Consumer Behavior: Product Characteristics and Quality Perception

Consumers rely on signals, both extrinsic and intrinsic attributes, to solve their asymmetric information problem regarding product quality. In this study an experiment is designed to evaluate how consumers assess quality perception in terms of specific product characteristics, namely colors and shapes in product labels. According to the cue consistency theory, the prediction is that multiple sources of information are more useful when they provide corroborating information than when they offer disparate conclusions. In this sense, particular colors and shapes combinations which are consistent are expected to enhance consumers´ product quality perception, while other combinations that are inconsistent will decrease it.Consumer, Behavior, Quality Perception, Label, Color, Shape

Management Quality Measurement: Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Estimation Approach for Banks in Brazil

While the quality of a bank's management is generally acknowledged to be a key contributor to a financial institutional failure, it is usually not calculated for lack of an objective measure. This paper presents a new paradigm approach for quantifying a bank's managerial efficiency, using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that combines multiple inputs and outputs to compute a scalar measure of efficiency and management quality. The analysis of the largest 50 Brazilian banks over a twelve-year period from 1995 to 2006 shows significant differences in management quality scores between institutions. Hence, this new metric provides an important, but previously missing, modelling element for the early identification of troubled banks and can be used as a tool for off-site bank supervision in Brazil.Data Envelopment Analysis, DEA, Banks, Brazil

Management Quality Measurement: Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Estimation Approach for Banks in Brazil

While the quality of a bank's management is generally acknowledged to be a key contributor to a financial institutional failure, it is usually not calculated for lack of an objective measure. This paper presents a new paradigm approach for quantifying a bank's managerial efficiency, using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that combines multiple inputs and outputs to compute a scalar measure of efficiency and management quality. The analysis of the largest 50 Brazilian banks over a twelve-year period from 1995 to 2006 shows significant differences in management quality scores between institutions. Hence, this new metric provides an important, but previously missing, modelling element for the early identification of troubled banks and can be used as a tool for off-site bank supervision in Brazil

Consumer Behavior: Product Characteristics and Quality Perception

Consumers rely on signals, both extrinsic and intrinsic attributes, to solve their asymmetric information problem regarding product quality. In this study an experiment is designed to evaluate how consumers assess quality perception in terms of specific product characteristics, namely colors and shapes in product labels. According to the cue consistency theory, the prediction is that multiple sources of information are more useful when they provide corroborating information than when they offer disparate conclusions. In this sense, particular colors and shapes combinations which are consistent are expected to enhance consumers´ product quality perception, while other combinations that are inconsistent will decrease it

Desenvolvimento de módulos de controlo/aquisição local baseados em transdutores wi-fi

Mestrado em Engenharia MecânicaA domótica tem vindo a aumentar a sua presença nas habitações dos nossos dias, com o objetivo de melhorar o bem-estar dos seus utilizadores, contribuindo em simultâneo para a minimização dos consumos energéticos nos edifícios. Apesar da domótica ainda não estar implementada na maioria das residências, o número de casas inteligentes tem vindo a crescer. A evolução das tecnologias, tem dado um forte contributo para o crescimento da domótica. No ramo da domótica, o uso de transdutores e módulos de aquisição/controlo local têm como função manter a operabilidade do edifício inteligente. Portanto, é no estudo destes dispositivos e na sua implementação, que o autor foca a sua atenção, na presente dissertação. A solução e implementação propostas tem como dispositivo principal o ESP8266, que através da comunicação sem os, IEEE 802.11, permite monitorizar e controlar remotamente os diversos dispositivos presentes na habitação. A solução proposta e sua implementação recorrem a servidores WEB e a bases de dados MySQL, que são acedidas para ns de controlo dos dispositivos da habitação. A implementação dos nós de controlo recorre ao ESP8266, que por sua vez, incorpora os programas desenvolvidos em LUA, pelo autor. Para efeitos de controlo por parte do utilizador, foi também criado um programa em linguagem C#.Domotics has been increasing its presence inside people's homes, with the goal of making their life's more comfortable and, at the same time, creating new ways to reduce the consumption of energy, inside buildings. In spite of domotics it's not yet implemented in the most residences, the number of smart homes has been growing. The evolution of informatics, has been had an important role to the domotics evolution as well. In home automation, the use of transductors and local acquisition/control modules have the function to maintain the operability of the smart home. Thus, it's in the study of this devices, that the author aims his attention, in this master thesis. The solution and the implementation have as main device the ESP8266, which through wireless network, IEEE 802.11, allow to monitoring and control the devices remotely, which control the habitation. The proposed solution and its implementation use a WEB server and MySQL databases, which can be used to control home devices. The control nodes implementation use the ESP8266 modules, which are programmed in LUA, by the author. To establish control between the user and the building, was developed an application in C# language

Message on a Bottle: Colours and Shapes in Wine Labels

Wine consumers rely mainly on the label to infer the quality of a bottle. But there is little empirical research on how colours can be interacted with shapes in the design of wine labels. This study draws from an experiment using data from Spain and shows that there are strong preferences for selected colour-shape combinations in label design. Surprisingly, colour alone does not elicit as strong preferences as certain shapes do, at least when they are assessed irrespectively of the shapes featured in the label. Other combinations, on the other hand, are very resilient, especially those that contain colour hues, such as brown, yellow, black and green, in labels with salient rectangular and hexagonal patterns

Message on a Bottle: Colours and Shapes in Wine Labels

Wine consumers rely mainly on the label to infer the quality of a bottle. But there is little empirical research on how colours can be interacted with shapes in the design of wine labels. This study draws from an experiment using data from Spain and shows that there are strong preferences for selected colour-shape combinations in label design. Surprisingly, colour alone does not elicit as strong preferences as certain shapes do, at least when they are assessed irrespectively of the shapes featured in the label. Other combinations, on the other hand, are very resilient, especially those that contain colour hues, such as brown, yellow, black and green, in labels with salient rectangular and hexagonal patterns

Ilhas de calor urbanas e conforto térmico humano em cidades de porte médio: estudo aplicado em Juiz de Fora (MG)

A pesquisa baseou-se na proposta teórico-metodológica de Monteiro (1976) para o estudo do Sistema Clima Urbano em Juiz de Fora, cidade que conheceu um intenso processo de crescimento demográfico e de expansão urbana nas últimas décadas. O foco da pesquisa é o subsistema termodinâmico, cujo canal de percepção inclui a investigação a respeito das ilhas de calor urbanas. A coleta de dados de temperatura e de umidade relativa do ar foi realizada através de transecto móvel em cinco dias do verão de 2014, no mês de janeiro. Os dados coletados foram devidamente organizados e tratados, procedendo-se posteriormente à elaboração das cartas de isotermas e de isoígras. A análise dos dados e das cartas demonstrou a formação de ilhas de calor da ordem de até 7,6oC no período considerado, com um maior aquecimento na área central, caracterizada pela localização no vale principal do Rio Paraibuna, pela incipiente cobertura vegetal arbórea, pela grande densidade demográfica e habitacional e pelo intenso e constante fluxo diário de veículos. Os dados coletados permitiram também o cálculo do Índice de Desconforto e da Temperatura Efetiva e a sua classificação com base na distribuição das zonas de conforto para diferentes graus de percepção térmica e as suas respostas fisiológicas. Posteriormente, procedeu-se à correlação das zonas de conforto com os condicionantes geoecológicos e geourbanos. A análise demonstra a produção de zonas de desconforto térmico que podem produzir um nível de estresse fisiológico caracterizado pela ocorrência de vasoconstrição (sensação térmica "ligeiramente fresco") ou vasodilatação (sensação térmica "ligeiramente quente")

A síndrome de tremor e ataxia associada ao X frágil (FXTAS)

