An agent-based evolutionary approach for manufacturing system layout design

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Health care marketing: the theory of planned behavior applied to patients' choise between private and public providers in the portuguese health care system.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Master in Statistics and Information Management.

Depositions of rulers in the later middle ages: on the theory of th "useless ruler" and its practical utilization

pp. 157-168

Discrete fractional order system vibrations

A theory of free vibrations of discrete fractional order (FO) systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom (dof) is developed. A FO system with a finite number of dof is defined by means of three matrices: mass inertia, system rigidity and FO elements. By adopting a matrix formulation, a mathematical description of FO discrete system free vibrations is determined in the form of coupled fractional order differential equations (FODE). The corresponding solutions in analytical form, for the special case of the matrix of FO properties elements, are determined and expressed as a polynomial series along time. For the eigen characteristic numbers, the system eigen main coordinates and the independent eigen FO modes are determined. A generalized function of visoelastic creep FO dissipation of energy and generalized forces of system with no ideal visoelastic creep FO dissipation of energy for generalized coordinates are formulated. Extended Lagrange FODE of second kind, for FO system dynamics, are also introduced. Two examples of FO chain systems are analyzed and the corresponding eigen characteristic numbers determined. It is shown that the oscillatory phenomena of a FO mechanical chain have analogies to electrical FO circuits. A FO electrical resistor is introduced and its constitutive voltage–current is formulated. Also a function of thermal energy FO dissipation of a FO electrical relation is discussed.

“The past is a foreign country”? Acculturation theory and the anthropology of globalization

Etnográfica, 15 (2): 313-336

Coalition of distributed generation units to Virtual Power Players - a game theory approach

Smart Grids (SGs) have emerged as the new paradigm for power system operation and management, being designed to include large amounts of distributed energy resources. This new paradigm requires new Energy Resource Management (ERM) methodologies considering different operation strategies and the existence of new management players such as several types of aggregators. This paper proposes a methodology to facilitate the coalition between distributed generation units originating Virtual Power Players (VPP) considering a game theory approach. The proposed approach consists in the analysis of the classifications that were attributed by each VPP to the distributed generation units, as well as in the analysis of the previous established contracts by each player. The proposed classification model is based in fourteen parameters including technical, economical and behavioural ones. Depending of the VPP strategies, size and goals, each parameter has different importance. VPP can also manage other type of energy resources, like storage units, electric vehicles, demand response programs or even parts of the MV and LV distribution network. A case study with twelve VPPs with different characteristics and one hundred and fifty real distributed generation units is included in the paper.

Decision Support for Energy Contracts Negotiation with Game Theory and Adaptive Learning

This paper presents a decision support methodology for electricity market players’ bilateral contract negotiations. The proposed model is based on the application of game theory, using artificial intelligence to enhance decision support method’s adaptive features. This model is integrated in AiD-EM (Adaptive Decision Support for Electricity Markets Negotiations), a multi-agent system that provides electricity market players with strategic behavior capabilities to improve their outcomes from energy contracts’ negotiations. Although a diversity of tools that enable the study and simulation of electricity markets has emerged during the past few years, these are mostly directed to the analysis of market models and power systems’ technical constraints, making them suitable tools to support decisions of market operators and regulators. However, the equally important support of market negotiating players’ decisions is being highly neglected. The proposed model contributes to overcome the existing gap concerning effective and realistic decision support for electricity market negotiating entities. The proposed method is validated by realistic electricity market simulations using real data from the Iberian market operator—MIBEL. Results show that the proposed adaptive decision support features enable electricity market players to improve their outcomes from bilateral contracts’ negotiations.

O contrato psicológico na expatriação

Nos últimos anos, o número de expatriados tem apresentado uma tendência de crescimento a nível mundial. Desta forma, a gestão de expatriados, que integra o subsistema da gestão internacional de recursos humanos, passa a ter uma atenção renovada e tem vindo a crescer enquanto área de intervenção de gestão de recursos humanos. Por sua vez, o contrato psicológico tem sido visto, cada vez mais, como um fator relevante na explicação das relações laborais e o número de estudos em torno desta temática tem aumentado. O sucesso da expatriação é diretamente influenciado pelo contrato psicológico e depende, em grande parte, da forma como são desenvolvidas as práticas de GRH (Homem & Tolfo, 2008). Desta forma, é essencial compreender a reação dos trabalhadores perante a mudança (Bligh & Carsten, 2005; Shield, Thorpe, & Nelson, 2002), uma vez que o comportamento de resposta aos mesmos pode ser um contributo para marcar a diferença decisiva entre o sucesso ou o fracasso da missão internacional. Neste mesmo contexto, assiste-se a uma crescente atenção sobre o contributo que o Contrato Psicológico pode ter em contextos de incerteza. O individuo, enquanto trabalhador de uma organização que decide aceitar uma missão internacional e ir viver para outro país, tem necessidade de se enquadrar num relacionamento contínuo e motivador com a entidade empregadora. A noção do contrato psicológico torna-se fundamental para o entendimento das relações de trabalho, a partir das perceções das pessoas envolvidas. Muitos dos aspetos destes relacionamentos são implícitos (não escritos) o que pode provocar diferentes interpretações sobre as expectativas, promessas e obrigações entre partes. Vários autores defendem que o contrato psicológico é um meio fundamental na compreensão e gestão das atitudes e comportamentos dos indivíduos nas organizações (Bunderson, 2001; Kraimer, Wayne, Liden, & Sparrow, 2005; Lemire & Rouillard, 2005). O objetivo deste trabalho é conhecer o estado do contrato psicológico nos expatriados: antes da missão, após a fase de adaptação ao país de destino e na repatriação. Foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa e para tal, foi aplicada uma entrevista individual semiestruturada e um questionário sociográfico às pessoas que se encontravam, à data, expatriadas. No total foram realizadas dez entrevistas e a análise das entrevistas foi efetuada através da Grounded Theory. Os resultados sugerem que há apenas cumprimento do contrato psicológico na fase da preparação da missão internacional, havendo, por outro lado, incumprimento do contrato psicológico durante a expatriação e na repatriação, de acordo com a perceção que os expatriados têm acerca do fim da expatriação. No entanto, a maioria dos expatriados entrevistados avalia positivamente a experiência da expatriação, apesar de as organizações parecerem ter apenas algumas regras estabelecidas de suporte ao expatriado, nomeadamente suporte logístico e financeiro, e não disporem de um programa completo e aprofundado de suporte à gestão da expatriação. Os resultados sugerem ainda que é essencial que as organizações estimulem a comunicação com os expatriados e fomentem o suporte que deve ser constante e intrínseco a todas as fases da expatriação, a fim de evitar a sensação de “abandono”.

Fiscal decentralisation and economic theory

There is no complete overview or discussion of the literature of the economics of federalism and fiscal decentralization, even though scholarly interest in the topic has been increasing significantly over recent years. This paper provides a general, brief but comprehensive overview of the main insights from the literature on fiscal federalism and decentralization. In doing so, literature on fiscal federalism and decentralization is grouped into two main approaches: “first generation of theories” and “second generation of theories”.

FALSE-NEGATIVE DENGUE CASES IN RORAIMA, BRAZIL: AN APPROACH REGARDING THE HIGH NUMBER OF NEGATIVE RESULTS BY NS1 AG KITS

Serum samples from 150 NS1-negative (Platelia ELISA) patients presumptively diagnosed with dengue were analyzed by the TaqMan probed real-time reverse transcription PCR (TaqMan qRT-PCR) method. The qRT-PCR positive samples were tested for serotype by semi-nested RT-PCR and a qualitative immunochromatographic assay for IgG and IgM. Molecular detection methods showed 33 (22%) positive samples out of 150 NS1-antigen negative samples. Of these, 72% were collected up to day 2 after the onset of symptoms, when diagnostic sensitivity of NS1-antigen test assays is significantly enhanced. Most of the cases were not characterized as secondary infection. Twenty-eight samples were successfully serotyped, 75% of which for DENV-4, 14% for DENV-2, 7% for DENV-3 and 4% for DENV-1. These findings reaffirm the hyperendemic situation of the state of Roraima and suggest a lower sensitivity of the NS1 test, mainly when DENV-4 is the predominant serotype. Health care providers should therefore be aware of samples tested negative by NS1 antigen assays, especially when clinical symptoms and other laboratory data results show evidence of dengue infection.

Regulation of PLK4 levels and activity to ensure centriole number control

Dissertation presented to obtain a Ph.D degree in Cellular Biology

Modelling resilience in supply chain

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Industrial

O contributo de Julián Marías para uma teoria da filosofia aplicada à questão da felicidade

Tese apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de doutor em filosofia

Understanding the internet banking adoption by Portuguese customers - a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and perceived risk application.

Trabalho de Projeto apresentado como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação