Applying configurational theory to understand mobile app success

Mestrado em Gestão de Sistemas de InformaçãoOs smartphones estão a atingir novos recordes de vendas, e o número de aplicações disponíveis nas lojas continuam a crescer tendo atingido um total combinado de 3.4 milhões de aplicações (Statista, 2015), tornando este mercado apetecível para investidores, empresas, e developers. No entanto, de todas estas aplicações, apenas algumas são bem sucedidas. Este estudo baseia-se no conhecimento existente sobre sucesso de aplicações móveis e contribui para o conhecimento propondo uma teoria configuracional para o sucesso de aplicações móveis. Para atingir este objetivo é utilizada a análise comparativa qualitativa, na sua variante difusa (fsQCA), de modo a identificar as condições antecedentes para o sucesso de aplicações móveis. Foram extraídos os dados das 100 aplicações melhores classificadas no ranking da Apple App Store, e os resultados obtidos na análise fsQCA foram os seguintes: (i) aplicação pequena, (ii) baixa pontuação dos utilizadores com muitas línguas suportadas e poucas versões suportadas, (iii) categorias populares com alta pontuação dos utilizadores e poucas línguas suportadas, (iv) categorias populares com muitas versões suportadas e poucas línguas suportadas, e (v) categorias populares com alta pontuação dos utilizadores e muitas versões suportadas, são condições suficientes para o sucesso de aplicações móveis. Curiosamente, uma aplicação pequena é uma condição tanto necessária e suficiente para o sucesso de aplicações móveis.Smartphones are setting new sales records, and the number of apps available in online stores continues to grow, having reached a combined figure of 3.4 million apps (Statista, 2015), making this a desirable market for investors, companies, and developers. However, among all those apps, only a limited number succeeds. This study builds on the existing knowledge of mobile app success and contributes to enhance the existing literature proposing a configurational theory for mobile app success. To accomplish this, the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was applied to identify the antecedent conditions for mobile app success. Data from the top 100 ranked apps at App Store was collected. The fsQCA results supported the following propositions: (i) smaller package size, (ii) lower user reviews scores with higher languages supported and fewer versions supported, (iii) highly popular categories with higher user review scores and fewer languages supported, (iv) highly popular categories with higher number of versions supported and fewer languages supported, and (v) highly popular categories with higher user review scores and higher number of versions supported, are sufficient conditions for mobile app success. Interestingly, it was found that small package size is both a necessary and sufficient condition for mobile app success.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Equity research REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, SGPS, S.A.: bond proxy

Mestrado em FinançasAvaliação extensa da REN-Redes Energéticas Nacionais SGPS SA, com uma ênfase especial na sua política de dividendos e características de instrumento obrigacionista ,seguindo o formato recomendado pelo CFA Institute sendo considerada informação pública até 9 de fevereiro de 2018. Para determinar o valor intrínseco dos segmentos operacionais da REN, Transmissão de Eletricidade, Transmissão de Gás Natural e Distribuição de Gás Natural, avaliou-se a empresa utilizando o modelo da soma das partes dos fluxos de caixa descontados (DCF) como principal método tendo em consideração diferentes custos de capital. Adicionalmente, avaliou-se a posição acionista na Electrogas utilizando o modelo dos dividendos descontados (DDM). Com um preço alvo de €2.76 por cada ação da REN em 2018FA, emite-se uma recomendação de COMPRA com baixo risco, representando um potencial de crescimento de 15% em relação ao preço de fecho (€2.43) a 9 de fevereiro de 2018. Adicionalmente, a política de dividendos da empresa foi analisada e comparada com as dos seus pares usando uma perspetiva de liquidação das empresas. O preço-alvo obtido pelo DDM é de €2.53.Foi levada a cabo uma análise de instrumento de renda fixa à ação da empresa para aferir da elasticidade do preço em relação ao seu custo dos capitais próprios. Conclui-se que um aumento de 1% neste parâmetro leva a uma descida do preço-alvo num cenário de liquidação das concessões (€2.49) para €2.20. A duração tem um efeito negativo de €0.32 enquanto que o ganho de convexidade é de €0.03.This project is an extensive valuation of REN-Redes Energéticas Nacionais SGPS SA, with a special emphasis on its dividend policy and bond features. This equity research follows the CFA Institute format and only public information until 9th February 2018 was considered. To determine the intrinsic value of REN's three operational segments, Electricity Transmission, Natural Gas Transmission and Natural Gas Distribution, the company was valued using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Sum of the parts approach as our main valuation method and considered different costs of capital to reflect the risk profile of each regulated activity. Additionally, to value the equity stake in Electrogas, it was used the Dividend Discount Model (DDM). With an estimated price target of €2.76 per REN's common share for 2018YE, a BUY recommendation is issued with low risk, representing a 15% upside potential from the 9th February closing price of €2.43. The price target obtained from the (DDM) is €2.53, representing a slightly 5% upside potential from the 9th February closing price. A fixed income instrument analysis approach was applied to REN's stock in a concession liquidation scenario to evaluate the elasticity of the stock price to its cost of equity. The results show that a 1% increase in the cost of equity would decrease the price target in a concession liquidation scenario (€2.49) to €2,20, with a negative duration effect of €0,32 and a gain of €0.03 from convexity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function by MR: why, how and when

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), a valuable non-invasive technique for the evaluation of the cardiovascular system, has already been accepted as the "gold standard" for the assessment of systolic function. The assessment of diastolic function is important not only for diagnosis purposes, but also in terms of prognosis. ECG-triggering phase-contrast (PC) CMR allows the routine assessment of diastolic function by measuring the transmitral and pulmonary venous flow with high accuracy and reproducibility, using morphological and quantitative parameters similar to those obtained by transthoracic echocardiography, which are so familiar to general cardiologists. Therefore, the increasing role of CMR in the assessment of the cardiovascular system requires a greater awareness and knowledge of this condition by radiologists. The aim of this study is to review the main mechanisms and common causes of left ventricle diastolic dysfunction, provide a practical approach for the assessment of LV diastolic function and illustrate the different degrees of diastolic dysfunction

Capturing interpersonal coordination processes in association football : from dyads to collectives

Doutoramento em Motricidade Humana, na especialidade de Ciências do DesportoThe purpose of this thesis was to investigate how football performers coordinate their behaviours in different levels of social organisation. We began with a position paper proposing the re-conceptualisation of sport teams as functional integrated superorganisms to frame a deeper understanding of the interpersonal coordination processes emerging between team players. Time-motion analysis procedures and innovative tools were developed and presented in order to capture the superorganismic properties of sports teams and the interpersonal coordination tendencies developed by players. These tendencies were captured and analysed in representative 1vs1 and 3vs3 sub-phases, as well as in the 11-a-side game format. Data showed higher levels of variability at the individual level compared to the team level. This finding suggested that micro-variability may contribute to stabilise the behavioural dynamics at the collective level. Moreover, the specificities of the interpersonal coordination tendencies displayed within attacking-defending dyads demonstrated to have influenced the performance outcome. Attacking players tend to succeed when they were more synchronised in space and time with the defenders, and their interaction were more unpredictable/irregular. Besides, the time-evolving dynamics of the collective behaviours (i.e., at 11-a-side level) during competitive football performance indicated a tendency for an increase in the predictability (i.e., more regularity). These data were interpreted as evidencing co-adaptation processes between opponent players, which suggest that team players may shift from prevalent explorative and irregular behaviours to more predictable behaviours emerging due changes in their functional movement possibilities. However, some game events such as goals scored, halftime and stoppages in play seemed to break this continuum and acted as relevant performance constraints.FCT - Fundação para Ciência e a Tecnologi