INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF A F&B COMPANY IN THE BOP CONTEXT

Base of Pyramid (BoP) is nowadays one of global management’s top issues. Although several studies were focused on developing economies and their markets behaviour, very few have worked on the internal organization dramaBoP, developing economies, strategy, value chain

Efficiency tests in the Iberian stock markets

This paper investigates the efficiency of the two major stock indexes of the Iberian Peninsula, the Portuguese Stock Index (PSI-20) and the Spanish Stock Index (IBEX-35). We used daily data from January 1993 to September 2001 for the Portuguese stock index and daily data from October 1990 to September 2001 for the Spanish stock index. Serial correlations, unit root tests and variance ratio tests are used to test the efficiency of these two stock indexes. Although the complementary of these tests, we used all of them to get a higher robustness of the conclusions. We examined serial correlation coefficients for successive stock index changes to test whether they are statistically equal to zero to establish the random walk nature of stock indexes. The augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test are used to test the null hypothesis that the series has a unit root and the variance ratio tests are used to examine the random walk hypothesis for the series of these two stock indexes. The results of the serial correlations, unit root tests and variance ratio tests provide ambiguous evidence for the random walk hypothesis. The empirical evidence from the unit root tests do not reject the efficient market hypothesis for the two stock indexes, while the results from the variance ratio tests and serial correlations do.stock indexes, market efficiency, unit roots

Samuel Beckett: o drama da escrita, a voz do teatro

Artigo sobre textos de Samuel Beckett

Produção e caracterização de uma matriz dérmica à base de nanofibras de gelatina e policaprolactona

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Biomédic

Using SSM to rethink the analysis of energy efficiency initiatives

This paper reflects an attempt to rethink the process of analysis of energy efficiency initiatives using soft systems methodology (SSM) as a problem structuring tool. The aim of the work is to provide public and private initiative promoters or evaluators with a structured support for a more informed decision regarding the implementation of energy efficiency measures. The SSM approach contributed with the identification of all market players and their relations, as well as the insight into the deficiencies of current methodologies. Some future work directions are also proposed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Structuring an MCDA model using SSM: A case study in energy efficiency

This work presents the use of a problem structuring method, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), to structure a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) model, aimed at appraising energy efficiency initiatives. SSM was useful to help defining clearly the decision problem context and the main actors involved, as well as to unveil the relevant objectives for each stakeholder. Keeney’s Value Focused Thinking approach was then used to refine and structure the list of objectives according to the perspective of the main evaluators identified. In addition to describing this particular case study, this paper aims at providing some general guidelines on how SSM may facilitate the emergence of objectives for MCDA models.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ensino técnico e profissional:natureza da oferta e da procura

O ensino técnico e profissional têm-se diferenciado do outro ensino secundário pelo seu carácter marcadamente funcional e reprodutor das estruturas sociais (Baudelot e Establet, 1971; Bourdieu e Passeron, 1964 e 1970; Snyders, 1981; Cruzeiro e Antunes, 1979; Martins, 1991; Pardal, Franco, Dias, Novaes e Sousa, 2003). Nos últimos anos tem-se procurado negar esta realidade e criar um sistema de ideias positivo deste ensino em que ele tende a ser apresentado como alternativo ao ensino superior. Em termos metodológicos inquiriu-se uma amostra de 308 alunos dos cursos tecnológicos e dos técnico-profissionais em 2004 e cujos resultados foram comparados com os recolhidos em 1989, junto de 364 alunos, dos cursos técnico-profissionais. Procurou-se assim, por um lado, ver quem são os alunos que frequentam este ensino na actualidade e, por outro, apreciar as alterações ocorridas num espaço temporal de 15 anos. Os dados recolhidos mostram que o carácter funcional e regulador deste ensino se mantém e que continuam a verificar-se correlações fortes entre a sua frequência e a origem social e o aproveitamento escolar dos alunos até ao 9º ano, constatando-se ainda o acentuar destas realidades nos últimos 15 anos. Não obstante tudo isto as aspirações dos alunos estão mais centradas na ida para a universidade do que para o sistema de emprego, apesar da apreciação positiva que fazem desta formação. A ser assim parece que o sistema de ideias criado alterou as representações sobre este ensino mas ainda não alterou as opções que os alunos fazem para os seus trajectos profissionais.Technical and professional teaching has differentiated from other types of secondary teaching through its functional and reproductive character of social structures (Baudelot e Establet, 1971; Bourdieu e Passeron, 1964 e 1970; Snyders, 1981; Cruzeiro e Antunes, 1979; Martins, 1991; Pardal, Franco, Dias, Novaes e Sousa, 2003). During the last years people have tried to deny this reality and create a positive system of ideas of the technical-professional teaching in which it has been presented as an ideal pathway for many students and, in a certain way, an alternative to university education. With the objective of studying this reality, we performed an inquiry, in 2004, to a sample of 308 students of technological and technicalprofessional courses, comparing these results with the ones gathered in 1989 from a sample of 364 students of the technical-professional courses. We intended, on the one hand, to find out who are the students that attend these courses nowadays and, on the other hand, appreciate the alterations that occurred in these 15 years. The data gathered shows the functional and regulational character of this type of teaching is still maintained and that there are still strong correlations between its attendance and the social origin and school performance of the students up to the 9th grade, realities that have been accentuated in the past 15 years. Besides all this, the students aspirations are more centred on going to university rather than to the employment system, even though they consider this type of forming positive. It looks like the system of ideas created altered the representation on this type of teaching, but it hasn’t altered the options that the students make for their professional route

Stent for life initiative in Portugal: progress through years and Covid-19 impact

Background: During Stent for Life Initiative in Portugal lifetime, positive changes in ST elevation myocardial infarction treatment were observed, by the increase of Primary Angioplasty numbers and improvements in patients' behaviour towards myocardial infarction, with an increase in those who called 112 and the lower proportion attending non primary percutaneous coronary intervention centres. Despite public awareness campaigns and system educational programmes, patient and system delay did not change significantly over this period. The aim of this study was to address the public awareness campaign effectiveness on peoples' behaviour facing STEMI, and how Covid-19 has affected STEMI treatment.Methods: Data from 1381 STEMI patients were collected during a one-month period each year, from 2011 to 2016, and during one and a half month, matching first lockdown in Portugal 2020. Four groups were constituted: Group A (2011); Group B (2012&2013); Group C (2015&2016) and group D (2020).Results: The proportion of patients who called 112, increased significantly (35.2% Group A; 38.7% Group B; 44.0% Group C and 49.6% Group D, p = 0.005); significant reduction was observed in the proportion of patients who attended healthcare centres without PPCI (54.5% group A; 47.6% Group B; 43.2% Group C and 40.9% Group D, p = 0.016), but there were no differences on groups comparison. Total ischemic time, measured from symptoms onset to reperfusion increased progressively from group A [250.0 (178.0-430.0)] to D [296.0 (201.0-457.5.8)] p = 0.012, with statistically significant difference between group C and D (p = 0.034).Conclusions: During the term of SFL initiative in Portugal, patients resorted less to primary health centres and called more to 112. These results can be attributed the public awareness campaign. Nevertheless, patient and system delays did not significantly change over this period, mainly in late years of SFL, probably for low efficacy of campaigns and in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Allergological evaluation of a dog population in a veterinary immuno-allergology consultation: What correlates in a canine model

Introduction: Allergic dermatitis (AD) is the most common canine pruritic condition in veterinary dermatology. Allergic dermatitis to flea bites presents the highest prevalence, followed by atopic dermatitis and food AD. This study aimed to identify possible correlation between data from clinical signs, intradermal tests (IDT) and specific IgE levels, which are used in dog AD assessment. Methods: Fifty five dogs from the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Évora (Portugal) and Rof Codina University Hospital (Lugo, Spain) outpatient consultations were studied by means of clinical inquiry, IDT and specific IgE determination. Thirty five of the patients belonged to predisposed breeds, 30 were females and 25 males. Forty one (74%) were indoor. Results: In 82% of cases first clinical signs appeared before the age of 3 years and 24% even before 1 year old. In 70% of the individuals clinical signs included itching, which was generalized in 66%, with 78% of paw licking and chewing. Clinical profile showed seasonal worsening in 64% of cases. From the 69.1% of dogs already presenting with dermatitis, 50% also presented external otitis and 28.9% self-inflicted alopecia. "Intense itching" was found in 10.5%, "medium itching" in 81.6% and “mild itching” in 5.26% of the patients. Prevalence of positive IDT was 37.3 % to Lep d, 29.41% to Der f, 27.5% to Der p, 25.5% to Dac g and 21.6% to Malassezia sp. From the 37 dogs submitted to food IDT, 40.5% revealed positive to beef, 27% to chicken, 27% to porc and 5.4% to lamb. Specific IgE > 150 EAU was found in 84% of dogs to indoor allergen sources and in 68% to pollens. A negative correlation was found between an outdoor life and the intensity (p = 0.033) and precocity (p = 0.026) of clinical signs. Sensitization to pollens was found positively correlated with the seasonality of clinical signs (p = 0.001) and the positivity for Dac g (p = 0.007). The prevalence of chronic otitis correlated positively with alopecia and reactivity to Lep d (p = 0.008), Plantago lanceolata (p = 0.026) and Platanus acerifolia (p = 0.017). There was no correlation between the results of ITD and specific IgE. Conclusion: We can conclude that correlation between different clinical signs and positive testing for some allergenic sources may occur, as well as between sensitization to pollens and the beginning, the intensity and the seasonality of dog patient clinical signs