, and only 8 were included in the analysis. The main findings were improvements in motor and functional aspects, cognitive development, communication and attention, emotional and behavioral impact, quality of life and family relationships.
Conclusion: Music therapy has proven to be an effective and multifaceted intervention in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. Despite the methodological limitations of the available studies, the results support its use as a complementary resource. Rehabilitation nurses can play a key role in integrating and adapting this approach, especially in resource-limited settings like Cape Verde
Aplicações inovadoras de redes neurais artificiais na previsão fiscal
Get PDFA importância da previsão das receitas fiscais é vital para o planeamento econômico e sustentabilidade financeira em Moçambique. Este estudo aborda este tópico explorando o potencial das Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNAs) para melhorar tais previsões. O problema central é a limitação dos métodos convencionais em captar a complexidade dos dados fiscais. A razão para a adoção de RNAs reside na sua superior capacidade de modelação e previsão em ambientes de dados grandes e complexos. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que as RNAs podem prever as receitas fiscais com maior precisão, superando os modelos tradicionais. A conclusão aponta para a RNA como uma ferramenta valiosa para as autoridades fiscais, aumentando a eficiência na cobrança e contribuindo para a estabilidade fiscal do país.The importance of forecasting tax revenues is vital for economic planning and financial sustainability in Mozambique. This study addresses this topic by exploring the potential of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to improve such forecasts. The central problem is the limitation of conventional methods in capturing the complexity of tax data. The rationale for adopting ANNs lies in their superior modeling and forecasting capacity in large and complex data environments. The results obtained demonstrate that ANNs can forecast tax revenues with greater accuracy, outperforming traditional models. The conclusion points to ANNs as a valuable tool for tax authorities, increasing collection efficiency and contributing to the country's fiscal stability
Digital transformation and the new combinations in tourism: a systematic literature review
No full textThis study aims to analyse the research involving the evolution and development of digital transformation and the new combinations in tourism development. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, which gathered 167 studies published between 1997 and 2023, representing the final sample analysed in this review. The results allow the identification of three main findings: i) there are four thematic groups - Digital Marketing, Digital Economy, Education and Hospitality and Free Digital; ii) there is a growing interest in the research of this topic and the use of available technologies for the development of tourism companies and their businesses and the respective wider economy; and, iii) digital transformation tends to be a positive factor when applied to the tourism sector. This research further proposes a framework that provides a detailed description of these studies with key issues and contributions from the available literature.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial
support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this
article: This work is financed by national funds through FCT -
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I. P., under the
projects “UIDB/04630/2020”, “UIDB/04752/2020” and
through the individual research grant UI/BD/151538/2021 of
Ives Emídio Gutierriz
Human resources sptimization with multilayer perceptron: an automated selection tool
Get PDFThis study aims to create an artificial neural network (ANN) model with a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) architecture, designed to analyze the CVs of candidates for the position of sales consultant. To do this, a database of 600 CVs cataloged with scores from 0 to 10 by specialists with experience in recruitment and selection (R&S) is used. Fourteen characteristics are extracted from each CV, including ordinal and nominal attributes. A model with 3 hidden layers is used, which is trained with a split of 80% for training and 20% for testing. The activation function chosen for the hidden layers is the Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU), using the "adam" optimizer with a backpropagation algorithm during training using the Mean Squared Error (MSE) performance metric.
The results show that the model is effective, giving a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.33, MSE of 0.37, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.61, and an r² Score of 0.96. These data not only confirm MLP's ability to replicate human accuracy but also suggest that such technologies can provide a faster and less biased tool for evaluating CVs. This performance of ANN indicates avenues for future research into the integration of other Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to refine the interpretation of less quantifiable characteristics, as well as making the process of R&S of new candidates in companies more agile.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CeDRI, UIDB/05757/2020 (DSI: 10.54499/UIDB/05757/2020) and UIDP/05757/2020 (DSI: 10.54499/UIDB/05757/2020); SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DSI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020); UNIAG, UIDB/04752/2020 (DSI 10.54499/UIDB/04752/2020) and UIDP/04752/2020 (DSI 10.54499/UIDP/04752/2020); and NECE, UIDB/04630/2020 (DSI 0.54499/UIDP/04630/2020). The authors are also grateful to National funding by FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, through the individual research grant BD/10678/2022 of Mariana Namen Jatobá
Context-Aware Systems Architecture in Industry 4.0: A Systematic Literature Review
Get PDFFeatured Application This review highlights interoperability, automation, and decision-making as critical requirements for context-aware systems in the manufacturing domain that integrate the principles of Industry 4.0. It discusses relevant patterns and technologies, identifies context gaps, emphasises ontologies' importance, and proposes directions for future research.Abstract Technological evolution has driven the integration of computing devices in various domains, giving rise to heterogeneous and dynamic intelligent environments; together with market pressure, these pose challenges in formulating an architecture that takes advantage of contextual knowledge. In terms of architectural design, we are witnessing a transition from a centralised, monolithic view of systems to a decentralised view that incorporates the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the production environment. Therefore, this review aimed to (i) identify the requirements, (ii) find out about the representation models and context inference techniques, and (iii) identify architectural technologies, norms, models, and standards. The results observed in 25 articles made it possible to identify interoperability, automation, and decision-making as convergence points and observe the adoption of ontologies as a research area for context representation. In contrast, the discussion of context inference techniques remains open. Finally, this study presents recommendations for the design of a context-aware systems architecture that incorporates the principles of Industry 4.0 and facilitates the development of applications.The study was developed under the project A-MoVeR—“Mobilizing Agenda for the Development of Products & Systems towards an Intelligent and Green Mobility”, operation n. 02/C05-i01.01/2022.PC646908627-00000069, approved under the terms of the call n. 02/C05-i01/2022-Mobilizing Agendas for Business Innovation, financed by European funds provided to Portugal by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), in the scope of the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), framed in the Next Generation UE, for the period from 2021–2026
Performance of single and built-up I-shaped cold formed steel stud under double sided walls fire exposure
No full textLight-gauge Steel Frame (LSF) walls are expanded nowadays due to several advantages, especially to achieve economy, sustainability and improved structural performance. The latter has stimulated designers to adopt Cold Formed Steel (CFS) members as primary components of LSF walls. However, the high thermal conductivity and slenderness of CFS sections make them vulnerable to mechanical degradation during fire. While numerous studies have investigated the performance of CFS stud walls under one-sided fire exposure, the investigation on double-sided fire exposure remains limited, especially for built-up studs. This study investigates the performance of CFS stud walls under compression loading, subjected to one-sided and double-sided fire exposure. Numerical models were developed using ANSYS APDL, considering geometric imperfections, material nonlinearities and contact element effect. The developed models were validated against previous experimental and numerical results. Various parameters were analysed through parametric study, including steel thickness and grades, web stiffeners and I-shaped stud configurations. The results demonstrate the significant impact of the double-sided fire exposure on CFS walls performance, reducing the fire resistance by 41 % and 50 % for CFS thicknesses of 1.15 mm and 1.5 mm, respectively, compared to one-sided fire exposure. Steel grade and I-shaped configurations were found to significantly enhance the load-bearing capacity and fire resistance of CFS walls. The maximum temperatures predicted for each load ratio were used to calculate the load ratio as per EN1993–1–2. New for mulas, based on load ratio were proposed to predict the maximum temperature at failure for CFS walls subjected to one-sided and double-sided fire exposure. The findings will improve fire structural design codes of CFS walls, by ensuring accurate predictions of limiting temperatures and fire resistance and providing engineers with substantial data for LSF structures
Comparison of intra-colonial genetic diversity of the founder and leading edge populations of Vespa velutina
Get PDFVespa velutina nigrithorax, commonly known as the yellow-legged hornet is a species of Vespidae native to Southwestern Asia. It was first observed in 2004 in Southwestern France (Lot-et-Garonne) and rapidly spread to neighboring countries; reaching Spain in 2010 and Portugal in 2011 in Viana do Castelo. Since 2011 it has been spreading through Portugal, with Bragança representing the most marginal distribution area of V. velutina in the northern region. Its spread rate is explained by its great capacity for climate adaptation and its polyandry. The invasion of V. velutina in Europe has caused significant ecological and economic damages. In fact, this hornet is a major threat to beekeeping since Apis mellifera consists in a third of its diet. Genetic studies have provided insights into the colonization patterns of this invasive predator, revealing a genetic bottleneck upon its arrival in Europe, which led to reduced genetic diversity. In this study, we used 16 microsatellites to genotype a total of 120 female hornets from two nests of Viana do Castelo (Vila de Punhe) and two from Bragança (Macedo de Cavaleiros and Mirandela). This study aims to assess and compare the genetic diversity of V. velutina population in the districts of Bragança and Viana do Castelo in Portugal. Bragança represents the leading edge of the northeastern expansion in the Portuguese territory. Surprisingly, the genetic diversity observed in the two colonies from Bragança was higher than that in the colonies from Viana do Castelo. This discrepancy suggests that the population in Bragança is a result of expansion from multiple sources, introducing new alleles to the local population.Vespa velutina nigrithorax communément appelée frelon à pattes jaunes est une espèce de Vespidae originaire de l’Asie du Sud-ouest. Elle a été observée pour la première fois en 2004 dans le Sud-ouest de la France (Lot-et-Garonne) et s’est rapidement répandue dans les pays voisins ; atteignant l’Espagne en 2010 et le Portugal en 2011 à Viana do Castelo. Depuis 2011 elle se propage à travers le Portugal, avec Bragança représentant la zone de distribution la plus marginale de V. velutina dans la région nord. Sa vitesse de propagation s’explique par sa grande capacité d’adaptation au climat et sa polyandrie L’invasion de V. velutina en Europe à provoqué d’importants dégâts écologique et économique. En effet, ce frelon est une grande menace pour l’apiculture, car Apis mellifera représente un tiers de son régime alimentaire. Les études génétiques ont fourni des perspectives sur les schémas de colonisation de ce prédateur invasif, révélant un goulot d’étranglement lors de son arrivée en Europe, entraînant une réduction de la diversité génétique. Dans cette étude, nous avons utilisé 16 microsatellites pour génotyper un total de 120 frelons femelles de deux nids de Viana do Castelo (Vila de Punhe) et de deux nids de Bragança (Macedo de Cavaleiros et Mirandela). Cette étude vise à évaluer et comparer la diversité génétique de la population de V. velutina dans les districts de Bragança et Viana do Castelo au Portugal. Bragança représente la pointe de l’expansion Nord-est sur le territoire portugais. De manière surprenante la diversité génétique observée dans les deux colonies de Bragança était plus élevée que celle dans les colonies de Viana do Castelo. Cette disparité suggère que la population de Bragança résulte d’une expansion à partir de sources multiples, introduisant de nouveaux allèles dans la population locale.Vespa velutina nigrithorax, conhecida como vespa-asiática, é uma espécie da família Vespidae nativa do Sudoeste Asiático. Foi observada pela primeira vez em 2004 no Sudoeste Francês (Lot-et-Garonne) e tem-se expandido rapidamente para países vizinhos, tendo chegado a Espanha em 2010 e a Portugal em 2011 (Viana do Castelo).
Desde 2011, tem-se expandido por Portugal, com Bragança a representar a área de distribuição mais marginal na região norte de Portugal. A taxa de expansão da V.velutina é explicada pela sua grande capacidade de adaptação a diferentes climas e poliandria. A invasão de V. velutina na Europa tem causado da nos significativos ecológicos e económicos. Em particular esta vespa é uma ameaça para a apicultura, pois a Apis mellifera representa um terço da sua dieta. Estudos genéticos têm fornecido informações sobre os padrões de colonização deste predador invasor. Neste estudo, foram utilizados 16 microssatélites para genotipar um total de 120 fêmeas provenientes de dois ninhos em Viana do Castelo (Vila de Punhe) e dois em Bragança (Macedo de Cavaleiros e Mirandela). Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar e comparar a diversidade genética das populações de V. velutina nos distritos de Bragança e Viana do Castelo. Bragança representa o limite da expansão nordeste no território português, no entanto, surpreendentemente, a diversidade genética observada nas duas colónias de Bragança foi superior à observada nas colónias de Viana do Castelo. Este resultado sugere que a população de Bragança é o resultado da expansão de vespas de múltiplas origens que vão introduzindo novos alelos na população local.This study was developed with the Funding of: “Programa de Sustentabilidade e Eficiência no Uso de Recursos (Aviso POSEUR-15-2021-02) e Fundo de Coesão”, “POSEUR-03-2215-FC-000164, to the project “Plano Estratégico de Gestão Integrada da Vespa Velutina para o Território de Trás-os- Montes”. FCT provided financial support by national funds (FCT/MCTES) to CIMO (UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021)
Transição e Adaptação ao Ensino Superior Impactos e Desafios dos Estudantes ao saírem de casa dos pais
Get PDFA transição para o Ensino Superior representa uma das etapas mais desafiadoras na vida dos estudantes, especificamente quando estes saem da sua residência habitual. O presente estudo tem como objetivo compreender os desafios e os impactos vividos por estudantes do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, quando este transita para o Ensino Superior.
Pretendeu-se analisar as consequências desta mudança, sejam emocionais, sociais, financeiras ou mesmo académicas, como também as estratégias usadas para a sua adaptação. A investigação foi realizada ao longo do ano letivo 2024/2025, alcançando 252 participantes, através de um questionário online que integrou questões de natureza quantitativa e qualitativa, permitindo assim responder aos seguintes objetivos: Compreender os impactos e os desafios enfrentados pelos estudantes do ensino superior ao saírem de casa dos pais, incluindo aspetos de rendimento académico, responsabilidade, autonomia e gestão financeira; Compreender como se concretiza a influência da saída da casa dos pais na vida social académica, pessoal e social dos estudantes; Identificar os fatores que afetam a motivação, solidão e o rendimento académico; Entender e explorar quais são as estratégias de adaptação utilizadas pelos estudantes.
Por fim, são apresentadas as reflexões dos participantes, onde se destaca a importância dos temas como autonomia, adaptação e acolhimento. São ainda sugeridas formas de promover uma integração académica e emocional dos estudantes, demonstrando o interesse em aprofundar esses conhecimentos. Além disso, foram identificadas algumas limitações ao longo da investigação e são deixadas recomendações para estudos futuros desta temática.The transition to Higher Education represents one of the most challenging stages in students' lives, especially when they leave their habitual residence. The present study aims to understand the challenges and impacts experienced by students at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança when transitioning to Higher Education.
The aim was to analyze the consequences of this change, whether emotional, social, financial, or even academic, as well as the strategies used for adaptation. The research was conducted throughout the academic year 2024/2025, reaching 252 participants through an online questionnaire that integrated quantitative and qualitative questions, thus allowing us to address the following objectives: Understand the impacts and challenges faced by higher education students when leaving their parents' home, including aspects of academic performance, responsibility, autonomy, and financial management; Understand how the influence of leaving the parents' home materializes in students' social, academic, personal, and social lives; Identify the factors that affect motivation, loneliness, and academic performance; And explore what adaptation strategies are used by students.
Finally, the participants' reflections are presented, highlighting the importance of themes such as autonomy, adaptation, and welcoming. Suggestions are also made for promoting academic and emotional integration of students, demonstrating interest in deepening these insights. Furthermore, some limitations throughout the investigation were identified, and recommendations for future studies on this topic are provided
Chemical Composition of Almond Varieties Collected in the Valencian Region (Spain)
Get PDFAlmonds (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) are consumed worldwide, with great economic importance in Spain. In the present work, six varieties collected in Valencia (Spain) were characterised: 'Desmayo Rojo', 'Guara', 'Desmayo Largueta' and 'Marcona' (Spanish varieties), and 'Ferraduel' and 'Ferragn & egrave;s' (French varieties). The different varieties differed significantly in nutritional composition, fatty acid profile, and alpha-tocopherol content. 'Desmayo Rojo' (less known than 'Desmayo Largueta') presented the highest content of alpha-tocopherol and campesterol. beta-Sitosterol was the major sterol, followed by campesterol and stigmasterol. Concerning sugars, sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose were quantified. The highest concentration of sucrose was found in 'Ferragn & egrave;s', whereas stachyose was higher in 'Desmayo Largueta', 'Desmayo Rojo' and 'Guara'. 'Marcona' presented the highest value of raffinose. It was possible to separate the six varieties into five groups, keeping the French varieties in the same group. Thus, this work showed the importance of maintaining and guaranteeing this genetic variability, as each variety has unique characteristics.This work was supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020) and SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020). National funding by FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, through the institutional scientific employment program-contract with Nuno Rodrigues (ORCID: 0000-0002-9305-0976)