FXTAS (Fragile X-associated tremor and ataxia syndrome) is a late- onset neurodegenerative disorder affecting mainly men, over 50 years of age, who are carriers of the FMR1 gene premutation. The full mutation of this gene causes the fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. Individuals affected by FXTAS generally present intention tremor and gait ataxia that might be associated to specific radiological and/or neuropathological signs. Other features commonly observed are parkinsonism, cognitive decline, peripheral neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction. Nearly a decade after its clinical characterization, FXTAS is poorly recognized in Brazil. Here we present a review of the current knowledge on the clinical, genetic and diagnostic aspects of the disease.A FXTAS (síndrome de tremor e ataxia associada ao X frágil) é uma doença neurodegenerativa de início tardio que afeta principalmente homens acima dos 50 anos de idade, portadores de pré-mutação do gene FMR1. A mutação completa desse gene é responsável pela síndrome do cromossomo X frágil (SXF), a causa mais comum de deficiência mental herdada. Indivíduos afetados pela FXTAS geralmente apresentam tremor de intenção e ataxia de marcha que podem estar associados a sinais radiológicos ou neuropatológicos específicos. Outras características comumente observadas são parkinsonismo, declínio cognitivo, neuropatia periférica e disfunções autonômicas. Quase uma década após sua caracterização clínica, a FXTAS é mal conhecida por médicos no Brasil. Esta revisão apresenta o conhecimento atual sobre os aspectos clínicos, genéticos e diagnósticos da síndrome.FAPESP - Center for the Study of Human Genom

A influência da pressão positiva expiratória final (PEEP) associada à intervenção fisioterapêutica na fase I da reabilitação cardiovascular

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of positive end expiratory pressure and physiotherapy intervention during Phase I of cardiac rehabilitation on the behavior of pulmonary function and inspiratory muscle strength in postoperative cardiac surgery. METHODS: A prospective randomized study, in which 24 patients were divided in 2 groups: a group that performed respiratory exercises with positive airway expiratory pressure associated with physiotherapy intervention (GEP, n = 8) and a group that received only the physiotherapy intervention (GPI, n = 16). Pulmonary function was evaluated by spirometry on the preoperative and on the fifth postoperative days; inspiratory muscle strength was measured by maximal inspiratory pressure on the same days. RESULTS: Spirometric variables were significantly reduced from the preoperative to the fifth postoperative day for the GPI, while the GEP had a significant reduction only for vital capacity (P < .05). When the treatments were compared, smaller values were observed in the GPI for peak flow on the fifth postoperative day. Significant reductions of maximal inspiratory pressure from preoperative to the first postoperative day were found in both groups. However, the reduction in maximal inspiratory pressure from the preoperative to the fifth postoperative day was significant only in the GPI (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that cardiac surgery produces a reduction in inspiratory muscle strength, pulmonary volume, and flow. The association of positive expiratory pressure with physiotherapy intervention was more efficient in minimizing these changes, in comparison to the physiotherapy intervention alone. However, in both groups, the pulmonary volumes were not completely reestablished by the fifth postoperative day, and it was necessary to continue the treatment after hospital convalescence.OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos da pressão positiva expiratória final e da intervenção fisioterápica na fase I da reabilitação cardiovascular sobre o comportamento da função pulmonar e da força muscular inspiratória e sobre o pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca. MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo, randomizado, com 24 pacientes, separados em 2 grupos: GEP (n=8), que realizaram exercícios respiratórios com pressão positiva expiratória nas vias aéreas associados à intervenção fisioterápica; e GFI (n=16), que realizaram somente a intervenção fisioterápica. A função pulmonar foi avaliada pela espirometria no pré e 5º dia pós-operatório; a força muscular inspiratória pela pressão inspiratória máxima no pré, 1º e 5º dias pós-operatório. RESULTADOS: As variáveis espirométricas mostraram reduções significativas do pré para o 5º dia pós-operatório no GFI, porém no GEP, observou-se redução apenas para capacidade vital (