Manifold-Marketing:a new marketing archetype for the information age, applied to the adoption of oral contraceptives and other drugs by end-users

Taking into account the new communication paradigm of Social Media this paper proposes an original marketing archetype for the information age named by the authors as “ManifoldMarketing”. The conducted study explores the contribution of participating in social networks on the Internet for the adoption process of oral contraceptives (OCs) and other drugs by their end users. Empirical data for this research was collected from a sample of 1162 respondents of a target population formed by Portuguese women, current or potential users of OCs who had reached a level of college education. The results obtained after applying a package of statistical techniques involving descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests and multivariate analysis show that the use of the Internet as well as the participation in the social network Facebook can contribute to the adoption process of OCs. Market segments which are relevant to pharmaceutical marketing were identified based on criteria that associate the information and communication technologies (ICT) with the adoption process of OCs carried out by the consumers themselves. This study also demonstrates that the adoption model and segmentation proposed can be generalized to other markets in the health sector. Considering the obtained results and the proposed "Manifold Marketing", innovative pharmaceutical marketing guidelines are presented.N/

Adoption of Video Consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pereira, F. J. V., Tavares, J., & Oliveira, T. (2023). Adoption of Video Consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Internet Interventions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2023.100602. This work was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) under the project - UIDB/04152/2020 - Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC).Abstract Background Video consultations have the potential to play a significant role for the future of healthcare by solving some of the imminently arising healthcare challenges, as pointed by the European Commission in Europe and the National Academy of Medicine in the United States of America. This technology can improve quality, efficiency, and enhance access to healthcare. Objective The aim of this study is to explore and understand individual video consultations acceptance drivers. Methods An extended technology acceptance model was created based on the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), health belief model (HBM), and concerns for information privacy framework (CFIP). 360 valid responses were collected through an online questionnaire, and the partial least squares (PLS) modeling approach was used to test the model. Results The model explained 77.6 % (R2) of the variance on intention to use, and 71.4 % (R2) of the variance in attitude. The predictors of intention to use are attitude (beta = 0.504, p-value0.001), effort expectancy (beta = 0.138, p-value = 0.001), and COVID-19 (beta = 0.170, p-value Conclusions This research model highlights the importance of creating extended acceptance models to capture the specificities of each technology in healthcare. The model created helps to understand the most important drivers of video consultation acceptance, highlighting the importance of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived health risks.proofotherotherepub_ahead_of_prin

Influência de Sistemas HVDC no desempenho da proteção de distância de linhas de transmissão CA

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, 2020.Neste trabalho, apresenta-se simulações realizadas para avaliar o desempenho da função de proteção de distância (código ANSI 21) em uma linha de transmissão adjacente ao link HVDC do Madeira. A função 21 com característica mho polarizada foi implementada para avaliar a influência do link HVDC de topologia LCC diante de situações de faltas na rede CA adjacente em 500 kV. Com esse propósito, foi modelado um sistema utilizando o software ATP, através de sua interface ATPDraw, com a utilização de parâmetros reais de linhas de transmissão (LTs). A validação do caso base em regime permanente foi realizada por meio de comparação com simulações realizadas no programa ANAREDE, ao passo que os níveis de curto-circuito foram comparados por meio de simulações no programa ANAFAS. Os resultados mostram as diferenças no desempenho da proteção de distância em função da presença do link HVDC. Neste trabalho, detalham-se as características operacionais do Sistema HVDC do Madeira, características dos modelos CSC-LCC e CSC- CCC de elos HVDC, de forma a subsidiar uma avaliação do seu impacto sobre a proteção de distância do Sistema CA adjacente através das situações evidenciadas nas simulações.This master’s thesis aims to present the simulations performed to evaluate the performance of the distance protection function (ANSI code 21) on a transmission line adjacent to the Madeira HVDC link. The polarized mho characteristic function 21 was implemented to evaluate the influence of the LCC topology HVDC link in the event of faults in the adjacent AC network. For this purpose, a system was modeled using the ATP software, through its ATPDraw interface, using real transmission line (TL) parameters. The validation of the base case on a permanent basis was performed by means of comparison with simulations carried out in the ANAREDE program, where as the short circuit levels were compared by means of simulations in the ANAFAS program. The results show the differences in the distance protection performance due to the presence of the HVDC link. In this work, the operational characteristics of the Madeira HVDC System, characteristics of the CSC-LCC and CSC-CCC models of HVDC links are detailed, in order to support an assessment of their impact on the protection of distance from the adjacent AC System through the situations evidenced in the simulations

Intermunicipal risk management: addressing territorial and local expectations

The Intermunicipal Community of the Coimbra Region is a public administrative entity that gathers 19 municipalities of Central Portugal. As part of its competences, the Community assumed the objective of complementing the current emergency planning instruments by strengthening the local and regional intervention in the areas of prevention, contingency and recovery, a process that culminates in the elaboration of an Intermunicipal Risk Management Plan. Several phases were conducted as part of the knowledge building process, considering a risk management approach. Municipal and district emergency plans were analyzed, identifying intervention areas where both plans could be articulated. Relevant sectorial planning instruments (mobility, water, forest and urban planning, among others) were analyzed in order to propose procedures that can improve the contingency of strategic, vital and day-to-day activities. A workshop with local municipal risk practitioners was conducted, following a Q-Methodology approach, where constraints and strengths of current emergency planning were identified, and future expectations on the intermunicipal role in risk management were assembled. Existing and new susceptibility maps were produced for specific relevant risks (fog and ice cover, for example). Finally, territorial vulnerability was assessed through principal component analysis identifying vulnerability drivers to be addressed in risk reduction measures and long term policies. The definition of a strategy for the intermunicipal management of risks has been a fruitful challenge for managers, stakeholders and institutions that reflects a broader perspective in risk governance for the region.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The BRIKEN Project: extensive measurements of ß-delayed neutron emitters for the astrophysical r process

