We have to start off this preface by congratulating the IPB for its achievement.
It has been positioned in the top 50 best Higher Education Institutions in the area
of Food Technology and Science by the renowned Shanghai ranking. For 4 years
in a row the IPB has been considered the best Polytechnic Institute in Portugal by
the U-Multirank. Therefore, we have to take our hat off to the IPB.
It goes without saying that our compliment is also addressed to the authors,
reviewers and everyone who made this publication possible. This is now the 6th
number of Teaching Crossroads which started in 2012 when we came up with the
idea of publishing research work presented in the Erasmus Weeks endorsed by the
IPB. Since then we have had over 40 articles published and over 6,000 downloads.
Actually, the top five countries doing downloads include France, Germany, Sweden,
The Netherlands and the USA.
We aim to reach not only other researchers but also students who can find
relevant information in the articles for their areas of study. Not only do we have a
clear, well-structured publication to make it more appealing to the reader, but also
we look for interesting and in-depth discussions, ideas and projects to promote
serious research work developed in Europe. This has been our main motto since
we started.
This year’s publication includes the areas of Economy and Management, Health,
Mathematics, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. In conjunction with this, as in the three last previous numbers, we have included the specific area on International
mobility, Intensive Programmes and Erasmus+.
To entice you to read these informative and thoughtful articles, we highlight
some of the main ideas that the authors delved into in their research works.
Marcin Bogdanski’s research focuses on regional development in Poland. The
study covers the period between 2000 and 2014 throughout which the author
analysed the level of economic development in Polish provinces. Moreover, the
author reflects on the ineffectiveness of EU cohesion policy aiming at economic
convergence within the EU member countries.
Malgorzata Okreglicka presents a study which analyses the selected aspects
in the area of current assets management, such as trade credit and inventories, in
a varied and large number of Polish enterprises. The statistical work developed is
of considerable advantage as it will allow a comparison between the diverse values
obtained among the different companies and therefore this reveals crucial for the
improvement of management methods and tools.
Elzbieta Broniewicz compares environmental protection costs and revenues in
Portugal and Poland bearing in mind the domains of environmental protection and
economic sectors. Detailed and accurate survey results are shown and by doing so
the author calls our attention to the importance of environmental protection and the
need for government expenditure in this specific field. This study also illustrates how
the world economy influences government expenditure in environmental protection
both in Portugal and Poland which has been decreasing over the last three years.
Juan Antonio Torrénts Arévalo’s study is rather valuable as it indicates a
guideline about strategy management useful for any company. The author presents
and describes several strategic methods, e.g. SWOT and Porter, and all the process
linked to them, namely the definition of objectives, the analysis of the competitive
environment and the internal organisation of companies, just to name a few. This
study also focuses on the performance of Spanish economy in 2011.
Robert Florkowski focuses on the person-centred approach and rehabilitation.
The crux of the study is the comparison between two main paradigms regarding
health rehabilitation, the medical and Rogerian paradigms, highlighting differences
and control skirmishes between them and other scientific patterns. The author
also provides his own professional accounts in the field of physiotherapy, clinical
psychology and psychotherapy as a significant supplement to his study. Kamila Misiakiewicz-Has explores the topic of fertility in males. The author
provides scientific data resulting from experiments performed in rats treated with
endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These substances proved to confirm they alter
endogenous hormones causing thus major influences on the estrogen–androgen
imbalance in the male reproductive system.
F.T. Pachón-García and A. Berenguer-García present a study carried out in
secondary schools with the purpose of checking students’ mathematical skills at this
level of education. The procedure chosen to conduct the study was based on mathematical
tests whose results were then compared with national data and analysed.
Taking into account the results obtained the authors present some innovative solutions
to improve deficiencies that students have had in specific mathematical areas.
Alexandre Pereira presents a study which is part of his doctoral thesis. This
article introduces the topic of soft matter highlighting its use and behaviour. The
study focuses mainly on a Polymer called Ionic Polymer Metal Composite.
Mariana-Rodica Milici and Laurentiu-Dan Milici study the conditions, consequences
and practical applications of the resonance phenomenon. Focusing on
the RLC series circuit under sinusoidal steady state, the authors provide valuable
explanations and warnings regarding the resonance condition and applications of
this phenomenon.
Cristina Mesquita briefly describes the Expeducom project, financed under
Erasmus+ K2, in which she participated in representation of the IPB. This was a
joint project between 7 European Higher Education Institutions with the aim of
developing and implementing innovative pedagogical practices related to experiential
learning in the kindergarten and primary school context.
Appetizers served, we do hope you enjoy your reading and, most of all, you find
it useful in your academic life.
