A Importância do Empreendedorismo na Actividade Turística

Na actualidade, o empreendedorismo vem impulsionando o desenvolvimento de negócios em diferentes sectores com ênfase na qualidade dos serviços, tendo em vista não só a satisfação mas também a difícil tarefa de conquistar a lealdade dos clientes a médio e longo prazo. No mercado turístico, a satisfação do cliente é importante para que a actividade possa manter-se competitiva, uma vez que os clientes tornam-se mais exigentes à medida que vão-se tornando experientes. Neste contexto, o empreendedorismo aparece como forma de desenvolvimento do turismo, sendo que os resultados que se esperam das acções empreendedoras são a entrada em novos negócios, inovação, agregação de valor aos produtos/serviços e maior qualidade dos produtos/serviços. O objectivo central do trabalho é demonstrar a importância do empreendedorismo na actividade turística e como o mesmo contribui para agregação de valor e geração de resultados económicos. Para melhor compreensão do assunto da pesquisa, dividimos o enquadramento teórico em três momentos. No primeiro, abordamos o empreendedorismo, no segundo o turismo e, por fim, o empreendedorismo no turismo. O enquadramento teórico permitiu responder à questão: será que o empreendedorismo contribui para agregar valor e gerar resultados económicos na actividade turística? Os resultados do questionário aplicado aos proprietários das empresas turísticas evidenciaram que estes possuem características geralmente patentes nos empreendedores. No entanto, os resultados não são conclusivos quanto ao seu potencial empreendedor. In the present, time the entrepreneurship is driving the businesses development in different sector with emphasis on services quality in order not only satisfaction but also the difficult task of winning the costumers loyalty in the medium and long term. In the tourist market, the costumer’s satisfaction is important in order to remain the activity competitive, because the costumers become more demanding while they become experienced. In this context, the entrepreneurship shows up like a way to develop the tourism, because the expected results of entrepreneurial activities are entry in new businesses, innovation, the aggregation of value and more quality of the products/services. The central objective of this work is to demonstrate the importance of the entrepreneurship in to the tourism and how it contributes for adding value and generating economics results. To better understand the research’s subject, we divided the theoretical framework in three moments. At first one we approached entrepreneurship, then the tourism, and finally, we approached entrepreneurship in the tourism. The theoretical framework to allowed answer to the question: will the entrepreneurship contributes to add value and generate economics results in the tourism? The results of the questionnaire applied to the owners of tourists’ enterprises evidence that they possess the characteristics usually presented by the entrepreneurs. However, the results are not conclusive relatively to their potential entrepreneur.

Carotid-Subclavian Artery Index : Validation of an Echocardiographic Index to Detect Coarctation : P67

Introduction: Due to patency of the arterial duct and the parallel circulation during the fetal life, coarctation remains a difficult diagnosis prenatally and even shortly after birth. Fisrtly, our study aimed to assess accuracy of a new cardiographie index based on morphologie measurements of the distal aortic arch, the Carotid-Subclavian Artery Index (CSA Index), the ratio of the distal transverse aortic arch diameter to the distance between the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery, in detecting coarctation in newborns, infants and children, independently of other cardiac lesions. Secondly, to assess the additive value of another morphologie index in predicting coarctation, the 1/0 ratio, the ratio of isthmus to descending aorta diameter. Methods: It is a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary care children's hospital. Offline echocardiographic measurements of great vessels and aortic arch dimensions were done in 69 patients with coarctation. We calculate their CSA index, and their 1/0 ratio. Values of CSA Index and 1/0 ratio from coarctation group were compared with those from a normal local control population. Results: 69 echocardiograms from patients with coarctation were analysed. Compared with controls, patients with coarctation had a significantly lower CSA index (0.88 ±0.49 vs 2.65 ±0.82, p <0.0001) and 1/0 ratio. The same significant difference was observed, independently of age and other associated defects, even complex ones. CSA Index confirmed its good sensitivity and specificity (99% and 96% respectively). This was not improved by adding the I/D ratio. Conclusions: An abnormal CSA index is highly suggestive of coarctation independently of age, of the presence of a patent ductus arteriosus or of other cardiac defects. The addition of another anatomie index, the I/D ratio, was not helpful in our study.

TBS (trabecular bone score) and diabetes-related fracture risk.

CONTEXT: Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased fracture risk but paradoxically greater bone mineral density (BMD). Trabecular bone score (TBS) is derived from the texture of the spine dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) image and is related to bone microarchitecture and fracture risk, providing information independent of BMD. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the ability of lumbar spine TBS to account for increased fracture risk in diabetes. DESIGN AND SETTING: We performed a retrospective cohort study using BMD results from a large clinical registry for the province of Manitoba, Canada. Patients: We included 29,407 women 50 years old and older with baseline DXA examinations, among whom 2356 had diagnosed diabetes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lumbar spine TBS was derived for each spine DXA examination blinded to clinical parameters and outcomes. Health service records were assessed for incident nontraumatic major osteoporotic fractures (mean follow-up 4.7 years). RESULTS: Diabetes was associated with higher BMD at all sites but lower lumbar spine TBS in unadjusted and adjusted models (all P < .001). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for a measurement in the lowest vs the highest tertile was less than 1 for BMD (all P < .001) but was increased for lumbar spine TBS [aOR 2.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.30-2.97]. Major osteoporotic fractures were identified in 175 women (7.4%) with and 1493 (5.5%) without diabetes (P < .001). Lumbar spine TBS was a BMD-independent predictor of fracture and predicted fractures in those with diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio 1.27, 95% CI 1.10-1.46) and without diabetes (hazard ratio 1.31, 95% CI 1.24-1.38). The effect of diabetes on fracture was reduced when lumbar spine TBS was added to a prediction model but was paradoxically increased from adding BMD measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar spine TBS predicts osteoporotic fractures in those with diabetes, and captures a larger portion of the diabetes-associated fracture risk than BMD.

The value of useless information

There are many situations in which individuals have a choice of whether or notto observe eventual outcomes. In these instances, individuals often prefer to remainignorant. These contexts are outside the scope of analysis of the standard vonNeumann-Morgenstern (vNM) expected utility model, which does not distinguishbetween lotteries for which the agent sees the final outcome and those for which hedoes not. I develop a simple model that admits preferences for making an observationor for remaining in doubt. I then use this model to analyze the connectionbetween preferences of this nature and risk-attitude. This framework accommodatesa wide array of behavioral patterns that violate the vNM model, and thatmay not seem related, prima facie. For instance, it admits self-handicapping, inwhich an agent chooses to impair his own performance. It also accommodatesa status quo bias without having recourse to framing effects, or to an explicitdefinition of reference points. In a political economy context, voters have strictincentives to shield themselves from information. In settings with other-regardingpreferences, this model predicts observed behavior that seems inconsistent witheither altruism or self-interested behavior.

Two-sided learning in New Keynesian models: Dynamics, (lack of) convergence and the value of information

This paper investigates the role of learning by private agents and the central bank(two-sided learning) in a New Keynesian framework in which both sides of the economyhave asymmetric and imperfect knowledge about the true data generating process. Weassume that all agents employ the data that they observe (which may be distinct fordifferent sets of agents) to form beliefs about unknown aspects of the true model ofthe economy, use their beliefs to decide on actions, and revise these beliefs througha statistical learning algorithm as new information becomes available. We study theshort-run dynamics of our model and derive its policy recommendations, particularlywith respect to central bank communications. We demonstrate that two-sided learningcan generate substantial increases in volatility and persistence, and alter the behaviorof the variables in the model in a significant way. Our simulations do not convergeto a symmetric rational expectations equilibrium and we highlight one source thatinvalidates the convergence results of Marcet and Sargent (1989). Finally, we identifya novel aspect of central bank communication in models of learning: communicationcan be harmful if the central bank's model is substantially mis-specified.

Value and prices in Russian economic thought (1890-1920)

The subject "Value and prices in Russian economic thought (1890--1920)" should evoke several names and debates in the reader's mind. For a long time, Western scholars have been aware that the Russian economists Tugan-Baranovsky and Bortkiewicz were active participants to the Marxian transformation problem, that the mathematical models of Dmitriev prefigured forthcoming neoricardian based models, and that many Russian economists were either supporting the Marxian labour theory of value or being revisionists. Moreover, these ideas were preparing the ground for Soviet planning. Russian scholars additionally knew that this period was the time of introduction of marginalism in Russia, and that, during this period, economists were active in thinking the relation of ethics with economic theory. All these issues are well covered in the existing literature. But there is a big gap that this dissertation intends to fill. The existing literature handles these pieces separately, although they are part of a single, more general, history. All these issues (the labour theory of value, marginalism, the Marxian transformation problem, planning, ethics, mathematical economics) were part of what this dissertation calls here "The Russian synthesis". The Russian synthesis (in the singular) designates here all the attempts at synthesis between classical political economy and marginalism, between labour theory of value and marginal utility, and between value and prices that occurred in Russian economic thought between 1890 and 1920, and that embraces the whole set of issues evoked above. This dissertation has the ambition of being the first comprehensive history of that Russian synthesis. In this, this contribution is unique. It has always surprised the author of the present dissertation that such a book has not yet been written. Several good reasons, both in terms of scarce availability of sources and of ideological restrictions, may accounted for a reasonable delay of several decades. But it is now urgent to remedy the situation before the protagonists of the Russian synthesis are definitely classified under the wrong labels in the pantheon of economic thought. To accomplish this task, it has seldom be sufficient to gather together the various existing studies on aspects of this story. It as been necessary to return to the primary sources in the Russian language. The most important part of the primary literature has never been translated, and in the last years only some of them have been republished in Russian. Therefore, most translations from the Russian have been made by the author of the present dissertation. The secondary literature has been surveyed in the languages that are familiar (Russian, English and French) or almost familiar (German) to the present author, and which are hopefully the most pertinent to the present investigation. Besides, and in order to increase the acquaintance with the text, which was the objective of all this, some archival sources were used. The analysis consists of careful chronological studies of the authors' writings and their evolution in their historical and intellectual context. As a consequence, the dissertation brings new authors to the foreground - Shaposhnikov and Yurovsky - who were traditionally confined to the substitutes' bench, because they only superficially touched the domains quoted above. In the Russian synthesis however, they played an important part of the story. As a side effect, some authors that used to play in the foreground - Dmitriev and Bortkiewicz - are relegated to the background, but are not forgotten. Besides, the dissertation refreshes the views on authors already known, such as Ziber and, especially, Tugan-Baranovsky. The ultimate objective of this dissertation is to change the opinion that one could have on "value and prices in Russian economic thought", by setting the Russian synthesis at the centre of the debates.

Book vs. fair value accounting in banking and intertemporal smoothing

The aim of this paper is to examine the pros and cons of book and fair value accounting from the perspective of the theory of banking. We consider the implications of the two accounting methods in an overlapping generations environment. As observed by Allen and Gale(1997), in an overlapping generation model, banks have a role as intergenerational connectors as they allow for intertemporal smoothing. Our main result is that when dividends depend on profits, book value ex ante dominates fair value, as it provides better intertemporal smoothing. This is in contrast with the standard view that states that, fair value yields a better allocation as it reflects the real opportunity cost of assets. Banking regulation play an important role by providing the right incentives for banks to smooth intertemporal consumption whereas market discipline improves intratemporal efficiency.

Replicative phenotyping adds value to genotypic resistance testing in heavily pre-treated HIV-infected individuals--the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Replicative phenotypic HIV resistance testing (rPRT) uses recombinant infectious virus to measure viral replication in the presence of antiretroviral drugs. Due to its high sensitivity of detection of viral minorities and its dissecting power for complex viral resistance patterns and mixed virus populations rPRT might help to improve HIV resistance diagnostics, particularly for patients with multiple drug failures. The aim was to investigate whether the addition of rPRT to genotypic resistance testing (GRT) compared to GRT alone is beneficial for obtaining a virological response in heavily pre-treated HIV-infected patients. METHODS: Patients with resistance tests between 2002 and 2006 were followed within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). We assessed patients' virological success after their antiretroviral therapy was switched following resistance testing. Multilevel logistic regression models with SHCS centre as a random effect were used to investigate the association between the type of resistance test and virological response (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL or ≥1.5 log reduction). RESULTS: Of 1158 individuals with resistance tests 221 with GRT+rPRT and 937 with GRT were eligible for analysis. Overall virological response rates were 85.1% for GRT+rPRT and 81.4% for GRT. In the subgroup of patients with >2 previous failures, the odds ratio (OR) for virological response of GRT+rPRT compared to GRT was 1.45 (95% CI 1.00-2.09). Multivariate analyses indicate a significant improvement with GRT+rPRT compared to GRT alone (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.31-2.15). CONCLUSIONS: In heavily pre-treated patients rPRT-based resistance information adds benefit, contributing to a higher rate of treatment success.

When performance-approach goals predict academic achievement and when they do not: A social value approach

Research on achievement goal promotion at University has shown that performance-approach goals are perceived as a means to succeed at University (high social utility) but are not appreciated (low social desirability). We argue that such a paradox could explain why research has detected that performance-approach goals consistently predict academic grades. First-year psychology students answered a performance-approach goal scale with standard, social desirability and social utility instructions. Participants' grades were recorded at the end of the semester. Results showed that the relationship between performance-approach goals and grades was inhibited by the increase of these goals' social desirability and facilitated by the increase of their social utility, revealing that the predictive validity of performance-approach goals depend on social value.

Direct MR arthrography of the shoulder under axial traction: Feasibility study to evaluate the superior labrum-biceps tendon complex and articular cartilage.

PURPOSE: To assess the value of adding axial traction to direct MR arthrography of the shoulder, in terms of subacromial and glenohumeral joint space widths, and coverage of the superior labrum-biceps tendon complex and articular cartilage by contrast material. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients investigated by direct MR arthrography of the shoulder were prospectively included. Studies were performed with a 3 Tesla (T) unit and included a three-dimensional isotropic fat-suppressed T1-weighted gradient-recalled echo sequence, without and with axial traction (4 kg). Two radiologists independently measured the width of the subacromial, superior, and inferior glenohumeral joint spaces. They subsequently rated the amount of contrast material around the superior labrum-biceps tendon complex and between glenohumeral cartilage surfaces, using a three-point scale: 0 = no, 1 = partial, 2 = full. RESULTS: Under traction, the subacromial (Δ = 2.0 mm, P = 0.0003), superior (Δ = 0.7 mm, P = 0.0001) and inferior (Δ = 1.4 mm, P = 0.0006) glenohumeral joint space widths were all significantly increased, and both readers noted significantly more contrast material around the superior labrum-biceps tendon complex (P = 0.014), and between the superior (P = 0.001) and inferior (P = 0.025) glenohumeral cartilage surfaces. CONCLUSION: Direct MR arthrography of the shoulder under axial traction increases subacromial and glenohumeral joint space widths, and prompts better coverage of the superior labrum-biceps tendon complex and articular cartilage by contrast material. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:1228-1233. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Value of sTREM-1, procalcitonin and CRP as laboratory parameters for postmortem diagnosis of sepsis.

OBJECTIVES: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) was reported to be up-regulated in various inflammatory diseases as well as in bacterial sepsis. Increased cell-surface TREM-1 expression was also shown to result in marked plasma elevation of the soluble form of this molecule (sTREM-1) in patients with bacterial infections. In this study, we investigated sTREM-1, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in postmortem serum in a series of sepsis-related fatalities and control individuals who underwent medico-legal investigations. sTREM-1 was also measured in pericardial fluid and urine. METHODS: Two study groups were prospectively formed, a sepsis-related fatalities group and a control group. The sepsis-related fatalities group consisted of sixteen forensic autopsy cases. Eight of these had a documented clinical diagnosis of sepsis in vivo. The control group consisted of sixteen forensic autopsy cases with various causes of death. RESULTS: Postmortem serum sTREM-1 concentrations were higher in the sepsis group with a mean value of 173.6 pg/ml in septic cases and 79.2 pg/ml in control individuals. The cutoff value of 90 pg/ml provided the best sensitivity and specificity. Pericardial fluid sTREM-1 values were higher in the septic group, with a mean value of 296.7 pg/ml in septic cases and 100.9 pg/ml in control individuals. The cutoff value of 135 pg/ml provided the best sensitivity and specificity. Mean urine sTREM-1 concentration was 102.9 pg/ml in septic cases and 89.3 pg/ml in control individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Postmortem serum sTREM-1, individually considered, did not provide better sensitivity and specificity than procalcitonin in detecting sepsis. However, simultaneous assessment of procalcitonin and sTREM-1 in postmortem serum can be of help in clarifying contradictory postmortem findings. sTREM-1 determination in pericardial fluid can be an alternative to postmortem serum in those situations in which biochemical analyses are required and blood collected during autopsy proves insufficient.

Value and depreciation of mineral resources over the very long run: An empirical contrast of different methods

The paper contrasts empirically the results of alternative methods for estimating thevalue and the depreciation of mineral resources. The historical data of Mexico andVenezuela, covering the period 1920s-1980s, is used to contrast the results of severalmethods. These are the present value, the net price method, the user cost method andthe imputed income method. The paper establishes that the net price and the user costare not competing methods as such, but alternative adjustments to different scenariosof closed and open economies. The results prove that the biases of the methods, ascommonly described in the theoretical literature, only hold under the most restrictedscenario of constant rents over time. It is argued that the difference between what isexpected to happen and what actually did happen is for the most part due to a missingvariable, namely technological change. This is an important caveat to therecommendations made based on these models.