Spatial analysis of crime evolution in Portugal between 1995 and 2013

The main objective of this survey was to perform descriptive analysis of crime evolution in Portugal between 1995 and 2013. The main focus of this survey was to analyse spatial crime evolution patterns in Portuguese NUTS III regions. Most important crime types have been included into analysis. The main idea was to uncover relation between local patterns and global crime evolution; to define regions which have contributed to global crime evolution of some specific crime types and to define how they have contributed. There were many statistical reports and scientific papers which have analysed some particular crime types, but one global spatial-temporal analysis has not been found. Principal Component Analysis and multidimensional descriptive data analysis technique STATIS have been the base of the analysis. The results of this survey has shown that strong spatial and temporal crime patterns exist. It was possible to describe global crime evolution patterns and to define crime evolution patterns in NUTS III regions. It was possible to define three to four groups of crimes where each group shows similar spatial crime dynamics.

SDAR: a package for plotting and analyzing stratigraphy data in R

Stratigraphic Columns (SC) are the most useful and common ways to represent the eld descriptions (e.g., grain size, thickness of rock packages, and fossil and lithological components) of rock sequences and well logs. In these representations the width of SC vary according to the grain size (i.e., the wider the strata, the coarser the rocks (Miall 1990; Tucker 2011)), and the thickness of each layer is represented at the vertical axis of the diagram. Typically these representations are drawn 'manually' using vector graphic editors (e.g., Adobe Illustrator®, CorelDRAW®, Inskape). Nowadays there are various software which automatically plot SCs, but there are not versatile open-source tools and it is very di cult to both store and analyse stratigraphic information. This document presents Stratigraphic Data Analysis in R (SDAR), an analytical package1 designed for both plotting and facilitate the analysis of Stratigraphic Data in R (R Core Team 2014). SDAR, uses simple stratigraphic data and takes advantage of the exible plotting tools available in R to produce detailed SCs. The main bene ts of SDAR are: (i) used to generate accurate and complete SC plot including multiple features (e.g., sedimentary structures, samples, fossil content, color, structural data, contacts between beds), (ii) developed in a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics, (iii) run on a wide variety of platforms (i.e., UNIX, Windows, and MacOS), (iv) both plotting and analysing functions can be executed directly on R's command-line interface (CLI), consequently this feature enables users to integrate SDAR's functions with several others add-on packages available for R from The Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN).

Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde : uma dimensão do neurodesenvolvimento

RESUMO: Objetivo Principal • Determinar a consistência da utilização dos instrumentos de avaliação da capacidade intelectual – escalas de Griffiths e WISC III – no enquadramento dos domínios e dos qualificadores da CIF-CJ, restrita às funções mentais do corpo. Objetivo secundário: • Estudar a efetividade e concordância inter-observador da aplicação da CIF, com base na leitura dos dados obtidos em avaliação efetuada com os instrumentos referidos, por duas observadoras independentes, em contexto de articulação saúde, respetivamente educação e segurança social Métodos • Estudo observacional, descritivo, transversal e prospetivo. • Foi estudada uma amostra de conveniência 355 crianças, num período de três anos (Maio de 2010 a 30 de Abril de 2013), com patologia da área da pediatria do neurodesenvolvimento (total de 4000 consultas) no Centro de Desenvolvimento (CD) do Hospital de Dona Estefânia (HDE), Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, EPE (CHLC, EPE). • Critérios de inclusão: crianças de ambos os sexos, observadas no CD do HDE, CHLC (primeiras consultas e consultas de reavaliação) com idade ≥12 meses e ≤17 anos e incapacidade intelectual definida de acordo com os critérios da DSM-IV-TR, DSM 5 e CID-10. • Critérios de exclusão: crianças com autismo, perturbações específicas da linguagem, hiperatividade, défice de atenção e concentração, défices sensoriais congénitos (baixa visão e ou audição), ou com outros diagnósticos de perturbações de neurodesenvolvimento. • O estudo teve duas fases: na primeira, a investigadora principal colheu ou atualizou a história clínica, observou clinicamente as crianças solicitando os exames complementares considerados necessários e foi efetuada avaliação psicológica com os instrumentos adiante descritos, pela mesma psicóloga clínica, devidamente credenciada, e com larga experiência nas escalas referidas. Com base nos dados colhidos, quer por observação direta, quer através dos resultados das escalas Griffiths e WISC – III, a investigadora aplicou a CIF-CJ, circunscrita aos domínios e funções (variáveis): 1. FUNÇÕESMENTAIS GLOBAIS (b110- Funções da consciência, b114- Funções da orientação no espaço e no tempo, b117 – Funções intelectuais, b122- Funções psicossociais globais, b125- Funções intrapessoais, b126- Funções do temperamento e da personalidade); 2.FUNÇÕES MENTAIS ESPECÌFICAS (b140- funções da atenção, b147- Funções psicomotoras, b152- Funções emocionais, b156- Funções da perceção, b163- Funções cognitivas básicas, b164- Funções cognitivas de nível superior, b167- Funções mentais da linguagem 3. FUNÇÕES DA VOZ E DA FALA (b320- Funções da articulação, b330- Funções da fluência e do ritmo da fala). Numa segunda fase, foi solicitada a colaboração de duas co-investigadoras, com formação específica nas escalas utilizadas e na CIF-CJ, a aplicação da CIF nos mesmos domínios e funções. Estas observadoras não efetuaram observações diretas das crianças envolvidas. • Para efetuar a análise estatística e analisar a relação entre os qualificadores (0 a 4) das variáveis da CIF em estudo (b117, b122, b147, b163, b164, b167, b320 e b330) e os instrumentos psicométricos (escalas de Griffiths e WISC III), que constitui a primeira parte do estudo, recorreu-se à técnica estatística não paramétrica do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman, que quantifica a intensidade e sinal da eventual correlação existente entre as variáveis em estudo. • Para determinar as correlações referentes à segunda parte do estudo, foram utilizados os programas SPSS®, (IBM SPSS Statistics) e Statistica® (StatSoft, Inc., 2011). STATISTICA (data analysis software system, version 10. www.statsoft.com.), tendo-se dado preferência aos gráficos deste último. Resultados 1. Observou-se um predomínio do sexo masculino (relação de 1:1,9); relativamente à idade no momento de avaliação, 242 crianças (68,1%) tinham entre zero e seis anos e, dentro destas, a maioria (189) situava-se entre os três e os seis anos. 2. De acordo com a DSM-IV e DSM-5, 261 (73,4%) crianças apresentavam incapacidade intelectual ligeira. 3. A avaliação da competência intelectual pelas escalas de Ruth Griffiths e WISC III (QI), revelaram correlação negativa predominantemente forte e muito forte (índice de Spearman) com os qualificadores das funções do corpo estudadas (funções mentais, mentais específicas e da voz). Os resultados obtidos pela co-investigadora A foram sobreponíveis aos da investigadora principal. Os resultados obtidos pela co-investigadora B revelaram correlação negativa moderada e forte, correlação inferior à da investigadora principal; Conclusões Os resultados permitem inferir que as escalas de Ruth Griffiths e WISC-III são instrumentos adequados para caracterizar a incapacidade intelectual na CIF-CJ; a concordância inter-observador, moderada, nos qualificadores atribuídos nas funções em análise pela investigadora e co-investigadoras, permite concluir que as escalas de Ruth Griffiths e WISC IIIl são bons instrumentos para caracterizar os qualificadores nos domínios e funções estudados, por diferentes grupos de profissionais ligados à infância. Subsistem dificuldades na diferenciação entre qualificadores, designadamente entre os qualificadores 1 e 2, o que tem necessariamente implicações na elegibilidade das crianças para os apoios preconizados pelo DL 3/2008. ------------------------ ABSTRACT: Main objective • To determine the consistency of the use of assessment tools for intellectual ability - Griffiths and WISC III scales - in the context of domains and qualifiers for the ICF-CY, restricted to the mental functions of the body. Secondary objective • Studying the effectiveness and inter-observer concordance concerning the application of the ICF, based on the data recovered from the assessment made with the mentioned instruments, carried out by two independent observers including their perspective on health, education and social security. Methods • Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective study. • A convenience sample of 355 children was studied over a period of three years (May 2010 to April 2013), with a pathology in the area of pediatric neurodevelopment – intellectual disability (total of 4000 consultations, including first consultations and revaluations) were observed in the Development Centre (CD) in Hospital de Dona Estefânia (HDE), Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, EPE (CHLC). • Inclusion criteria: children of both sexes aged ≥12 months and years ≤17 and intellectual disability defined according to the criteria in the DSM-IV-TR, DSM 5 and ICD-10. • Exclusion criteria: children with autism; specific language impairment, hyperactivity; attention deficit disorder; severe birth sensory deficits (eg, impaired vision and hearing); amongst other diagnoses for neurodevelopmental disorders. • The study was conducted in two phases: in the first phase the principal investigator collected or updated medical history, clinically observed children requesting additional investigations if she deemed necessary. Psychological evaluation was performed by a single, duly licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience in the referred scales using the instruments described below. Based on data collected, either by direct observation or through the results of Griffiths scales and WISC - III, the researcher applied the ICF-CY confined to the following fields and functions (variables): 1. GLOBAL MENTAL FUNCTIONS (b110- functions of consciousness, b114- Functions referring to space and time orientation , b117 - intellectual functions, b122- global psychosocial functions, b125- intrapersonal functions, b126- functions related to temperament and personality); 2. SPECIFIC MENTAL FUNCTIONS ( b140- attention functions, b147-psychomotor functions, b152- Emotional functions, b156- perception functions, b163- basic cognitive functions and cognitive functions b164- top level b167- language related mental functions. ) 3. VOICE AND SPEECH FUNCTIONS (b320-articulation functions, b330- fluency and rhythm of speech functions). • In the second phase, two co-investigators, with specific training on the scales used and the ICF-CY have applied the ICF in the domains and functions mentioned above, based on the scales results. These co-investigators did not make any direct observation of the studied children. • To perform the statistical analysis and analyze the relationship between the qualifiers (0-4) of the variables in the ICF study (b117, b122, b147, B163, B164, b167, b320 and B330) and psychometric instruments (Griffiths scale and WISC III), which is the first part of the study, the statistical technique of non-parametric Spearman correlation coefficient was used, which quantifies the strength and sign of the possible correlation between the variables under study. • For submission of correlations related to the second part of the study, SPSS (IBM SPSS) and Statistica (StatSoft, Inc., 2011) programs were used. STATISTICA (data analysis software system, version 10 www.statsoft.com.). Preference was given to graphs computed in Statistica. Results • Male predominated (ratio of 1: 1.9). 242 children (68.1% of the sample) were aged between zero and six years and, among these, the majority (189) was aged largest number between three and six years. • According to the DSM-IV and DSM-5, 261 (73.4%) children had mild intellectual disability. The correlation between the assessment of intellectual competence by Ruth Griffiths scales and WISC III (QI), was predominantly negative strong and very strong correlation with the qualifiers of body functions studied (specific mental functions, mental and voice functions using Spearman index). The levels of correlation obtained by the co-investigatores were in agreeance with the results from the principal investigator. The results obtained by co-investigator B showed moderate to strong negative correlation, levels that were lower to the those registered by the principal investigator; Conclusions These results indicate that Ruth Griffiths and WISC-III scales are adequate tools to characterize intellectual disability in the ICF-CY; moderate inter-observer agreement in the qualifiers assigned the functions under analysis by the researcher and co-researchers, shows that the scales are also good tools to measure CIF qualifyers by diferent technicians with different professional orientations, related to children. However, there are still difficulties in differentiating qualifiers, namely between qualifiers 1/2 and 3/4, which necessarily has implications for the eligibility of children for the state support advocated by the Portuguese Decret Law 3/2008.

The consumption of beauty products on famale young adults in Portugal. Recommenrations for the brand Lancôme to improve its store trafic

This project aims to explore the Portuguese Beauty and Cosmetics market, and to discuss the usage and purchase behaviour of young female adults, between 18 and 26 years old. After a market analysis based on secondary data, it evaluates the results of qualitative and quantitative research based on 9 interviews and 126 online questionnaires to explore the consumers’ reasoning when choosing products from this category – fragrances, skin care or make-up – as well as their attitude towards brands, with a special focus on the premium cosmetics brand Lancôme. Contrary to our expectations there was no statistically significant positive influence of the online touchpoints within this age segment’s purchase intention. However, results indicate that Lancôme is already being perceived by some as young and modern, but is still suffering the threat of Mass Market brands that are valued by this target, mainly due to a price sensitivity towards premium beauty brands.