Inovação como fator de competitividade da cadeia de valor da moda

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Têxtil

Improvign mixing processes with the help of numerical tools

In several industrial applications, highly complex behaviour materials are used together with intricate mixing processes, which difficult the achievement of the desired properties for the produced materials. This is the case of the well-known dispersion of nano-sized fillers in a melt polymer matrix, used to improve the nanocomposite mechanical and/or electrical properties. This mixing is usually performed in twin-screw extruders, that promote complex flow patterns, and, since an in loco analysis of the material evolution and mixing is difficult to perform, numerical tools can be very useful to predict the evolution and behaviour of the material. This work presents a numerical based study to improve the understanding of mixing processes. Initial numerical studies were performed with generalized Newtonian fluids, but, due to the null relaxation time that characterize this type of fluids, the assumption of viscoelastic behavior was required. Therefore, the polymer melt was rheologically characterized, and, a six mode Phan-Thien-Tanner and Giesekus models were used to fit the rheological data. These viscoelastic rheological models were used to model the process. The conclusions obtained in this work provide additional and useful data to correlate the type and intensity of the deformation history promoted to the polymer nanocomposite and the quality of the mixing obtained.

Development of computational tools for the integrated analysis of DNA microarray data with applications in cancer research

The MAP-i Doctoral Program of the Universities of Minho, Aveiro and Porto

UV-visible scanning spectrophotometry and chemometric analysis as tools for carotenoids analysis in cassava genotypes (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

In this study, the metabolomics characterization focusing on the carotenoid composition of ten cassava (Manihot esculenta) genotypes cultivated in southern Brazil by UV-visible scanning spectrophotometry and reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography was performed. Cassava roots rich in -carotene are an important staple food for populations with risk of vitamin A deficiency. Cassava genotypes with high pro-vitamin A activity have been identified as a strategy to reduce the prevalence of deficiency of this vitamin. The data set was used for the construction of a descriptive model by chemometric analysis. The genotypes of yellow-fleshed roots were clustered by the higher concentrations of cis--carotene and lutein. Inversely, cream-fleshed roots genotypes were grouped precisely due to their lower concentrations of these pigments, as samples rich in lycopene (redfleshed) differed among the studied genotypes. The analytical approach (UV-Vis, HPLC, and chemometrics) used showed to be efficient for understanding the chemodiversity of cassava genotypes, allowing to classify them according to important features for human health and nutrition.

Álbuns narrativos e aprendizagens no pré-escolar. Um estudo de caso

Tese de Doutoramento em Estudos da Criança (área de especialização em Literatura para a Infância).

Spatial-temporal modellization of the NO2 concentration data through geostatistical tools

The nitrogen dioxide is a primary pollutant, regarded for the estimation of the air quality index, whose excessive presence may cause significant environmental and health problems. In the current work, we suggest characterizing the evolution of NO2 levels, by using geostatisti- cal approaches that deal with both the space and time coordinates. To develop our proposal, a first exploratory analysis was carried out on daily values of the target variable, daily measured in Portugal from 2004 to 2012, which led to identify three influential covariates (type of site, environment and month of measurement). In a second step, appropriate geostatistical tools were applied to model the trend and the space-time variability, thus enabling us to use the kriging techniques for prediction, without requiring data from a dense monitoring network. This method- ology has valuable applications, as it can provide accurate assessment of the nitrogen dioxide concentrations at sites where either data have been lost or there is no monitoring station nearby.

“ Da Moda ao Resíduo e do Resíduo à Moda”: um contributo sustentável no uso da pele residual na Indústria do calçado

Dissertação de mestrado em Design e Marketing

Plano estratégico de marketing de uma empresa de moda portuguesa: estudo de caso da marca Guimanos

Dissertação de mestrado em Design de Comunicação de Moda

Algorithms and computational tools for metabolic flux analysis

PhD thesis in Biomedical Engineering

Divulgação de boas práticas como estratégia de marketing na construção

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

The Portuguese programme one laptop per child: political, educational and social impact

In 2008, the XVII Portuguese Constitutional Government launched the ‘e.escolinha’ programme, within the Technological Plan for Education, which set out the distribution of a computer, called ‘Magalhães’, designed for chil-dren attending the 1st cycle of basic education. Suspended in 2011 by the XIX Government, this programme has allowed, however, almost 500 000 children to have access to a personal computer. It was expected that this political measure would “revolutionise” the national education system by bringing changes to the pedagogical practices of teachers and the learning processes of children and by achieving educational success, in general. Based on documental analysis and on a set of interviews with key decision-makers in conceiving, implementing and monitoring this governmental initiative, the fi rst part of this chapter presents and analyses the ‘e.escolinha’ initiative and the policies be-hind that governmental programme, seeking to disassemble those objectives and provide some insights into the relationship between discourses, rhetoric, and reality. After that, the chapter focuses on children’s uses and practices with the ‘Magalhães’ laptop, at school and at home. Based on the results of questionnaires fi lled in by approximately 1500 children from 32 First Cycle public schools of the municipality of Braga (north of Portugal) and also from questionnaires applied to their parents and teachers, this chapter intends to analyse the real impact of this initiative for children, family and school. It also seeks to discuss the contribution of this educational policy to children’s digital literacy and also to their own and their families’ social and digital inclusion. To understand if it represented an added value to teachers’ pedagogical practice is another of its aims. The fi ndings point out a major focus on technology and access rather than on uses and competences or even on social, educational and cultural change. In fact, a major conclusion is the existence of a strong gap between the policy and the practices, typical of a top-down policy design. This study is an integrant part of a research project titled “Navigating with ‘Magalhães’: Study on the Impact of Digital Media in Schoolchildren” conducted at the University of Minho, Portugal, financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008] and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund [COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009056].

Imagem de destinos turísticos: um estudo sobre as publicações brasileiras

Os estudos referentes ao turismo dedicam-se à compreensão de diferentes temas, sendo que um bastante analisado à escala internacional é a questão da imagem de um destino turístico. O interesse por este tema é percebido em diversas áreas do conhecimento, como a sociologia e o marketing. No Brasil, há diversos pesquisadores dedicando-se à imagem dos destinos turísticos. Assim, buscando compreender de que forma este tema tem sido trabalhado no Brasil, este estudo de caráter bibliográfico teve como objetivo analisar e compreender as publicações sobre imagem de destinos turísticos em periódicos brasileiros, nos últimos seis anos (2008-2014). A partir de um levantamento dos artigos publicados neste período, usando como ferramenta de busca o site “Publicações de Turismo”, foram identificados vinte e oito artigos. A análise permitiu verificar que os estudos estão concentrados na compreensão da imagem de um determinado destino. Os artigos analisados são predominantemente estudos empíricos e há um equilíbrio entre os de caráter quantitativo e qualitativo. No que diz respeito à bibliografia, foi possível identificar que os autores brasileiros que têm trabalhado com o tema de imagem de destinos, já buscam bibliografias internacionais para fundamentar os seus estudos. Também nos trabalhos sobre este tema, identificou-se uma maior maturidade dos autores no que diz respeito à utilização das ferramentas estatísticas. Alguns estudos fazem uma análise aprofundada dos estudos internacionais e aplicam estas teorias no Brasil. Conclui-se que este tema tem sido estudado com maior profundidade no país, se comparado com os temas como o da percepção de residentes.