Tourism in Portugal: dynamics, persistence and impact

This study presents an empirical evaluation of the impact of tourism on the Portuguese economy. We use a two-step FAVAR with a ve principal component estimation to nest the e ect of tourism in other 127 macroeconomic variables. Our ndings point to some channels in which tourism can help an economy develop and recover from a crisis. The overall e ect on the variables is positive, but the most prominent dynamics concern the labour market. The variance decomposition, with an R2 ranging from 29.7% to 89.0%, is more robust in indicators such as Unemployment (14.0%) and Industrial Employment Index (18.3%). It also accounts for 3.7% of the overall Economic Sentiment Indicator, showing improvements in economic agents' expectations. Finally, the representation of tourism shocks along time backs the hypothesis of tourism helping the Portuguese economy in recovering from a nancial crisi

Physical activity and affect of the elderly: Contribution to the validation of the Positive and Negative Affect Shedule (PANAS) in the Portuguese population

The concept of affect corresponds to the emotional dimension of subjective well-being (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). It is represented by two dimensions (negative affect and positive affect), which were the basis of the development of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). It was translated and validated for the Portuguese population by Galinha and Pais-Ribeiro (2005b). Nevertheless, because the Portuguese version was not validated in a sample of Portuguese elderly, the goals of this study consisted in the translation of the scale (PANAS) from the original version of 20 items and the validation of its measurement model (including a shortened version) for a sample of Portuguese elderly (n = 311), aged 60 years or older (M = 68.53; DP = 6.69); it was then tested by a confirmatory factorial analysis. The results demonstrated that the measurement model (two factors and 10 items) of the shortened Portuguese version of the PANAS presented acceptable psychometric qualities, which adjusted to the data in a satisfactory way (factorial weights ranging between .57 and .70 in positive affect and between .52 and .68 in negative affect). We also concluded that older adults who practice more physical activity perceive higher levels of positive affect F(2, 297) = 3,78, p < .05; η2 = .025, and lower levels of negative affect F (2, 297) = 6,24, p < .001; η2 = .040).This project was supported by the National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/DTP/04045/2019) - and the European Fund for regional development (FEDER) allocated by European Union through the COMPETE 2020 Programme (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006969).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Can Interpersonal Behavior Influence the Persistence and Adherence to Physical Exercise Practice in Adults? A Systematic Review

Objective: Motivation seems to be a fundamental indicator of long-term physical exercise adherence. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) argues that social environment plays a central role in the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which might directly affect the quality of one’s motivation. Individuals who appear to be more self-determined tend to persist longer at certain behaviors. Therefore, this body of work intends to analyze the relationship between motivational variables and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, having as theoretical background the Self-Determination Theory. Methods: This systematic review was conducted through an electronic search on Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO. Data such as instruments, main predictors and results were collected from studies published between 1985 and 2018. A total of 35 empirical studies were considered for a detailed analysis. Results: Results showed the relevance of autonomy support performed by exercise professionals, as well as the major contribution that these behaviors have toward the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, besides the inherent benefits of developing more autonomous regulations. According to the literature, few studies have analyzed interpersonal thwarting behavior and the way this relates to basic psychological needs’ frustration. Nether less, there seems to be a negative relationship between less self-determined regulations and exercise practice. Conclusion: Despite the existence of numerous cross-sectional studies that demonstrate positive correlations between SDT and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, longitudinal research that analyzes all six dimensions of interpersonal behaviors and their relationship with persistence and adherence to exercise proves to be crucial. However, according to this review, interventions based on SDT appear to be fundamental when it comes to promote the maintenance of a long-term exercise practice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Goal Content for the practice of physical activity and the impact on subjective well-being in older adults

The main goal of this study consisted in an analysis of the impact that the goal content that leads to the practice of physical activity in the elderly population can play on the variables that constitute subjective well-being, as well as to analyze the differences in these variables’ levels according to the amount of physical activity practiced. A total of 300 individuals participated in this study (n=300), including 238 females and 62 males, aged between 60 and 90 years old (M = 68.59; DP = 6.54), who practice differing levels of physical activity. The results enable us to conclude that the goal content for the practice of physical activity has positive effects on the perception of satisfaction with life and on affect. To the same extent, they verify that health is the motivation that has the greatest weight on the practice of physical activity. We also concluded that elderly people who practice more physical activity perceive higher levels of satisfaction with life and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affectinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reasons for dropout in swimmers, differences between gender and age and intentions to return to competition

BACKGROUND: This study’s main purpose was to analyze reasons for dropout in competitive swimmers and differences between gender and age groups. The influence of dropout on swimmers intentions to return to competition, invariance across gender and validation of Questionnaire of Reasons for Attrition were also analyzed. METHODS: Study 1 – 366 athletes participated (N.=366; mean age 15.96, SD 5.99) and the data gathered was used for the exploratory analysis, and data gathered on 1008 athletes were used for the confirmatory analysis and the structural equations (N.=1008; mean age 16.26, SD 6.12); Study 2: 1008 athletes participated (N.=1008; mean age 16.26, SD 6.12) on the descriptive and inferential analysis of the reasons behind the practice dropout. The Questionnaire of Reasons Attrition was used in both studies to assess the reasons associated with the practice dropout. RESULTS: In study 1, the results showed an acceptable fit of the measurement model and invariance across gender and also predictive validity regarding swimmers intentions to return to competition (e.g., demands/pressure” negatively predict intentions). In study 2, the main results showed that the most significant reason for dropout in both genders and all age groups was “dissatisfaction/other priorities”; the study also showed there to be differences between gender and age groups (e.g., female and younger athletes valued “demands/ pressure “more). CONCLUSIONS: This study offers useful guidelines for the training process and to support decisions on sports politics to be implemented to overcome the dropout rate. However, it is important to broaden the evidence to other sports and implement programs on identified priority areas based on longitudinal perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Métodos construtivos de pontes

Para a construção de uma estrutura há diversos factores que influenciam a sua concepção, tais como o vão, a topografia do local, acessibilidades, os possíveis acidentes do terreno, como cursos de água ou a sua função. É de ressalvar ainda que o enquadramento paisagístico cada vez mais é tido em conta, embora não seja determinante para a sua função ou dimensionamento. Na construção de pontes existe uma grande variedade de métodos construtivos a usar variando estes com a dimensão da obra ou com a disponibilidade de equipamento por parte do empreiteiro. Cada vez mais deverá ser bem analisado o sistema a usar, uma vez que o custo do processo construtivo constitui uma percentagem elevada do valor final da obra, podendo ser reduzidos os custos pela escolha acertada do método. Com a presente dissertação pretende-se analisar os diferentes métodos construtivos existentes no mercado, sendo estes distinguidos entre sistemas com aplicação de préfabricação ou com betonagem in-situ, e ainda o processo a usar em função do vão a vencer.To build a bridge there are several factors influencing the design, such as the total length, the local topography, accessibility, possible terrain features such as water courses or its function. It must be pointed out that even the landscaping is increasingly being taken into account, although it is not critical for its function or design. In bridge construction, a wide variety of construction methods can be used, depending its choice on the dimension of the work or on the contractor’s equipment availability. More and more, the system to be used must be analysed, once that this project stage constitutes a high percentage of the final project cost, which can be reduced by choosing the right method. It is the aim of this dissertation to analyse the different construction methods available in the market, these being distinguished between prefabricated systems and in situ concreting, and also the process to use according to the span

Motivational patterns in persistent swimmers: A serial mediation analysis

Objective: The main objective of the present study was to examine the associations between coach-created task-involving climate and athletes' intentions to continue practicing sport, through a serial mediation analysis that included basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPN), self-determined motivation (SDM) and enjoyment. Methods: Seven-hundred and ninety-nine elite swimmers (450 males, 349 females; aged 12-22 years, M = 16.65, SD = 2.83) participated in the present study. Groups were created according to age, years of experience, and gender. Results: Serial mediation analysis provided support for the proposed model where BPN's and enjoyment represent the most important mediators between task-involving climate and athletes' intentions to continue sport practice. Conclusion: Enjoyment stands out as the most relevant predictor of intention to persist and as a significant mediator in the relation between task-involvement climate, BPN, SDM, and long-term sports practice. The task-involving climate created by coaches appears to set in motion a sequence where the satisfaction of basic needs and SDM lead to more enjoyment and increased persistence among young athletes.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Cavity filter for LTE

Dada a existência de um espectro limitado e partilhado por várias aplicações, a importância dos filtros micro-ondas na resolução de problemas de largura de banda, redução de interferências entre canais e redução ruído de um sistema, torna estes elementos alvo de especificações bastante exigentes. Nesta dissertação pretende-se desenvolver e construir um filtro passa-banda de cavidade com características capazes de filtrar um canal de largura de banda de 20 MHz para banda 7 de downlink do LTE com possivel aplicação no Front- End de RF. Esta dissertação recorre a um método de matrizes de acoplamento em conjunto com o simulador electromagnético CST, que possibilita a construção rápida e precisa de cavidades ressoantes, dimensionamento das estruturas de acoplamento entre cavidades até chegar à resposta desejada. Na parte final do trabalho são abordados alguns fatores que devem estar presentes no momento da construção de filtros de cavidade e apresentadas as principais dificuldades na sintonização manual do filtro. Este processo mostra-se eficaz devido à boa concordância entre os resultados da simulação no CST e os resultado reais, medidos através do VNA, após a sintonização manual do filtro.Nowadays the existence of a limited spectrum shared with several applications, the importance of microwave filters in the band limitations, reducing interference between channels, reducing the noise, makes these elements target of very demanding specifications. The objective of this dissertation is to develop and build a prototype microwave filter capable of filtering a 20 MHz bandwidth channel to the LTE band 7 of downlink and eventually apply this system in RF Front-End. This dissertation employs a method of coupling matrices combined with the electromagnetic simulator CST, which allows the fast and accurate construction of resonant cavities, dimensioning the coupling structures between cavities until the desire response is achieved. At the end of the work, some factors are considered in the manufacture of cavity filters and the difficulty of manual tuning (post-manufacturing). This process proves to be effective due to the significant agreement between the simulation results from CST and the measurements made after the manual tuning with VNA.Mestrado em Engenharia Eletrónica e Telecomunicaçõe

Multi-diversity clusters of commercial activities in the city of Porto: how neighbourhood concentrations shape the municipal hierarchy

Today, commerce is regarded as city-shaping activity that has intrinsic connections with the way urban spaces are composed and function, and the choices people make on where to live and how to travel. Hence the literature is concerned about the territorial reflection of commercial hierarchies, particularly as the sector is increasingly changing due to new types of products, stores and purchase and payment options. In this paper we built on previous research associating retail with geo-morphological patterns, by analysing the hierarchies within the city of Porto, in Portugal, and focusing on neighbourhood clusters where all the five categories of retail considered are present (Daily; Occasional; Exceptional (Comparison); Occasional (Comparison); Isolated purchase). By introducing variables related to geographical proximity, morphology (relation to street segments) and the establishments themselves (activity type, opening date) we dig deeper into the organizational aspects of the commercial network, so that in future works causality effects can be understood, leading to a better managment of urban retail in a perspective of cohesion and equitable access