Understanding the effects of explicit association between two brands on consumer’s brand knowledge : Vichy Dercos case-study

Dercos is the market leader in the Portuguese pharmacy hair care market, with a market share of 25% in 2015. However, Dercos is faced with two major challenges: first, to remain relevant in its increasingly competitive channel and second, to increase the pharmacy channel size, by reaching other channel’s customers. To achieve this, L’Oréal considers deepening Dercos’ relationship with a successful beauty brand – Vichy – which could on one hand increase its visibility, but on the other, dilute customer trust in the clinical and efficacy-driven image of the brand. Through the analysis of Vichy’s branding dilemma, this thesis provides an outlook on the Portuguese Hair Care market in the pharmacy circuit. In the Literature Review Section it provides an overview on the topics of brand equity, brand knowledge, brand extensions, brand elements and consumer behavior regarding cosmetic products. The dilemma is then presented in a Case Study and Teaching Note, and complemented by a Market Research study including two Focus Groups and an Online Survey, aimed at presenting closure to the dilemma. The study done found that a deeper association between Vichy and Dercos is beneficial as it would result in broader attribute associations and willingness to buy or try for Vichy Dercos, when compared with the original Dercos concept.A Dercos é a líder de mercado no segmento farmacêutico de produtos capilares em Portugal, com uma quota de mercado de 25% em 2015. Porém, a Dercos depara-se com dois desafios: primeiro, o de permanecer relevante no seu canal e segundo, o de aumentar o tamanho do canal farmácia, através da conquista de mais clientes. Para conseguir isso, a L’Oréal considera aprofundar a relação de Dercos com uma conceituada marca de beleza – Vichy – para aumentar a sua visibilidade, arriscando diluir a confiança do consumidor na imagem clínica de eficácia de Dercos. Através da análise de um dilema da marca Vichy, esta tese fornece uma análise do mercado farmacêutico português de produtos capilares. Na Revisão Literária é proporcionada uma visão dos tópicos de brand equity, brand knowledge, extensões e elementos de marcas e comportamento do consumidor. O dilema é depois apresentado no Caso de Estudo e Nota de Ensino, complementado por um Estudo de Mercado com dois Focus Groups e um Questionário Online, de forma a apresentar uma conclusão. O estudo realizado concluiu que uma associação mais profunda entre as marcas Vichy e Dercos seria benéfica, resultando em mais associações e numa maior disposição em comprar ou experimentar Vichy Dercos, em relação ao conceito original

Limed in sandy soils for soybean cultivation: A mini-review

Liming is the method in which limestone is applied to regulate the pH of the soil reducing its acidity and making the minerals labile. This study aimed to evaluate the management of liming using dolomitic limestone in sandy textured soils, on the development of soybean cultivation through a bibliographical survey. Sandy soil also, known as “light soil” is largely composed of sand and a smaller proportion of clay around 70% and 15% respectively, its grain size is higher, and the presence of nutrients is very scarce. Correcting soil acidity through liming is the first step towards obtaining a considerably productive crop, especially in recently cleared areas. Since in acidic soils, the limitation to plant development arises mainly from the indirect effects of pH. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the soil continuously as well as the weather conditions in order to obtain the desired result. Several results have been observed in which the use of liming in acidic soils, mainly in the Brazilian Cerrado, reduces the toxic action of aluminum on the plant and promotes greater absorption of nutrients and micronutrients for the plants, in addition to maintaining the soil microbiota

Guidelines for sustainable refurbishment of residential buildings

This paper gives an overview of the objectives in a research project currently under development, which is intended to provide a guideline for the sustainable refurbishment of existing residential buildings. It is based on the adaptation of the criteria defined in the methodology of evaluation and certification of sustainability of buildings: SBToolPT. Aiming to develop a guideline on sustainable refurbishment, the present research project investigates two different cases, in order to find out how the refurbishment is done and which possibilities and barriers there are to achieve a sustainable refurbishment. It also aims to find the best rehabilitation practices, and more sustainable solutions, which enhance the balance between environmental and economic benefits, suitable for the needs of the users. This paper identifies the aspects that should be improved and also identifies new parameters of evaluation, presenting a list of different indicators, while establishing new values for the conventional practices and best practices (benchmarks) applicable in the refurbishment of residential buildings. The final outcome of this research work is to give guidance on how to quantify the indicators of SBToolPT during a refurbishment project and also to help the residential building owners to understand the importance of implementing the principals of sustainable refurbishment

Criminalidade organizada em Portugal - nos inícios do século XXI

Criminalidade Organizada em Portugal – nos inícios do Século XXI, é uma é o título de um tema que se mantem em estudo e em constante desenvolvimento, tanto a nível nacional como internacional. Esta é tão antiga quanto a humanidade, contudo, não se pode comparada aos nossos dias. Com este trabalho tivemos como objectivo estabelecer uma designação para esta expressão, analisando não só obras de autores portugueses e estrangeiros já publicadas, como também verificando a Constituição da República Portuguesa, e o Código do Processo Penal entre outras leis portuguesas e algumas convenções. O objectivo central foi estabelecer um conceito deste tipo de crime, tanto a nível constitucional como infra-constitucional. A criminalidade organizada em Portugal começa agora a ser mais estudada, mas mesmo assim é muitas vezes vista pela sociedade como criminalidade violenta, ou vista apenas como terrorismo.Organized crime in Portugal - in the begin of the twenty-first century, is an area in constant development, both nationally and internationally. It is as old as humanity, however, it can’t be compared to today. With this work our objective was to established a name for this expression, taking not only in works of Portuguese and foreign authors have published, as the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the Criminal Procedure Code and other Portuguese laws, and some conventions. The objective was to establish a concept both the constitutional level as infra-constitutional. The organized crime in Portugal starts to be more studied further, but even so, is often seen by society as violent crime, or seen only as terrorism

Avaliação do ensino da colocação de postes de fibra no pré-clínico em clínica de reabilitação oral

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre no Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde Egas MonizIntrodução: A reabilitação estética de dentes comprometidos a nível endodôntico deve ter como objetivos: i) recuperação da estrutura dentária remanescente; ii) manutenção da função e estética, conferindo resistência à fratura e infeção. O selamento apical remanescente revela-se como um fator de grande importância para o sucesso da reabilitação com espigões que não deve ser descorado pelo profissional. Aceita-se que o selamento apical deve estar compreendido entre os 3 e 6mm. Os espigões de fibra foram introduzidos na década de 90, são pré-fabricados e considerados não rígidos. Na UC de CRO estabelece-se um mínimo de 4mm de selamento apical. Materiais e métodos: 184 alunos do 4ºano dos anos letivos 2011/2012 e 2012/2013 reabilitaram um dente endodonciado com espigão de fibra de vidro do sistema Normopost (Normon, Madrid, Espanha). Foram medidos o selamento apical, espaço neutro. Resultados: Considerando que o selamento apical deve ser no mínimo 4mm, verifica-se que 148 (80,4%) dos alunos cumprem esta medida. Outro parâmetro considerado no estudo foi o espaço neutro em que se verificou que 176 alunos (95,7%) deixaram um espaço inferior a 2mm. Conclusão: Este estudo tinha como objetivo avaliar se os alunos respeitam a técnica ensinada em CRO na colocação de espigões de fibra de vidro. Apesar das suas limitações, conclui-se que em regime de pré-clínico a performance dos alunos é muito boa. Refuta-se a hipótese nula e confirma-se as hipóteses 1 e 2. A análise resultados comprovou que 80,4% dominaram a preparação canalar, deixando no mínimo 4 mm de selamento apical. A técnica de cimentação, avaliada através da medida de espaço neutro foi realizada de forma correta por 95,7% dos alunos. De acordo com os indicadores de monitorização do processo de ensino vigentes no ISCSEM, a taxa de aproveitamento deve ser superior a 75%, o que foi atingido. Confirma-se que os alunos dominam a técnica de cimentação de espigões radiculares e que entenderam a importância do selamento apical

Possible respiratory infection due to Aspergillus in workers from swineries and poultries

Introduction: Aspergillus is among a growing list of allergens that can aggravate asthmatic responses. Significant pulmonary pathology is associated with Aspergillus-induced allergic and asthmatic lung disease. Environments with high levels of exposure to fungi are found in animal production facilities like swineries and poultry which farmers are at increased risk of occupational respiratory diseases. Purpose: Seven Portuguese poultries and seven swineries were analyzed in order to estimate the prevalence, amount and distribution of Aspergillus species, as well as to evaluate the existence of clinical symptoms associated with asthma and other allergy diseases in these highly contaminated settings. Methods: A total of 83 air samples (through impaction method), 66 surface samples (swab sampling) and 28 samples of different material covering their floor were analyzed. Results: The collected fungal isolates (699) were distributed by 40 different genus, Aspergillus presented a prevalence of 17.6% (average) and regarding poultries only, its prevalence showed a higher value (22.7%). The most frequently isolated Aspergillus species were A. versicolor, A. flavus and A. fumigatus. In poultries, A. flavus presented the highest level of airborne spores (>2000 ufc/m3) whereas in swineries was A. versicolor, with a prevalence four times higher than the other referred species. Eighty workers of these settings were analyzed, with ages ranging from 17 to 93 years old. Seven of these workers were medical diagnosed with asthma and four of them reported the first attack after the age of 40 years old, which possibly could be related with their occupational exposure. A high prevalence of respiratory symptoms in professionals without asthma was observed, namely wheezing associated with dyspnea (23.8%) and dyspnea after strenuous activities (12.3%), suggesting an under diagnosed respiratory problem. Moreover, 32.5% of all the inquired workers refer an improvement of their respiratory ability during the resting days and holiday. Conclusions: Considering the strong association between fungal sensitization and severity of asthma and that Aspergillus species are one of the most important fungal agents causing sensitization of the individual, this study contributes to the knowledge of Aspergillus prevalence and distribution in Portuguese poultries and swineries. These data, together with data regarding determinations of specific IgE levels and monitorization of mycotoxin exposure using biomarkers will also help to understand how and which Aspergillus species can affect workers of these settings

Análise estética do sorriso

Tese de mestrado, Medicina Dentária, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina Dentária, 2011Um sorriso estético é o resultado da interacção dos diferentes componentes que constituem o sorriso e requer a compreensão dos princípios que gerem o equilíbrio entre dentes e tecidos moles. Estabelecer a função e estética ideais é uma tarefa individual, que requer uma análise cuidadosa e detalhada na execução do plano de tratamento. A atractividade física desempenha um papel importante na forma como nos vemos e como somos vistos pelos outros. As pessoas focam-se principalmente nos olhos e boca das outras pessoas durante o relacionamento interpessoal. A atractividade do sorriso inclui um grande número de factores importantes que devem interagir de forma harmónica com todos os componentes faciais. Os pacientes estão a tornar-se cada vez mais críticos em relação à estética dos seus sorrisos, procurando tratamento ortodôntico com expectativas mais exigentes. A análise e o planeamento do sorriso envolvem vulgarmente um compromisso entre dois factores que em parte são contraditórios: os desejos estéticos do paciente e do ortodontistas, e as limitações anatómicas e fisiológicas do paciente. O uso do vídeo digital e da tecnologia computorizada, permitem ao clinico avaliar a dinâmica do sorriso do paciente. Hoje em dia, um sorriso atractivo é um factor fulcral na auto-estima e desenvolvimento da personalidade, interacção social, bem como na busca e sucesso profissional. Actualmente, não existe um consenso sobre os níveis de aceitabilidade de variação em relação às normas estéticas e nem sequer existe uma hierarquia aceite da influência das diferentes normas na atractividade do sorriso. Pesquisas e conhecimentos mais aprofundados nesta área auxiliariam na escolha do melhor tratamento para cada caso aprimorando o sucesso clinico.An esthetic smile is the result of the interaction of the different smile components and requires an understanding of the principles that manage the balance between teeth and soft tissues. Establishing ideal function and esthetics may be mutually exclusive and requires careful and detailed consideration during orthodontic treatment planning. Physical attractiveness plays an important role in how we view ourselves and how we are viewed by others. Individuals mainly focus on other people’s eyes and mouths during interpersonal interaction. Smile attractiveness includes a number of important components that must interact harmoniously with all the facial components. Patients are becoming more critical of their smile esthetics and are seeking orthodontic treatment with more refined expectations. Smile analysis and smile design generally involve a compromise between two factors that are often contradictory: the esthetic desires of the patient and orthodontist, and the patient’s anatomic and physiologic limitations. Using digital video and computer technology, the clinician can evaluate the dynamics of the patient’s smile. Nowadays, an esthetic smile is a key factor in self-esteem and personality development, social interaction, as well as search and career success. Currently, a consensus on the levels of acceptability of different variations from esthetic norms does not exist, and there is not even an accepted hierarchy of the influence of different esthetic norms. Knowledge in this area will aid the choice of treatments and increase the chances of clinical success

Estratégias para a angariação de clientes por uma empresa de restauração coletiva

A angariação de clientes parece, à primeira vista, uma parte fundamental da vida de qualquer empresa, mas quando se trata do setor da restauração coletiva, sobretudo quando falamos de um negócio Business to Business (B2B), tal assume uma importância ainda mais significativa. Este projeto tem como objetivo estudar a empresa Triângulo Dourado – Comércio e Indústria Alimentar Limitada - empresa com mais de 20 anos no setor da restauração coletiva com sede em Setúbal e que está, há vários anos, dependente de um único cliente. Pretende-se responder à seguinte pergunta de partida: Terá a empresa condições para angariar novos clientes? Este estudo tem por base uma metodologia qualitativa, tendo a recolha de dados sido feita através de inquérito por questionário e entrevistas semiestruturadas. A revisão de literatura foi baseada em artigos científicos e livros. Foram utilizados o Mendeley e Google Schoolar como motores de pesquisa e as bases de dados: Elsevier, B-On, Proquest e Z-Library. O tratamento de dados foi efetuado com recurso ao software IBM SPSS 28.0.0.0 para elaboração dos elementos estatísticos. Obteve-se uma resposta positiva à pergunta de partida, desde que combinadas algumas condições indispensáveis, referentes a instalações, pagamento, banca, fornecedores e recursos humanos. Chegou-se também à conclusão de que nem todos os tipos de organizações são clientes viáveis para uma empresa de prestação de serviços de restauração coletiva que procura angariar mais clientes, mas que tenha de ter algum apoio externo de tesouraria.Customer acquisition seems, at first glance, a fundamental part of the life of any company, but when it comes to the mass catering sector, especially when we talk about a Business to Business (B2B) business, this takes on an even more significant importance. This project aims to study the company Triângulo Dourado - Comércio e Indústria Alimentar Limitada - a company with more than 20 years in the catering sector based in Setúbal and has been, for several years, dependent on a single client. The aim is to answer the following starting question: Is the company in a position to attract new clients? This study is based on a qualitative methodology and data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. The literature review was based on scientific articles and books. Mendeley and Google Schoolar were used as search engines and the databases: Elsevier, B-On, Proquest and Z-Library. Data was processed using IBM SPSS 28.0.0.0 software to prepare the statistics. A positive answer was obtained to the starting question, provided that some indispensable conditions concerning facilities, payment, banking, suppliers and human resources were combined. It was also concluded that not all types of organizations are viable customers for a company providing collective catering services that seeks to attract more customers, but which must have some external treasury support

Return values of temperature and snow loadings for 50, 100 and 120-year return periods to support building design standards in Ireland

This research produced gridded datasets and maps for use in building design standards to enhance resilience in support of climate change adaptation in Ireland. The new isothermal maps of return values of maximum and minimum air temperatures at mean sea level for 50, 100 and 120-year return periods based on the generalised extreme value distribution will be crucial to inform the design of buildings and bridges. The warming of the maximum and minimum air temperatures due to climate change has increased the intensity of the highest maximum air temperature while decreasing the intensity of the lowest extreme minimum air temperature of the new isothermal maps compared to previously published maps for a 50-year return period. Specifically, the new extreme isotherms are 32 ∘C for the maximum air temperature and −14 ∘C for the minimum air temperature, whereas the processor maps presented 30 and −16 ∘C, respectively. The geographical distribution of the isotherms for the 120-year return period range from 28 to 34 ∘C for the maximum air temperature and from −6 to −18 ∘C for the minimum air temperature. For the first time, isothermal maps of return values of the lowest 10 cm soil temperature for 50, 100 and 120-year return periods based on the generalised extreme value distribution have been produced for Ireland. The results presented here will be paramount to supporting the design of building structures. The values of the 120-year return period range from 0 to −2 ∘C. The produced maps represent the worst-case scenario in the current context of climate warming. The new maps of return values of snow loading at 100 m above mean sea level for 50, 100 and 120-year return periods based on the generalised Pareto distribution will be indispensable to support the design of buildings and civil engineering works such as roof patterns or bridges. The values of the 50-year return period map present four classes spread North-East to South-West: < 0.3, 0.3–0.4, 0.4–0.5 and 0.5–0.6 kN m−2, which is more accurate than the previously published map. It is expected that the comprehensive explanation of the methods and the rationale for the new maps presented here as being more accurate than the preceding maps will assist regulators in adopting these new maps in their own jurisdictions. Furthermore, these new maps will be of interest to a diversity of sectors, planners and policymakers to make long, lasting and climate-based sensitive decisions

Facing the Dark Side: How Leadership Destroys Organisational Innovation

Leadership is an essential element for promoting innovation. The literature has primarily focused on the effect of “constructive” leadership on innovation, although numerous studies point out that destructive leadership affects organizational performance. However, such literature pays little attention to the relationship between destructive leadership and innovation. This study uses an online survey of 210 employees from 80 Portuguese firms in different sectors, to test the effect of destructive leadership on behavioural innovation and how a caring climate influences such relationship. The analysis uses multiple linear regressions to test the hypotheses. Findings reveal that destructive leadership has a negative effect on innovation and on caring climate. The results show that a caring climate influences innovation in a positive way that mitigates the relationship between destructive leadership and innovation