THE USE of CONSORTIA for the INTERNATIONALIZATION of FIRMS – MOTA-ENGIL CASE STUDY

Internationalization has been widely studied throughout the years. Broadly, it has been predicted as irrevocable and having increasing impact on firm-related strategy. Within entry modes, consortium, has not received as much attention as others. Hence, it seems important to understand how this specific entry mode allows the entrance of firms in the international markets. This study intends to answer the question of “how” to internationalize, anticipating the consortium as the most feasible way for construction firms to enter certain markets. The reasons that determine its choice concern the specificness of the projects, markets and of the firm. In the first part of the study, we review the existent literature on consortia as an entry mode and as a tool of internationalization used by construction firms. Through this review we build a framework that reveals the motivations that lead to this choice. In the second part, we present the case study of Mota-Engil, as a potential source of valuable information which may contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon under study. This case study corroborates the motivations found to create consortia. The paper closes with its contributions, limitations and suggestions for future researches.consortia, internationalization, cooperation, construction

what did soldiers see at the battle of Alcácer Quibir?

UID/HIS/04666/2019We intend to describe the visual experience during one of the most influential single event of Early Modern Mediterranean. Confronting the graphic and textual first-hand accounts, we propose a (re) construction of the image of the Alcácer Quibir battlefield as perceived by eyewitnesses.publishersversionpublishe

Dürer, Luther, and the (circular) fortification

UID/HIS/04666/2019 PTDC/ART-HIS/32459/2017publishersversionpublishe

Regulação das responsabilidades parentais e resistência às visitas : caracterização de processos de avaliação periciais

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (área de especialização em Psicologia da Justiça e Comunitária)O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os processos de avaliação periciais, no âmbito da regulação das responsabilidades parentais (RRP) e, mais especificamente, das famílias onde a resistência às visitas ocorre por parte do menor(es) (estudo I). Para além disso, efetuou-se uma caracterização das variáveis que impulsionam e mantêm a resistência às visitas por parte do menor (estudo II). A amostra em ambos os estudos foi constituída por 43 processos de RRP, disponibilizados pela Unidade de Psicologia da Justiça e Comunitária do Serviço de Psicologia da Universidade do Minho. A informação foi recolhida através da consulta e análise documental dos processos de RRP e alvo de testes descritivos e inferências para o tratamento da informação com recurso ao programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Os resultados do estudo I – características dos processos e das famílias - demonstraram um maior número de processos de RRP, em que as crianças apresentavam resistência às visitas face a um dos progenitores, nos anos de 2008 e 2009. Os quesitos não especificados eram os mais frequentes, sendo que os alvos da avaliação eram sobretudo a criança e ambos os progenitores. Para além disso, as guardas provisórias primavam pela guarda única, maioritariamente a cargo da progenitora. Quanto à caracterização das famílias verificámos que na maioria dos casos o progenitor rejeitado pelo menor era também o progenitor não custódio, mais especificamente o pai, havendo nos processos um número considerável de alegações de violência doméstica por parte da progenitora. Para além disso, se por um lado, podemos concluir que no geral os progenitores, a partir do seu auto-relato, revelaram lidar de forma adaptativa com o processo de separação e divórcio (IGS < 1), por outro, as crianças revelaram mais dificuldades no ajustamento, revelando poucas estratégias de coping. Quanto ao estudo II – fatores impulsionadores e de manutenção da resistência às visitas – os resultados demonstram que a resistência às visitas pelos menores pode resultar de vários fatores, necessitando de ser analisada a partir de um contexto mais amplo. De facto, os resultados demonstram que a resistência do menor em contactar com o progenitor rejeitado não se deve única e exclusivamente à manipulação de um dos progenitores, nem às características da criança, mas a um conjunto de variáveis, tais como as expectativas da criança e dos progenitores quanto à guarda e visitas, a presença de sugestionabilidade, as alegações de violência doméstica, a influência dos progenitores e dos familiares na resistência às visitas e a sintomatologia do próprio menor.The present study aimed to characterize the processes of expert assessment, under the regulation of parental responsibilities (RPR) and, more specifically, families where resistance to visits occurs by the minor (s) (Study I). In addition, a characterization of the variables that drive and maintain resistance to visits by the minor was performed (Study II). The sample in both studies consisted of 43 cases of RPR, made available by the Justice and Community Unit of the Psychology Department of the University of Minho. The information was gathered through consultation and document analysis of RPR processes and subject to descriptive tests and inferences to the information processing using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The results of the study I - the processes and families characteristics - demonstrated a greater number of cases of RPR in children who demonstrated resistance to face visits of one of the parents, in the years 2008 and 2009. The items not specified were the most frequent, being the targets of evaluation mainly the child and both parents. In addition, the temporary child custody excelled only by a single custody, mostly in charge of the mother. Regarding the characterization of families we have found that in most cases the parent rejected by the minor was also the non custodial parent, specifically the father, with a considerable number of allegations of domestic violence by the mother. Furthermore, if on one hand it can be concluded that in general the progenitors from their self-report revealed adaptively cope with the process of separation and divorce (IGS <1), on the other children demonstrated more difficulties in adjustment, revealing few coping strategies. Regarding the study II - factors that promote and maintain the resistance to visits - the results show that resistance to visits by minors can result from several factors that need to be analyzed from a broader context. In fact, the results show that the minor’s resistance to contact with the rejected parent should not be solely to manipulation of a parent or to the child's characteristics, but a set of variables such as the expectations of the child and the parents as to custody and visits, the presence of suggestibility, allegations of domestic violence, the influence of parents and family in the visits resistance and symptoms of the child itself

