Abstract
This paper presents a model of a system capable of addressing the training needs identified by the University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). In addition to supporting the typical needs of distance learning/education (e.g., e-learning), it is also intended that the proposed system will complement the traditional classroom-based teaching. This model will have two modules: the physical/infrastructural module and the policies/practices module. The physical/infrastructural module will have the following (control and management) components or modules: e-learning platforms (e.g., Moodle, Sakai) with SIDE (a platform for teaching support developed at UTAD) interconnection; website with educational/training offer and e-learning events; media repository; file storage and sharing service; collaborative/cooperative platform, for the sharing of information and knowledge; scientific repository, for the storage and sharing of work and scientific research, books, conferences, etc.; forum; ticket service/helpdesk, to help solving problems that may arise; Customer Relationship Management (CRM) service (management, relationship and customer satisfaction-student, teachers, other); Learning Analytics system (collection of information about the quality of teaching, evolution and student analysis in the e-learning mode, etc.). Additionally, there will be an assessment/examination space, a contents production studio, and a training studio. The policies/practices module includes the institution policies, and including policies for the creation/dissemination of curses, implementation of course evaluation strategies and continuous improvement, training policies, recognition of the merit and effort of teachers, the training in using the system, the policies for the creation of physical spaces equipped with the necessary tools (computers, cameras, video-conferencing, etc.), among other. In line with these, UTAD has come to recognize that e-learning should be part of its strategy for its training offer and, consequently, is being adopting new policies, namely through the signing of protocols with other institutions with more experience using e-learning. To achieve these objectives, a detailed review of other models and systems that have been successfully implemented in other international reference universities will also be presented here.

Abstract
The development of interferometric methodologies for deformation monitoring that are able to deal with long time series of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images made the detection of seasonal effects possible by decomposing the differential SAR phase. In the case of monitoring of man-made structures, particularly bridges, the use of high-resolution X-band SAR data allows the determination of three major components with significant influence on the SAR phase: the linear deformation trend, the height of structures over terrain, and the thermal expansion. In the case of stable metallic or (reinforced) concrete structures, this last effect can reach a magnitude comparable to or even exceeding the other phase components. In this review, we present two case studies that confirm the feasibility of InSAR techniques for bridge deformation monitoring and our original approach to refine the thermal expansion component.

Abstract
Major rivers have traditionally been linked with important human settlements throughout history. The growth of cities over recent river deposits makes necessary the use of multidisciplinary approaches to characterize the evolution of drainage networks in urbanized areas. Since under-consolidated fluvial sediments are especially sensitive to compaction, their spatial distribution, thickness, and mechanical behavior must be studied. Here, we report on subsidence in the city of Seville (Southern Spain) between 2003 and 2010, through the analysis of the results obtained with the Multi-Temporal InSAR (MT-InSAR) technique. In addition, the temporal evolution of the subsidence is correlated with the rainfall, the river water column and the piezometric level. Finally, we characterize the geotechnical parameters of the fluvial sediments and calculate the theoretical settlement in the most representative sectors. Deformation maps clearly indicate that the spatial extent of subsidence is controlled by the distribution of under-consolidated fine-grained fluvial sediments at heights comprised in the range of river level variation. This is clearly evident at the western margin of the river and the surroundings of its tributaries, and differs from rainfall results as consequence of the anthropic regulation of the river. On the other hand, this influence is not detected at the eastern margin due to the shallow presence of coarse-grain consolidated sediments of different terrace levels. The derived results prove valuable for implementing urban planning strategies, and the InSAR technique can therefore be considered as a complementary tool to help unravel the subsidence tendency of cities located over under-consolidated fluvial deposits. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract
Displacement maps from multitemporal InSAR (MTI) are usually noisy and fragmented. Thresholding on ensemble coherence is a common practice for identifying radar scatterers that are less affected by decorrelation noise. Thresholding on coherence might, however, cause loss of information over the areas undergoing more complex deformation scenarios. If the discrepancies in the areas of moderate coherence share similar behavior, it appears important to take into account their spatial correlation for correct inference. The information over low-coherent areas might then be used in a similar way the coherence is used in thematic mapping applications such as change detection. We propose an approach based on data mining and statistical procedures for mitigating the impact of outliers in MTI results. Our approach allows for minimization of outliers in final results while preserving spatial and statistical dependence among observations. Tests from monitoring slope failures and undermined areas performed in this work have shown that this is beneficial: 1) for better evaluation of low coherent scatterers that are commonly discarded by the standard thresholding procedure, 2) for tackling outlying observations with extremes in any variable, 3) for improving spatial densities of standard persistent scatterers, 4) for the evaluation of areas undergoing more complex deformation scenarios, and 5) for the visualization purposes.

Abstract
Movement is one of the most important characteristics of glaciers which can cause serious natural disasters. For this reason, monitoring this massive blocks is a crucial task. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) can operate all day in any weather conditions and the images acquired by SAR contain intensity and phase information, which are irreplaceable advantages in monitoring the surface movement of glaciers. Moreover, a variety of techniques like DInSAR and offset tracking, based on the information of SAR images, could be applied to measure the movement. Sangwang lake, a glacial lake in the Himalayas, has great potentially danger of outburst. Shie glacier is situated at the upstream of the Sangwang lake. Hence, it is significant to monitor Shie glacier surface movement to assess the risk of outburst. In this paper, 6 high resolution COSMO-SkyMed images spanning from August to December, 2016 are applied with offset tracking technique to estimate the surface movement of Shie glacier. The maximum velocity of Shie glacier surface movement is 51 cm/d, which was observed at the end of glacier tongue, and the velocity is correlated with the change of elevation. Moreover, the glacier surface movement in summer is faster than in winter and the velocity decreases as the local temperature decreases. Based on the above conclusions, the glacier may break off at the end of tongue in the near future. The movement results extracted in this paper also illustrate the advantages of high resolution SAR images in monitoring the surface movement of small glaciers. © Authors 2017.

Abstract
In this paper the synthesis of a rotational speed closed-loop control system based on a fractional-order proportional-integral (FOPI) controller is presented. In particular, it is proposed the use of the SCoMR-FOPI procedure as the controller tuning method for an unmanned aerial vehicle's propulsion unit. In this framework, both the Hermite-Biehler and Pontryagin theorems are used to predefine a stability region for the controller. Several simulations were conducted in order to try to answer the questions - is the FOPI controller good enough to be an alternative to more complex FOPID controllers? In what circumstances can it be advantageous over the ubiquitous PID? How robust this fractional-order controller is regarding the parametric uncertainty of considered propulsion unit model? © 2017 IEEE.