Dark Tourism in the land of Sunshine: An intercultural business model for the routes of death and disaster in Portugal

The main goal of this dissertation is the creation and subsequent implementation of dark tourism routes in Portugal, following a business model that already exists in other cultures. This typology of tourism is an extension of cultural tourism and is classified by the search for places where once disasters, suffering and death occurred. Thus, concentration camps, inactive prisons, serial killers' homes, cemeteries, and all other places that fit into the patterns of death, tragedy and suffering can be considered dark tourism sites. In Portugal, there are some places associated with the practice of dark tourism, although this type of business is not yet sufficiently explored. Therefore, this dissertation intends to use the country’s heritage, which is one of the levers for promoting tourism and an important factor of development, thus justifying the elaboration of a conceptual map associated with tourism. With the delineation of routes in this dissertation, we intend not only to introduce this market niche in the country, but also to contribute innovatively to the tourist dynamics, in order to blur the existing seasonality, which arises from the demand for sun and sea tourism. With the conception and design of these routes, we intend to make a pioneering contribution to the creation of a platform to promote dark tourism in the country. The creation of a business model and a marketing plan results from the need to assess the viability of the implementation of this project, and to discuss the best strategies for implementing it

A utilização de modelos estatísticos na avaliação de risco de espécies exóticas invasoras: revisão sistemática

Either deliberately or by accident, humans have been introducing exotic species into novel habitats at an alarming rate and the ongoing climate change can synergistically promote this phenomenon, at times. Risk assessment of exotic species is essential to support the prevention of new introductions in the case of species that represent negative impacts on the various components of ecosystems. Over the last 20 years, statistical modelling has been recognized as a useful tool in predicting invasion risks specifically for exotic plants. In this systematic review, the application of statistical models to the risk assessment of alien plant species was analyzed to assess how the application of these tools has evolved over time, as well as to identify the approaches used and finally the current limitations inherent to these studies. The results support that static and spatially explicit machine learning models that predict potential species distribution are the most commonly used techniques, although some pertinent limitations related to these models have also been identified. It has been concluded that a formalization of risk assessment protocols should include the standardized use of species distribution models, and both techniques and approaches should be scientifically proven to maximize accuracy and reduce errors in results.Quer deliberadamente ou acidentalmente, os seres humanos têm vindo a introduzir espécies exóticas em novos habitats a um ritmo alarmante, sendo que as alterações climáticas que se têm vindo a sentir, por vezes promovem sinergeticamente este fenómeno. A avaliação de risco de espécies exóticas é essencial para apoiar a prevenção de novas introduções no caso de espécies que potencialmente representam algum impacto negativo nos vários componentes dos ecossistemas. Ao longo dos últimos 20 anos, a modelação estatística tem vindo a ser reconhecida como uma ferramenta útil na previsão dos riscos de invasão especificamente no caso de plantas exóticas. Nesta revisão sistemática, analisou-se a aplicação de modelos estatísticos na avaliação do risco de espécies de plantas exóticas, com a finalidade de avaliar como a aplicação destas ferramentas evoluiu ao longo do tempo, bem como identificar as abordagens utilizadas e finalmente as atuais limitações inerentes a estes estudos. Os resultados apoiam que os modelos estáticos e espacialmente explícitos de aprendizagem automática que preveem a distribuição potencial de espécies são as técnicas mais comummente utilizadas, embora algumas limitações pertinentes relacionadas com esses modelos tenham sido também identificadas. Concluiu-se que uma formalização dos protocolos de avaliação de risco deverá incluir de forma estandardizada a utilização de modelos de distribuição de espécies, tanto as técnicas como as abordagens deverão ser cientificamente comprovadas de forma a maximizar a precisão e diminuir os erros dos resultados.Mestrado em Biologia Aplicad

Introduction

Este documento é uma tradução do livro publicado em português, “Pobreza e Paz nos PALOP”, Sextante Editora (2009), ISBN 978-989-676-007-6As the end result of a multidisciplinary investigation project conducted in Africa, this publication about Poverty and Peace in the Portuguese-speaking African Countries1 has the purpose, on one hand, of presenting the main conclusions of the studies conducted in these countries and, on the other, to provide a collection of guidelines for future research relevant to the comprehension of the combination of both phenomena

Business plan: Nanolung

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, representing approximately 1.8 million diagnosed cases every year worldwide. The most aggressive form of lung cancer, SCLC (small cell lung cancer), is expected to be responsible to 10% to 15% of all lung cancer cases. Nanolung, the solution proposed in this business plan, is a nanocarrier with three key functional components, that is able to distinguish between healthy and cancer cells, stop tumor progression and kill the cancer cells. Recent trends suggest that well-established companies are more adequate to the activities regarding clinical trials and marketing drugs, while small companies, like Nanoplex, should explore niche areas with a strong science-based focus. Usually these two types of companies joint through mergers or acquisitions due to the technological star-ups financial difficulties pursuing to the market. Having said that, Nanoplex will make a license deal of the technology after phase two of clinical trials to a well-established pharmaceutical company. The author conducted an analysis of secondary data like scientific articles, academic books and websites of relevant institutions for the subject under analysis, as well as, collected and analyzed primary data through semi-structured interviews with professionals with a vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry and particularly in the R&D areas, in order to validate the work contents. This business plan allows to affirm that Nanolung, a treatment against SCLC, is economical and financial viable.O cancro do pulmão é a causa principal de morte, representando aproximadamente 1.8 milhões de diagnósticos todos os anos a nível global. A forma mais agressiva de cancro do pulmão, o carcinoma de pequenas células, é expetável que represente 10 a 15% dos casos de cancro do pulmão. O Nanolung, a solução proposta neste plano de negócios, é uma nanopartícula transportadora com três componentes funcionais, que permite distinguir as células saudáveis das células cancerígenas, parar a progressão tumoral e eliminar as células cancerígenas. Tendências recentes sugerem que empresas bem estabelecidas são mais adequadas para atividades tais como ensaios clínicos e atividades de marketing, enquanto que empresas pequenas, como a Nanoplex, devem explorar áreas de nicho focadas em atividades cientificas. Habitualmente a junção destes dois tipos de empresas faz-se via fusões e aquisições, dadas as dificuldades financeiras das start-ups de base tecnológica em prosseguir para o mercado. Dito isto, a Nanoplex irá realizar um contrato de licenciamento da tecnologia após a segunda fase dos ensaios clínicos a uma empresa farmacêutica bem estabelecida. A autora realizou uma análise de informação secundária tal como artigos científicos, livros académicos e websites de instituições relevantes para os temas em análise bem como recolheu e analisou informação primária através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com profissionais com uma vasta experiência na indústria farmacêutica e particularmente na área de investigação e desenvolvimento de forma a validar o conteúdo deste trabalho. Este plano de negócios permite afirmar que o Nanolung, um tratamento para o carcinoma de pequenas células, é viável em termos económicos e financeiros

Clustering of extreme events created by multiple correlated maxima

We consider stochastic processes arising from dynamical systems by evaluating an observable function along the orbits of the system. The novelty is that we will consider observables achieving a global maximum value (possible infinite) at multiple points with special emphasis for the case where these maximal points are correlated or bound by belonging to the same orbit of a certain chosen point. These multiple correlated maxima can be seen as a new mechanism creating clustering. We recall that clustering was intimately connected with periodicity when the maximum was achieved at a single point. We will study this mechanism for creating clustering and will address the existence of limiting Extreme Value Laws, the repercussions on the value of the Extremal Index, the impact on the limit of Rare Events Points Processes, the influence on clustering patterns and the competition of domains of attraction. We also consider briefly and for comparison purposes multiple uncorrelated maxima. The systems considered include expanding maps of the interval such as Rychlik maps but also maps with an indifferent fixed point such as Manneville-Pommeau maps

Extreme Value Laws for dynamical systems with countable extremal sets

We consider stationary stochastic processes arising from dynamical systems by evaluating a given observable along the orbits of the system. We focus on the extremal behaviour of the process, which is related to the entrance in certain regions of the phase space, which correspond to neighbourhoods of the maximal set $\mathcal M$, i.e. the set of points where the observable is maximised. The main novelty here is the fact that we consider that the set $\mathcal M$ may have a countable number of points, which are associated by belonging to the orbit of a certain point, and may have accumulation points. In order to prove the existence of distributional limits and study the intensity of clustering, given by the Extremal Index, we generalise the conditions previously introduced in \cite{FFT12,FFT15}.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1505.0155

Mathematics self-efficacy in the education of youngsters and adults: Vanda’s case

Literature has pointed out, for at least two decades, that the perceptions about one’s own competency influence the motivation to learn and the school achievement. However, in the case of the Education for Youngsters and Adults (EJA), the beliefs and emotions related to the students’ own self-perceptions as learners, especially as Mathematics learners, have not been given proper attention. In this article, we present a case study whose purpose was to investigate possible mobilizations of the Mathematics self-efficacy beliefs by an EJA student throughout the development of Mathematics tasks, which were created based on a theoretical framework. The research – from the development of the activities through the analysis – was based on Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, in particular, on the concept of self-efficacy. For seven months, we collected data through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, the researchers’ field journal, and video recordings of a few Mathematics class of a high school class at a public school, in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The results showed strong evidence of mobilization of the self-efficacy beliefs on Vanda’s behalf. However, albeit there has been observed more persistence by the student when carrying out her activities, her more active and autonomous participation, as well as her self-confidence and emotional well-being, it was also verified that the student’s behaviour, feelings, and perceptions under evaluative situations evinced a slight change with regards to controlling negative emotions in those situations. In spite of being a single case, this work contributes to shed light on the Mathematics self-efficacy beliefs held by EJA students, as well as on the teacher’s role in the process

A importância da detecção das intolerâncias alimentares para a prescrição dietética

http://repositorio.uniceub.br/retrieve/33525/21502988.pd

A importância da detecção das intolerâncias alimentares para a prescrição dietética

http://repositorio.uniceub.br/retrieve/33525/21502988.pd