Abstract
In many institutions relational databases are used as a tool for managing information related to day to day activities. Institutions may be required to keep the information stored in relational databases accessible because of many reasons including legal requirements and institutional policies. However, the evolution in technology and change in users with the passage of time put the information stored in relational databases in danger. In the long term the information may become inaccessible when the operating system, database management system or the application software is not available any more or the contextual information not stored in the database may be lost thus affecting the authenticity and understandability of the information. This paper presents an approach for preserving relational databases for the long-term. The proposal involves migrating a relational database to a dimensional model which is simple to understand and easy to write queries against. Practical transformation rules are developed by carrying out multiple case studies. One of the case studies is presented as a running example in the paper. Systematic implementation of the rules ensures no loss of information in the process except for the unwanted details. The database preserved using the approach is converted to an open format but may be reloaded to a database management system in the long-term.

Abstract
Motivation: Ebola virus causes high mortality hemorrhagic fevers, with more than 25 000 cases and 10 000 deaths in the current outbreak. Only experimental therapies are available, thus, novel diagnosis tools and druggable targets are needed. Results: Analysis of Ebola virus genomes from the current outbreak reveals the presence of short DNA sequences that appear nowhere in the human genome. We identify the shortest such sequences with lengths between 12 and 14. Only three absent sequences of length 12 exist and they consistently appear at the same location on two of the Ebola virus proteins, in all Ebola virus genomes, but nowhere in the human genome. The alignment-free method used is able to identify pathogen-specific signatures for quick and precise action against infectious agents, of which the current Ebola virus outbreak provides a compelling example.

Abstract

Abstract
We present ParTypes, a type-based methodology for the verification of Message Passing Interface (MPI) programs written in the C programming language. The aim is to statically verify programs against protocol specifications, enforcing properties such as fidelity and absence of deadlocks. We develop a protocol language based on a dependent type system for message-passing parallel programs, which includes various communication operators, such as point-to-point messages, broadcast, reduce, array scatter and gather. For the verification of a program against a given protocol, the protocol is first translated into a representation read by VCC, a software verifier for C. We successfully verified several MPI programs in a running time that is independent of the number of processes or other input parameters. This contrasts with alternative techniques, notably model checking and runtime verification, that suffer from the state-explosion problem or that otherwise depend on parameters to the program itself. We experimentally evaluated our approach against state-of-the-art tools for MPI to conclude that our approach offers a scalable solution.

Abstract
Carpooling is a car sharing practice first adopted in the United States of America during the fuel crisis in the 1970s. Since then, and after some ups and downs, this practice has been growing in recent years, being currently used throughout the world. With the evolution of mobile technologies, carpooling had the opportunity to expand, especially through mobile applications and web pages. With these technologies, it is possible for anyone in any part of the globe to search for others that wish to go to the same place and want to share their car. With this practice, people intend to save money, help preserve the environment, reduce congestions in cities, increase the number of places available to park and meet new people. This paper introduces MoCaS Mobile Carpooling System, a carpool service offered for registered users. In this system, each user can enter his travels and make appointments, assign ratings, register vehicles and add travel preferences. All this is possible via a web interface and also via a mobile application that together give greater support to those seeking such services. MoCaS distinguishes itself from other systems by offering innovative services, namely in the mobile component, that through location services allows for the booking of trips in real-time; in other words, not only trips that have not started, but trips that are already underway and that end up intersecting the user's position. Besides this novelty, this system provides a real-time map, where all trip stops are visible, as well as the location of carpoolers who are currently traveling. Both the web and the mobile applications were successfully developed, achieving good results in the performed tests, and are currently being prepared for deployment.

Abstract
With the job market receiving the first graduates, with a new professional profile and with the redefinition of the education model under the Bologna Process, has established itself the need to monitor the professional, investigative and training career of each alumnus, building a technological and informational infrastructure from which it will be possible: to collect, record and provide information related with each graduate; maintain a continuous connection of the alumni to the University and to the IS (Information Science) at the U.Porto (Oporto University); promote communication among students, alumni, researchers, institutionsand business employers, that harbors traineeships (previous Bologna implementation), dissertation projects and doctoral thesis; and also to promote and disseminate the scientific production, the organization and participation in scientific events and the entrepreneurial and business spirit of students and alumni. Created in the academic year 2006/2007, the Observatory of Information Science at the University of Porto (OCIUPorto) aims to monitor the professional, investigative and formative path of each alumnus, making possible the collection and availability of information about each graduate. This is a project developed by students within the course of Management Information Services, of the 3rd year of the degree in Information Science (IS) and each year a new team has the responsibility of its management and continuous improvement. Supported by the Joomla! content management system, the OCIUPorto encourages the collaborative work, improves the communication capacity through social networks and also stores the information produced and collected in the past nine years, providing an unique source about IS at the U.Porto.