Abstract
This paper presents a methodology based on random forest algorithm to predict the undergraduate academic performance of students from a polytechnic institution. The approach followed enabled to select 11 explanatory variables, starting from an initial set of around fifty, which allow to obtain a good predictive performance (R-2=0.79). These variables reveal crucial aspects for the definition of management strategies focused on promoting academic success.

Abstract
The applications of the blockchain technology are still being discovered. When a new potential disruptive technology emerges, there is a tendency to try to solve every problem with that technology. However, it is still necessary to determine what approach is the best for each type of application. To find how distributed ledgers solve existing problems, this study looks for blockchain frameworks in the academic world. Identifying the existing frameworks can demonstrate where the interest in the technology exists and where it can be missing. This study encountered several blockchain frameworks in development. However, there are few references to operational needs, testing, and deploy of the technology. With the widespread use of the technology, either integrating with pre-existing solutions, replacing legacy systems, or new implementations, the need for testing, deploying, exploration, and maintenance is expected to intensify. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Abstract
Energy management in buildings can provide massive benefits in financial and energy saving terms. It is possible to optimize energy usage with smart grid techniques, where the benefits are enhanced when the energy consumer can trade the energy on energy markets, since it forces energy providers to compete with each other on the energy price. However, two hurdles oppose this approach: the devices providing control over appliances do not interoperate with each other; and energy markets limit trading activities to large quantities of energy, thus impeding access for small consumers. This work considers using the FlexOffer (FO) concept to allow the consumer to express its energy needs, and FO-related mechanisms to aggregate energy requests into quantities relevant for energy markets. Moreover, the presented system, named FlexHousing, is based on the Arrowhead Framework - A framework that simplifies design and implementation of distributed applications by means of normalizing communication via services - and exploits its Service Oriented mechanisms to provide device interoperability. The implemented FlexHousing system uses multi-level FO aggregation to empower either the final user, for example the owner of an apartment, to manage its own energy by defining their flexibilities, or to offload this responsibility to an energy manager who takes care of all the apartments in a building or set of buildings. © 2018 IEEE.

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