DSpace Collection:

Organisational continuity and human-centred AI: Rethinking governance in ageing digital economies

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Organisational continuity and human-centred AI: Rethinking governance in ageing digital economies Authors: Dieguez, Teresa; Barreto, Jackson Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Digital transformation is often associated with technological sophistication, data availability, automation, and Artificial I ntelligence ( AI)-mediated c oordination. However, organizations may preserve more information while losing the human and institutional capacity to interpret, govern, and use that information over time. This risk is especially relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where tacit knowledge, contextual judgment, and governance memory are often concentrated in experienced professionals. OBJECTIVES: This paper reframes digital transformation as an organizational continuity governance problem. It aims to explain how AI-mediated coordination, demographic aging, distributed work, and concentrated tacit knowledge may generate continuity asymmetry, understood as the gap between increasing technological coordination capacity and insufficient hu man-centered mechanisms fo r preserving interpretive continuity. METHODS: The study develops an integrative conceptual analysis based on selective theoretical synthesis. It connects digital transformation, organizational memory, knowledge transfer and knowledge loss, sociomateriality, human-centered AI, AI governance, aging workforce research, and productive longevity to build a sociomaterial continuity perspective. RESULTS: The paper distinguishes informational continuity from interpretive continuity and conceptualizes experienced professionals as continuity actors who sustain tacit knowledge, relational memory, contextual judgment, and governance understanding across time. It proposes the Sociomaterial Continuity Governance Framework, organized around four mutually reinforcing governance functions: knowledge risk and memory mapping, continuity actors and intergenerational transfer, human oversight of AI-mediated coordination, and modular continuity routines and audits for SMEs. The paper also formulates theoretical propositions to guide future empirical research. CONCLUSION: Sustainable digital transformation depends not only on expanding technological capability, but also on preserving the interpretive conditions through which organizational knowledge remains meaningful, transferable, and governable. The article contributes by positioning organizational continuity as a sociomaterial governance achievement and by offering a conceptual framework for reducing continuity asymmetry in AI-mediated and aging SME environments.

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a healthcare worker: First case in Portugal confirmed by viral genome sequencing

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Title: SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a healthcare worker: First case in Portugal confirmed by viral genome sequencing Authors: Nunes-Silva, Cláudio; Pereira, Sara; Canelas, Gabriela; Pedro, Nicole; Fernandes, Paulo; Pereira, Luísa; Tavares, Margarida Abstract: Few reports of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection by antigenically similar variants are well documented. The interplay between natural acquired immunity, escape by emerging variants, and protective measures in the healthcare setting is considered in this description of the first phylogenetically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Portugal.

Inclusive school: a collaborative and community-based service-learning project

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Inclusive school: a collaborative and community-based service-learning project Authors: Carvalho, Márcia Mariz; Rodrigues, Ana Sofia; Ferreira-Oliveira, Ana Teresa Abstract: This work provides an overview of the 'Inclusive School: Service-Learning' project, an institutional initiative at the Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo. Based on the principles of Service-Learning methodology, the project aims to foster experiential and collaborative education by integrating community service with academic learning. Each year, local institutions and social organizations present their challenges and needs, which are addressed collaboratively by students and faculty through projects developed within the scope of various courses at university. The project follows a structured methodology, involving planning, execution, and evaluation, and has successfully engaged numerous students, teachers, and community partners. This initiative fosters both personal and professional growth while responding to real community needs. It creates a positive social impact by not only enhancing technical skills but also cultivating the transversal skills essential for active citizenship. The outcomes demonstrate significant student engagement, improved teamwork, heightened ethical awareness, and tangible benefits for the community. The following work presents a comprehensive overview of the project, detailing its implementation process, outcomes, and showcasing several example projects.

Effect of addition of a starter cultures on physicochemical and sensory properties of “alheira”, a smoked sausage-like product

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Effect of addition of a starter cultures on physicochemical and sensory properties of “alheira”, a smoked sausage-like product Authors: Barros, Diana; Sobrosa, Cristina; Pinheiro, Rita; Fonseca, Susana; Vaz-Velho, Manuela Abstract: “Alheira” is a traditional Portuguese smoked sausage-like product that can be manufactured with different types of meat and bread. Biopreservation of foods has gained special prominence due to the possibility of naturally controlling the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, with a growing interest in the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their bacteriocins. To ascertain the effect of adding fresh and dried starter LAB cultures (Lactobacillus plantarum ST153Ch) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of “Alheira”. All samples were produced at the industrial level. Sampling for analytical procedures was performed at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days of storage at 4 C. Physicochemical characteristics (moisture content, pH, water activity (aw), instrumental hardness and adhesiveness, instrumental colour (L*, a*, b*)) and sensory evaluation, performed by 9 panellists regarding visual appearance, odour, texture and taste (11 attributes), were evaluated along the storage at 4 C. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in all samples regarding moisture content, pH, aw, instrumental hardness, adhesiveness and in colour parameters, during the storage period. No significant differences in both inoculated “Alheira” samples compared to the control assay were found in sensory analysis until day 90, meaning that L. plantarum ST153Ch starter culture, fresh or dried, could be applied successfully until at least until day 75.