A despesa social a nível local: uma análise empírica aos municípios portugueses

Dissertação de mestrado em Administração Pública (área de especialização em Gestão Pública e Políticas Públicas)Com as transformações ocorridas no contexto político, económico e social vivido na Europa nas últimas décadas, a maioria dos países do velho continente teve de fazer adaptações no setor público. Com recursos limitados é sempre necessário que os Governos (de qualquer nível) escolham determinadas políticas em detrimento de outras. Com as populações a exigir cada vez mais políticas socias que respondam às suas necessidades, quais são os fatores que os agentes políticos têm em consideração para escolher determinada política? No fundo, com este estudo procuramos saber o que determinada a despesa social dos municípios em Portugal. Analisamos quais os determinantes da despesa social dos municípios tendo em conta as Grandes Opções do Plano, o Plano Plurianual de Investimentos e o Plano de Atividades Municipais dos 308 municípios portugueses para o período de 2009 até 2019. Olhamos para o papel da ideologia, da demografia, da arrecadação de receita dos municípios e dos ciclos eleitorais para perceber o que determina a despesa social dos municípios. As variáveis demográficas parecem ser os fatores mais preponderantes em termos de influência na despesa social. Além destas, os resultados sugerem a ideia de que existe uma possibilidade dos momentos eleitorais autárquicos terem influência na despesa social. As escolhas em termos de gastos sociais não parecem ser feitas de acordo com a ideologia do partido no poder, nem com a capacidade de arrecadar impostos.With the changes that have taken place in the political, economic and social context experienced in Europe in recent decades, most countries on the old continent have had to make adaptations in the public sector. With limited resources, it is always necessary for Governments (at any level) to choose certain policies over others. With populations increasingly demanding social policies that respond to their needs, what are the factors that political agents consider when choosing a policy? Basically, with this study we seek to know what determines the social expenditure of municipalities in Portugal. We analyze the determinants of social spending in the municipalities taking into account the Great Options of the Plan, the Multi-Annual Investment Plan and the Municipal Activities Plan of the 308 Portuguese municipalities for the period from 2009 to 2019. We look at the role of ideology, demographics, revenue collection by the municipalities and the electoral cycles to understand what determines the social expenditure by the municipalities. Demographic variables seem to be the most prevalent factors in terms of influencing social expenditure. In addition to these, the results suggest the idea that there is a possibility that election years may have an influence on social spending. The choices in terms of social spending do not seem to be made according to the ideology of the ruling party, nor to the ability to collect taxes

Simulação de um sistema de ar condicionado ar-água em edifício multi-zona

Sistemas de ar condicionado são responsáveis por grande parte do consumo energético de edifícios, sendo assim, busca-se cada vez mais reduzir este consumo sem que o conforto térmico dos ocupantes seja prejudicado. Desta maneira se torna essencial saber o funcionamento destes sistemas em situações diferentes das calculadas para projetos. Este trabalho visa a elaboração de um modelo de análise de desempenho de sistemas de ar condicionado em ambientes sem controlo de humidade. O modelo permite a simulação de diversos cenários em que é possível variar a localidade, parâmetros construtivos, qualidade térmica das envolventes, perfis de ocupação, funcionamento da bateria das unidades terminais, características do ar novo insuflado pela unidade de tratamento de ar novo e também a simulação das zonas térmicas em comportamento livre durante um período em que a unidade terminal está desligada. Para este trabalho foi gerado um banco de dados com informações anuais dos parâmetros do ar exterior para seis localidades diferentes de Portugal continental, bem como um modelo de cálculo das cargas térmicas para sistemas multi-zona, outro para a análise de desempenho das baterias e por fim um que fosse possível analisar os parâmetros do ar interior de determinada zona térmica, assim como o conforto térmico dos ocupantes. O modelo desenvolvido apresentou resultados satisfatórios para as análises realizadas, entretanto o mesmo carece de validação junto à análise comparativa com programas já inseridos no mercado. Uma vez validado, o modelo desenvolvido apresenta-se como uma ótima ferramenta para aplicação em estudos acadêmicos como também no auxílio da seleção de equipamentos.Air conditioning systems are responsible for a big part of buildings’ energy consumption, in that way, there is an increasing seek to reduce that consumption without harming occupants’ thermal comfort. With that in consideration, it becomes essential to know the functioning of that systems in different scenarios of those that are calculated in projects. This work aims to develop a performance analysis model of air conditioning systems in environments without humidity control. The model allows a simulation of distinct scenarios, where is possible to change region, constructive parameters, environment thermal quality, occupancy profiles, battery function of the fan coils, features of new inflated air by the new air handling unit and also the simulation of thermal zones in free behavior during a period when the terminal units is switched off. For this research it was generated a database with annual information of exterior air parameters for six cities of continental Portugal, as well as a calculation model of thermal loads for multi-zone systems, another for battery performance analysis and finally one that allows to analyze the interior air parameters of a certain thermic zone and occupants’ thermal comfort. The engineered model presented satisfactory results for the analyses performed, however it lacks validation of comparative analysis with programs already in the market. Once validated, the project developed will be a great tool to apply in academic studies and it can be a support for equipment selection

