Do Migrants Send Remittances as a Way of Self-Insurance?

How do risk preferences affect migrant remittance behaviour? Examination of this relationship has only begun to be explored. Using a tailored representative survey of 1500 immigrants in the Greater Dublin Area, Ireland, we find a positive and significant relationship between risk aversion and migrant remittances. Risk-averse individuals are more likely to send remittances home and are, on average, likely to remit a higher amount, after controlling for a broad range of individual and group characteristics. The evidence we obtain is consistent with a “purchase of self-insurance” motive to remit in that we also find support for more remittances being sent by risk-averse immigrants who face higher wage risks and to individuals with more financial resources.

Resilience of logistic service providers facing a port strike: a case study

The purpose of this thesis is to study the impact of a port strike on companies that perform as logistic service providers in a supply chain (SC), here denominated 3PL (third-party logistic providers). These companies are highly dependent on ports to perform their activity, since they provide international services. Consequently, a disruption in a port can seriously impair their business. A stevedores’ strike is one of the possible disruptions that can affect ports. This study aims to analyze the negative effects caused by this disruption, and what strategies 3PLs may implement in order to keep their performance levels stable and have a quick recovery time. Within this objective, the first step will be to establish a theoretical context about the maritime port’s sector and 3PLs in a SC context, to then expand the concept of a resilient SC, and finally to develop a theoretical framework in order to better contextualize the case study. Subsequently, the impact of a port strike will be quantified by using a case study comprising three companies, covering the areas of land and sea distribution and port operations. Information from primary sources was assembled in two phases: first via e-mail and, in a second phase, through a personal interview. The information from secondary sources was obtained through television news, internet and conferences, enabling its cross-analysis. Finally, by analyzing the collected data, it will be possible to draw conclusions about the measures carried out by each company to minimize the negative effects of the strike, thus contributing to a more resilient SC. As a conclusion, a stevedores’ strike will create a snow-ball of negative effects in the SC, degrading all relevant KPIs (key performance indicators) of the 3PLs under study. No mitigation and contingency strategies available proved really effective to reduce the negative effects of a port strike disruption.

Application of NMR RDC’s, relaxation and self-diffusion for the study of dynamic processes of small molecules in solution

Spin-lattice Relaxation, self-Diffusion coefficients and Residual Dipolar Couplings (RDC’s) are the basis of well established Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques for the physicochemical study of small molecules (typically organic compounds and natural products with MW < 1000 Da), as they proved to be a powerful and complementary source of information about structural dynamic processes in solution. The work developed in this thesis consists in the application of the earlier-mentioned NMR techniques to explore, analyze and systematize patterns of the molecular dynamic behavior of selected small molecules in particular experimental conditions. Two systems were chosen to investigate molecular dynamic behavior by these techniques: the dynamics of ion-pair formation and ion interaction in ionic liquids (IL) and the dynamics of molecular reorientation when molecules are placed in oriented phases (alignment media). The application of NMR spin-lattice relaxation and self-diffusion measurements was applied to study the rotational and translational molecular dynamics of the IL: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIM][BF4]. The study of the cation-anion dynamics in neat and IL-water mixtures was systematically investigated by a combination of multinuclear NMR relaxation techniques with diffusion data (using by H1, C13 and F19 NMR spectroscopy). Spin-lattice relaxation time (T1), self-diffusion coefficients and nuclear Overhauser effect experiments were combined to determine the conditions that favor the formation of long lived [BMIM][BF4] ion-pairs in water. For this purpose and using the self-diffusion coefficients of cation and anion as a probe, different IL-water compositions were screened (from neat IL to infinite dilution) to find the conditions where both cation and anion present equal diffusion coefficients (8% water fraction at 25 ºC). This condition as well as the neat IL and the infinite dilution were then further studied by 13C NMR relaxation in order to determine correlation times (c) for the molecular reorientational motion using a mathematical iterative procedure and experimental data obtained in a temperature range between 273 and 353 K. The behavior of self-diffusion and relaxation data obtained in our experiments point at the combining parameters of molar fraction 8 % and temperature 298 K as the most favorable condition for the formation of long lived ion-pairs. When molecules are subjected to soft anisotropic motion by being placed in some special media, Residual Dipolar Couplings (RDCs), can be measured, because of the partial alignment induced by this media. RDCs are emerging as a powerful routine tool employed in conformational analysis, as it complements and even outperforms the approaches based on the classical NMR NOE or J3 couplings. In this work, three different alignment media have been characterized and evaluated in terms of integrity using 2H and 1H 1D-NMR spectroscopy, namely the stretched and compressed gel PMMA, and the lyotropic liquid crystals CpCl/n-hexanol/brine and cromolyn/water. The influence that different media and degrees of alignment have on the dynamic properties of several molecules was explored. Different sized sugars were used and their self-diffusion was determined as well as conformation features using RDCs. The results obtained indicate that no influence is felt by the small molecules diffusion and conformational features studied within the alignment degree range studied, which was the 3, 5 and 6 % CpCl/n-hexanol/brine for diffusion, and 5 and 7.5 % CpCl/n-hexanol/brine for conformation. It was also possible to determine that the small molecules diffusion verified in the alignment media presented close values to the ones observed in water, reinforcing the idea of no conditioning of molecular properties in such media.

Achieving better service level results, through improvements in procedures

This project aims to prepare Worten Empresas (WE) fulfilling the increasing market demand through process changings, focusing on the Portuguese market, particularly on internal B2B clients1. Several methods were used to measure the current service level provided - process mapping, resources assessment, benchmark and a survey. The results were then used to compare against service level actually desired by WE’s customer, and then to identify the performance gaps in response times and quality of the follow-up during the sales process. To bridge the identified gaps, both a set of recommendations and an implementation plan were suggested to improve and monitor customer experience. This study concluded that it is possible to fulfill the increasing level of demand and at the same time improve customer satisfaction by implementing changes at the operations level.

Tuberculosis incidence and risk factors among patients living with HIV/AIDS in public health service institutions in Brasilia, Federal District

In order to estimate the incidence of and risk factors for developing tuberculosis, the clinical charts of a retrospective cohort of 281 HIV-positive adults, who were notified to the AIDS Program of the Health Department of Brasilia in 1998, were reviewed in 2003. All the patients were treatment-naive regarding antiretroviral therapy at the time of inclusion in the cohort. Twenty-nine patients were identified as having tuberculosis at the start of the study. Thirteen incident tuberculosis cases were identified during the 60 months of follow-up, with an incidence density rate of 1.24/100 person-years. Tuberculosis incidence was highest among patients with baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts < 200 cells/µl who were not using antiretroviral therapy (incidence = 5.47; 95% CI = 2.73 to 10.94). Multivariate analysis showed that baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts < 200 cells/µl (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 5.09; 95% CI = 1.27 to 20.37; p = 0.02) and non-use of antiretroviral therapy (AHR = 12.17; 95% CI = 2.6 to 56.90; p = 0.001) were independently associated with increased risk of tuberculosis.

State detection in a financial portfolio: a self-organizing maps approach for financial time series

This study analyses financial data using the result characterization of a self-organized neural network model. The goal was prototyping a tool that may help an economist or a market analyst to analyse stock market series. To reach this goal, the tool shows economic dependencies and statistics measures over stock market series. The neural network SOM (self-organizing maps) model was used to ex-tract behavioural patterns of the data analysed. Based on this model, it was de-veloped an application to analyse financial data. This application uses a portfo-lio of correlated markets or inverse-correlated markets as input. After the anal-ysis with SOM, the result is represented by micro clusters that are organized by its behaviour tendency. During the study appeared the need of a better analysis for SOM algo-rithm results. This problem was solved with a cluster solution technique, which groups the micro clusters from SOM U-Matrix analyses. The study showed that the correlation and inverse-correlation markets projects multiple clusters of data. These clusters represent multiple trend states that may be useful for technical professionals.

