The financial sustainability of Microcredit in Portugal

Microcredit and microfinance emerged in the 1970’s in Bangladesh and other developing countries and expanded rapidly worldwide as a business model financially sustainable and able to fight poverty and social exclusion. Empirical evidence confirms microcredit ability to mitigate poverty but its financial sustainability is controversial. Using 2006-2009 Portuguese micro-level data, we estimate the failure rate of Portuguese micro-credit projects as 20,6%/year that, to be financially sustainable, would require a real interest rate by 25%/year. Using a territorial variable on a discrete Cox proportional hazard model with censured data, we estimate that the failure rate of those micro-credit projects located in the worst-case NUTS II Portuguese regions (Alentejo and Centro) and promoted by lower schooling people is significantly higher than best-case.Microcredit, Firms failure rate, Poverty, Financial sustainability

The Use of Game Theory in Regional Economics: a quantitative retrospective

The construction of formal models that deal with space observed a huge increase since the late 1980s. As Fujita et al. (1999) stress, the field of regional economics experienced a revival with the emergence of new analytical tools such as the diffusion of imperfect competition models, networks and mathematical programming. One of the most powerful tools within social science in general and economics in particular is game theory. This methodology allows for the formal analysis of the interactions among economic agents and, therefore, it is particularly useful for the study of economic decisions regarding spatial issues such as the location choices of firms and households; infrastructures, transports and communications; regional and urban policy; innovation and regional development; and regional labour markets. For this reason, a concrete, quantitative systematization of the use of this tool on regional economics research seems to be a relevant topic in the agenda concerned with progress in regional science. In this paper we study research in regional economics and provide a quantitative retrospective of the use of game theory in this field. Our main goal is twofold. First, we intend to categorize the contributions in the use of this analytical tool - by main research subjects, by authors' affiliations, by journal, etc. - using a bibliometric approach. Second, by analysing co-authoring and using Social Network Analysis, we want to test the existence of structures upon which distinct co-authorship emerges. In broader terms, the results of this research will provide a framework for analyzing the potential use of game theory in regional economics, suggesting new future research directions

Is there still space for pedagogical and technical-scientific creativity in higher education in health technologies?

After pandemic period, it is urgent to create a facilitating means of internal cogitation and to identify creative strategies that can overcome the less positive aspects of distance learning. There is an increasingly constant problem - the lack of motivation and identity in the academic-scientific environment with a lack of proactivity and resistance of interaction with others. It is necessary to work with traditional teaching-learning methodologies and create out of the box grafts that are attractive and productive. This year we will implemented a set of strategies: clinical cases, health literacy training sessions, cultural tools, escape room and others. We will carry out a diagnostic assessment of knowledge, before and after the intervention; as well as an interview that will allow us to understand the personal evolution and the degree of satisfaction. In this phase, the intention is to share the methodological strategies in a constructive and enriching manner.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The perspectives of current health professionals regarding their interaction with specific technology

Technological evolution in healthcare has been continuous. To access the advantages and disadvantages of professional-machine interaction from the user's perspective in health professionals we developed an online questionnaire. A total of 107 responses were obtained from 12 health technologies areas, showing some differences between them. The majority are 5 to 10 years of experience (28.0%). Speed, safety and efficiency stands out as benefits and dehumanization of the care provided and the reduction of jobs as risks. The user's perspective contributes in an elementary way to the current and future industry in the health area, and therefore should not be neglected.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

3D PROTOTYPING APPLIED TO DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERIES.

Tooth loss is one of the major problems in dentistry. With technological advances, the dental implant came to perform replacement of extracted teeth. The use of 3D impressions brought the possibility of reproducing dental arches in a reliable way, thanks to the InVesalius program that processes tomographic images, transforming them into a file capable of reproducing a dimensionally accurate prototype by printing. With regard to dentists, prototyping offered great benefits, such as clarity in surgical planning and safety in the execution of procedures, in addition to allowing the patient to elucidate the process in advance, reducing numerous dissatisfactions and doubts about the proposed treatment. Coupled with the advantages offered to the dentist and the patient, by the 3D prototype, the cost factor is of paramount importance due to its irrelevance as to the total value of a dental implant in view of the benefits offered by the use of 3D prototyping. This work presents the process of generating a three-dimensional model using the Invesalius software and its printing, with subsequent dental implant testing.Tooth loss is one of the major problems in dentistry. With technological advances, the dental implant came to perform replacement of extracted teeth. The use of 3D impressions brought the possibility of reproducing dental arches in a reliable way, thanks to the InVesalius program that processes tomographic images, transforming them into a file capable of reproducing a dimensionally accurate prototype by printing. With regard to dentists, prototyping offered great benefits, such as clarity in surgical planning and safety in the execution of procedures, in addition to allowing the patient to elucidate the process in advance, reducing numerous dissatisfactions and doubts about the proposed treatment. Coupled with the advantages offered to the dentist and the patient, by the 3D prototype, the cost factor is of paramount importance due to its irrelevance as to the total value of a dental implant in view of the benefits offered by the use of 3D prototyping. This work presents the process of generating a three-dimensional model using the Invesalius software and its printing, with subsequent dental implant testing

Monitorização da terapêutica hemostática em pacientes com razão normalizada internacional aumentada

