A case study

The aim of this study was to identify the attributes that different tourist segments prioritize in choosing a destination for winter sports and analyze their degree of satisfaction with the services provided by the only ski resort in Portugal. A questionnaire was applied to 200 tourists with factor analysis from which factors were extracted to serve as a basis for a cluster analysis. Five factors about the most valued attributes in choosing a destination were identified, and six consumer clusters were distinguished. Concerning the analysis of satisfaction with the resort’s services, five factors were identified and the preferences of different consumer segments were discriminated from identification of five clusters. The study suggests that consumer segmentation based on the characteristics of the destination’s attributes together with assessment of their satisfaction with the services available can supply relevant information to evaluate organizations’ competitiveness.O objectivo deste estudo foi o de identificar os atributos que diferentes segmentos de turistas privilegiam na escolha de um destino turístico de desportos de inverno e analisar o grau de satisfação destes sobre os serviços prestados pela única estância de ski existente em Portugal. Foi aplicado um questionário a 200 turistas e feita uma análise factorial de onde se extraíram factores que serviram de base a uma análise de clusters. Foram identificados cinco factores acerca dos atributos mais valorizados na escolha do destino e distinguidos seis clusters de consumidores. No que se refere à análise da satisfação sobre os serviços da estância, foram identificados cinco factores e descriminadas as preferências de diferentes segmentos de consumidores através da identificação de cinco clusters. O estudo sugere que a segmentação dos consumidores com base nas características dos atributos do destino em conjunto com uma avaliação da sua satisfação sobre os serviços disponibilizados, pode fornecer informação relevante para avaliar a competitividade das organizações

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) SPECTRUM OF Rotator Cuff Tears, with Arthroscopic – MRI Contextualizations

Our understanding of rotator cuff (RC) pathogenesis and the optimal management of RC pathology is evolving and shoulder magnetic imaging (MRI) has a crucial role in this development, as it functionally depicts pathology in the painful shoulder patient, conveys optimal sensitivity and specificity rates in rotator cuff tear evaluation and characterization, and allows useful additional information in terms of patient management, namely regarding muscle atrophy, reducing unnecessary arthroscopic procedures.We present and discuss the shoulder MRI protocol used at our Institution, and summarize the imaging spectrum of RC pathology by this technique, using a series of patients evaluated by our Department to conclude that MRI has very high levels of sensitivity and specificity transversely seen is most high work volume Radiology Departments

The contribution of the Port of Sines for its regional economic growth and development

JEL Classification: F230; L900This project concentrates on the stakeholder perspective on the factors that may contribute the most for the economic growth and development of the region of the port of Sines. Through an analysis of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) determinants, agglomeration economies and clusters and attractiveness factors in ports, it was possible to establish a framework to discuss this theme. Following this chapter, and to frame to literature review in this specific case, a brief characterization of the Port of Sines is presented. In the process of contacting the stakeholders, there was a design of the interview guide, and its aftermost application. The results of these interviews were subjected to a content analysis, which was subsequently discussed regarding the literature review done in the first chapter. The information retrieved from the contact with the stakeholders about the development of the port region allowed to perceive three main pillars: 1) Development of infrastructures (Railway to Spain; expansion of the container terminal; more road connections) 2) Attracting Investors (Creation of a logistics hub; increase competitiveness in order to attract more maritime traffic) 3) Development of supporting activities to the port (Stakeholder management; new training facilities; development of R&D)Este projeto concentra-se na perspetiva dos stakeholders quanto aos fatores que mais podem contribuir para o crescimento económico e desenvolvimento da região do Porto de Sines. Através da análise de determinantes de IDE (Investimento Direto Estrangeiro), economia de aglomeração e clusters e fatores de atratividade em portos, foi possível enquadrar a discussão deste tema. Após este capítulo, para enquadramento da revisão literária no caso específico a ser abordado, é apresentada uma breve caracterização do Porto de Sines. No processo de contacto com os stakeholders, houve a elaboração de um guião de entrevista e a sua posterior aplicação. Os resultados destas entrevistas foram sujeitos a uma análise de conteúdo, que foi subsquentemente discutida tendo em consideração a revisão literária feita na primeira parte. As informações obtidas através do contacto com os stakeholders sobre o desenvolvimento da região do porto, permitiu interpretar três principais eixos: 1) Desenvolvimento de infraestruturas (Linha férrea para Espanha; expansão do terminal de contentores; mais estradas) 2) Atrair investidores (Criação de um hub logístico; aumentar competitividade para atrair mais tráfego marítimo) 3) Desenvolvimento de atividades de apoio ao porto (Gestão de stakeholders; novos estabelecimentos de ensino; desenvolvimento de I&D

Post-Menopausal Metrorrhagia – An Ovarian Thecoma Presentation

Os tecomas são tumores raros do ovário, do grupo dos tumores dos cordões sexuais, de natureza sólida e frequentemente unilaterais.Têm maior incidência no período pós-menopausa e normalmente são silenciosos.Quando sintomáticos traduzem-se por dor pélvica e metrorragia (condicionada pela habitual natureza produtora de estrogénios do tumor). Podem ser concomitantes a síndrome de Meigs e/ou de Golin-Goltz e associarem-se a transformação benigna ou maligna do endométrio. Embora a ecografia possa ser inespecífica neste contexto, uma avaliação multiparamétrica abrangente em ressonância magnética, incluindo por estudo dinâmico e com ponderação em difusão, permite frequentemente orientar de modo favorável a marcha diagnóstica.Apresentamos um caso raro de tecoma do ovário, com espessamento associado do endométrio, avaliado por ecografia ginecológica por vias supra-púbica e transvaginal bem como tomografia computorizada e ressonância magnética, confirmado cirurgicamente. Tratou-se de uma examinada caucasiana de 61 anos de idade, apresentando-se com metrorragia pósmenopáusica, sem outros sintomas nem contexto familiar relevante. Procedeu-se, a este propósito, a uma revisão da literatura focada no diagnóstico multimodal diferencial, apresentação clínica, tratamento e prognóstico destes tumores

Metrorragia pós-menopausa - uma apresentação de tecoma ovárico

Os tecomas são tumores raros do ovário, do grupo dos tumores dos cordões sexuais, de natureza sólida e frequentemente unilaterais. Têm maior incidência no período pósmenopausa e normalmente são silenciosos. Quando sintomáticos traduzem-se por dor pélvica e metrorragia (condicionada pela habitual natureza produtora de estrogénios do tumor). Podem ser concomitantes a síndrome de Meigs e/ou de Golin-Goltz e associaremse a transformação benigna ou maligna do endométrio. Embora a ecografia possa ser inespecífica neste contexto, uma avaliação multiparamétrica abrangente em ressonância magnética, incluindo por estudo dinâmico e com ponderação em difusão, permite frequentemente orientar de modo favorável a marcha diagnóstica. Apresentamos um caso raro de tecoma do ovário, com espessamento associado do endométrio, avaliado por ecografia ginecológica por vias supra-púbica e transvaginal bem como tomografia computorizada e ressonância magnética, confirmado cirurgicamente. Tratou-se de uma examinada caucasiana de 61 anos de idade, apresentando-se com metrorragia pósmenopáusica, sem outros sintomas nem contexto familiar relevante. Procedeu-se, a este propósito, a uma revisão da literatura focada no diagnóstico multimodal diferencial, apresentação clínica, tratamento e prognóstico destes tumores.Thecomas represent rare, solid sex-cord stromal ovarian tumors, often unilateral, asymptomatic and occurring in postmenopausal patients. When symptomatic, they most commonly present with pelvic pain and metrorrhagia (due to their frequent estrogenic releasing nature). Thecomas can occur concomitantly with Meigs and/or Golin-Goltz syndrome and may also be associated with benign or malign endometrial transformation. Although gynecologic transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound can be quite unspecific in this particular solid ovarian tumor presentation, magnetic resonance imaging including diffusion and dynamic data can frequently suggest the diagnosis and significantly facilitate the diagnostic work-up. We report a rare case of ovarian thecoma, with concomitant endometrial thickening, demonstrated by gynecologic transvaginal ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance contrasted imaging, surgically confirmed. The patient was a 61 years old caucasian female presenting with postmenopausal metrorrhagia, without other associated symptoms nor family medical context. On this regard, we performed a review of the literature, focused on multimodal differential diagnosis imaging, clinical presentation, treatment and prognostic of this pathological finding

Integration of driving performance efficiency metrics in heavy-truck companies: Joiditrans, Lda. in-company project

In order to analyze and understand new models and ideas for efficiency evaluation, this project was developed in partnership with a road cargo transportation company named Joiditrans, with the purpose of defining which metrics and indicators allow a company like this to survive in a competitive market sector such as the road transportation. Based on research that gathered valuable and essential information for the development of a complete literature review, it was defined essential concepts that made it possible to understand an existing problem in transportation companies and the different ways in which it is possible to create models for improving the business efficiency. This company-project made it possible to identify the various problems that the company has, because Joiditrans by failing to use effectively and correctly information from telematics systems, ends up causing flaws and defects in the analysis of performance indicators. This way, based on the literature review and the reality of the company, it was possible to observe and describe how the company is organized and how different techniques of heavy truck driving are applied. In this way, with all this data obtained and observed, it was identified what is being well done and what can be improved through a proposal for an implementation model of driving performance analysis and how the company can manage to control these performance indicators in the future to guarantee always the same operational efficiency.A fim de analisar e entender novos modelos e ideias de avaliação de eficiência, este projeto foi desenvolvido em parceria com uma empresa de transportes rodoviários de mercadorias denominada de Joiditrans, com a finalidade de definir quais as métricas e indicadores que permitem a uma empresa como esta sobreviver num setor de mercado competitivo como é o dos transportes rodoviários. Com base numa pesquisa que reunisse informações valiosas e importantes para o desenvolvimento de uma revisão da literatura completa, definiram-se conceitos essenciais que tornaram possível entender um problema existente nas empresas de transportes e as diversas formas como é possível criar modelos de melhoramento da eficiência do negócio. Este projeto-empresa permitiu identificar os diversos problemas que a empresa possui, pois, a Joiditrans ao não conseguir utilizar de forma eficaz e correta as informações dos sistemas de telemetria, acaba por provocar falhas e defeitos na análise de indicadores de performance. Assim com base na revisão da literatura e na realidade da empresa, foi possível observar e descrever como a empresa se organiza e como são aplicadas diferentes técnicas de condução de veículos pesados. Desta forma, com todos estes dados obtidos e observados, identificou-se o que está a ser bem feito e o que pode ser melhorado através de uma proposta de um modelo de implementação de análise de performance de condução e como a empresa pode conseguir controlar futuramente estes indicadores de performance de forma a garantir sempre a mesma eficiência operacional

GeoGebra as a learning mathematical environment

GeoGebra, a software system for dynamic geometry and algebra in the plane, since its inception in 2001, has gone from a dynamic geometry software (DGS), to a powerful computational tool in several areas of mathematics. Powerful algebraic capabilities have joined GeoGebra, an efficient spreadsheet that can deal with many kinds of objects, an algebraic and symbolic calculation system and several graphical views that expand the possibility of multidimensional representations, namely, by using colouring domain techniques, expanded to representations in the Riemann sphere, making this DGS a powerful research tool in mathematics. On the other hand, GeoGebra can create applications easily and export to HTML, and the possibility to quickly integrating these applets in several web platforms provides this DGS with an excellent way to create strong collaborative environments to teach and learn mathematics. Recently was added to GeoGebra powerful capabilities that transform this software a real Learning Mathematical Environment, using the GeoGebraBooks and GeoGebraGroups, plain of collaborative functionality between students and teachers

METAS DE INFLAÇÃO E VULNERABILIDADE EXTERNA NO BRASIL

The central purpose of this study is to assess the performance of the inflation targeting regime adopted in Brazil, in a context of high exchange rate volatility, as well as high public debt. In order to accomplish this, a Vector Autoregressive methodology was used. The results suggest that: i) the interest rate is an important instrument of monetary policy; ii) there is presence of inflationary inertia; iii) changes in interest rate to fight inflation can provoke more inflation; iv) the inflation rate is quite sensitive to the exchange rate volatility; v) the inflation rate answers, in way erratic and not significant, to the variations in the government's nominal result; vi) inflation rate response to the innovations in the output gap is not significant; vii) output gap responses to inflation rate shocks does not reveal to be significant; and viii) the monetary policy affects the output gap. The main conclusion is that inflation target in Brazil is limited by the no coordination between monetary and fiscal policies, as well as the external vulnerability.

Phylogenomics and biogeography of the world's thrushes (Aves, Turdus) : new evidence for a more parsimonious evolutionary history

To elucidate the relationships and spatial range evolution across the world of the bird genus Turdus (Aves), we produced a large genomic dataset comprising ca 2 million nucleotides for ca 100 samples representing 53 species, including over 2000 loci. We estimated time-calibrated maximum-likelihood and multispecies coalescentphylogenies and carried out biogeographic analyses. Our results indicate that there have been considerably fewer trans-oceanic dispersals within the genus Turdus than previously suggested, such that the Palaearctic clade did not originate in America and the African clade was not involved in the colonization of the Americas. Instead, our findings suggest that dispersal from the Western Palaearctic via the Antilles to the Neotropics might have occurred in a single event, giving rise to the rich Neotropical diversity of Turdus observed today, with no reverse dispersals to thePalaearctic or Africa. Our large multilocus dataset, combined with dense species-level sampling and analysed under probabilistic methods, brings important insights into historical biogeography and systematics, even in a scenario of fast and spatially complex diversification.Peer reviewe

O pensamento autoritário brasileiro e a doutrina integralista : limites entre as idéias com raízes nacionais e as ideologias importadas

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