Controlo interno na Administração Local implantação de um novo procedimento numa Autarquia

Trabalho de Projeto Apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Auditoria, sob orientação do Mestre Carlos Mendes e coorientação da Engª Sónia RodriguesA importância das actividades de gestão de risco e de bom governo, tem vindo a aumentar com a crescente internacionalização e globalização da economia, o aumento da competitividade e as constantes alterações no ambiente empresarial, importância esta que se tem estendido também às entidades da Administração Pública. Esta dinâmica e complexidade tem conduzido a reformas administrativas e financeiras nos municípios e a auditoria interna surge como um instrumento, alinhado com a estratégia municipal, que incorpora a gestão de risco no processo de auditoria, contribuindo para que o mesmo se torne mais eficaz, eficiente e fiável. Este processo também tem contribuido para melhorar a transparência da gestão municipal. O objetivo inicial deste projeto foi analisar a existência e implementação de procedimentos e outros aspetos de auditoria interna nas autarquias, assim como a importância que lhes é atribuída, partindo do enquadramento teórico e normativo da auditoria, com enfoque na auditoria interna e nas normas aplicáveis aos municípios em Portugal. Pretendia-se, pelas respostas ao inquério enviado aos Municipios, saber da existência de “SAI - Serviços de Auditoria Interna” e se havia alguma relação entre essa existência e a dimensão do Municicpio, e se a implementação do “SCI – Serviço de Controlo Interno” estava interligado com a existência do SAI. Dado a ausência de respostas por parte dos Municípios ao inquérito enviado, optei por alterar o objeto do trabalho e concentrei-o nos procedimentos de controlo interno da Câmara Municipal do Porto. Foi efectuada uma análise aos procedimentos de controlo interno existentes na Direção Municipal do Urbanismo da Câmara Municipal do Porto e que tipo de controlo era praticado, que serviu para perceber que não existia um controlo eficaz, o que nos permitiu criar e implementar um novo procedimento para controlo da gestão do economato, que apresentamos e desenvolvemos no “Caso Projeto”. Verifica-se no entanto que ainda há um longo caminho a percorrer no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento de um modelo de auditoria interna pelos municípios portugueses.The importance of risk management activities and good government, has been increasing with the internationalization and globalization of the economy, competition and the constant changes in the business environment, that also cover the entities of public sector. This dynamic and complexity has led to administrative and financial reforms in municipalities and internal audit is instrumental, aligned with the municipal strategy that incorporates risk management in the audit process, helping it to become more effective, efficient and reliable. This process has also contributed to improve the transparency of municipal management. The initial objective of this project was to analyze the existence and implementation of procedures and other aspects of internal audit in local government, as well as the importance attached to them. Based on the theoretical and normative framework of the audit, focusing on internal audit and the standards applicable to municipalities in Portugal. It was intended, for the answers to the questionnaire sent to Municipalities, to know of the existence of "SAI-Internal Audit Services" and if there was any relationship between the existence and size of the Municipality, and if the implementation of the "SCI-Internal Control Service" was connected with the existence of the SAI. Given the absence of answers from the municipalities to the questionnaire sent, I chose to change the object of work and focused on the internal control procedures of the Câmara Municipal do Porto. An analysis was carried out on the existing internal control procedures in the Municipal Direction of Urbanism of the Câmara Municipal do Porto and that type of control was practiced, which served to realize that there was no effective control, allowed us to create and implement a new procedure for checking the internal management, to present and develop the "Case project" It appears however that there is still a long way to go in regards to developing a model of internal audit by the Portuguese municipalities

Efficacy and toxicity evaluation of celastrol in adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints, and is characterized by active inflammation as well as bone and cartilage destruction. Since structural joint damage is irreversible, early recognition and treatment are currently being emphasized, with the goal of inducing remission of the disease. Current RA therapies fail or produce only partial responses in most patients and have adverse toxicological effects, so there is still an unmet need for a drug that can offer an effective and safe treatment of RA. Celastrol, is a compound extracted from an herb used in Chinese medicine, which was previously identified by our work group as a potential candidate for the development of a new therapeutical drug for inflammatory diseases, such as RA. Therefore, the main goal of this project was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the oral administration of a range of Celastrol dosages, using an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rat model. In order to achieve this, we treated AIA rats with dosages of Celastrol of 1 μg/g, 2.5 μg/g, 12.5 μg/g and 25 μg/g, from day 8 post disease induction until day 22, when rats where sacrificed. Blood and paw samples were collected for quantification of bone turnover and degradation serum markers, histological and immunohistochemical evaluation, as well as for quantification of toxicological blood parameters. Our work showed that an orally administered dosage of 2.5 μg/g of celastrol in the rat AIA model effectively reduces inflammation, infiltration and proliferation of synovial cells, suppresses bone erosion, reduces the number of osteoclasts and osteoblasts and reduces the number of synovial CD68+ cells, thus suggesting this treatment as effective. Moreover, we also showed that this treatment has no adverse toxicological effects at dosages of 1 μg/g and 2.5 μg/g, and that dosages of 25 μg/g and 12.5 μg/g can be considered lethal dose (LD) and LD50, respectively

Study of tensor network applications in complex networks

Tese de Mestrado Integrado, Engenharia Física, 2022, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasMany-body quantum problems are still very complex to solve and today’s solutions do not take into account that the objects of the systems are entangled with each other. By using tensor networks, we are able to describe the same system using drastically fewer coefficients. Instead of 2N parameters, in certain systems, we only require N2m3 . In the Matrix Product State (MPS) algorithm, it is included the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), which allows us to truncate the tensors and keep only the crucial information about the system, and the Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG), which allows us to obtain the lowest energy MPS wave function of our system. The goal was to study the optimal value for the bond dimension when renormalizing the scale of a complex network. The connectivity of each node of a Barab´asi network was used as the input for the algorithm and the MPS was trained based on whether the nodes share a connection or not. When measuring each site after training, we obtained two different outputs corresponding to the two linear independent vectors that form the space of the MPS. The MPS was trained using different values for the bond dimension. Nevertheless, only the values equal to 2 and 3 produced viable results since it did not converge for different values of the bond dimension. The connectivity of a Barab´asi network follows a power law proportional to x −p . When the Barab´asi network was characterized we obtained that its connectivity followed a power law proportional to x −2.7 , which is between the theoretical values of 2 and 3. The value obtained for p = 2.7 further proves the value obtained for the bond dimension between 2 and 3, meaning that the dimension of the space needed to fully describe the system is between said values. Finally, two different methods are suggested which obtain the same results in a simpler and quicker way