Realizou-se um estudo observacional descritivo transversal a uma população de hipocoagulados do serviço de Hemoterapia do Hospital Pedro Hispano, entre Março e Setembro de 2009, com valor de INR ≥ 4. O estudo tem como objectivo classificar os valores de INR após Terapia Hemostática em intervalos terapêuticos segundo o ACCP. Nos valores de INR após terapia, 53,9% encontram-se dentro do intervalo terapêutico, 31,5% abaixo e 14,6% acima deste intervalo. Estes indicam uma óptima escolha da terapia hemostática sendo concordantes com outros estudos que apontam que 4 a 40% se situam abaixo do intervalo INR terapêutico e 1 a 17% acima.We perform a cross-sectional observational study in a hipocoagulated population in Hemotherapy Service, Hospital Pedro Hispano, between March and September 2009, with INR values ≥ 4. The study aims to classify the INR values after hemostatic therapy in therapeutic ranges according to the ACCP. The INR values after therapy, 53.9% were within the therapeutic range, 31.5% down and 14.6% above this range. These indicate an optimal choice of hemostatic therapy being consistent with other studies showing that 4-40% are below the therapeutic INR range and 1-17% higher

Towards a network perspective of franchising chains

Franchising, especially business format franchising also known as the McDonalds approach has been seen by practitioners and also by some academics simply as a straightforward approach for the creation (and replication) of one’s own business – i.e. as one of the ways for entrepreneurship (and growth). Several trade associations were created for the promotion of this kind of business using a combination of “recipes for success” and entrepreneurial “bias for action”. The prevailing explanations for the franchising phenomena, especially the initiative of franchising, the propensity to franchise, and franchise performance, are mostly based on two orders of reasons or a combination of them: franchising as a means to deal with resource scarcity and / or mechanism for franchisor and franchisee to align incentives between both. However, empirical studies have shown limited support for such claims, especially in face of the so called plural form. The mixed nature of the plural form, where proprietary units coexist with franchised units, seems to contradict predictions of a clear deterministic path in one or the other direction. Issued regarding learning processes in such “networks” have recently been brought in, as an attempt to capture other mechanisms that may underlie their operation and sustainability. It may also be argued that the traditional literature on franchising has assumed a high level of homogeneity within and between franchising “networks”, possibly due to the perception that they tend to be “dominated” by a high level of standardization of practices, both operative and relational. This paper seeks to explore another perspective to look at franchising “networks”, by drawing from the literature on capabilities and industrial networks. Seen from this perspective, business format franchising may involve more than the mere replication or exploitation of a recipe, especially if we take into consideration the partly idiosyncratic nature of both the relationships between actors and their capabilities and intentions. In this framework, the experiences of the actors involved and not only the franchisor, including those relative to relationships as mechanisms for the coordination and generation of new knowledge, may be relevant for a better understanding of the dynamics of a particular “network”. Additional sources of variety may be the need throughout time for the refinement of the “package”, in more than one ways, together with the gradual developing of the network, and the learning experiences taking place in that context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toward a relational perspective of franchising chains

In many professional and services industries, firms try to scale up their operations by reproducing practices in new locations through franchising arrangements, especially business format franchising. The classic but still prevailing explanations for franchising related phenomena, especially the initiative of franchising, the propensity to franchise, and the franchise performance, are mostly based on two orders of reasons (or a combination of them): franchising is either explained as a means to deal with resource scarcity or (and) as a mechanism for franchisor and franchisee to align incentives between themselves. However, empirical studies have shown limited support for both such claims, especially in face of the so called plural form, where proprietary and franchised units of the same franchisor co-exist. It may also be argued that the traditional literature on franchising has assumed a high level of homogeneity within and between franchising ‘‘networks,’’ possibly due to the perception that they tend to be ‘‘dominated’’ by a high level of standardization and replication of practices, both operative and relational. However, learning processes in such ‘‘networks’’ have recently been brought in as an attempt to capture other mechanisms that may underlie their operation and sustainability. This article seeks to explore a third perspective to look at franchising ‘‘networks,’’ by drawing from the literatures on capabilities and industrial networks. Seen from this perspective, business format franchising may involve more than the mere replication or exploitation of a recipe, especially if we take into consideration the partly idiosyncratic nature of both the relationships between actors and their capabilities and intentions. Within this perspective, variety preservation, and not only uniformity, may be recognized by participants as relevant for the performance of the franchise chain. In other words, variety may reflect the need for the refinement of the ‘‘package’’ throughout time, in more than one ways, together with the gradual development of the network and the learning experiences that take place in that context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Searching for a dynamic view of franchising

This paper suggests a new perspective of franchising networks. We start from the limitations of what we have called the traditional management literature about franchising and look at the current research about franchising and the recent advances in the Economics of the Organisation, in order to propose a Capabilities View of Franchising Networks. From this perspective, we suggest that the emergence of franchising networks may be seen as a kind of dynamic arrangements, which seek to combine the franchisor’s and franchisee’s partly idiosyncratic capabilities. Franchisees are seen as heterogeneous as they can and often hold different knowledge and experiences. Hence, they may be an important source of dynamic capabilities for the franchising network. Thus, in contrast to traditional approaches, a Capabilities Approach emphasises the processes of creating, transmitting and coordinating productive knowledge. Analysing franchising from this perspective may also help us to understand the plural form by linking their existence and dynamics to previous experiences and commitments with a particular system, including the investments made in inter-firm relationships and the need to preserve a degree of variety within the franchise networkinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Swimming pool water quality in the northern zone of Portugal

The use of swimming pools for recreational purposes is associated with several benefits for the health and wellbeing of its users, however it is necessary to monitor the quality of the water in terms of public health. With the aim of evaluating the microbiological quality of swimming pool water, the results of 1280 water samples from swimming pools in the North of Portugal were analyzed. The evaluation of the water quality was carried out through the research and quantification of microorganisms viable at 37ºC, Coliform Bacteria, Enterococci, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Coagulase Positive Staphylococci and the Total Number of Staphylococci.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio