Golf destinations' brand personality: the case of the Algarve

The purpose of this research is to develop and validate a measurement scale to assess golf destinations’ brand personality and therefore to perceive the destination personality of the Algarve as a golf destination. Based on literature review on human personality, brand personality, destination brand image and marketing scales validation procedures, an initial 36 unrepeated items were the base for a survey instrument. Those items were generated from the literature, from the results of individual interviews with experts in tourism and golf in the Algarve and from promotional texts in golf- related websites. After content validation, the items were allocated into categories of attributes by a panel of expert judges. A survey was then applied to a convenient sample of 600 golf players in the Algarve, and 545 (valid) questionnaires were analysed to refine the scale. Golf players assessed the components of the relational brand personality (functional, symbolic and experiential) as well as the Algarve as a golf destination. A taxonomy of brand personality was developed and tested in the Algarve as it is recognized as one of the world best golf destination. The developed taxonomy of brand personality was assessed in two ways: 1) through the overall perception of the Algarve as a golf destination and 2) through the perception of specific attributes of the destination grouped into three main categories (functional, symbolic and experiential). Therefore, two multi-dimensional brand personality models were estimated by using structural equation modelling. Findings of this study indicate that golf players ascribe personality characteristics to destinations. The brand personality of the Algarve is translated into three main dimensions enjoyableness, distinctiveness and friendliness when tourists/golf players reveal their overall perception of the destination. The brand personality of golf destination Algarve is reflected in the dimensions reliability, hospitality, uniqueness and attractiveness when tourists assess the components of the relational brand personality. Refined scales consisting of 10 and 12 items were finally derived meeting both reliability and validity requirements. This study does not replicate Aaker’s (1997) personality dimensions and very little parallelism can be drawn with Aaker’s (1997) brand personality scale since only three items from her scale were validated in both models: friendly and cheerful, (sincerity), reliable (competence). The same is verified concerning the ‘Big-five’. The human personality traits (HPT) validated to describe golf destinations personality are only four helpful, pleasant (agreeableness), relaxed (emotional stability), and innovative (intellect or openness). As far as destination image descriptors (DID) are concerned, the items appealing, relaxed and safe were validated, while traits suggested by the interviews and website promotional texts such as calm, natural, spectacular, unique, welcoming, and the best (destination-specific traits) appear to be appropriate to describe the personality of a golf destination. The results suggest that the overall perception of the Algarve´s brand personality is described by the dimensions enjoyableness, distinctiveness and friendliness. Moreover, the relational perspective revealed that the functional attributes of the destination are described by the dimension reliablility, while the symbolic attributes are described by the dimensions hospitablility and uniqueness and finally its experiential attributes are described by the dimension attractiveness. These results show that a golf destination´s brand personality should not just be based on good golf practices. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the context of destination brand personality.

Design of neuro-fuzzy models by evolutionary and gradient-based algorithms

All systems found in nature exhibit, with different degrees, a nonlinear behavior. To emulate this behavior, classical systems identification techniques use, typically, linear models, for mathematical simplicity. Models inspired by biological principles (artificial neural networks) and linguistically motivated (fuzzy systems), due to their universal approximation property, are becoming alternatives to classical mathematical models. In systems identification, the design of this type of models is an iterative process, requiring, among other steps, the need to identify the model structure, as well as the estimation of the model parameters. This thesis addresses the applicability of gradient-basis algorithms for the parameter estimation phase, and the use of evolutionary algorithms for model structure selection, for the design of neuro-fuzzy systems, i.e., models that offer the transparency property found in fuzzy systems, but use, for their design, algorithms introduced in the context of neural networks. A new methodology, based on the minimization of the integral of the error, and exploiting the parameter separability property typically found in neuro-fuzzy systems, is proposed for parameter estimation. A recent evolutionary technique (bacterial algorithms), based on the natural phenomenon of microbial evolution, is combined with genetic programming, and the resulting algorithm, bacterial programming, advocated for structure determination. Different versions of this evolutionary technique are combined with gradient-based algorithms, solving problems found in fuzzy and neuro-fuzzy design, namely incorporation of a-priori knowledge, gradient algorithms initialization and model complexity reduction.

Otimização da fragmentação e dos processos de fixação na reprodução assexuada do coral mole Sarcophyton sp.

Dissertação de mestrado, Aquacultura e Pescas (Aquacultura), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

The impact of the Arrábida Marine Park (Portugal) on the decapod crustacean Eualus cranchii: a case study

Dissertação de mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Univerisdade do Algarve, 2015

Importância da informação no controlo da Diabetes Mellitus: estudo caso numa farmácia comunitária

Dissertação de mestrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Síntese de trioxolanos e avaliação da sua atividade antiparasitária em Leishmania donovani e Toxoplasma gondii

Dissertação de mestrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Tarefas matemáticas em diferentes contextos escolares

Dissertação de mestrado, Ensino da Matemática no 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e Ensino Secundário, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

A influência da batimetria no regime de impacte de tempestades. Estudo de um caso prático com recurso a SIG

Dissertação de Mestrado, Geomática – Ramo de Ciências da Informação Geográfica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Settlement patterns of mussel recruits at different temporal scales in the Peniche-Berlengas area (Southwest Portugal)

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Drug repurposing in the treatment of Melanoma Brain Metastasis

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biologia Molecular e Microbiana, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Produção científica em língua portuguesa: padrão de citação e avaliação dos indicadores de citação actuais de revistas biomédicas de língua portuguesa

Apesar da língua portuguesa ser utilizada por mais de 240 milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo, a sua presença no domínio das ciências biomédicas é mais fraca do que o expectável [1, 2]. A comunicação da ciência faz-se através da publicação em revistas científicas principalmente das que são indexadas em fontes secundárias (bases de dados científicas), pois esta será a forma destes periódicos ganharem visibilidade. As fontes secundárias têm um processo de selecção de revistas muito rigoroso e existem diversos viéses resultantes desse processo, nomeadamente geográficos e idiomáticos. De acordo com os critérios de seleção de revistas para indexação em bases de dados internacionais, um dos requisitos para a indexação de uma revista é o seu elevado número de citações. Estudos anteriores permitem perceber que revistas em português não têm grande visibilidade (não são indexadas), porque raramente são citadas, mas revistas em português raramente são citadas, porque não são visíveis (não são indexadas) [3-8]. Com este trabalho pretende-se compreender qual o padrão de citação atual de revistas biomédicas de língua portuguesa, tendo-se identificado alguns periódicos biomédicos, de origem brasileira e portuguesa, nas áreas da cirurgia, medicina clínica, enfermagem, ginecologia e obstetrícia e saúde pública. Assim apresentam-se já alguns resultados preliminares do estudo efetuado.

Impacto do recurso a problemáticas ambientais em contexto de atividades investigativas nas aprendizagens : um estudo com alunos do 8.º ano na temática das perturbações no equilíbrio dos ecossistemas

Relatório da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, Ensino da Biologia e Geologia, Universidade de Lisboa, 2013

Using genomics for drug discovery in medulloblastoma

Tese de doutoramento, Medicina (Neurocirurgia), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2014

How hydrogen peroxide and CXCL8 modulate neutrophil recruitment "in vivo"

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências Biomédicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2014

Colonoscopia virtual e DNA fecal : estudo de viabilidade como testes de rastreio do cancro colorretal

Tese de doutoramento, Cirurgia Geral (Medicina), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2014