An ambitious program to measure decay properties, primarily ß-delayed neutron emission probabilities and half-lives, for a significant number of nuclei near or on the path of the rapid neutron capture process, has been launched at the RIKEN Nishina Center. We give here an overview of the status of the project.Postprint (published version

Effects of local anesthetic on the time between analgesic boluses and the duration of labor in patient-controlled epidural analgesia: prospective study of two ultra-low dose regimens of ropivacaine and sufentanil

Patient-controlled epidural analgesia with low concentrations of anesthetics is effective in reducing labor pain. The aim of this study was to assess and compare two ultra-low dose regimens of ropivacaine and sufentanil (0.1% ropivacaine plus 0.5 μg.ml-1 sufentanil vs. 0.06% ropivacaine plus 0.5 μg.ml-1 sufentanil) on the intervals between boluses and the duration of labor

A Novel Approach to Measuring Spatiotemporal Changes in Social Vulnerability at the Local Level in Portugal

Social vulnerability, as one of the risk components, partially explains the magnitude of the impacts observed after a disaster. In this study, a spatiotemporally comparable assessment of social vulnerability and its drivers was conducted in Portugal, at the civil parish level, for three census frames. The first challenging step consisted of the selection of meaningful and consistent variables over time. Data were normalized using the Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto Index (AMPI) to obtain comparable adimensional-normalized values. A joint principal component analysis (PCA) was applied, resulting in a robust set of variables, interpretable from the point of view of their self-grouping around vulnerability drivers. A separate PCA for each census was also conducted, which proved to be useful in analyzing changes in the composition and type of drivers, although only the joint PCA allows the monitoring of spatiotemporal changes in social vulnerability scores and drivers from 1991 to 2011. A general improvement in social vulnerability was observed for Portugal. The two main drivers are the economic condition (PC1), and aging and depopulation (PC2). The remaining drivers highlighted are uprooting and internal mobility, and daily commuting. Census data proved their value in the territorial, social, and demographic characterization of the country, to support medium- and long-term disaster risk reduction measures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Characterisation of the mural paintings from the Misericordia Church of Odemira (Portugal)

Several mortars from mural paintings were collected from the Misericórdia Church of Odemira and analysed by using different techniques namely X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis with differential thermal analysis, SEM-EDX, optical microscopy, CHNS elemental analysis and chemical analysis. Microfragments of paint layers were collected and analysed by microchemical analysis. The results showed that the mortars are aerial lime mortars with siliceous aggregates and that the pigments used were from local sources

Conhecer e utilizar a Web 2.0: um estudo com professores do 2º, 3º Ciclos e Secundário

O termo Web 2.0 é utilizado para descrever a segunda geração da World Wide Web, estando agora mais próximo da visão original de Tim Berners-Lee, isto é, a Web como espaço de colaboração, meio de interacção, comunicação global e compartilhamento de informações, construindo aquilo que ignamos por inteligência colectiva. O “trunfo” da Web 2.0 reside na facilidade de publicação e rapidez no armazenamento de textos e ficheiros, tornando-a num ambiente social e acessível a todos os utilizadores, um espaço onde cada um selecciona e controla a informação de acordo com as suas necessidades e interesses. Tendo como base este quadro conceptual foi desenvolvido um survey em que se procurou saber se os professores do 2º, 3º Ciclos e Secundário conhecem ferramentas da Web 2.0 e se as utilizam na sua prática lectiva. Participaram no estudo professores do 2º e 3º Ciclos do ensino básico e do ensino secundário de quatro escolas públicas da zona norte do país. Com base nos resultados obtidos, concluímos que a Web 2.0 é, na generalidade, ainda pouco conhecida da classe docente, sendo algumas das suas ferramentas completamente desconhecidas

Experiments with embedded system design at UMinho and AIT

Nowadays, embedded systems are central to modern life, mainly due to the scientific and technological advances of the last decades that started a new reality in which the embedded systems market has been growing steadily, along with a monthly or even weekly emergence of new products with different applications across several domains. This embedded system ubiquity was the drive for the following question ”Why should we focus on embedded systems design?” that was answered in [1, 2] with the following points: (1) high and fast penetration in products and services due to the integration of networking, operating system and database capabilities, (2) very strategic field economically and (3) a new and relatively undefined subject in academic environment. Other adja- cent questions have been raised such as ”Why is the design of embedded systems special?”. The answer for this last question is based mainly on several problems raised by the new technologies, such as the need for more human resources in specialized areas and high learning curve for system designers. As pointed in [1], these problems can prevent many companies from adopting these new technologies or force them not to respond timely in mastering these technological and market challenges. In this paper, it is described how staff at ESRG-UMinho 1 and ISE-AIT 2 faced the embedded systems challenges at several levels. It starts to de- scribe the development of the educational context for the new technolo- gies and show how our Integrated Master Curriculum in Industrial Elec- tronics and Computer Engineering has been adapted to satisfy the needs of the major university customers, the industry