Vantagens Competitivas e Fidelização “o caso Ascendum”

Num mundo em transformação, onde o mercado dos equipamentos de construção não é exceção, a fidelização de cliente é cada vez mais difícil, os produtos são cada vez mais parecidos uns com os outros, os clientes estão cada vez mais informados, esclarecidos e exigentes, e é neste contexto que os serviços de assistência técnica começam a assumir um lugar de destaque, com vista à obtenção de vantagens competitivas que permitam criar condições para fidelizar o cliente. Com este objetivo em mente propusemo-nos a realizar um “case study”, acerca da Ascendum Máquinas, e perceber que vantagens competitivas possui, e de que forma se diferencia ou poderá diferenciar no mercado, com o objetivo de fidelizar os seus clientes. Na revisão da literatura feita apresentámos diversas estratégias, possíveis de adotar, com vista à fidelização. Para cumprir os objetivos deste trabalho desenvolveu-se um estudo quantitativo, através de um questionário disponibilizado on line, que nos permitiu obter resposta de 47 clientes. Com o estudo procurámos perceber o posicionamento atual da Ascendum e recolher pistas sobre instrumentos de fidelização. Para cumprir aqueles objetivos, procurámos confirmar quatro hipóteses: Hipótese 1: A opção estratégica fundamental, na perspetiva de Porter, é a Diferenciação (através de: simpatia, imagem, capacidade técnica, tempo de resposta, qualidade dos produtos, nível tecnológico); Hipótese 2: A opção estratégica, na perspetiva de Porter, é Liderança de custo; Hipótese 3: A maioria dos clientes estão fidelizados; Hipótese 4: A venda em pacotes (peças e serviço) aumenta a fidelização. Como se percebe pelas hipóteses apresentadas, procura-se saber o posicionamento da empresa, segundo a perspetiva de Porter (1998) com as hipóteses 1 e 2, saber o grau de fidelização dos clientes através da hipótese 3 e se a fidelização melhora com ofertas de pacotes de serviço, com a hipótese 4

Effect of siblings and type of delivery on the development of motor skills in the first 48 months of life

This study aimed to verify whether the presence of siblings and the type of delivery had an influence on the motor skills development of children in the first 48 months of life. We developed a quantitative study with a sample of 405 children of both genders, divided according to the studied variables: children with siblings, children without siblings, children born via eutocic delivery, and children born via dystocic delivery. The instrument used in the study was the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2. Overall, the results indicated that children who had siblings had, on average, better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine). Furthermore, those born via eutocic delivery, on average, had better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine) when compared to children born via dystocic delivery. Thus, the presence of siblings in the family context and the type of delivery positively influenced motor development, especially after 24 months of age, showing that the presence of siblings providing cooperative activities through play and challenges improved cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Furthermore, a eutocic delivery, in addition to providing a better recovery from labor and the immediate a ective bond between mother and child, also led to better results in terms of global and fine motor skills.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The importance of oriented physical activity in the first 48 months : differences in motor skills

Background: The importance of physical activity in the first months of age is well known, however, with the evolution of the urban environment, the excessive workload of parents and the excessive time in growing up in kindergartens has limited this same free practice and little has been studied about this issue. In Portugal, there are institutions that provide oriented physical activity for their children, however, this is optional, which may create disadvantages in children’s motor skills in these ages. Objective: The objective of the study isto verify if there are differences in the development of motor skills (global and fine) comparing children between 12 and 48 months who practice oriented physical activity (OPA) and children who do not. Methods: Participated in this study, 400 children of both genders (28.14 ± 7.23 months). Two groups were created (the group that had oriented physical activity (30 min long and 2 times a week) and the group that didn’t have oriented physical activity). For a better understanding they were divided into 3 age groups (12–23, 24–35 and 36–48 months). Motor skills were assessed using the PDMS-2 scales, for 6 months, following the instrument’s application standards. Results: In a first analysis, we found that the majority of children only start to practice oriented physical activity in institutions from 36 months of age, however, it is in the first months (from 12 to 35) that the greatest differences between the two groups can occur. The OPA group presented better results according to the mean values, in all motor skills. Differences between groups were most noticeable in Postural, locomotion and fine manipulation Skills (showing effect size: moderate and low). Conclusions: We can conclude that a practice of oriented physical activity in the first 48 months is fundamental to the development of motor skills. It is in the first months (up to 36) that there are greater differences, but it is also where there are less children carrying out guided physical activity. This is an important factor, and is determinant to make institutions aware of this importance of this variable in child development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Descriptive analysis of injury types and incidence during futsal preseason across different competitive levels

Introduction: This study aimed to verify the typology and incidence of injury by comparing the different competitive levels of futsal during the preseason. Methods: The sample consisted of 68 senior male futsal players (24.26 ± 4.63 years). Data were collected using an injury recording grid that examined the affected body part, anatomical region, type of injury, mechanism, and severity. Results: It was found that the elite group has the lowest incidence rate of injury (4.8 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure) compared to the sub-elite (11.8 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure) and amateur groups (13.9 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure). However, at this level, there is the highest percentage of injury occurrence (38.5%), the lower limb was the most affected part of the body (30.8%), and ligament (23.1%) and muscle (15.4%) injuries are the most prevalent. The most frequent mechanism of injury was non-traumatic (30.8%), and the majority were moderate injuries in the elite (23.1%) and sub-elite (17.9%) groups and severe injuries in the amateur group (12.5%). Discussion: The amateur futsal players had the highest incidence of injury during the preseason period compared to the other competitive levels. Still, it was at the elite level where the highest percentage of injuries occurred, most of them nontraumatic and of ligament origin, primarily affecting the ankle region. The results highlight the importance of adopting specific injury prevention programs for ligament and muscle injuries during the preseason phase, regardless of the competitive level.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing Functional Ankle Instability in Sport: A Critical Review and Bibliometric Analysis

first_pageDownload PDFsettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessReview Assessing Functional Ankle Instability in Sport: A Critical Review and Bibliometric Analysis by Élio Alexandre 1,Diogo Monteiro 1,2ORCID,Ricardo SottoMayor 1ORCID,Miguel Jacinto 1,2ORCID,Fernanda M. Silva 3ORCID,Luis Cid 2,4ORCID andPedro Duarte-Mendes 5,6,*ORCID 1 ESECS—Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal 2 Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal 3 Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal 4 Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic of Santarém (ESDRM-IPSantarém), 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal 5 Department of Sports and Well-Being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal 6 Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center, SPRINT, 2040-413 Santarém, Portugal * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Healthcare 2024, 12(17), 1733; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12171733 Submission received: 5 August 2024 / Revised: 23 August 2024 / Accepted: 28 August 2024 / Published: 30 August 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Physical Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes Abstract Functional Ankle Instability (FAI) is the subject of extensive research in sports and other environments. Given the importance of accurately measuring this latent construct, it is imperative to carry out a careful assessment of the available tools. In this context, the aim of this review was to take an in-depth look at the six most cited measurement tools to assess FAI, with a specific focus on patient-reported outcome measures related to ankle and foot. Four electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, and SportDiscus) were searched (up to November 2022) to identify the six most cited questionnaires for assessing FAI. Our analysis showed that the most cited questionnaires are the following: the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), the Foot Function Index (FFI), the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), the Olerud and Molander Ankle Score (OMAS), and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT). Each questionnaire was thoroughly assessed and discussed in three sections: Development, Reliability, and Summaries. In addition, bibliometric data were calculated to analyze the relevance of each questionnaire. Despite variations in terms of validity and reliability, conceptualization, structure, and usefulness, the six questionnaires proved to be robust from a psychometric point of view, being widely supported in the literature. The bibliometric analyses suggested that the FAOS ranks first and the FFI ranks sixth in the weighted average of the impact factors of their original publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative study of physical activity, leisure preferences, and sedentary behavior among portuguese, italian, and spanish university students

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe and compare the levels of physical activity, preferences for leisure-time physical activity, and the frequency of non-sedentary behaviors of Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish students attending higher education. Methods: A total of 1354 students (21.2 ± 2.9 years) participated in the study, with data collected through an online questionnaire for 6 months. Results: The highest levels of sedentary behavior are found among Spanish students, followed by the Portuguese, and lastly the Italians. In relation to physical activity levels, Spanish students perform more low and moderate physical activity, while Italian students perform more vigorous activities and naturally have a lower level of sedentary behavior. Conclusions: However, it is worth highlighting that students from all three countries reach the minimum levels of physical activity recommended by the WHO.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Maize open-pollinated populations physiological improvement: validating tools for drought response participatory selection

Participatory selection—exploiting specific adaptation traits to target environments—helps to guarantees yield stability in a changing climate, in particular under low-input or organic production. The purpose of the present study was to identify reliable, low-cost, fast and easy-to-use tools to complement traditional selection for an e ective participatory improvement of maize populations for drought resistance/tolerance. The morphological and eco-physiological responses to progressive water deprivation of four maize open-pollinated populations were assessed in both controlled and field conditions. Thermography and Chl a fluorescence, validated by gas exchange indicated that the best performing populations under water-deficit conditions were ‘Fandango’ and to a less extent ‘Pigarro’ (both from participatory breeding). These populations showed high yield potential under optimal and reduced watering. Under moderate water stress, ‘Bilhó’, originating from an altitude of 800 m, is one of the most resilient populations. The experiments under chamber conditions confirmed the existence of genetic variability within ‘Pigarro’ and ‘Fandango’ for drought response relevant for future populations breeding. Based on the easiness to score and population discriminatory power, the performance index (PIABS) emerges as an integrative phenotyping tool to use as a refinement of the common participatory maize selection especially under moderate water deprivationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contributions to forecasting and preparedness

UIDB/04209/2020 UIDP/04209/2020 GFC/0109/2017Available research has extensively examined the spatiotemporal patterns of fire-weather regime in Portugal, but a comprehensive climatology of extreme wildfires is still under development. This study calls for different strategies and scales of analysis aiming to describe the relationships between medium and low troposphere weather conditions and severe fire behaviour in mainland Portugal, between 1980 and 2018. In particular, critical fire-weather patterns and thresholds that can contribute to operational and forecasting know-how in short and medium time ranges are presented. We updated the general trends in the fire regime with a new, longer daily burned area series and developed a method that identifies Extreme Wildfire Periods (EWP) that form the basis for climate analysis. Synoptic analysis using Circulation Weather Types (CWT) showed that the northeasterly and easterly directional flows are significantly associated with EWP and produce the most severe fire-weather conditions. The four main CWT related to extreme fire are driven from anticyclones over the eastern Atlantic between the Azores and the British Isles. However, severe situations can also be regulated by CWT with marginal presence in both summer and EWP: low systems located to the west and northwest of Iberia carrying air masses from the south quadrant are related to catastrophic events. Regarding the antecedent climate, the results indicate that the coincident meteorological drought, whether weak or intense, is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the development of an EWP. An increasing relevance of water stress for shorter intervals preceding EWP, in the order of days and weeks, is apparent. Following these results, fine dead fuel moisture thresholds related to transitions in fire behaviour in Portuguese landscapes are computed using a promising predictive moisture content model. Finally, the different methods used are summoned for the detailed analysis of an EWP starting under unusual synoptic circulation.publishersversionpublishe

Harvesting the power of green synthesis: gold nanoparticles tailored for prostate cancer therapy

Biosynthetic gold nanoparticles (bAuNPs) present a promising avenue for enhancing biocompatibility and offering an economically and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional production methods, achieved through a reduction in the use of hazardous chemicals. While the potential of bAuNPs as anticancer agents has been explored, there is a limited body of research focusing on the crucial physicochemical conditions influencing bAuNP production. In this study, we aim to identify the optimal growth phase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures that maximizes the redox potential and coordinates the formation of bAuNPs with increased efficiency. The investigation employs 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) as a redox indicator. Simultaneously, we explore the impact of temperature, pH, and incubation duration on the biosynthesis of bAuNPs, with a specific emphasis on their potential application as antitumor agents. Characterization of the resulting bAuNPs is conducted using ATR-FT-IR, TEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. To gain insights into the anticancer potential of bAuNPs, an experimental model is employed, utilizing both non-neoplastic (HPEpiC) and neoplastic (PC3) epithelial cell lines. Notably, P. aeruginosa cultures at 9 h/OD600 = 1, combined with biosynthesis at pH 9.0 for 24 h at 58 ◦C, produce bAuNPs that exhibit smaller, more spherical, and less aggregated characteristics. Crucially, these nanoparticles demonstrate negligible effects on HPEpiC cells while significantly impacting PC3 cells, resulting in reduced viability, migration, and lower IL-6 levels. This research lays the groundwork for the development of more specialized, economical, and ecologically friendly treatment modalities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

revista de Ciências da Arte

Ao lançarmos a chamada para o dossier de número 10 e 11 da Revista Convocarte, era esperado que a escolha temática, o encontro entre arte e loucura, traria uma grande variedade de considerações, nem sempre concordantes e, por vezes, surpreendentes. Por qualificar de “loucura” e não de “doença” e nem de outra coisa qualquer, avaliamos a oportunidade de escutar os diversos entendimentos que, em nossa sociedade, é possível fazer deste termo. É por isso que, no texto que lançava a chamada, propusemos: “tratar as questões da arte na loucura ou da loucura na arte implica uma série de contextualizações e temporalidades que, de antemão, qualificam tanto a obra quanto o sujeito que a produz”. Isto quer dizer que ao falarmos em loucura, ao revermos as suas bases psicológicas, as suas narrativas sociais, os panoramas médicos ou os apelativos artísticos, nós colaboramos em inventar a própria noção de loucura. A loucura não é um estado definido (ou definitivo) e atestado em laudo médico, ela é possibilitada nas relações entre a razão e a desrazão, ponderada pelo desejo de instituir amarras ou potências sobre os sujeitos que habitam este mundo. É e sempre será incitante perceber as variadas formas de produção dos sentidos da loucura. E quando possibilitamos narrativas que levam estes diversos sentidos ao encontro da arte, ou vice-versa, abrimos um sem fim de perspectivas sobre o que pode parecer ilógico ou imponderável: as expressões da loucura.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio