Consumer behavior in the intentions to change between electricity suppliers in Portugal: A push-pull-mooring framework

The liberalization process of the Portuguese electricity market, which started in the 1990s, is integrated in the strategic action enacted by the European Union (EU). With the introduction of competition in the electricity sector, it became essential for electricity providers to identify which factors determine consumers' choice and switching between electricity suppliers. This study intends to apply the push-pull-mooring migration theory to consumers in the electricity market to understand the switching behavior between suppliers. The results showed that push and mooring dimensions have a significant impact on consumer switching intention. In general, low satisfaction and higher value-billing of the other services can push consumers away from their current electricity supplier. Furthermore, these results suggest that the moderating effects such as the switching costs, the previous experience in this market as well as the social influence play important roles in the relationship between some components of the push effects (commitment, satisfaction, and value-billing other services) and the intention to change. Therefore, this study helps both market players and public policy makers designing strategies and incentives aligned with consumer behavior, considering both economic and psychological factors and their combined effect in their switching intention.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Densidade de semeadura de trigo - uma questão de economia.

Para uma efetiva recomendação da quantidade econômica de semente, necessária para a obtenção da máxima produção de trigo, em termos deste insumo, é muito importante que no cálculo da quantidade de semente sejam considerados os parâmetros: massa de 1.000 sementes, vigor e/ou poder germinativo da semente, densidade de sementes or metro quadrado (estande de plantas/m2) a ser atingido e o espaçamento entre linhas.bitstream/CNPAF/20698/1/comt_54.pd

Consumption of musical content and movies/series online in Portugal

Abstract —This study addresses the consumption of musical and/or movies and series online according to the frequency of Internet use. The time spent on Internet, nowadays, goes beyond a simple search or checking the email. What will be the sociodemographic characteristics of Portuguese users? Will the choices facing the Portuguese users be homogeneous in what concerns the frequency of Internet use to access music and movies online? The answer to these research questions is the aim of this study. Using the Flash Eurobarometer 437 database, it is identified that age is significantly related to the frequency of using the Internet to access music and movies online. It is also observed that gender is significantly related to frequency of using the Internet to access movies online. However, the perception of quality and speed of Internet connection are not significantly related to frequency of using the Internet. The choices facing the Portuguese users are not homogeneous regarding the frequency of Internet use to access music and movies online as observed in four different clusters with different characteristics. These results can be an indication that policies concerning the music and movies contents should fit the characteristics of each of these clusters.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Predictive models for managing financial incentives oriented to companies: Application to Portugal 2020

Since Portugal joined the European Union (EU) that it has been receiving incentives/funds to reduce disparities with other EU countries. Despite this goal, disparities between European regions still exist and the impact of such funds is questionable. What if it is possible to predict the success of such incentives when the funds are awarded to the beneficiaries? Using data from the database of The Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (IAPMEI), for the programs National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), and Portugal 2020, two predictive models are developed to estimate the number of applications to be received and the schedule of expected payments to beneficiaries for a four-month period. The results allow for a better prediction, on one hand, of the resources to be allocated to the evaluation process of the applications, and on the other hand, of the financial execution plan for the upcoming period, in order to prepare the financial execution.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Recovery and Purification of (Bio)Pharmaceuticals Using (Nano)Materials

Biopharmaceuticals main classes comprise recombinant proteins, antibodies, and nucleic-acid-derived products, while synthetic pharmaceuticals include a wide variety of organic compounds. The purification of (bio)pharmaceuticals, as part of downstream processing, is mainly carried out by chromatographic processes, which are responsible for the therapeutics high cost. Therefore, there is a crucial need on the development of novel and more efficient separation/purification processes or on the improvement of the current chromatographic-based ones, aiming at producing pharmaceuticals of high quality and at a lower cost. Amongst alternative techniques, it has been demonstrated that inorganic or organic (nano)particles, used in solid-phase extraction approaches, may be promising for the purification of (bio)pharmaceuticals. This chapter provides an overview on solid-liquid separation/purification processes used to obtain high purity and high quality pharmaceuticals. The main purification processes are described and summarized. The areas where there has been a sustainable progress, combined with improved therapeutic characteristics, are highlighted. Materials based on silica (nano)particles, carbon-based (nano)particles (carbon nanotubes, graphene and activated carbon) and magnetic (nano)particles are overviewed. Based on the reported results, nanotechnology may play a key role in future pharmaceutical developments and manufacturing, where the design of suitable functionalized (nano)particles is a crucial factor to enhance the selectivity and to obtain high purification and recovery yields of (bio)pharmaceuticals.publishe

Glass-based biosensing device for monitoring CA15-3 cancer biomarker

We thank funding to the European Research Council, through the Starting Grant 3P’s (GA311086, given to MGFS) and to Norte 2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte, through the project CANCER (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029). The authors also thank due to CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID/CTM/50011/2013).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Danos causados por Magnaporthe grisea em trigo.

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Vida útil pós-colheita de genótipos de cebola sob temperatura ambiente.

Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade e a conservação pós-colheita, quatorze genótipos de cebola (IPA-03, IPA-04, IPA-08, IPA-10, IPA-11, Brisa, Texas Grano 502, Texas Grano 502 PRR, Red Creole, Granex 429, Alfa São Francisco, EX-19013, EX-07593000 e Sawana Sweet) foram armazenados sob temperatura ambiente (25,1±3,3ºC e 37±7% UR) e avaliados aos 0, 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias.Suplemento. Edição dos Resumos Expandidos do 45. Congresso Brasileiro de Olericultura; 15. Congresso Brasileiro de Floricultura e Plantas Ornamentais; 2. Congresso Brasileiro de Cultura de Tecidos de Plantas, Fortaleza, ago. 2005

Morphological dissimilarity among mangabeira tree populations from Amapá and Paraíba, Brazil.

Mangabeira fruits are collected from native populations under anthropic pressure. It is therefore essential to obtain morphogenetic information to genetically improve populations, thereby preventing genetic erosion. This research was carried out in the state Amapá and aimed to verify the morphological dissimilarity between two populations, one composed of 36 native progenies and one of eight progenies from Paraiba, outlined in lattices with two replications and six plants per part. The evaluated characteristics were: agronomic value (VA), treetop circumference (CCP), plant height (ALP), estimated number of fruits per plant (NEF), fruit color (COF), average weight of 10 fruits (PMF), fruit diameter (DF), average pulp weight of ten fruits (PMP), average length of 10 fruits (CMF), average number of seeds of 10 fruits (NMS). Our results indicate that the phenotype was mainly determined by responses to environmental changes; in the correlations, inherent fruit characteristics (weight, size, and color) did not affect the VA, while biometric characters influenced VA values. Higher plants presented larger fruits and a larger diameter, bigger quantities, there is also apparent contrast, with a larger amount of smaller size; the populations are dissimilar, indicating the possibility of obtaining of diverging superior segregating