University Of Aveiro Research Articles (Page 1)

The systematic transfer of expertise from senior to junior professionals is a critical challenge for organizations facing demographic shifts and rapid technological change. Organisations rely on universities to foster a mindset in future professionals that empowers them to both absorb and perpetuate this transfer. This paper explores how findings from 36 semi-structured interviews with different organisational perspectives resonated with the students from Bachelor and Master programmes. The research team combines industry knowledge and experience with award winning academic research experience. The difficulty of creating trust between colleagues – especially between older and younger ones – is a topic of growing interest in an aging continent and developed world. Solutions are proposed. Bettina Falckenthal (former CEO and PhD candidate at the University of Aveiro – Doctorate in Business and Innovation (DBI) program) has delivered a series of lectures to youths on senior-to-junior knowledge sharing in organizations. This we have seen has sparked a new thinking process and approach to future work by young scholars. The importance of human capital could not be more important, including and especially in the age of AI. How not to lose out on important knowledge when seniors retire? How to best capitalize on juniors in the enterprise - and to motivate them to succeed quickly and knowledgeably – in collaboration with senior experts, perhaps nearing retirement? These issues have been discussed on a par with the importance of tacit knowledge in organizational settings. How important is trust in this type of collaboration? Serious games, a concept that appeals to generations with a digital upbringing, as well as Senior-Junior tandems (JuSeTs), linked to which we are in the process of generating intellectual property, are central to the debate. A literature review has already been performed, and artificial intelligence (AI) discussed in conjunction with the need to share – does AI promote or inhibit trust and knowledge-sharing community building? The students in attendance have stated how interesting the lectures on the topic have been and wish to learn more. Our in-depth research results are to be shared with them as we see motivation as being highly impactful on the success of both seniors and juniors in the workplace. Should older people be discarded or treasured? Given the growing shortage of human capital, expertise and tacit knowledge in an aging Europe, the topic could not be more crucial to the competitiveness of organizations in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

This paper presents a case study on the development of games by students in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) undergraduate program at the University of Aveiro (UA). The development of a game is incorporated as a core assignment within the Introduction to Industrial Engineering and Management course, challenging students to introduce the IEM program at UA to high school scholars, thereby exploring the various facets of the IEM program and the scientific areas it encompasses. The objective is for students to incorporate the knowledge gained in classes, along with insights from their own research, into the game, doing so with imagination and creativity. At the same time, they are encouraged to consider effective communication with the target audience, whose age and interests are often quite similar to their own. To support students in structuring their game design, the Game of Games (www.gameofgames.net) was introduced and played during one of the classes. Students were also encouraged to use it as a framework when developing their own games. In addition to describing the experience itself, this paper also presents a game developed by one of the student groups, with two main objectives: to show an example of the work produced and the challenges encountered during its development, and to provide educators interested in Game-Based Learning with a new resource that can be adapted to their own contexts. The results of this experience are encouraging. Students showed great enthusiasm for the project and demonstrated that they had gained significant knowledge about the various areas of the IEM program, the University of Aveiro, and student life. At the same time, they developed both written and oral communication skills and created tools that may prove valuable beyond their own learning process. In fact, the games can be directly used to promote the IEM program at UA to potential future students and may also be adapted for use in other courses. Additionally, they can be employed in more informal or recreational settings, such as summer academies or themed holiday camps.

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Rafael Duarte is an author on ‘ Animal colour change: proximate mechanisms, evolutionary ecology and response to anthropogenic impacts’, published in JEB. Rafael worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Gustavo Muniz Dias's lab at Center for Natural and Human Sciences, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. Rafael is now a postdoc in the lab of Ricardo Calado at ECOMARE and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal, investigating evolutionary and behavioural ecology, particularly the physiology and ecology of colour-based anti-predator defence strategies.

The 2025 special issue of OBS* Observatorio Journal, dedicated to crisis media literacy, addresses the challenges posed by disinformation, information overload, and manipulation in contexts such as pandemics, wars, and natural disasters. In a world shaped by prosumer culture and the massive circulation of content on social media, the ability to critically engage with information has become essential. The editorial outlines current issues faced by newsrooms and society in general, including fragmented attention, unreliable messages, and the fragility of media business models. It also highlights European efforts to combat disinformation, while stressing the need for better integration between scientific research, community knowledge, and legislation. This issue gathers eight academic papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Crisis Media Literacy, held at the University of Aveiro in November 2024. The editorial concludes that media literacy in times of crisis requires interdisciplinary approaches that connect research, practice, and public policy, fostering critical thinking and informed decision-making in an increasingly complex informational ecosystem.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that has a multidimensional impact on a person's life, with symptoms associated with a significant loss of autonomy. Specialized palliative care (PC) should be provided early and throughout the course of the disease. Indeed, physiotherapists should be understood as integral members of the multidisciplinary team in PC, in the care and improvement of the quality of life of these people. This study aimed to describe the lived experience of physiotherapists in the context of intervention in people with advanced ALS and their families. Descriptive phenomenology was employed as a framework for conducting semi-structured interviews to reveal experiences. Sixteen physiotherapists who performed interventions on at least one person with advanced ALS in the last 2 years were included in the study. The study involved conducting semi-structured individual interviews, through the Zoom® videoconferencing platform (version 6.4.3). Data were analyzed according to Giorgi's five-stage approach and managed using webQDA software (Version 3.0, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal). The COREQ checklist was applied in the study. Participants were mostly female (n = 12) and aged between 26 and 55 years (M = 36.81; SD = 6.75). Four constituents were identified: (1) undulating course of a complex disease; (2) barriers to person-centered care; (3) enablers of person-centered care; (4) transition between curative and palliative care. The findings illustrate the multidimensional impact of the disease trajectory on the person and their family. This study highlights the need to invest in specialized training for physiotherapists, contributing to a person-centered PC practice with an impact on promoting comfort and quality of life.

This article expounds on the chronology of a PhD programme in design hosted by the University of Porto in cooperation with the University of Aveiro since 2011. Scientific, strategic, pedagogical and administrative occurrences and decisions are narrated and substantiated. Various challenges, as well as approaches for their resolution and/or mitigation, are presented. It is argued that an affective component is crucial to the success of the programme, made possible by the development of immersive research environments and working partnerships between student projects and external contexts (research centres, businesses, cultural agents, multidisciplinarity and internationalisation). A focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on course management and narratives is presented. It is argued that, in the post-pandemic era, the core challenges now reside in the maintenance of weak ties and affective components towards a stronger sense of community.

Objective: Understand the functioning of the Social Innovation Ecosystem (SIE) in the Intermunicipal Community of the Aveiro Region (ICAR) regarding the role of public policies from the University of Aveiro (UA) of social entrepreneurs and their typology. Theoretical Framework: Social Innovations (SI) are innovations that are social in their ends and means. Due to the positive social results, they enhance the capacity of civil society to act. This mobilization of individuals is present in the Quadruple Helix Innovation System Framework. This model is related to the concept of EIS, which includes social entrepreneurs, investors, beneficiaries, and public policy. Method: A literature review of national, regional, and local strategic documents. It relies on the results of a national study on the EIS, Sled by the UA, in partnership with the Portugal Social Innovation Mission Structure (PSIMS). Results and Discussion: Combining the analysis of SI projects supported by PSIMS with the initiatives promoted by regional and local policy and with support from the UA allowed us to obtain the profile of the SIE actors in ICAR and their contribution to the success of the SIE. Research Implications: This exploratory study is the initial stage of a more in-depth investigation into the role of actors in SIE. It is expected that this mapping will help to build regional and local strategies that facilitate the success of SI initiatives. Originality/Value: Contributes to the evolution of knowledge within the scope of the functioning of regional SIE in Portugal. Its recommendations and discoveries hope to be integrated into the promotion of improvements to its operation.

In the context of climate change, wildfires occur more frequently and significantly impact the vegetation–soil–water continuum. Soil water is a critical factor for understanding wildfire occurrence and predicting wildfire hazards. However, there is a lack of specific bibliometric analysis of the research on the mechanisms by which soil water influences wildfire occurrence. Therefore, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of wildfire and soil water, aiming to understand their relationship, research characteristics, and future development trends. We used the Bibliometrix software package in R 4.4.0, which provides different methods for analyzing bibliometric data. A total of 1585 publications were analyzed from 1990 to 2023. The results of the study showed that the number of publications showed an overall growth trend during the period, with an average annual increase rate of 4.4%. The average annual citations per paper exhibited a pattern of rapid increase, followed by slow growth, and then rapid decrease. Ten highly productive authors in the field contributed 12.2% of the total publications during this period. Over the past 30 years, the University of Aveiro has consistently ranked first in terms of paper quantity. Most of the top ten productive institutions are in the United States, Australia, and several European countries. Fifty-eight countries engage in research related to wildfires and soil water, with close collaboration observed between the United States, Canada, and Spain. The four most frequently used keywords are “wildfire”, “fire”, “water repellency”, and “runoff” (with a total frequency of 1385). Water properties relevant to soil characteristics in the word cloud primarily include hydrophobicity, runoff, erosion, and infiltration. Erosion, wildfires, and runoff are crucial in the field but have yet to receive substantial development. The correlation of post-wildfire soil water properties with infiltration, runoff, and erosion processes is most likely to be addressed in future research. The findings will help researchers assess the post-wildfire disaster chain and its impact on the ecological environment, with clear trends, gaps, and research directions in the areas.

Article Linear Collaborative Representation Learning Approach for Dimensionality Reduction Ayesha Jadoon Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, University of Aveiro, Campus Universita´rio de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; ayeshajadoon@ua.pt Received: 19 March 2024; Revised: 30 October 2024; Accepted: 5 November 2024; Published: 18 November 2024 Abstract: In dimensionality reduction techniques an important step is to construct optimal similarity graph to achieve effective classiffcation results. The graph construction process in many existing algorithms is manual and thus severely affects the classiffcation performance, if the neighborhood parameter is not optimal. Moreover, existing methods that are based on Collaborative representation lack the between-class information in the embedding process. In this paper, we addressed the problem of automatic Graph construction which is datum adaptive and incorporates within-class and between-class information into the linear representation to learn optimal projection for dimensionality reduction using the Collaborative representation technique. To optimize graph construction, the proposed method used the L2 norm graph and log-Euclidean distance. The resultant graph shows local properties by Collaborative representation and global discriminate information is represented by a Maximum Margin classiffer (MMC). The MMC maximizes “between-class scatter” and minimizes “within-class scatter”, without locality information. Further for effective and accurate performance for image classiffcation real databases will be incorporated. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed methods achieved competitive results with compared methods.

The integration of augmented reality (AR) into education for sustainability curricula not only makes learning more engaging, motivating, and effective, but also equips students with the knowledge and skills to address pressing environmental challenges. This paper presents a case study of a pedagogical approach based on the exploration of an AR game in the EduCITY app and aims to analyse the potential of the ‘EduCITY at the UA Campus’ mobile AR game in what concerns the promotion of education for sustainability among secondary students. The game was explored in the largest annual event of the University of Aveiro—XPERiMENTA—which invited students and the wider community to participate in activities on the campuses. At the end of the activity, an individual and anonymous questionnaire to evaluate the game was applied. Students indicated that the game raises an awareness of sustainability and contributes to the development of knowledge and skills in this area. They were motivated throughout the match and managed to get a good performance out of playing. This study adds to the literature on the use of AR games in education for sustainability, by revealing that it can be an effective tool for engaging and motivating students with sustainability-related learning.

Objective: The study addresses the urgency of finding alternatives to high-potential greenhouse fluorinated refrigerants, especially for domestic heating systems, due to imminent legal restrictions in Europe. When exploring the concept of Smart Cities, the energy efficiency of heating/cooling systems that use HFCs is highlighted, identifying the refrigerants responsible for serious global warming and which are being gradually eliminated by the European Union. Framework: Starting with a brief historical analysis of artificial heating and international agreements that have monitored the impact of human actions on the environment, followed by theoretical measures adopted and an assessment of the current European legal landscape related to refrigerants, projecting their impact on existing technologies. Method: Aplly efficient diagnostic, especially in low- and middle-income houses in Portugal, observing climate change, including the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere such as use of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) to evaluate environmental policies. Research Results: The impact of powerful greenhouse gases such as HFCs, with residential heating in the EU a major source of emissions. Sustainable alternatives such as heat pumps and the gradual transition to refrigerants with lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) are promoted, supported by legislative measures and financial incentives. Research implications: One of the major barriers to climate actionin cities, especially in Europe is to access climate finance to attend green and sustenable criterias. As key to ensuring domestic ability to mobilize sources of finance, such as internal programmes of reducing old skills of coverage in local climate action. The study contributes to debate the multi-level governance for Local Climate Action and integrating national climate change policies based on the global urban agenda, SDG. Originality/Value: As result of the master’s investigation the article is prior in the hitting energy consuming in Europe and especially in Portugal, been part of the graduate program of Aveiro University.

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Heta Mattila is first author on ‘ Flavonols do not affect aphid load in green or senescing birch leaves but coincide with a decrease in Photosystem II functionality’, published in BiO. Heta conducted the research described in this article while a postdoctoral fellow in Esa Tyystjärvi's lab at University of Turku, Turun Yliopisto, Finland. She is now a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Sónia Cruz at University of Aveiro, Portugal, investigating the effects of high light stress on different photosynthetic organisms.

This article is a study introducing a new qualitative research methodology - Intuitive field research or IFRes - involving words and the narrative and relying on the experience and intuition of the [experienced practitioner] researcher (Stein, 2019). Though similar, it is different to autoethnography as the latter’s focus is seen to be on culture (ethnography) whilst IFRes may focus on any aspect – including, also, machine-type interactions. IFRes is a six-step process, described herein, which seeks to take advantage of considerable previous work experience, in the field, to answer a research question posed following a literature review. It is an iterative process which seeks to perfect the knowledge produced (Baldacchino, Ucbasaran & Cabantous, 2023). Intuitive Field Research (IFRes) emerges as a pioneering qualitative research methodology that capitalizes on the nuanced intuition and rich field experiences of researchers to uncover deep insights into complex phenomena (Stein, 2019). Distinct from autoethnography, IFRes introduces a structured six-step process designed to systematically harness and refine these insights for academic and practical application. Originating at the University of Aveiro, this method represents a significant departure from conventional research methodologies by valuing experiential knowledge and intuitive understanding as critical components of the research process. In the context of business and management, IFRes holds particular promise for addressing the intricate challenges of contemporary business environments. These environments demand an agile and nuanced understanding that transcends traditional quantitative analyses, making the case for methodologies that can capture the subtleties of consumer behavior, organizational culture, and innovation dynamics. By enabling researchers and practitioners to integrate their intuitive judgments with rigorous academic inquiry, IFRes offers a unique approach to exploring and solving pressing business and academic issues. This article delineates the foundation of IFRes, its methodological underpinnings, and its potential applications within business and management, illustrating how intuitive insights can drive innovation, strategic decision-making, and transformative organizational practices. Through this expanded lens, IFRes not only contributes to academic discourse but also provides practical frameworks for businesses seeking to navigate the complexities of modern markets and organizational challenges. A practical example of applying Intuitive Field Research (IFRes) in business and management could involve a multinational corporation seeking to enhance its customer experience across diverse markets. By employing IFRes, the corporation's research team could immerse themselves in different cultural contexts, using their intuition and experience to gather nuanced insights into consumer behavior and preferences (Gorry & Westbrook, 2013). This approach would allow them to identify subtle, culturally specific factors influencing customer satisfaction that traditional surveys or data analysis might miss. These insights could then inform tailored strategies for each market, leading to improved customer engagement and loyalty. This example illustrates how IFRes' emphasis on intuitive understanding, combined with rigorous analysis, can address complex challenges in global business environments, leading to innovative solutions and competitive advantages. This article on Intuitive Field Research (IFRes) significantly impacts research by offering a novel method that blends intuitive insights with rigorous academic inquiry. It addresses the need for methodologies that go beyond traditional quantitative analysis to capture the complexities of human behavior and organizational dynamics (Ganzarain, Ruiz & Igartua, 2019). By emphasizing experiential knowledge and intuitive judgment, IFRes empowers researchers and practitioners to uncover deeper understandings of complex issues. This approach fosters innovation, enhances strategic decision-making, and facilitates transformative practices in various fields, thereby enriching academic discourse and offering practical solutions for real-world challenges.

Nowadays engineers are constantly dealing with more complex problems, uncertainty, incomplete data, and demands of customers, governments, environmentalists, and public. This requires technical skills as well as skills in human relations. So, during their academic background it is necessary to incorporate more skills, social and technological, into their base knowledge. This can be accomplished introducing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Higher Education (HE). Several studies show that the use of ICT in teaching promotes participation, engagement, collaboration, and student interaction, making them more active participants and responsible for their learning. In addition to these advantages, ICT allow to give equal importance to learning processes and to the contents, as the activities offered by ICT allow to the students develop communication skills, teamwork, finding and evaluating information, access, and manipulation of large amounts of data, work with other technologies, update and refine existing skills and knowledge. It was in this context that Guided Exercises emerged. A Guided Exercise permits students to relate models and help them to solve a complex exercise step by step. This strategy was used in two consecutive courses of an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, Soil Mechanics I and Soil Mechanics II at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. The results show that students considered the strategy useful for the understanding of the concepts covered in the course. Analysing the students’ academic performance, it can be concluded that those who used this methodology had a better approval ratio. This paper presents data to support these statements.

Written within the scope of a PhD research project that is being developed at the University of Aveiro (Portugal), this article is based on research for design, through design. The goal is to develop a proposal for a non-disposable modular packaging system for ceramic products, which can organize interior spaces, thus reducing waste. Its development relies on the partnerships of two companies in the distinctive areas of ceramics and textiles, namely: Grestel-Produtos Cerâmicos S.A. and Tintex Textiles S.A. A historical study of ceramic ware packaging was developed through a documental analysis of relevant moments of long-distance transport history, before disposable consumption habits. By gathering and analysing information that provides significant contributions based on historical facts, this study targeting a contemporary solution for a reusable packaging project. A proposal for a modular packaging system has already been designed and validated by the partner companies.

For the development of more energy-efficient buildings, pursuing comprehensive sustainable solutions can help decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and using natural resources sustainably and at low cost are challenging objectives for the achievement of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. In this context, the main objective of this research is the evaluation of the energy-efficiency improvement of shallow geothermal systems, based on one case study building located at Aveiro University. The present research undertakes the improvement of several parameters with influence on the shallow geothermal systems efficiency, using as a demonstrator a university building in Aveiro University, the CCCI department building. The performed work was developed in three phases: (i) the acquisition of vertical temperature profiles in 15 exploration boreholes, (ii) the simulation of the buildings’ energy needs using EnergyPlus® software, and (iii) the evaluation of the energy demand of the geothermal system using HYGCHP® software. A sensitivity analysis was carried out with HYGCHP® by changing several parameters (average ground temperature, soil thermal conductivity, pipe radius, and total installation length) to assess the reduction potential of the annual energy consumption. Combining different parameters in the design phase allows a considerable reduction in the annual energy consumption. Two parameters are highlighted with a higher influence: the soil thermal conductivity and the average soil temperature (measured in the boreholes). A synthesis of the simulations carried out will lead to concrete recommendations and guidelines for future planning actions regarding geothermal systems installation to ensure sustainable use conditions, comfort, and health in the campus environment.

Abstract In recent years, communication on social media has undergone major changes, shifting towards being more multimodal and video-centred. This study investigates the engagement of Portuguese university students in video production within social media platforms and examines their perceptions of language learning opportunities inherent to this practice. We conducted a questionnaire among 212 students at the University of Aveiro (Portugal), delving into the role of video-making as an interactive learning tool. Our results show that roughly 22% of the respondents make videos, indicating that video production is not very common among them, especially when compared to video watching. Despite this, our analysis highlights several possible educational benefits of making online videos. Our data illustrate the interactive and multilingual nature of online video-making, encompassing practices such as searching for information, collaborating with others, or watching other similar videos in different languages. Finally, while this study highlights the infrequency of video production, it underscores its potential as a holistic approach to language learning and the development of multiliteracies.

Abstract The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Student Chapter Pilot Program provides a platform for students in all academic levels to exchange academic ideas, network with industry professionals, and share scientific and educational experiences. Developing an international student chapter based at the University of Aveiro in Portugal was a challenging but fullfiling task, accomplished through the dedication and perseverance of its members. This student chapter, created by and for students, aims to serve as an opportunity for networking, education, research, and community work. We aspire to create a bridge between Portugal and the United States, promoting educational and research opportunities for students and increasing awareness in the field of aging. By sharing the challenges and rewards we encountered during the creation of this chapter, we hope to inspire other universities worldwide to do the same and build an even larger international network. Through this network, students working with older adults can find common ground, share ideas, create connections, and develop new ways to enhance the field of Gerontology worldwide. The GSA student chapter is a unique opportunity that enables students to connect, share knowledge and contribute to the field of Gerontology. Our hope is that this model will be replicated globally, fostering collaboration and advancing our understanding of aging in all corners of the world.

Abstract The Portland State University (PSU) Gerontological Society of America Student Chapter was formed as a new student organization in 2022. Due to student interest and enthusiasm, this chapter was eager to invest in connections within PSU departments (e.g., public health, social work, and urban affairs) across Portland area campuses (e.g., Oregon Health and Science University) and between other student chapters internationally. Initially, this chapter focused on relationships between undergraduate and graduate students invested in aging research and education on PSU’s campus. Once a core group was formed, the chapter recruited members across campus, created an Aging 101 Service event to reach all students, and developed connections with professionals in the regional area. With guidance from the faculty advisor, this chapter reached out to the chapter at the University of Porto, the University of Aveiro in Porto, Portugal, to create a dual chapter networking event with colleagues in Portugal. This presentation will explain the chapter networking and provide suggestions to create regional, national, and international connections.

Active learning is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of higher education's teaching-learning paradigm. In this context, educators serve as facilitators, empowering students to take the lead and assume co-responsibility for their learning. Among the array of active learning strategies available, the portfolio stands out as an instrument that not only aids in knowledge construction but also fosters the development of crucial skills like autonomy and creativity. Furthermore, it serves as an interactive and participatory learning approach that encourages self-assessment and reflection on the teaching-learning journey. Portfolios, through the continual (re)construction of knowledge and ongoing collaborative engagement between students and educators, promote self-regulated learning by progressively fostering students' awareness of their learning process. This study reflects on the pedagogical application of individual portfolios, aiming to explore their role in enhancing writing skills within a digital context and nurturing cross-disciplinary skills highly valued by employers. Specifically, it delves into students' perceptions of the portfolio construction process within the Internet Writing course, a segment of the Master's degree program in Marketing and Digital Communication at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). After a brief examination of active learning strategies, with a specific emphasis on portfolios as tools for self-reflection and learning, the study analyzes questionnaire survey results utilizing SPSS software. The survey was administered to students enrolled in the course to assess the effectiveness of the applied teaching strategy. Lastly, based on the findings, this work identifies potential limitations and suggests strategies for improvement in future implementations.