Drivers for net benefits of the mobile apps

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, specialization in Marketing Research e CRMMobile applications (mobile apps) have been emerging over the past decade in our everyday lives, due to the exponential growth of smartphone technologies and they’re capability to store and process information. To understand the drivers of net benefits for mobile apps we developed a theoretical model based on IS success model and psychological engagement. We tested the theoretical model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results of this study indicate that more important than the system quality, information quality, and service quality to explain use and user satisfaction of mobile apps is the psychological engagement. The psychological engagement is also a driver for net benefits

Co-creation as a means to enhance utilitarian dimensions on hedonic products

Quando uma compra e feita, os consumidores são obrigados a deliberar entre uma escolha mais hedónica ou uma mais utilitária. Durante vários anos investigadores têm tentado perceber esta processo de decisão, em que os consumidores tendem a preferir atributos hedónicos, mas acabam por escolher a opção utilitária por causa do sentimento de culpa presente quando se escolhe a opção hedónica. Cocriação aparece como um meio para justificar o consumo hedónico sobre o utilitário, uma vez que os consumidores sabem exatamente as necessidades do mercado geral. Portanto, esta dissertação pretende explorar o efeito de os consumidores que observam saberem que um produto hedónico foi cocriado. A influencia da cocriação nas perceções dos consumidores sobre as dimensões do produto foi analisada medindo a perceção de similaridade com a fonte de criação, as dimensões utilitárias e hedónicas e a intenção de compra. As hipóteses foram testadas através de um uma experiência 2 (modo de designe: cocriação, empresa) x 2 (fonte de similaridade: alta, baixa) entre sujeitos, em que os participantes completaram um questionário e avaliaram determinadas dimensões do produto. Os resultados mostram que aqueles que se sentem similares à comunidade participante mostram maior intenção de compra em relação aos produtos hedónicos cocriados. Para além disso, a perceção das dimensões utilitárias nos produtos hedónicos é um importante impulsionador da preferência por opções hedónicas cocriadas. O estudo complementa a literatura anterior fornecendo outra estratégia para destacar os produtos hedónicos, através do envolvimento dos consumidores, e aos gestores, mostra que a cocriação pode criar uma vantagem competitiva quando comparado com produtos desenvolvidos por profissionais.Whenever a purchase is made, consumers must deliberate between making a more hedonic choice or a utilitarian one. For several years researchers have been trying to understand this decision-making process, whereas consumers tend to prefer hedonic attributes but end up choosing utilitarian options due to some guilt felt whenever choosing a hedonic option. Co-creation comes as a means to justify hedonic consumption over the utilitarian, since consumers know exactly what the general market needs. Therefore, this dissertation sets to explore the effect of observing consumers learning about a hedonic product being co-created. The influence of co-creation on the consumer’ perception of the product dimensions was analyzed by measuring the perceived similarity to the source of creation, utilitarian and hedonic dimensions and willingness to purchase. The hypotheses were tested using a 2 (design mode: co-creation, firm) x 2 (source similarity: high, low) between subject design. in which participants would respond to a questionnaire and evaluate a certain product’ dimensions. The results showed that those who perceive themselves as similar to the participating community show higher purchase intentions towards co-created hedonic products. Moreover, the perception of utilitarian dimensions on hedonic products is an important determinant for co-created hedonic options. The study complements the previous literature by providing another strategy to highlight hedonic products, through consumers’ participation, and moreover, it highlights to managers that co-creation can create competitive advantage when compared to professional-driven products

Prisoners' expectations of the national forensic DNA database: surveillance and reconfiguration of individual rights

In this paper we aim to discuss how Portuguese prisoners know and what they feel about surveillance mechanisms related to the inclusion and deletion of the DNA profiles of convicted criminals in the national forensic database. Through a set of interviews with individuals currently imprisoned we focus on the ways this group perceives forensic DNA technologies. While the institutional and political discourses maintain that the restricted use and application of DNA profiles within the national forensic database protects individuals’ rights, the prisoners claim that police misuse of such technologies potentially makes it difficult to escape from surveillance and acts as a mean of reinforcing the stigma of delinquency. The prisoners also argue that additional intensive and extensive use of surveillance devices might be more protective of their own individual rights and might possibly increase potential for exoneration.We would like to thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) for financing this research through a post-doc fellowship (SFRH/BPD/34143/2006), the project "Forensic DNA databasing in Portugal: Contemporary issues in ethics, practices and policy" (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009231) and also the project "Justice, media and citizenship" (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-007554). We are grateful for the insightful and helpful comments of Barbara Prainsack who provided valuable feedback on earlier drafts of this article and guidance throughout the research. We are also extremely grateful to Diana Miranda for her participation in the fieldwork of this study and to Manuela Ivone Cunha for her collaboration in producing the report of this research to the General Board of Prison Services (Portugal)

Justiça tecnológica: promessas e desafios

Este livro visa responder às seguintes questões:Poderá a tecnologia servir como instrumento para expandir a eficácia da justiça e consolidar a cidadania? A ciência e a tecnologia aplicadas à justiça poderão expressar o nível e intensidade de democraticidade das sociedades contemporâneas? Quais as presentes e futuras configuração das «justiça tecnológica», no plano nacional e internacional? E o que significa verdadeiramente essa expressão? Quais os seus principais actores, ideários e artefactos? Quais as virtualidades, limitações e potenciais riscos que decorrem da aplicação no sistema judiciário de instrumentos como a tecnologia de ADN e as novas tecnologias de comunicação e informação?Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)Centro de Investigação em Ciências Sociai

Pervasive intelligent decision support system: technology acceptance in intensive care units

Intensive Care Units are considered a critical environment where the decision needs to be carefully taken. The real-time recognition of the condition of the patient is important to drive the decision process efficiently. In order to help the decision process, a Pervasive Intelligent Decision Support System (PIDSS) was developed. To provide a better comprehension of the acceptance of the PIDSS it is very important to assess how the users accept the system at level of usability and their importance in the Decision Making Process. This assessment was made using the four constructs proposed by the Technology Acceptance Methodology and a questionnaire-based approach guided by the Delphi Methodology. The results obtained so far show that although the users are satisfied with the offered information recognizing its importance, they demand for a faster system.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Business intelligence to improve the quality of local government services : case-study in a local government Town Hall

The use of business intelligence (BI) systems by organizations is increasingly considered as an asset, which goal is to provide access to information in a timely manner in order to support the decision-making process. However, in specific cases such as local government organizations, there are very specific challenges. Some of them like privacy rights and applicable law compliance must be carefully observed, making the necessary adaptations of these BI solutions. The developed solution brings some important contributions and represents some advances in the eGovernment context applied to local governments where the information is normally used/stored are not normalized and pre-defined. Being this a big barrier to development of this type of solutions, the developed architecture is prepared to improve the data quality and avoid this type of mistakes. This paper presents an architecture of a BI platform on a local government organization, geared towards the improvement of citizen offered services quality and efficiency maximization, thus contributing for cost reduction to the taxpayer.(undefined

Shedding light on miRNA targeting through structure

In miRNAs, it is known that seed pairing is an important parameter for targeting, but there are still missing links on why it targets a certain mRNA and how the decision between degradation or translation repression is made. In our work, we use liquid state NMR spectroscopy, EMSA and UV melting experiments to biophysically characterise the complex of miRNA-34a with the target mRNA of CD44 and PNUTS. Here we present the NMR sample preparation as well as the first steps for the biophysical description of the mRNA.miRNA complexes. Our EMSA data suggests both miRNA.mRNA complexes are transient and miRNA.gCD44 possibility has a higher Kd then miRNA.PNUTS. Through NMR miRNA.PNUTS complex was deemed more structurally dynamic, yet interestingly with UV melting it had a higher Tm then miRNA.gCD44 complex. Finally, we also performed several simulations on several different mRNA targets with MCFold unveiling a kink on the mRNA as a structural trend which could be a necessity for docking of the duplex into Ago. Still further studies must be conducted in order to solve the structures of both duplexes in study and a bigger population of simulated structures must be collected