Grau de dependência e grau de ajuda em idosos em serviço de apoio domiciliário: perspectivas do idoso, do ajudante familiar e do fisioterapeuta

RESUMO:O envelhecimento e a preocupação com a dependência da população idosa é uma prioridade social. A permanência em casa onde se encontram todas as referências é importante em diversos aspectos, nomeadamente para uma maior independência. Quando a dependência surge, o Serviço de Apoio Domiciliário (SAD) é um dos serviços sociais a que se pode recorrer. Numa análise dos serviços de SAD nas vertentes de legislação, instituições, cuidadores e utentes, não são relacionados o grau de dependência e a atribuição da ajuda, o que parece pertinente para equacionar as necessidades das pessoas idosas em SAD. Nesse sentido, este estudo teve como objectivo verificar a percepção dos utentes de SAD do grau de dependência e do grau de ajuda na realização de taferas de auto-cuidado e mobilidade, avaliados pelo próprio idoso, pelo ajudante familiar e pelo fisioterapeuta. O presente estudo, transversal (Agosto 2013 – Abril 2014), de natureza quantitativa e qualitativa, e abordagem descritiva, observacional e correlacional, avaliou uma amostra de 51 idosos do SAD da Amadora, dos quais 80,4% eram mulheres, com média de idade de 82,4 anos (dp 6,81), principalmente viúvas, com escolaridade primária incompleta ou completa, orientada no tempo e no espaço, e com estado emocional por si considerado razoável. A investigadora, fisioterapeuta de formação, inquiriu idosos e ajudantes familiares que cuidavam dos mesmos, para recolher as suas opiniões sobre o grau de dependência e o respectivo grau de ajuda, observou o meio envolvente dos idosos, e recolheu comentários dos participantes. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um grau de dependência relacionado com a necessidade de meios e um grau de ajuda que indica ajuda de conveniência. Para a sua análise foram avaliadas tarefas de auto-cuidado e mobilidade, cuja relação foi comprovada estatisticamente. As opiniões dos intervenientes sobre a realização das tarefas e sobre o grau de dependência são parcialmente diferentes, sendo mais sobreponíveis em relação ao grau de ajuda necessária. A analise da correlação entre o grau de dependência e o grau de ajuda indica-nos que quanto maior o grau de dependência maior é o grau de ajuda. Ou seja, que a ajuda prestada nas situações de maior dependência era realmente necessária, mas também, que a ajuda prestada nas situações de menor dependência não era realmente necessária, sendo neste trabalho designada de ajuda de conveniência.------------ABSTRACT: Aging and concern about the dependence of the elderly population is a social priority. The ability to stay at home where all the references are, is important in several aspects, in particular for a greater independence. When the dependency arises, the Home Support Service (SAD in short for the portuguese "Serviço de Apoio Domiciliário") is a social service that can be appealed to. In an analysis of the SAD services in the areas of legislation, institutions, caregivers and users, the degree of dependence and aid allocation are not related, which seems relevant to equate the needs of older people in SAD. Thus, this study aimed to verify the perception of users of SAD towards the degree of dependency and the degree of help in the realization of self-care and mobility, valued by the user, the home support workers and the physiotherapist. This cross-sectional study (August 2013 - April 2014), of quantitative and qualitative nature, taking a descriptive approach, observational and correlational, assessed a sample of 51 elderly of SAD from Amadora, of which 80.4% were women, with an age average of 82.4 years (SD 6.81), mainly widows with incomplete or complete primary schooling, oriented in time and space, and emotional state by itself considered reasonable. The researcher, physiotherapist by training, inquired elderly and the home support workers who cared for them, to gather their opinions on the degree of dependency and the degree of the help provided, while observing the surrounding environment of the elderly. The results point to a degree related to the need for resources and a degree of help pointing towards a high level of convenience. For its analysis tasks of self-care and mobility were evaluated, whose relationship was confirmed statistically. The views of stakeholders on the realization of the tasks and on the degree of dependence are partly different, being more overlapping in the degree of help needed. The analysis of the correlation between the degree of dependency and the degree of help tells us that the greater the degree of dependence is, the greatest degree of help becomes. Which, that the help provided in situations of increased dependence was really needed, but also that the help provided in situations of reduced dependence was not really necessary, being designated in this work help of convenience.

A built-in self-test technique for high speed analog-to-digital converters

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PhD grant (SFRH/BD/62568/2009)

Teleoperation of a service robot using a mobile device

Teleoperation is a concept born with the rapid evolution of technology, with an intuitive meaning "operate at a distance." The first teleoperation system was created in the mid 1950s, which were handled chemicals. Remote controlled systems are present nowadays in various types of applications. This dissertation presents the development of a mobile application to perform the teleoperation of a mobile service robot. The application integrates a distributed surveillance (the result of a research project QREN) and led to the development of a communication interface between the robot (the result of another QREN project) and the vigilance system. It was necessary to specify a communication protocol between the two systems, which was implemented over a communication framework 0MQ (Zero Message Queue). For the testing, three prototype applications were developed before to perform the test on the robot.

Desigualdades socioeconómicas na utilização de cuidados de saúde na população com 65 ou mais anos de idade em Portugal : dados do 4.º Inquérito Nacional de Saúde 2005-2006

RESUMO - INTRODUÇÃO: A equidade em cuidados de saúde constitui uma prioridade das políticas de saúde, tendo vários estudos descrito uma iniquidade que geralmente favorece os indivíduos com maior rendimento e nível educacional. Este estudo visa caracterizar as desigualdades socioeconómicas na utilização de cuidados de saúde na população com 65 ou mais anos de idade, dadas as suas características, maior vulnerabilidade e crescente peso demográfico na população. METODOLOGIA: Através de dados do INS, procedeu-se à análise univariada e multivariada por regressão linear múltipla para avaliação das desigualdades socioeconómicas na utilização de cuidados de saúde em 8698 indivíduos. RESULTADOS: Identifica-se um padrão de desigualdade na utilização de cuidados de saúde – indivíduos com maior rendimento e nível de escolaridade utilizam em média mais consultas de especialidade; ocorrendo o inverso nas consultas de CSP. Com ajustamento pela necessidade, através do estado de saúde auto-reportado, observa-se um padrão de iniquidade no sexo masculino relativamente às consultas em geral e consultas de CSP. DISCUSSÃO E CONCLUSÕES: A iniquidade na utilização de cuidados de saúde, apesar de não constituir a única causa, pode determinar maior iniquidade em saúde, pelo que é relevante o seu estudo. Os resultados alcançados podem ser justificados pelas características do SNS, assim como pelas isenções de taxas moderadoras, rede social, outros indicadores económicos, ou ainda pelo próprio contexto de vida do individuo. Torna-se fundamental prosseguir a investigação acerca da equidade, assim como promover uma ampla reflexão sobre os desafios futuros do sistema de saúde, que permitam preservar a sua sustentabilidade e princípios fundadores.

The role of qualitative data and systems thinking in addressing service decline in market towns

Retail services are a main contributor to municipal budget and are an activity that affects perceived quality-of-life, especially for those with mobility difficulties (e.g. the elderly, low income citizens). However, there is evidence of a decline in some of the services market towns provide to their citizens. In market towns, this decline has been reported all over the western world, from North America to Australia. The aim of this research was to understand retail decline and enlighten on some ways of addressing this decline, using a case study, Thornbury, a small town in the Southwest of England. Data collected came from two participatory approaches: photo-surveys and multicriteria mapping. The interpretation of data came from using participants as analysts, but also, using systems thinking (systems diagramming and social trap theory) for theory building. This research moves away from mainstream economic and town planning perspectives by making use of different methods and concepts used in anthropology and visual sociology (photo-surveys), decision-making and ecological economics (multicriteria mapping and social trap theory). In sum, this research has experimented with different methods, out of their context, to analyse retail decline in a small town. This research developed a conceptual model for retail decline and identified the existence of conflicting goals and interests and their implications for retail decline, as well as causes for these. Most of the potential causes have had little attention in the literature. This research also identified that some of the measures commonly used for dealing with retail decline may be contributing to the causes of retail decline itself. Additionally, this research reviewed some of the measures that can be used to deal with retail decline, implications for policy-making and reflected on the use of the data collection and analysis methods in the context of small to medium towns.

AGNI: an API for the control of automomous service robots

With the continuum growth of Internet connected devices, the scalability of the protocols used for communication between them is facing a new set of challenges. In robotics these communications protocols are an essential element, and must be able to accomplish with the desired communication. In a context of a multi-­‐‑agent platform, the main types of Internet communication protocols used in robotics, mission planning and task allocation problems will be revised. It will be defined how to represent a message and how to cope with their transport between devices in a distributed environment, reviewing all the layers of the messaging process. A review of the ROS platform is also presented with the intent of integrating the already existing communication protocols with the ServRobot, a mobile autonomous robot, and the DVA, a distributed autonomous surveillance system. This is done with the objective of assigning missions to ServRobot in a security context.

Context classification for service robots

This dissertation presents a solution for environment sensing using sensor fusion techniques and a context/environment classification of the surroundings in a service robot, so it could change his behavior according to the different rea-soning outputs. As an example, if a robot knows he is outdoors, in a field environment, there can be a sandy ground, in which it should slow down. Contrariwise in indoor environments, that situation is statistically unlikely to happen (sandy ground). This simple assumption denotes the importance of context-aware in automated guided vehicles.

Methodological framework for detection of harmonisation breaking in service environments

As the complexity of markets and the dynamicity of systems evolve, the need for interoperable systems capable of strengthening enterprise communication effectiveness increases. This is particularly significant when it comes to collaborative enterprise networks, like manufacturing supply chains, where several companies work, communicate, and depend on each other, in order to achieve a specific goal. Once interoperability is achieved, that is once all network parties are able to communicate with and understand each other, organisations are able to exchange information along a stable environment that follows agreed laws. However, as markets adapt to new requirements and demands, an evolutionary behaviour is triggered giving space to interoperability problems, thus disrupting the sustainability of interoperability and raising the need to develop monitoring activities capable of detecting and preventing unexpected behaviour. This work seeks to contribute to the development of monitoring techniques for interoperable SOA-based enterprise networks. It focuses on the automatic detection of harmonisation breaking events during real-time communications, and strives to develop and propose a methodological approach to handle these disruptions with minimal or no human intervention, hence providing existing service-based networks with the ability to detect and promptly react to interoperability issues.

Self-initiation expatriation: A focus on Italian and Portuguese students

The purpose of this work project is to analyze the phenomenon of self-initiated expatriation (SIE) through its link to the Protean Career and Career Capital theories, focusing in particular on Italian and Portuguese students attending a Master in the business area. The main research questions are to understand the reasons driving the intention to expatriate, after the conclusion of the academic path, using three main categories (Adventure Motivation, Work Characteristic Motivation and instrumental Motivation) and the intention to repatriate. A sample of Italian and Portuguese students was obtained. Italians show a higher intention to expatriate relative to Portuguese; nevertheless, no other significant differences were found among the two populations, because of the similar cultural background and economic situation. Additionally, several heterogeneities were observed considering other clusters defined by Gender, Teaching Language of the Master and Past International Experiences, across the two nationalities. Furthermore, possible future researches and practical implications were discussed.