Choosing a university in Portugal: a conceptual model

This study, based on the scientific domains of consumer Behavior (decision-making process) and Brand Reputation perception, aims to check if Tourism is the key influencer or only a part of the set of components in the choice of a university in Portugal. The marketing mix (4 Ps) was the strategy chosen for the construction of the model and the parametric tests and the Logit Model are the statistical approaches suggested in this study. The limitations lie in the scarce literature on the subject and difficulty to access Academic Tourism data in Portugal and its economic representativeness. This knowledge will define the real factors involving choosing a university abroad and complete the literature with a Portuguese experience. The practical result is to present a strategic marketing guide for companies aiming at working with academic tourism, a booming segment in recent years

Ammonia effects on proton conductivity properties of coordination polymers

Crystalline metal phosphonates are referred to as a type of structurally versatile coordination polymers [1]. Many of them contain guest molecules (H2O, heterocyclics, etc.), acidic sites and, furthermore, their structure can be also amenable for post‐synthesis modifications in order to enhance desired properties [2]. In the present work, we examine the relationships between crystal structure and proton conductivity for several metal phosphonates derive from multifunctional ligands, such as 5-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)isophthalic acid (PiPhtA) [3] and 2-hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid (H3HPAA). Crystalline divalent metal derivatives show a great structural diversity, from 1D to 3D open-frameworks, possessing hydrogen-bonded water molecules and acid groups. These solids present a proton conductivity range between 7.2·10-6 and 1.3·10−3 S·cm-1. Upon exposure to ammonia vapor, from an aqueous solution, solid state transformations are observed accompanied of enhance proton conductivities. The stability of these solids under different environment conditions (temperature and relative humidities) as well as the influence of the ammonia adsorption on the proton conduction properties of the resulting solids will be discussed.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A blue sky catastrophe in double-diffusive convection

A global bifurcation of the blue sky catastrophe type has been found in a small Prandtl number binary mixture contained in a laterally heated cavity. The system has been studied numerically applying the tools of bifurcation theory. The catastrophe corresponds to the destruction of an orbit which, for a large range of Rayleigh numbers, is the only stable solution. This orbit is born in a global saddle-loop bifurcation and becomes chaotic in a period doubling cascade just before its disappearance at the blue sky catastrophe.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, REVTeX, To be published in Physical Review Letter

Fuzzy formal concept analysis

CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL E NÍVEL SUPERIORFormal Context Analysis is a mathematical theory that enables us to find concepts from a given set of objects, a set of attributes and a relation on them. There is a hierarchy of such concepts, from which a complete lattice can be made. In this paper we p831192205CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL E NÍVEL SUPERIORCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL E NÍVEL SUPERIOR306546/2017-5308524/2014-437th Conference of the North-American-Fuzzy-Information-Processing-Society (NAFIPS

Interorganizational information acquisition in an innovative SME network: innovation and information types

Information and innovation have been increasingly recognised as sources for firms’ competitive advantage. One of the ways firms have used to acquire these resources is through cooperative relationships, such as networks. This research proposes a conceptual model of antecedents and consequences of the volume of relevant information acquisition and innovation generation in the context of a Portuguese Innovative SME Network. This is an exploratory descriptive study, conducted through a survey of 60 SMEs (34.9% of the population). The results showed that for most firms, the participation on the network does not contribute to the acquisition of relevant information from other firms.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Patient?s perception of the events during and after Osteogenic Alveolar Distraction

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the patient?s perception of the events during and after an osteogenic alveolar distraction (OAD) procedure Materials and Methods: A total of fifty-five (55) osteogenic alveolar distraction (OAD) procedures were performed in fifty (50) patients, who then were asked to answer ten (10) questions related to the treatment. Six (6) questions made reference to predefined values in a Visual Analogical Scale (VAS), three (3) questions could be answered by a predetermined answer, and only one (1) question had a free answer. Results: In 76% of cases, the patient?s description of the sensation felt during the surgery was good and bearable; 84% of the patients didn?t feel pain after surgery. 4% of the patients felt pain during the activation period and 58% of the patients described the sensation during the activation period as pressure, felt most commonly, at the end of the period, and for about 20 minutes (66.6 %). In these cases the most frequently used analgesic was Paracetamol. Also, 46% expressed having had some difficulty to activate the device, with 10% of them in need of extra help. The presence of the activation rod caused discomfort in 52%. Finally, 78% of the patients treated with OAD would undergo this procedure again if it was necessary. A bone graft was performed in 27 out of the 50 treated patients, with 70% of them describing the bone graft surgery as more painful than the OAD. Conclusion: The OAD technique had a high degree of acceptance among the treated patients, however, some details as the interference of the activation rod continue to disturb them. The acceptance of the OAD technique is much better when compared with bone graft surgery technique as a second treatment

Safety Training Procedure for Precision Tank Entry

Our objective is to develop a systematic safety approach to confined space training and to identify the hazards associated with confined spaces. Inadequate ventilation, lack of training regarding entry and exit procedures, and exposure to hazardous materials are hazards that employees might be exposed to while working. With employee health and safety being at the forefront of the mission, a thorough training procedure and innovative training simulator were developed to both take into consideration the risks present in the operation as well as educate employees in an effort to mitigate or reduce the possibility of hazards and accidents. This will assist in mitigating, monitoring, and managing new risks as they arise. A Unity Fuel Solutions Grande 68 above ground tank simulates conditions in a tank of the same or similar capacity and specifications to the tanks operated by Precision Tank Maintenance. By creating a confined space policy for the company that complies with the regulatory framework but will also be adapted to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z117.1 Confined Space Standard. This training program aims to eliminate or mitigate hazards within a confined space