A framework to analyse the effect of hotel websites stimuli on emotions, attitude and intentions moderated by sensory curiosity; language of instruction; classification of hotel; and annual income of customer

The present study reviews the literature about the S–O–R framework and proposes an extending model regarding attitude and behavioral intentions as responses. Additionally, the model hypothesizes that sensory curiosity, language of instruction, classification of Hotel, and annual income of customer moderate the relationships between atmospheric cues and consumers’ emotional reactions. The proposed model should be tested using two samples. One sample should gather consumers who have experience of using and booking in hotel websites. Another sample, a group of control, should be composed of people with no experience in using the hotel website for booking

How VR can boost inspiration and increase donations

One of the major challenges that non-profit organizations face is inspiring people to be concerned about issues that seem geographically and emotionally distant. The aim of this study is to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) can boost inspiration and encourage potential donors to contribute to nonprofit fundraisings. To achieve this aim, a three group between-subjects experiment was conducted to examine how varying the degree of immersiveness of a short documentary about a remote health issue influences user reported social and spatial presence, inspiration, and donation intention. Findings reveal that perceived media richness gradually increases the user's spatial presence. Then, the positive effect of social and spatial presence on customer inspiration was tested and successfully verified. Finally, customer inspiration increases donation intention.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of cinema on the tourist destination image formation process

Tourism literature widely acknowledges that images of tourist destinations are a product of all the experiences of an individual, being influenced by a series of information sources. The movies figure amongst this sources, and as an autonomous information agent, which in theory are not associated with the tourist market interests, they transmit information that is perceived as more reliable than conventional publicity. Thus, cinema acts directly on the organic image, creating and perpetuating associations about the places it depicts on the collective imagery. The present article aims to provide a bibliographical state of the art about the influence of films on the tourist destinations’ image, contextualizing the cinema on it’s formation process, as well as the cognitive and phsycological processes involved

The design of a digital coincidence-detection trigger system for a RPC-based pet

A complex task for PET cameras is the design of an appropriate coincidence-detection trigger as it usually encompasses coincidences in a large number of channels and tight time specifications. Those requirements are even greater for a resistive plate chamber (RPC)-based detector technology as the time window specification is quite small (in the order of a few hundred picoseconds) and the number of coincidence-channels can be quite large (more than 100 in a large camera). In this work we discuss on-going work aimed at implementing the coincidence-detection algorithm inside a FPGA along with the necessary TDCs. The use of the developed solution in a first prototype of an RPC-based small animal PET and its scalability to the case of a human, all-body, PET, is discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ARPES Study of the Metal-Insulator Transition in Bismuth Cobaltates

We present an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of a Mott-Hubbard-type bismuth cobaltate system across a metal-insulator transition. By varying the amount of Pb substitution, and by doping with Sr or Ba cation, a range of insulating to metallic properties is obtained. We observe a systematic change in the spectral weight of the coherent and incoherent parts, accompanied by an energy shift of the incoherent part. The band dispersion also shows the emergence of a weakly dispersing state at the Fermi energy with increasing conductivity. These changes correspond with the changes in the temperature-dependent resistivity behavior. We address the nature of the coherent-incoherent parts in relation to the peak-dip-hump feature seen in cuprates superconductors

Hazard assessment in rock cliffs at Central Algarve (Portugal): A tool for coastal management

Coastal hazards are in the interface of human activities with natural coastal processes. The conflicts arising from this relationship require new approaches suitable for coastal management that consider the dynamic of coastal areas. A method to assess hazard in rock cliffs is presented, combining cliff evolution forcing mechanisms along with protection factors, according to a weighted factors system. This method provides a rapid evaluation of vulnerability for cliffed areas, supporting coastal management and hazard mitigation. The method was applied to the rocky cliffs of the densely populated coastal zone between Galé and Olhos de Água (Southern Portugal), where high and very high hazard values were found to be dominant. A method validation was made using the vulnerability areas and the recorded mass movements over a 45 year period in the same area.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Research projects BAYBEACH (PTDC/CTE-GEX/66893/2006) and MORFEA (PTDC/CTE-GEX/71357/2006. FCT grant SFRH/ BD/27878/2006