Long Term Evolution of the Size Distribution of Portuguese Cities

In this paper we study the evolution of the Portuguese urban system from 1864 to 2001. We apply the rank-size model and use rank-size estimates to describe the evolution of city-size hierarchy. Non paretian behaviour of the distribution is examined by adding a quadratic term to the basic equation of the model. Our results enhance two different processes in the evolution of urban system: until the middle of the twentieth century urban growth was accompanied by population concentration in the largest cities and proliferation of small cities; afterwards growth benefits middle size cities, reinforced in the last decades by heavy population losses in the two largest cities. From the association between the characteristics and evolving pattern of city size distribution and the spatial pattern of urban growth, it appears that the non paretian behaviour of city size distribution in the last decades can be linked to the particular growth process of cities located in the proximity of the central cities of the two metropolitan areas of Portugal’s mainland. In order to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the Portuguese urban system we examine the movements in the ranking of cities. We also analyse the existence of spatial correlation in the process of urban hierarchy restructuring.

The evolution of city size distribution in Portugal: 1864-2001

The rank-size model - which states that the size distribution of cities in a country follows a Pareto distribution - has been recognized as one of those stylised facts or amazing empirical regularities, in spatial economics. A common problem in city size distribution studies concerns the definition of “cities”, namely the consistency of those definitions over time. In this paper we use a city-proper data base which uses a consistent definition of cities from 1864 to 1991. Portugal is a country with long established national borders and whose mainland urban system shows a constant number of cities over that period. In Portugal, empirical evidence on city size distribution based on census data shows that two large cities dominate the urban system, associated with a large number of very small cities and a clear deficit of medium-size cities. In this paper we analyse the evolution of the rank size exponent and examine the effect of varying city size cut-offs on the estimated value of that exponent. Then, we study the deviations of the rank-size distribution from linearity. Finally, we explore the dynamics underlying the evolution of the urban system by examining the relationship between city growth rates and city size. Keywords: city size distribution, Zipf’s law, rank-size, urban hierarchy, urban primacy

The evolution of city size distribution in Portugal: 1864-2001

The rank-size model - which states that the size distribution of cities in a country follows a Pareto distribution - has been recognized as one of those stylized facts or amazing empirical regularities, in spatial economics. A common problem in city size distribution studies concerns the definition of “cities”, namely the consistency of those definitions over time. In this paper we use a city-proper data base which uses a consistent definition of cities from 1864 to 1991. Portugal is a country with long established national borders and whose mainland urban system shows a constant number of cities over that period. In Portugal, empirical evidence on city size distribution based on census data shows that two large cities dominate the urban system, associated with a large number of very small cities and a clear deficit of medium-size cities. In this paper we analyse the evolution of the rank size exponent and examine the effect of varying city size cut-offs on the estimate value of that exponent. Then, we study the deviations of the rank-size distribution from linearity. Finally, we explore the dynamics underlying the evolution of the urban system by examining the relationship between city growth rates and city size.city size distribution, Zipf’s law, urban hierarchy, urban primacy

Long term evolution of the size distribution of Portuguese cities

In this paper we study the evolution of the Portuguese urban system from 1864 to 2001. We apply the rank-size model and use rank-size estimates to describe the evolution of city-size hierarchy. NonParetian behavior of the distribution is examined by adding a quadratic term to the basic equation of the model. Our results enhance two different processes in the evolution of urban system: until the middle of the twentieth century urban growth was accompanied by population concentration in the largest cities; afterwards growth benefits middle size cities, reinforced in the last decades by heavy population losses in the two largest cities. From the association between the characteristics and evolving pattern of city size distribution and the spatial pattern of urban growth, it appears that the nonParetian behavior of city size distribution in the last decades can be linked to the particular growth process of cities located in the proximity of the central cities of the two metropolitan areas of mainland Portugal. In order to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the Portuguese urban system we examine the movements in the ranking of cities, through a Markov chain process. We also analyse the existence of spatial correlation in the process of urban hierarchy restructuring.Urban hierarchy, rank-size distribution, urban growth, Markov processes

In an industry where M&A is the new black, should Pandora A/S acquire Aritzia Inc.?

The present dissertation aims at performing a thorough analysis of the feasibility of a friendly acquisition deal between Pandora A/S and Aritzia Inc., where Pandora A/S is the acquirer firm, whereas Aritzia Inc. is the target. Pandora A/S is a global jewelry manufacturer and retailer, while Aritzia is a women’s apparel designer, manufacturer and retailer; an overview of each company’s business is presented. The analysis performed herewith also comprises an economic outlook of the jewelry and apparel industries, followed by the valuation of the companies as separate entities and as a combined entity, resorting to differing valuation approaches, such as the Discounted Cash Flow Valuation and the Relative Valuation methods. The deal would take place in a global environment with a strong M&A activity in the fashion industry, with the amount of deals and their value reaching record-high numbers. The suggested deal entails synergies valued at USD 395.19 million and will take the form of an all-share transaction, with a purchase price of USD 1,877 million, corresponding to a premium of 20.35%. By 2023, expectations are that the deal will potentially yield an accretion of 5.87%.A presente dissertação tem como objetivo realizar uma análise minuciosa da viabilidade da realização de um negócio de aquisição amigável entre a Pandora A/S e a Aritzia Inc., no qual a Pandora A/S atua como empresa aquisitiva, e a Aritzia Inc. como empresa-alvo da compra. A Pandora A/S é uma produtora e retalhista mundial de joalharia, enquanto que a Aritzia elabora o design, produz e vende produtos de vestuário feminino; é aqui apresentada uma visão global do negócio de cada empresa. A análise realizada inclui, também, uma visão global das indústrias de joalharia e vestuário, seguida da avaliação das empresas enquanto entidades individuais, e também enquanto uma só entidade fundida, recorrendo a diferentes abordagens de avaliação. A transação teria lugar num ambiente global pautado por uma forte atividade de Fusões e Aquisições na indústria da moda, sendo que o número de transações e o valor que estas tomam têm atingido valores recorde. O negócio aqui sugerido ocasiona sinergias avaliadas em USD 395.19 milhões, e adota a forma de um negócio totalmente financiado por ações, com um preço de aquisição de USD 1,877 milhões, a que corresponde um prémio de 20.35%. Em 2023, expecta-se que a transação terá associado um lucro por ação de 5.87%

The importance of stories to promote empahty in young learners

This report shares an action research project that aimed to answer the question “How can stories be used as a resource in the classroom to promote empathy in young learners?”. Taking into consideration this initial question, the aims of this research were related to the use of stories in the classroom considering the stages associated to the adaption of the story and the storytelling process. Another aim was to understand which tools could be used to assess empathy trait development in students. The study took place from September to December 2019 in a 3rd grade class in a primary school in Portugal. The results highlight aspects to take into consideration when adapting and telling a story successfully in the English primary classroom, as well as a suggestion for a data collection tool to assess the empathy trait development in students.Este relatório pretende responder à questão inicial “Como é que as histórias podem ser utilizadas como um recurso na sala de aula para promover a empatia em jovens aprendentes?”. Tendo em consideração esta questão inicial, os objetivos deste estudo estão relacionados com a utilização das histórias na sala de aula, considerando o processo de adaptação da história e o ato de contar a mesma. Outro aspeto importante deste projeto, seria perceber quais seriam os instrumentos de recolha de dados mais importantes, relativamente ao desenvolvimento do traço da empatia nos aprendentes. Este estudo decorreu entre Setembro e Dezembro de 2019, numa turma de 3º ano, numa escola primária, em Portugal. Os resultados demonstraram diferentes e importantes aspetos a ter em conta no processo de adaptação e no ato de contar uma história de forma bem-sucedida, bem como, instrumentos de recolha de dados pertinentes para a compreensão do estado inicial de empatia nos aprendentes

S&T culture: a blooming dimension

In this paper we present an overview of available indicators and discuss new elements of analysis, qualitative and quantitative, drawn from the practices involved in the promotion of scientific culture. In this exercise, indicators for scientific culture and literacy were matched with a broad set of data covering S&T, social and economical aspects. For this purpose we have resorted to Eurobarometer data (2001) on the relationship of Europeans (EU15) with science and technology and current socio-economic indicators in the various Member States. Forty-six variables were grouped into sets of composite indicators, which represent eight major dimensions: scientific culture and literacy, Investment in education, Educational attainment, S&T activities, technology diffusion and innovation, economic performance and structure, social and institutional development, and access to information and culture. Cluster analysis grouped countries into four sets whose weaker and stronger aspects are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Politicians in space: Spatial grounding of politics

A presente investigação examina a ancoragem espacial dos conceitos políticos abstractos de esquerda (socialismo) e de direita (conservadorismo) e como esta representação espacial afecta o processamento de estímulos políticos. Teoricamente, este projeto apoia-se em abordagens emergentes que enfatizam a importância das experiências sensório-motoras no pensamento abstracto (e.g., Barsalou, 1999; Lakoff & Johnson, 1999), nomeadamente a relevância do espaço físico (dimensões vertical / horizontal) na ancoragem dos conceitos abstractos (e.g., ver Semin, Garrido, & Palma, 2012, 2013b para revisão). Os primeiros três estudos que reportamos indicam que a percepção, recordação e categorização de fotografias de políticos é sistematicamente distorcida de acordo com a posição espacial implícita da sua filiação partidária. Isto independentemente das preferências políticas mas dependente do conhecimento político dos participantes. Um segundo conjunto de dois estudos explora uma explicação alternativa dos resultados nomeadamente a emergência de efeitos de compatibilidade. Os resultados indicam que o processamento visual e auditivo de palavras relacionadas com política é facilitado quando estas são apresentadas em localizações espaciais congruentes independentemente da compatibilidade estímulo-resposta, nomeadamente quando a mão, tecla e tipo de resposta são espacialmente ortogonais à dimensão horizontal. Os três estudos finais documentam a ancoragem espacial de conceitos políticos e indicam a convergência multimodal das suas representações simbólica, visual e auditiva. O presente programa de investigação apresenta um novo olhar sobre a ancoragem de conceitos abstractos, mostrando nomeadamente a importância do espaço (e alguns moderadores) na ancoragem de estímulos políticos (linguísticos e não-linguísticos) em diferentes tarefas cognitivas e em modalidades sensoriais distintas.The research in this thesis examines the spatial grounding of abstract political concepts associated with left (socialism) and right (conservatism) political orientations and how such spatial representation affects the processing of politics-related stimuli. The conceptual framework adopted here derives from recent approaches emphasizing the significance of sensorimotor experience in grounding abstract thought (e.g., Barsalou, 1999; Lakoff & Johnson, 1999), namely the relevance of physical space (vertical / horizontal dimensions) in grounding abstract concepts (see Semin, Garrido, & Palma, 2012, 2013b, for reviews). The first three experiments reported here indicate that perception, recall and categorization of politicians’ photos were systematically distorted in line with the spatial position implied by their party membership, irrespective of participants’ political preference but when their political awareness is high. The second set of two studies explores an alternative account of our previous findings namely stimulus-response compatibility effects. Results indicate that processing of visually and auditorily presented politics-related words is facilitated in congruent spatial locations, regardless of stimulus-response compatibility, namely when the key, hand and label used to provide the response were spatially orthogonal to the horizontal dimension. The final three studies further document the spatial grounding of abstract political concepts and indicate the multimodal convergence of their symbolic visual and auditory representations. The current research program brings new visions to the grounding of abstract concepts, namely by showing the significance of space (aside from some moderators) in grounding linguistic and non-linguistic political stimuli, across different cognitive tasks and semantic, visual and auditory modalities

Is there a relation between crossbite and/or an open bite, static postural behaviour, and the incidence of non-traumatic Injuries in young athletes?

Poster presented at the First international Congress of CiiEM “From Basic Sciences to Clinical Research”, 27-28 November 2015, Egas Moniz, Caparica, Portugal

Development process of a web platform to promote health literacy among young people – Your PEL

artigo apresentado em Coimbra no Annual Meeting 2019The project Your PEL - Promote and Empower Literacy in health in the young people in the areas of healthy diet, sexuality and tobacco and alcohol use, presenting the "ICT applied to Health" as an area of activity, shows the information diffusion as one of the axes of the National Health Plan, enabling the creation of tools and communication channels supported on the Web. The activities development aimed to innovation, makes use of the creative potential that the presente generation young people have in this domain.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio