The Regional Concentration of Industries and the Performance of Firms: A Multilevel Approach

This paper presents the results of a study whose objective was to understand how location within industrial concentrations, like clusters or industrial districts, affects the financial performance of firms. In its theoretical framework, this paper attempts to introduce the reasons behind the alleged superior performance of firms located in these concentrations, the base of the hypothesis formulated in this study. Analysis from a three-level hierarchical linear model applied to a sample of 509 companies located in the state of São Paulo found no evidence that industrial concentrations provide firms with superior performance, contradicting expectations generated by the theory. The decomposition of the variance of performance indicated that the location of the firms and the form with which a city interacts with an industry exerts significant influence on how they will perform. In short, location matters to the future of firms. This finding underlines the need to understand how characteristics of cities or regions can promote or retard the performance of firms

Estratégias para a gestão da água em espaços verdes: Jardins complexos vs relvados.

Os espaços verdes urbanos são hoje em dia bastante comuns em qualquer ambiente Mediterrâneo, em forma de jardins complexos e/ou relvados, ocupando em alguns casos vastas áreas. A estratégia de gestão da água irá proporcionar a sua manutenção de acordo com os padrões de qualidade visual requeridos. Atendendo a que, estes espaços não visam a produção máxima de biomassa então, a estratégia para a gestão da água de rega não deverá ser a mesma da utilizada na produção de alimentos. A rega dos relvados deverá ser estabelecida com base no conhecimento da evapotranspiração da paisagem (ETL, mm/dia), função da evapotranspiração de referência (ETo, mm) e do coeficiente da paisagem (KL). A gestão da rega deverá ser estabelecida atendendo às características do solo existente no local. Nos jardins complexos onde existem misturas de plantas com diferentes exigências em água (com diferentes valores de KL) a gestão da rega torna-se mais complicada. Este estudo visa assim classificar as diferentes áreas verdes existentes em ambiente Mediterrâneo e mostrar de que forma é possível melhor adequar as estratégias de rega à gestão da água em relvados e jardins complexos, atendendo às diferentes necessidades hídricas das plantas, de forma a torná-los mais sustentáveis numa região sujeita a escassez hídrica.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evolutionary procedure based model to predict ground–level ozone concentrations

AbstractThis study aims to predict the next day hourly average ozone (O3) concentrations using threshold autoregressive (TAR) models in which the threshold value and the threshold variable are defined by genetic algorithms. The procedure is also able to generate models with statistically significant regression parameters. The performance of TAR models was then compared to the one obtained with autoregressive (AR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Different TAR models were generated, corresponding to different threshold variables and values. For the training period, ANN model presented better results than TAR and AR models. However, in the test period, AR and one of the TAR models achieved better predictions of O3 concentrations than the ANN model. The distinction between the applied models became greater when they were evaluated in the prediction of the extreme values, for which the TAR model presented the best performance. The performance with respect to extreme values is a useful implication for the protection of public health as this model can provide more reliable early warnings about high O3 concentration episodes

Social network measures to match analysis in soccer : a survey

In this study we will present the most common and adequate network measures to analyse graph properties and to inspect the prominence of each player on a soccer team. Both approaches can provide a range of useful information. This kind of analysis will help to identify the prominence of players and also characterize the collective organization and patterns of the teams. General measures and centrality levels will be described and the applications will be discussed. By using social network analysis will be possible to quantify the structure of play and predict some behaviour. Such methodology will add new options to the field of match analysis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Full description of Cordulagomphus primaerensis from Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous of Brazil) (Odonata: Aeshnoptera: Proterogomphidae)

Thanks to the discovery of a new specimen, we discuss and confirm the differences proposed by Petrulevičius and Martins-Neto, 2007 (in Bechly, 2007) between Cordulagomphus (Procordulagomphus) primaerensis Petrulevičius and Martins-Neto, 2007 and its close relative Cordulagomphus (Procordulagomphus) michaeli Bechly, 2007.Fil: Petrulevicius, Julian Fernando. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleozoología Invertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Martins Neto, Rafael G.. Universidade Estadual do Ceará; BrasilFil: Azar, Dany. Lebanese University; LíbanoFil: Makhoul, Edouard. No especifíca;Fil: Nel, André. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Franci

Health and Economic Burden of the 2017 Portuguese Extreme Wildland Fires on Children

