Significance of Biogenic Amines in Cold-Smoked Fish and Their Relation to Microbiological Characteristics of Products Available in Portuguese Retail Markets

Studies on microbial characterization of cold-smoked salmon and salmon trout during cold storage were performed on samples available in the Portuguese market. Samples were also classified microbiologically according to guidelines for ready-to-eat (RTE) products. Further investigations on sample variability and microbial abilities to produce tyramine and histamine were also performed. The coefficient of variation for viable counts of different groups of microorganisms of samples collected at retail market point was high in the first 2 wk of storage, mainly in the Enterobacteriaceae group and aerobic plate count (APC), suggesting that microbiological characteristics of samples were different in numbers, even within the same batch from the same producer. This variation seemed to be decreased when storage and temperature were controlled under lab conditions. The numbers of Enterobacteriaceae were influenced by storage temperature, as indicated by low microbial numbers in samples from controlled refrigeration. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Enterobacteriaceae were predominant in commercial products, a significant percentage of which were tyramine and less histamine producers. These results might be influenced by (1) the technological processes in the early stages of production, (2) contamination during the smoking process, and (3) conditions and temperature fluctuations during cold storage at retail market point of sale.

Application of robust fixed point transformations for technological operation of robots

A robot’s drive has to exert appropriate driving forces that can keep its arm and end effector at the proper position, velocity and acceleration, and simultaneously has to compensate for the effects of the contact forces arising between the tool and the workpiece depending on the needs of the actual technological operation. Balancing the effects of a priori unknown external disturbance forces and the inaccuracies of the available dynamic model of the robot is also important. Technological tasks requiring well prescribed end effector trajectories and contact forces simultaneously are challenging control problems that can be tackled in various manners.

Comércio bilateral Portugal - Brasil

Dissertação apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Empreendedorismo e Internacionalização Orientadora: Professora Doutora Celsa Maria de Carvalho Machado

Optimization of the Pultrusion process

Manufacturing processes need permanently to innovate and optimize because any can be susceptible to continuous improvement. Innovation and commitment to the development of these new solutions resulting from existing expertise and the continuing need to increase productivity, flexibility and ensuring the necessary quality of the manufactured products. To increase flexibility, it is necessary to significantly reduce set-up times and lead time in order to ensure the delivery of products ever faster. This objective can be achieved through a normalization of the pultrusion line elements. Implicitly, there is an increase of productivity by this way. This work is intended to optimize the pultrusion process of structural profiles. We consider all elements of the system from the storehouse of the fibers (rack) to the pultrusion die. Particular attention was devoted to (a) the guidance system of the fibers and webs, (b) the resin container where the fibers are impregnated, (c) standard plates positioning of the fibers towards the entrance to the spinneret and also (d) reviewed the whole process of assembling and fixing the die as well as its the heating system. With the implementation of these new systems was achieved a significant saving of time set-up and were clearly reduced the unit costs of production. Quality assurance was also increased.

Properties and Sustainability of Biodiesel from Animal Fats and Fish Oil

This work presents and analyses the fat and fuel properties and the methyl ester profile of biodiesel from animal fats and fish oil (beef tallow, pork lard, chicken fat and sardine oil). Also, their sustainability is evaluated in comparison with rapeseed biodiesel and fossil diesel, currently the dominant liquid fuels for transportation in Europe. Results show that from a technological point of view it is possible to use animal fats and fish oil as feedstock for biodiesel production. From the sustainability perspective, beef tallow biodiesel seems to be the most sustainable one, as its contribution to global warming has the same value of fossil diesel and in terms of energy efficiency it has the best value of the biodiesels under consideration. Although biodiesel is not so energy efficient as fossil diesel there is room to improve it, for example, by replacing the fossil energy used in the process with renewable energy generated using co-products (e.g. straw, biomass cake, glycerine).

Os benefícios e as dificuldades na certificação da qualidade: Norma NP EN ISO 9001:2008

Dissertação apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Assessoria de Administração

Diagnóstico de higiene e segurança no trabalho: proposta de medidas correctivas

O trabalho que é de seguida apresentado foi desenvolvido durante o estágio efectuado no Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Inovação Tecnológica (IDIT), tendo em vista a realização de um projecto de fim de Mestrado em Engenharia Química no ramo de Tecnologias de Protecção Ambiental. O projecto teve como principal objectivo a elaboração de um diagnóstico de Segurança, Higiene e Saúde no Trabalho tendo por base as medições de factores de riscos, efectuadas numa empresa pertencente ao sector da alimentação, e o seu respectivo enquadramento legal. A realização deste trabalho consistiu na avaliação de factores físicos e químicos presentes em todas as actividades industriais, que podem constituir riscos para a higiene, saúde e segurança dos trabalhadores. Os factores considerados neste estudo foram: o ruído, a iluminância, as vibrações, o ambiente térmico e os contaminantes químicos. Ao longo do trabalho são apresentados os resultados obtidos nas avaliações efectuadas e a sua análise, que permitiu o conhecimento das condições de trabalho, para as diversas actividades desempenhadas na empresa, revelando as não concordâncias dos factores estudados. Segundo os resultados obtidos conclui-se que a empresa apresenta condições de Higiene, Saúde e Segurança bastantes satisfatórias, apresentando apenas algumas não conformidades, particularmente nos níveis de pressão sonora. No entanto, estas não conformidades podem ser contornadas com a aplicação de medidas correctivas previstas no enquadramento legal que abrange cada factor avaliado. A escassez de tempo não permitiu a elaboração de um diagnóstico de HST completo, uma vez que, uma análise de risco completa necessita de um estudo mais aprofundado na área e uma prática considerável, que não foi possível adquirir até então.

Overcoming the objectification of western classical music with the concept of music as a process

Dissertation to obtain the degree of Master in Music - Artistic Interpretation

Determinantes à receptividade ao bluetooth marketing pelo consumidor português

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Marketing Digital, sob orientação do Mestre Paulo Gonçalves e da Doutora Madalena Vilas Boas Esta versão não contém as críticas e sugestões dos elementos do júri

Marketing for future: Eddmi – Pass Platform

In a highly competitive market companies know that having quality products or provide good services is not enough to keep customers "faithful". Currently, quality of products/services, location and price are fundamental aspects customers expect to get on every purchase, so they look for ways to distinguish companies. This can happen either in a strictly materialistic way or by evaluation of intangible metrics such as having his opinion appreciated or being part of a selected group of "premium" customers. Therefore, companies must find ways to value and reward its customers in order to keep them "faithful" to their products or services. Loyalty systems are one means to achieve this goal, however, due to its nature and how they are implemented, often companies end up having low acceptance, without achieving intended objectives. In an era of technological revolution, where global average adoption of smartphones and tablets is 74% and 40% [Our Mobile Planet, 2014], the opportunity to reinvent loyalty systems reappears. Throughout this thesis a new tool, relying on the latest technologies and aiming to fulfill this market opportunity, will be presented. The main idea is to use ancient loyalty concepts, such as stamps or pointscards, and transforms them into digital cards, to be used in digital wallets, introducing an innovative technology component based on Apple's Passbook technology. The main goal is to create a platform for managing the card’s life cycle, allowing anyone to create, edit, distribute and analyze the data, and also create a new communication channel with customers, improving the customer-­‐supplier relationship and enhancing the mobile-­‐marketing.

Sistema de Gestão Integrado da Qualidade e Segurança do trabalho numa IPSS

Dissertação de Mestrado em Gestão Integrada da Qualidade, Ambiente e Segurança

O Impacto da Inovação na Internacionalização das Empresas Exportadoras do Tâmega e Sousa

Dissertação de Mestrado em Gestão e Internacionalização de Empresas

Determining the receptivity to the bluetooth marketing by the portuguese consumer

With increasing technological innovation, the concept of marketing and its applications become more functional and wide. Today, we witness a steady growth in the development of mobile marketing campaigns, i.e., marketing campaigns targeting mobile devices (mobile phones, Smartphones, PDAs, tablets). Among the several mobile technologies available (Bluetooth networks, Wi-Fi, WAP, SMS service, MMS), Bluetooth seems to have the biggest potential for the least invasive consumer mobile marketing strategy. This study seeks to answer the question "what factors may motivate the Portuguese consumer to accept Bluetooth marketing?.“ We propose a conceptual model capable of investigating the relationships between the several responsiveness factors to Bluetooth marketing. The development of a set of hypotheses supported by an online questionnaire to a valid sample of 755 participants, demonstrates that there is a relationship between factors such as expanded knowledge of the technology, and Bluetooth marketing receptivity. Additionally, we find that the information value of mobile advertising messages, such as entertainment value and personalization, relates well to responsiveness. The ability to accept/dismiss promotional messages sent to mobile phones and other safety features also correlated well with Bluetooth marketing receptivity.

Análise das determinantes à receptividade ao bluetooth marketing pelo consumidor português – um estudo empírico

With the increasing technological innovation, the concept of marketing and its applications become more functional and wide. Today is visible the development of mobile marketing campaigns, ie marketing campaigns for mobile devices (mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs, tablets). Taking advantage of mobile devices services (bluetooth networks, Wi-Fi, WAP, SMS service, MMS) as a vehicle to approach and communicate with consumers, bluetooth technology is a potential way of mobile marketing to become increasingly less invasive to consumers. This study seeks to answer the question "what factors may motivate the Portuguese consumer to adopt the bluetooth marketing?". According to the literature review on the concept of mobile marketing, bluetooth marketing and consumer behaviour theories, we propose a conceptual model capable of investigating the relationships between the determinants of responsiveness to bluetooth marketing. The empirical study developed from a set of hypotheses and implementation of an online questionnaire to a sample of 755 respondents, demonstrated that there is a relationship between factors such as, technology ease of use, file exchanging and influence of peers, and the receptivity to bluetooth marketing. Also information value of mobile advertising messages, such as entertainment and personalization relates to responsiveness. The consumer’s perceived control over mobile promotional messages and the safety features of the technology, also showed a positive relationship with the receptivity to bluetooth marketing.

Um sistema de informação – a solução?

Pequenas empresas reconhecem a necessidade de sistematizar os seus procedimentos, por forma, a alcançarem sucesso nas suas propostas de negócio. Esta padronização pressupõe uma avaliação do enquadramento social e de mercado existente e dos valores, missão e objetivos das próprias empresas. As constantes inovações na área tecnológica e as mudanças sociais, refletem-se no desenvolvimento e estratégia a seguir pelas organizações, que se desdobram num ambiente muito competitivo e dinâmico, o que lhes exige uma atenção constante e ponderada. Ao analisarmos uma micro empresa portuguesa, que desenvolve a sua atividade na área da gestão e promoção de imóveis para arrendamento de curta duração, verificamos a existência de lacunas ao nível do seu modelo de gestão operacional. A escassez de meios financeiros e humanos, e o fraco conhecimento das práticas de gestão organizacional e estratégica, são fatores limitadores para o bom desempenho da empresa, podendo colocar em causa a sua viabilidade a curto prazo. Esta constatação foi o ponto de partida para a realização deste projeto que, após as diversas leituras efetuadas, o levantamento dos processos existentes, a análise e ponderação das diversas soluções possíveis a aplicar, terminou na proposta de um Sistema de Informação - opção que nos pareceu ser a mais adequada. Esta proposta foi aprovada pela gestão da empresa e o Sistema de Informação irá ser implementado. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo ajudar esta organização a melhorar o seu desempenho. Para atingir estes objetivos foi necessário elencar os pontos fortes e fracos desta empresa, de forma a ser possível agregar num documento, as necessidades que a mesma demonstrava, para colmatar as falhas existentes e que poderiam ser, num futuro próximo, motivo de desagregação da mesma. A metodologia adotada seguiu uma estratégia de investigação descritiva, utilizando o método de investigação-ação. A recolha de dados baseou-se em entrevistas à equipa de gestão e colaboradores da empresa, em documentação levantada na mesma relativa aos processos de gestão e informação institucional, cujos conteúdos foram analisados numa perspetiva qualitativa.