Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2013-12"
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- (Re)aprender a brincar : memórias de infância dos seniores das ilhas Terceira e GraciosaPublication . Fialho, Adolfo Fernando da Fonte; Condessa, IsabelA identidade cultural dos açorianos distingue-se pela singularidade do arquipélago, em que grande parte da população tem um compromisso entre o passado e o presente, manifestando essa relação nos mais singulares hábitos e costumes, como na culinária, no folclore, na música, na dança e no jogo tradicional. A partir das memórias de um grupo de indivíduos pertencentes à população sénior (n=239) naturais e residentes em duas ilhas (Terceira e Graciosa) do arquipélago dos Açores fomos recordar e partilhar experiências decorrentes das suas vivências de infância, deixando no texto uma análise quantitativa e comparativa das brincadeiras e jogos mais recordados, cruzando com uma análise qualitativa, efetuada a partir de inúmeros testemunhos de inúmeros idosos. Esta análise permitiu-nos inferir que há a crença generalizada sobre a elevada relevância do papel do brincar e do jogo na infância, devendo perpetuar-se essas atividades como marca da sua cultura e como estimulo à relação e ao convívio, mesmo nos dias e idades atuais.
- A comparison of bryophyte diversity in the Macaronesian Islands: island versus habitat approachPublication . González-Mancebo, Juana M.; Gabriel, Rosalina; Otto, Rüdiger; Sim-Sim, Manuela; Luís, Leena Margarida; Sérgio, Cecília; Garzón-Machado, Víctor; Aranda, Silvia C.; Capelo, Jorge; Vanderpoorten, AlainIn this paper, we present a comparison of richness patterns and floristic similarity for bryophytes in the five most important altitudinal habitat types in the Macaronesian islands. We evaluate the importance of different factors discussed in the literature in predicting species diversity applying the traditional island approach and within the framework of the new habitat approach, including area, isolation, climatic factors, geological age and human influence. From the analysis of patterns of bryophyte species distribution for selected habitats across islands and archipelagos, we specifically test the hypothesis that (i) floristic similarity is primarily determined by climatic factors, but not by geographical distance due to high dispersal ability in this species group and (ii) bryophyte richness is best predicted by area, but not by geological age of the habitat due to very low endemicity or speciation rate and high colonization rate.
- First record of the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Actinopterygii: Epinephelidae) undergoing sexual transition in the South Western Atlantic, BrazilPublication . Condini, Mario V.; Seyboth, Elisa; Vieira, João P.; Varela-Jr., Antônio S.; Barreiros, João P.; Favaro, Luís F.; Garcia, Alexandre M.The dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus historically exploited by fisheries is a marine species showing slow growth, late maturation and protogynous hermaphroditism. Currently, it is considered as endangered by the IUCN. Therefore, it is essential to increase the knowledge about its biology and ecology to help conservation of this species. The present study reports the first record of a dusky grouper individual undergoing sexual transition, from female to male, in the Atlantic Ocean based on histological analyses of gonads. The specimen with total length: 770 mm; total weight: 8.1 kg and age: 21 years was captured in a rocky bottom along the coastline of the southernmost in Brazil.
- Facility Localization: Strategic Decision on Insular TerritoryPublication . Frias, Armindo Dias da Silva; Cabral, JoãoThe global market advent, with consumers, that requires speed, quality of service and respect for the environment came to dictate the change of some imposed paradigms. We are seeing the integration of internal and external supply chains following the customers concerns about the environment and social friendly processes, making it sustainable. The collection and treatment of waste in the islands have great economic, social and environmental importance. Several critical points, such as transport, storage and processing must be integrated. By its growing influence on the performance on the majority of economy sectors, freight transport is assumed to be one of the activities with the greatest importance. The location of facilities or infrastructure is a critical factor for the public or private organizations. The decision-making process of its location falls within strategic and when is situated in insular space must meet their specific characteristics of sustainability.With the objective of analyzing the configuration and performance of the reverse logistics chain implemented for waste collection and treatment, in concerns to facilities location, we performed a study based in secondary data, regarding to the used tires collection in the São Miguel Azorean island.From the implementation of the developed facilities location model, taking also the solution already implemented we developed several alternative possible scenarios. The results obtained meet the empirical expectations, and despite not corroborate the implemented solution as great, for the case of a collection facility, consider the actual one as acceptable. It is made a proposal to improve the implemented collection of used tiers network.The optimization of the transport network, by the correct facilities location, allows the minimization of economic costs, social impacts and the polluting emissions caused by means of transport, or by the conditions of storage of waste. We conclude, trough the mathematical model that the obtained model is appropriate, getting close to the already implemented solution. Also, the conducted study, serves as a datable application to other similar problems.
- Glimpses of Scientific Mathematic Modules in High SchoolPublication . Cabral, JoãoThe introduction of advanced scientific modules to support teaching has an important fundamental in mathematics education. But this kind of introduction collides with the lack of time that the teachers of High School have to develop new strategies and implement them, because they are attached, in Portugal, to a bureaucratic machine that consumes valuable time that could be invested in education. Didactic concepts and scientific content must work together like a gear of knowledge. The didactic knowledge allows introducing concepts that are later explored scientifically enabling educational expansion, which will be reflected in the student's creativity. We assist to a dialectical progression knowledge, which will have immediate effects on motivation and capture the attention by those who learn, so in this work we present a model to introduce some advanced Scientific Modules from some graduations of University Mathematics curriculum in Portuguese High Schools.
- Hunting Admissible Kneading pairs of a Real Rational MapPublication . Cabral, JoãoThe importance of symbolic systems is that they give us the possibility of simplifying some dynamical systems. Our expectations is that our work can help to understand better the behavior, under iteration, of the Real Rational Map, f(x)=(x²-a)/(x²-b), with 0
- A regret model applied to the maximum capture location problemPublication . Nunes, Pedro Portugal de Sousa; Silva, Francisco; Lourenço, Helena RamalhinhoThis article addresses issues related to location and allocation problems. Herein, we intend to demonstrate the influence of congestion, through the random number generation, of such systems in final solutions. An algorithm is presented which, in addition to the GRASP, incorporates the Regret with the pminmax method to evaluate the heuristic solution obtained with regard to its robustness for different scenarios. Taking as our point of departure the Maximum Capture Location Problem proposed by Church and Revelle [1, 26], an alternative perspective is added in which the choice behavior of the server does not depend only on the elapsed time from the demand point looking to the center, but includes also the service waiting time.
- Banks’ capital, regulation and the financial crisisPublication . Teixeira, João; Silva, Francisco; Fernandes, Ana V.; Alves, Ana Carolina GomesThis paper investigates whether regulatory capital requirements play an important role in determining banks’ equity capital. We estimate equity capital regressions using panel data of a sample of 560 banks for 2004-2010. Our results suggest that regulatory capital requirements are not first order determinants of banks’ capital structure. We document differences on the effect of most factors on banks’ share of equity according to the type of bank and to the region of the bank. Finally, we show that the determinants of this share are sensitive to the recent international financial crisis and to a set of regulatory country factors.
- Adoption of CRM technology in multichannel environment : a review (2000-2013)Publication . Tiago, Flávio Borges; Tiago, Maria TeresaDespite the relevance of customer relationship management (CRM), there is a lack of a comprehensive literature review and a classification scheme for it in the last five years. This work provides an academic database of literature between the periods of 2000–2013, covering 28 journals and proposes a classification scheme to classify the articles in accordance to CRM main paths. Around fifty five hundred articles were identified and reviewed for their direct relevance to CRM in a multichannel environment. Eighty-seven articles were subsequently selected, reviewed and classified. Each of the selected papers was categorized on four CRM dimensions (Identification, Attraction, Retention and Development) and in the different channels involved (personnel sales, call center, email, web, and mobile). The review process was independently verified and promote interesting findings: Findings of this paper indicate that the research area of customer retention received most research attention during the first half of the years studied. On the other half, besides retention, development stage was truly relevant. Our analysis provides a roadmap to guide future research, as well as facilitate knowledge accumulation concerning the CRM in multichannel.
- Symbolic Dynamics for Real Rational MapsPublication . Cabral, JoãoThis work is an attempt to study the dynamics of real rational maps f ab (x) = (x 2 - a) / (x 2 - b), using symbolic dynamics. It is given an example that illustrates how the topological entropy can be calculated using kneading theory and Markov partitions in this family of rational maps.