Internationalization Strategies in Music Festivals

The internationalization of music festivals is a very recent and very complex process – due to the subjectivity of the theme – that encompasses the areas of management, internationalization, and culture, and has intensified in recent years. This paper investigates the ways in which music festivals are currently internationalized and the internal processes prior to this decision. Its primary objective is to identify the main strategies of internationalization used by companies owning cultural goods, such as music festivals. Another goal is to fill an academic gap between internationalization theories and cultural management, contributing with the compilation and description of the main techniques employed by the market through a qualitative approach to the methodology and content analysis on decision-makers’ interviews. The results can confirm the internationalization model mostly used by the sector, which prefers a phased method. Main entry strategies, territory-choosing process, and motivations and reasons behind this process are also investigated.JEL Codes - F23; F22; F6; L82; M16; M31; Z1

Transport and consumption of organic detritus in a neotropical limestone cave

Caves are permanently aphotic environments, a fact that precludes the occurrence of photosynthetic organisms. In these systems the resource is allochthonous, coming mainly from the surrounding epigean environment, being imported by physical and biological agents. Even knowing about the importance of the organic allochthonous resources in caves, little is known of their importation and processing. The present work had as an objective, the measuring the coarse particulate organic matter processing and import rates in the subterranean environment. The cave studied was Lapa da Fazenda Extrema I, limestone cave, located in Brazilian savanna biome. Through bimonthly collections, it was observed that the organic detritus penetrated into the cave in low amounts in dry season and high amounts in rainy season. The processing of the organic plant matter in the aquatic hypogean environment was moderate (K-day=0.025), in the epigean environment the processing was predominantly slow (K-day =0.0104). The detritus commonly brought to the interior of the cave were large woods (58.18 g/day), followed by leaves and fragmented material (12.76 g/day), fruits and seeds (0.0069 g/day), animal carcasses (0.002 g/day) and roots (0.001 g/day). The highest richness and abundances of invertebrates were found in the same periods in which there were the highest rates of organic matter import to the cave.Keywords: cave, detritus processing, energy flow

TRAZENDO A CIÊNCIA PARA A MESA DE NEGOCIAÇÃO: O PAPEL DA DIPLOMACIA CIENTÍFICA NA NEGOCIAÇÃO DA REFINARIA ALPART NA JAMAICA

This article delves into the relationship between Science Diplomacy (SD) and multilateral negotiations, with a specific case study focusing on aluminum production in Jamaica. It highlights the often indirect yet pivotal role of SD in shaping the outcomes of negotiations concerning energy and environmental issues. Although the concept of SD is not always directly at the negotiation table, SD practices act as a bridge between the scientific community and policymakers. The case study analyzes the influence of SD on negotiations related to alumina production in Jamaica, specifically the sale of the Alpart alumina refinery in 2016. It demonstrates how SD diverted negotiations from solely political and commercial considerations to technical discussions on environmental impacts. The crisis initially centered around a coal-based power plant and eventually extended to bauxite extraction, revealing the critical role of affordable energy in aluminum refining. Methodologically, our research design follows the traditional guidelines of a descriptive case study. We employed concepts extracted from both the theory of negotiations and science diplomacy. Leverage power and interests of key actors, including JISCO (Jinquan Iron and Steel Company), the Jamaican government, and the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), are dissected. Ultimately, it underscores the influence of SD practices on the negotiations, shifting the focus towards environmental concerns and highlighting the importance of informed decision-making in international negotiations. JET played a pivotal role by illuminating the environmental hazards and by influencing the redefinition of power dynamics in the negotiations. Thus, this work exemplifies how SD can reshape negotiations and foster sustainable solutions to complex global challenges.Este artigo explora a relação entre Diplomacia Científica (DC) e negociações multilaterais, com um estudo de caso específico centrado na produção de alumínio na Jamaica. Ele destaca o papel muitas vezes indireto, mas crucial, da DC na formação dos resultados de negociações relacionadas a questões energéticas e ambientais. Embora o conceito de DC nem sempre esteja diretamente na mesa de negociações, as práticas de DC atuam como uma ponte entre a comunidade científica e os formuladores de políticas. O estudo de caso analisa a influência da DC nas negociações relacionadas à produção de alumina na Jamaica, especificamente na venda da refinaria de alumina Alpart em 2016. Ele demonstra como a DC desviou as negociações de considerações puramente políticas e comerciais para discussões técnicas sobre impactos ambientais. A crise inicialmente girava em torno de uma usina de energia a carvão e acabou se estendendo à extração de bauxita, destacando o papel crítico da energia acessível na refinação de alumínio.  Do ponto de vista metodológico, o estudo utiliza um quadro descritivo de estudo de caso, somado a conceitos de teoria das negociações, para explorar a dinâmica do impacto da DC nas barganhas. O poder de influência e os interesses dos principais atores, incluindo a JISCO (Jinquan Iron and Steel Company), o governo jamaicano e a Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), são dissecados. Em última análise, o artigo destaca a influência das práticas de DC nas negociações, desviando o foco para as preocupações ambientais e destacando a importância da tomada de decisões informadas em negociações internacionais. A JET desempenhou um papel fundamental ao iluminar os riscos ambientais e influenciar a redefinição das dinâmicas de poder nas negociações. Assim, este trabalho exemplifica como a DC pode remodelar negociações e promover soluções sustentáveis para desafios globais complexos

A relação entre a atenção primária à saúde e as internações por condições sensíveis à atenção ambulatorial nos municípios mineiros

The first paper examines the relationship between primary health care and hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. We apply a hierarchical model and Ordinary Least Square by age groups. Results suggest that primary health care provided by municipalities does not affect potentially preventable hospitalization episodes. This result may reflect problems in the quality of the health care service. Supply of hospital beds per capita has a positive effect on the (probability of) hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.Primary health care, Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, Public health

Primeiro registro de ácaros foréticos (Histiostomatidae) em um grilo cavernícola (Phalangopsidae) no Brasil

The first record of a phoretic mite of the genus Histiostoma (Sarcoptiformes: Histiostomatidae) associated with an individual of Endecous (Endecous) alejomesai (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) is reported from a Brazilian cave. Although deutonymphs of histiostomatid mites are common phoretic on invertebrates, this is the first report of their phoretic association with a cave dwelling cricket.Keywords: Histiostoma, Endecous, simbiosis, hypogean habitat.O primeiro registro do ácaro forético do gênero Histiostoma (Sarcoptiformes: Histiostomatidae) associado a um indivíduo de Endecous (Endecous) alejomesai (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) é relatado para uma caverna brasileira. Embora as deutoninfas de ácaros sejam comumente encontradas realizando forese em invertebrados, esse é o primeiro relato de sua associação com um grilo cavernícola.Palavras-chave: Histiostoma, Endecous, simbiose, habitat hipógeo

Polish device for FOCCoS/PFS slit system

The Fiber Optical Cable and Connector System, FOCCoS, for the Prime Focus Spectrograph, PFS, is responsible for transporting light from the Subaru Telescope focal plane to a set of four spectrographs. Each spectrograph will be fed by a convex curved slit with 616 optical fibers organized in a linear arrangement. The slit frontal surface is covered with a special dark composite, made with refractory oxide, which is able to sustain its properties with minimum quantities of abrasives during the polishing process; this stability is obtained This stability is obtained by the detachment of the refractory oxide nanoparticles, which then gently reinforce gently the polishing process and increase its the efficiency. The surface roughness measured in several samples after high performance polishing was about 0.01 microns. Furthermore, the time for obtaining a polished surface with this quality is about 10 times less than the time required for polishing a brass, glass or ceramic surface of the same size. In this paper, we describe the procedure developed for high quality polishing of this type of slit. The cylindrical polishing described here, uses cylindrical concave metal bases on which glass paper is based. The polishing process consists to use grid sequences of 30 microns, 12 microns, 9 microns, 5 microns, 3 microns, 1 micron and, finally, a colloidal silica on a chemical cloth. To obtain the maximum throughput, the surface of the fibers should be polished in such a way that they are optically flat and free from scratches. The optical fibers are inspected with a microscope at all stages of the polishing process to ensure high quality. The efficiency of the process may be improved by using a cylindrical concave composite base as a substrate suitable for diamond liquid solutions. Despite this process being completely by hand, the final result shows a very high quality