Wildland fires release substantial amounts of hazardous contaminants, contributing to a decline in air quality and leading to serious health risks. Thus, this study aimed to understand the contributions of the 2017 extreme wildland fires in Portugal on children health, compared to 2016 (with burned area, in accordance with the average of the previous 15 years). The impact of long-term exposure to PM10 and NO2 concentrations, associated with wildland fires, on postneonatal mortality, bronchitis prevalence, and bronchitis symptoms in asthmatic children was estimated, as well as the associated costs. The excess health burden in children attributable to exposure to PM10 and NO2, was calculated based on WHO HRAPIE relative risks. Fire emissions were obtained from the Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN). The results obtained indicate that the smoke from wildfires negatively impacts children's lung function (PM10 exposure: increase of 320 and 648 cases of bronchitis in 2016 and 2017; NO2 exposure: 24 and 40 cases of bronchitis symptoms in asthmatic children in 2016 and 2017) and postneonatal mortality (PM10 exposure: 0.2 and 0.4 deaths in 2016 and 2017). Associated costs were increased in 2017 by around 1 million (sic) for all the evaluated health endpoints, compared to 2016

Ecological Footprint as a sustainability indicator to analyze energy consumption in a Portuguese textile facility

The main objective of this paper is to apply Ecological Footprint methodology as a tool to analyze the Portuguese textile industry. This analysis is related to energy and resources consumption in dyeing, printing and finishing processes. It also includes identification of mitigation measures to increase energy efficiency, promoting at the same time the reduction of CO2 emissions and consequently the decrease in industry's Ecological Footprint. Moreover, the analysis presents the Ecological Footprint reduction potential for each mitigation option proposed for an important textile facility located in the North Region of Portugal, used as a case study in this work. The results for the case study showed that the total Ecological Footprint accounted, for the year 2016, summed up to 4890 gha. Furthermore, the energy category corresponds to more than 50% of the total Ecological Footprint estimation, and natural gas was the most required fuel for the processes. The calculation of the Ecological Footprint in the textile facilities can be used as a tool to analyze the processes' energy efficiency and to quantify the global impact of the implementation of mitigation measures in the energy field. The result is an indicator shown in a common unit, gha (global hectare) and it can be easily used to compare energy-intensive processes and industrial sectors. In addition, it can be used to analyze how each sector can impact the country's total demand for resources

An assessment of forest fires and CO2 gross primary production from 1991 to 2019 in Mação (Portugal)

Forest-fire rates have increased in Southern European landscapes. These fires damage forest ecosystems and alter their development. During the last few decades, an increase in fast-growing and highly fuel-bearing plant species such as bush, Eucalyptus globulus Labill., and Pinus pinaster Ait. has been observable in the interior of Portugal. This study aims to verify this assumption by the quantification of the biomass carbon sink in the forests of the Mação municipality. Maps of fire severity and forest biomass evolution after a wildfire event were produced for the period of 1991 to 2019. To quantify carbon retention in this region, this evolution was correlated with gross primary production (GPP) on the basis of satellite imagery from Landsat 5, Landsat 8, and MODIS MYD17A2H. Results show that wildfires in Mação increased in area and severity with each passing decade due to the large accumulation of biomass promoted by the abandonment of rural areas. Before the large fires of 2003, 2017, and 2019, carbon rates reached a daily maximum of 5.4, 5.3, and 4.7 gC/m2/day, respectively, showing a trend of forest-biomass accumulation in the Mação municipality.UIDB/04020/2020; UIDB/04292/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geochronology and petrogenesis of late-Variscan plutonism (NW Portugal) : synthesis and inferences on crustal recycling and growth

In NW Portugal large volumes of granitoids were emplaced during the post-collisional stage of the Variscan orogeny. This was the main period of successive granite generation, which exhibit different chemical and isotopic signatures. Geochronological and petrogenetic results are presented and inferences on the geodynamic evolution of the Iberian Variscides are discussed

Monitoring and control system of discomfort in disability, bed rest people and surgical patients

Project aims to develop a system that allows to provide to the People with Special Needs(PSN) a relief to the level of the sensitive perception of discomfort, assuring greater independence,welfare, quality of life, prevention of illnesses/wounds, through the development of textile and polymers applications (cushions, mattresses and mattresses overlays) with functions of monitoring and control of pressure in the body's areas in contact with the support surfaces. In this group of PSN will be enclosed the people with serious motor limitations conditioning their mobility/deambulation, such as bed rest people, patients under effect of sedatives or anaesthesia during long surgeries (intra and post operative), patients and users in general of wheelchairs. These people have, for the most part of the cases, a commitment of sensitivity in the body's areas in contact with the support surfaces, or its motor capacity does not allow them to move regularly of position autonomously, as it would do a healthy person unconsciously. Then, insufficient sanguineous irrigation occurs as result of pressure exceeding too long the tissue capillary pressure depriving tissues of oxygen and essential nutrients, owing to ischemia and hypoxia, which then causes the pressure ulcers (PU) development