A revenda de combustível e os limites constitucionais para a sua regulação: uma análise aplicada aos aspectos concorrênciais e ao controle de preços

The gas retail represents the end of a section of the oil and natural gas derivative chain, for it is at this stage where the commercialization of those merchandises takes place towards the costumers. This process involves an enormous amount of economic agents, which reflects on an activity of great influence on the citizen's everyday. By the time of the gas retail price liberalization, in 2002, there were great expectations towards that measure, for the insertion of that segment in a competitive market was likely to create a decrease in prices. As there was not a drastic drop off in cost, the question was no longer the price itself, but, predominantly, the conduct taken by the economic agents that operate the market. Not in vain, the segment introduces a greater number of different procedures combined with the organs that compose the Brazilian System of Competition Protection. What is understood, however, is that many of these complaints are made in a lightly way, without a proper analysis of the market and its practices, that being why, in this paper, evidences the causes of these complaints and explained what, in fact, occurs in this market. Also, the organs that protect the free initiative in the sector use different methods to assess anticompetitive practices, which are counterproductive on the combat of anticompetitive practice, that being why the present paper analyzes the used methods on a critic perspective, choosing one which is believed to be the most adequate. The present work also tries to present the gas retail prices on a constitutional, free competition, free initiative and consumers defense perspective, analyzing the competition s aspects on the gas market; the shaping of the gas prices; the market boundaries; the anti-competitive practices under the gas market; and analyze the possibility, according to the defined economic standards in the constitutional text of existing a greater control or gas price indexing and/or regulation which limits the distributors and resellers profit on gas. Still, in consequence of this analysis, a study on Natal s market behavior will be developed in its competitive feature. That being said, moreover being a theoretical-descriptive study, data and statistics gathered is used, which will lead, willing to grasp an experiential study on a few aspects of the Potiguar gas retail market

Índices de obesidade central e fatores de risco cardiovascular na síndrome dos ovários policísticos

Fundamento: A obesidade abdominal apresenta elevada prevalência em mulheres com síndrome dos ovários policísticos (SOP) e está associada a um aumento do risco cardiovascular. Objetivo: Verificar a acurácia da circunferência da cintura (CC), da relação cintura-quadril (RCQ), da relação cinturaestatura (RCEST) e do índice de conicidade (índice C), no que se refere à detecção de fatores de risco cardiovascular (FRCV) em mulheres com SOP. Métodos: Por meio de estudo transversal, foram alocadas 102 mulheres (26,5 ± 5 anos) com diagnóstico de SOP, de acordo com o consenso de Rotterdam. O colesterol total (CT), os triglicerídeos (TG), o LDL-colesterol (LDL-C), o HDLcolesterol (HDL-C), a glicemia de jejum, a glicemia após teste oral de tolerância à glicose (TOTG) e a pressão arterial (PA) foram avaliados em todas as pacientes, além das variáveis antropométricas. Resultados: A relação cintura-estatura foi o marcador que apresentou correlações positivas significativas com o maior número de FRCV (PA, TG e glicemia após TOTG), destacando-se ainda a correlação negativa com HDL-C. Todos os marcadores antropométricos avaliados se correlacionaram positivamente com PA, enquanto CC e RCQ apresentaram correlação positiva também com TG. No tocante à acurácia para detecção de FRCV, os indicadores antropométricos considerados apresentaram taxas de sensibilidade superiores a 60%, com destaque para a RCEST, que apresentou sensibilidade superior a 70%. Conclusão: A RCEST demonstrou ser o indicador antropométrico com a melhor acurácia para a predição de FRCV. Nesse sentido, propõe-se a inclusão desse parâmetro de fácil mensuração na avaliação clínica para o rastreamento de mulheres com SOP e FRCV----------------------ABSTRACT Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) present a high prevalence of abdominal obesity, which is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Objective: To verify the accuracy of the waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the conicity index (CI) in the detection of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in women with PCOS. Methods: The present transversal study allocated 102 women (26.5 ± 5 years) with a diagnosis of PCOS, according to the Rotterdam criteria. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose, glucose after the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated in all patients, in addition to the anthropometric variables. Results: The WHtR was the marker that presented significant positive correlations with the highest number of CVRF (BP, TG and post-OGTT glucose), whereas there was a negative correlation with HDL-C. All the evaluated anthropometric markers were positively correlated with BP, whereas WC and WHR also presented a positive correlation with TG. Regarding the accuracy for the detection of CVRF, the anthropometric markers presented a sensibility > 60%, especially the WHtR, which had a sensibility > 70%. Conclusion: The WHtR showed to be the most accurate anthropometric indicator for the prediction of CVRF. In this sense, we propose the inclusion of this easily-measured parameter in the clinical assessment for the screening of women with PCOS and CVRF

Influência dos intermediários de distribuição de produtos turísticos no processo de decisão do meio de hospedagem pelo consumidor

This study examines the complex hotel buyer decision process in front of the tourism distribution channels. Its objective is to describe the influence level of the tourism marketing intermediaries, mainly the travel agents and tour operators, over the hotel decision process by the buyer-tourist. The data collection process was done trough a survey with three hundred brazilian tourists hosted in nineteen hotels of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The data analysis was done using some multivariate statistic techniques as correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, factor analysis and multiple discriminant analysis. The research characterizes the hotel services consumers profile and his trip, and identifying the distribution channels used by them. Furthermore, the research verifies the intermediaries influence exercised over hotel buyer decision process, looking for identify causality relations between the influence level and the buyer profile. Verifies that information about hotels available on internet reduces the probability that this influence can be practiced; however it was possible identifying those consumers considers this information complementary and non-substitutes than the information from intermediaries. The characteristics of the data do not allow indentifying the factors that constraint the intermediaries influence neither identifying discriminant functions of the specific distribution channel choice by consumers. The study concludes that consumers don t agree in have been influenced by intermediaries or don t know if they have, still considering important to consult them and internet doesn t substitute their function as information source

Comportamento do consumidor: um estudo do mercado imobiliário em condomínios verticais fechados na região metropolitana de Natal

The research in question looked for to establish the relation between the motivation (of the proprietor of apartment) to change itself of another one apartment, in closed vertical condominium (residential mobility) in the period of the recognition of the necessity, and the satisfaction with the apartment after consume. The universe or the population chosen for the development of the study was of proprietors of apartment in vertical condominiums located in the region metropolitan of Natal. The analysis of data was made using the techniques of linear regression and logistic regression between variables. The linear regression found relations between the motivations for housing change and the satisfaction in after consume with some attributes of the apartment. The logistic regression showed that relations between the motivations for change and the general satisfaction to the apartment exist as a whole, in the period after consumes. With regard to the motivation to change itself of a apartment for another one, some reasons shown more motivation them the others. The research found different degrees of satisfaction with certain characteristics of the apartment and degrees of no satisfaction with others. Finally the results of the research had contributed for the reply of the problem that guided the present study, therefore had obtained in such a way to find how much logistic not linear relations between the two periods purchase (recognition of the necessity and evaluation after consume) and had elucidated the process that goes since the choice the product until the satisfaction of the necessities

Previsão do índice bovespa por meio de redes neurais artificiais: uma análise comparada aos métodos tradicionais de séries de tempo

Forecast is the basis for making strategic, tactical and operational business decisions. In financial economics, several techniques have been used to predict the behavior of assets over the past decades.Thus, there are several methods to assist in the task of time series forecasting, however, conventional modeling techniques such as statistical models and those based on theoretical mathematical models have produced unsatisfactory predictions, increasing the number of studies in more advanced methods of prediction. Among these, the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are a relatively new and promising method for predicting business that shows a technique that has caused much interest in the financial environment and has been used successfully in a wide variety of financial modeling systems applications, in many cases proving its superiority over the statistical models ARIMA-GARCH. In this context, this study aimed to examine whether the ANNs are a more appropriate method for predicting the behavior of Indices in Capital Markets than the traditional methods of time series analysis. For this purpose we developed an quantitative study, from financial economic indices, and developed two models of RNA-type feedfoward supervised learning, whose structures consisted of 20 data in the input layer, 90 neurons in one hidden layer and one given as the output layer (Ibovespa). These models used backpropagation, an input activation function based on the tangent sigmoid and a linear output function. Since the aim of analyzing the adherence of the Method of Artificial Neural Networks to carry out predictions of the Ibovespa, we chose to perform this analysis by comparing results between this and Time Series Predictive Model GARCH, developing a GARCH model (1.1).Once applied both methods (ANN and GARCH) we conducted the results' analysis by comparing the results of the forecast with the historical data and by studying the forecast errors by the MSE, RMSE, MAE, Standard Deviation, the Theil's U and forecasting encompassing tests. It was found that the models developed by means of ANNs had lower MSE, RMSE and MAE than the GARCH (1,1) model and Theil U test indicated that the three models have smaller errors than those of a naïve forecast. Although the ANN based on returns have lower precision indicator values than those of ANN based on prices, the forecast encompassing test rejected the hypothesis that this model is better than that, indicating that the ANN models have a similar level of accuracy . It was concluded that for the data series studied the ANN models show a more appropriate Ibovespa forecasting than the traditional models of time series, represented by the GARCH model

Análise de volatilidade, integração de preços e previsibilidade para o mercado brasileiro de camarão

The present paper has the purpose of investigate the dynamics of the volatility structure in the shrimp prices in the Brazilian fish market. Therefore, a description of the initial aspects of the shrimp price series was made. From this information, statistics tests were made and selected univariate models to be price predictors. Then, it was verified the existence of relationship of long-term equilibrium between the Brazilian and American imported shrimp and if, confirmed the relationship, whether or not there is a causal link between these assets, considering that the two countries had presented trade relations over the years. It is presented as an exploratory research of applied nature with quantitative approach. The database was collected through direct contact with the Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo (CEAGESP) and on the official website of American import, National Marine Fisheries Service - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NMFS- NOAA). The results showed that the great variability in the active price is directly related with the gain and loss of the market agents. The price series presents a strong seasonal and biannual effect. The average structure of price of shrimp in the last 12 years was R$ 11.58 and external factors besides the production and marketing (U.S. antidumping, floods and pathologies) strongly affected the prices. Among the tested models for predicting prices of shrimp, four were selected, which through the prediction methodologies of one step forward of horizon 12, proved to be statistically more robust. It was found that there is weak evidence of long-term equilibrium between the Brazilian and American shrimp, where equivalently, was not found a causal link between them. We concluded that the dynamic pricing of commodity shrimp is strongly influenced by external productive factors and that these phenomena cause seasonal effects in the prices. There is no relationship of long-term stability between the Brazilian and American shrimp prices, but it is known that Brazil imports USA production inputs, which somehow shows some dependence productive. To the market agents, the risk of interferences of the external prices cointegrated to Brazilian is practically inexistent. Through statistical modeling is possible to minimize the risk and uncertainty embedded in the fish market, thus, the sales and marketing strategies for the Brazilian shrimp can be consolidated and widespread

Acurácia dos índices antropométricos de obesidade central na determinação de síndrome metabólica e fatores de risco cardiovascular em mulheres com síndrome dos ovários policísticos

A síndrome dos ovários policísticos (SOP) é a desordem endócrina mais comum em mulheres com idade reprodutiva. Seu diagnóstico é firmado através do consenso de Rotterdam na presença de dois dos seguintes critérios: anovulação crônica, sinais clínicos e/ou bioquímicos de hiperandrogenismo e presença de micropolicistos nos ovários. Na SOP, além das características específicas da síndrome é comum a presença de marcadores de risco cardiovascular aumentado como dislipidemia, hipertensão arterial, resistência à insulina e obesidade central Objetivos: Analisar a acurácia diagnóstica da circunferência da cintura (CC), relação cintura-estatura (RCEst), razão cintura-quadril (RCQ) e índice de conicidade (Índice C) para detecção de fatores de risco cardiovascular (FRCV) e síndrome metabólica (SM) em mulheres com síndrome dos ovários policísticos (SOP). Metodologia: Foi realizado estudo transversal envolvendo 108 mulheres na faixa etária de 20-34 anos, com diagnóstico de SOP de acordo com o consenso de Rotterdam. Foram considerados parâmetros clínicos, antropométricos e bioquímicos de avaliação do risco cardiovascular. A análise dos dados foi desenvolvida em duas etapas, conforme descrito a seguir. Fase 1: análise da acurácia dos pontos de corte previamente determinados na literatura nacional para CC, RCEst, RCQ e Índice C, para predição de FRCV; Fase 2: determinação de pontos de corte dos índices antropométricos supracitados, específicos para mulheres com SOP, para discriminação de SM, através da análise da curva ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic). Resultados: Com base nos achados da fase 1 do estudo, a RCEst foi o marcador que apresentou correlações positivas significativas com o xi maior número de FRCV (pressão arterial, triglicerídeos e glicemia após teste oral de tolerância à glicose), além de correlação negativa com HDL-colesterol. Os demais marcadores antropométricos se correlacionaram positivamente com pressão arterial, enquanto CC e RCQ apresentaram correlação positiva também com triglicerídeos. Todos os indicadores antropométricos apresentaram taxas de sensibilidade superiores a 60%, com destaque para a RCEst que apresentou sensibilidade superior a 70%. Na fase 2 da pesquisa observamos que a CC, RCEst e RCQ apresentaram desempenho semelhante na predição de SM, sendo superiores ao Índice C. Os valores de ponto de corte dos índices antropométricos para discriminar SM foram: CC = 95 cm; RCEst = 0,59; RCQ = 0,88; e Índice C = 1,25. Utilizando esses pontos de corte as taxas de sensibilidade e especificidade da CC e RCEst foram superiores às observadas para RCQ e Índice C. Conclusões: Nossos dados enfatizam a importância da avaliação antropométrica no rastreamento do risco cardiovascular em mulheres com SOP, destacando-se a relevância da RCEst na predição de FRCV clássicos e a necessidade de considerar pontos de corte específicos para mulheres com SOP para discriminação de SM

Paradigma constitucional brasileiro da livre concorrência e da defesa do consumidor face às estruturas de poder no mercado

The Federal Constitution of 1988, when taking care of the economical order, denotes special concern in the abuses of the economical power and the disloyal competition. The mark to mediate of all this is, in fact, the defense and the consumer's protection, once this is final addressee of whatever if it puts at the consumption market. The coming of the Law 8.078/90, Code of Protection and Defense of the Consumer, inaugurates a time of effective concern with the homogeneous individual interests originating from of the consumption relationships. In this point, the focus of main to face of the present work lives, in other words, the protection of the right to the individual property, especially manifests in the exercise of the trade freedom that keeps direct relationship with the respective social function the one that is destined. The code of the consumer's defense doesn't just take care of this, but also of the other star of the relationships of the consumption. When affirming in the interruption VI of the art. 4th that the national politics of those relationships, finds ballast in the prohibition and repression efficient of all of the abuses committed in the consumption relationships, keeping inherent relationship-causality in the economical order, sculpted for the article 170 in the Constitution of 1988. In the generic plan, the mark of the present work is to question concerning the limits of the trade freedom and previsible collisions with protection norms and the consumer's defense, as well as factual convergences of those small systems, especially in what he/she refers to the innate interests to the suppliers. In the specific plan, we aspirated to identify the protection device-commands to the actors of the trade relationship, capable to guarantee the free competition in a global economy of market, seeking especially the Well-being, for soon afterwards, in an analytical perspective, to discover the possible applications that it holds the Federal Constitution, in headquarters of economical freedoms. It was observed that the consumer today doesn't need only of laws that their needs, fruit of the vulnerability that it is him/her meditate innate. He/she lacks, yes, of effective mechanisms that prevent lesions that can be them impinged by the suppliers at the time in that you/they are useful to repair the damages when happened, punishing the author of the damage

Responsabilidade civil como função social na distribuição e revenda de combustível face ao direito do consumidor e ao meio ambiente

The civil liability of the distribution and retail fuel stems from the fact business activity developed to be high risk and can be said as risk inherent or latent danger that has predictability and normality characterized by placing the consumer in a position of vulnerability, such as the environment, both public policies defined and constitutional protection. Consumer protection as a fundamental right and the environment as the primacy of social order aims the welfare and social justice, as inserted right to the third dimension, are guarded by the State when it creates operational standards through public policies and indirectly intervenes in the economic order. This intervention is due to consumer protection and the environment are economic order principles, founded on free initiative and free competition, ensuring everyone a dignified existence which underlies the irradiation of fundamental rights in private initiative, before the commercial evaluation, mass consumption, the emergence of new technologies that link consumers to the environment before the protection of life, health and safety and ensuring a better quality of life for present and future generations. To repair this damage and the right to information are provided as fundamental rights that put the person at the epicenter of the relations and collective interest stands out against individual interests that to be done need public-private partnership. In such a way that the used methodology was an analysis of documents correlating them with bibliographic sources whose goals are to recognize the civil responsibility as limit to subjective right, having to develop a social function where guilt and risk grow distant and the damage is configured as a consequence of inherent risk, requiring the State interventional postures in fulfilling its public policy; prevailing in these risky activities the solidarity of those involved in the chain of production and socialization of damage forward those are provided directly of products of hazardous nature that put in a position of vulnerability the environment and the consumer

Fatores que afetam a satisfação e a fidelidade do consumidor: um estudo com usuários de calçado esportivo (tênis), na Região Sul da cidade de Natal

This paper aims to investigate the factors that influence the satisfaction and fidelity of tennis´s users with the region southern city of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte as the area of analyzing , using the national satisfaction index models as a tool to study. In this study was used the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data based on the new Norwegian customer satisfaction barometer model proposed by Johnson et. al. (2001). The data collection took place during the months of May and June 2008, when 450 tennis´s users were interviewed. The main results obtained by multiple regression analysis and logistic regression showed that the users' satisfaction with the tennis´s brand is influenced by the quality, comfort, material used in the manufacture and price, while fidelity is potentized by the image of the brand and the satisfaction degree with the user's tennis and with the brand of tennis. In relation to user satisfaction with the tennis, that satisfaction is influenced by the quality, comfort, weight and the material used, while fidelity is potentized by the satisfaction with the tennis´s brand, with the possibility of paying the same amount again and the emotional commitment. As the processing of claims there was no direct influence on satisfaction and consumers fidelity due to the low number complaints

Gestão da satisfação e fidelidade do cliente : um estudo dos fatores que influenciam na satisfação e fidelidade dos clientes corporativos de telefonia celular

The competition in the telecommunications industry has grown in Brazil since the privatization, forcing companies that are active in the market to a growing commitment to quality products and services in order to survive. In this context, this work aims to understand the main factors that influence the degree of satisfaction exists in respect of a mobile operator with its corporate customers. The research covered theoretical concepts and analytical models of quality management system and models of indices related to the measurement of customer satisfaction. For the field research was carried out in a practical application of the main approaches based on this thesis by a case study in corporate segment, through a questionnaire applied to 10 consultants and 40 corporate customers of that company. Comparing the results of research with the consultants and corporate clients there is the concern of respondents to the indicators that comprise the constructs of customer satisfaction, commitment calculated, the price index and the handling of complaints, denoting the dissatisfaction of the general assessment for corporate customers with the carrier, against its current expectations. It is concluded that the mobile operator of the telecommunications industry have a big challenge, after ten years of privatization and consequently the period of rapid expansion of customer base and with the depleted, retain corporate customers as highly strategic, thus avoiding that migrate to other companies. We emphasize the need for further research and analysis of different approaches through research and using the same models to specifically evaluate and measure customer satisfaction of mobile enterprise, to adjust the model to the national market. Finally, we suggest the creation of an effective customer loyalty program with a strategy of relationship and specific to the corporate sector of mobile telephony

Gestão da satisfação e da fidelidade de consumidores :um estudo dos fatores que afetam a satisfação e a fidelidade no mercado de turismo

The corporative strategies have been systematically changing since the middle of the 90´s by including measurement of satisfaction and loyalty of the consumers in their organization. strategies. This essay presents a study on the factors that influence on the satisfaction and loyalty of the consumers, and is based on national models of satisfaction rates. For this essay, the new Norwegian model was used. During the period of 01/06/03 until 02/14/03, a field research was developed and applied to 230 tourists visiting the city of Natal/RN

Gestão de satisfação e fidelidade do cliente na hotelaria :um estudo sobre os fatores que influenciam a satisfação e a fidelidade do turista internacional no Brasil

The objective of this thesis was studying the factors which contribute to customer s satisfaction and loyalty, focusing the Norwegian model of satisfaction and loyalty of the consumer, applied in the sector of hotel services in Natal/RN, Brazil. The theoretical research was led through the concepts of service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty, models of quality management systems, national index of customer s satisfaction and methods which evaluate the customer s satisfaction. The field research was carried through from December 1st of 2004 to 24 st, among 381 international tourists who had been housed in the hotels of Natal. The analyses of the data had been made through the descriptive statistics and analysis of multiple regression. The results had evidenced that the main precedents variables of satisfaction had been: hotel s room, staff friendliness, hotel restaurant food and price paid; these are factors which explained, in 56,0% the variation of satisfaction with hotels. In relation to the constructs which had influenced the tourist s loyalty, were founds: tourist s satisfaction, hotel image and affective commitment, which had explained 53.0% of the data variability. The complaint management resulted as a basic factor for the tourist s satisfaction and loyalty

Estratégia de marketing ambiental no varejo de alimentos: um estudo sobre as variáveis utilizadas pelo consumidor na decisão de compra de produtos orgânicos

Demand for organic foods within in Brazil are growing, characterizing itself for if constituting in a new strategical segment of commercialization. In this context, the objective of this research was to investigate the variables used by consumers in the purchase decision of organic products, aiming to characterize the level of competitiveness of these products, assisting in the creation of environmental strategies for the development of the activity and contributing in the increment of the knowledge about the subject, that can assist it in the increase of the commercialization and the consumption of these foods. From data collected in the city of Natal/RN, it was used a survey research, of exploratory and descriptive character. The sample was obtained using 401 questionnaires, in which was realized: the Test of Comparison of Averages, Descriptive analysis, analysis of Cluster and Qui-square. The results found in this study indicate that the main reasons for the organic food purchase are the absence of chemical pesticides in the product, followed by the care with own health and of the household. The main characteristics in the consumers of supermarkets, that are associates with purchase frequency of organic foods are the environmental behavior and lifestyle. Among the profile characteristics, gender, age and number of children are associates with the purchase frequency of these foods and the income and level education not showed association

Fatores que influenciam a fidelidade dos clientes em postos de combustíveis da cidade de Natal/RN

The customer loyalty became strategy factor for the sustainability of business enterprises. And will be them competitive is important to describe the factors than the consumers consider for to choose the business than will buy the product or service. The dissertation objective is to know the factors that influence the consumer s satisfaction and loyalty in gas stations of Natal/RN, using the index national of customer satisfaction. The literature review was directed for strategy concepts, service quality, satisfaction and fidelity consumer and index national of customer satisfaction. The method used was descriptive-explicative, with application of a survey, from march 15 until april 15 of 2013, with 391 consumers of gas station. In relational analysis, we considered eight constructs: quality, price, complaints, satisfaction, image, loyalty, affection and commitment calculated. For customer satisfaction, the factors that influence have resulted in fuel quality, technical skills of vendors and duration of service. For customer loyalty, the factors that influence resulted in: image, feeling for distributor flag post, location and overall satisfaction with the gas station