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Internationalization of UniqueMark®: scaling innovation through a licensing model – internal optimization for scalable growth
No full textThe internationalization of the UniqueMark® project study was supported by a comprehensive
analysis of market opportunities within the jewelry industry and an in-depth evaluation of
Contrastaria’s internal capabilities to scale this innovative solution globally. The project
included the creation of a model to select the three most suitable countries for technology
expansion, the interpretation of consumer surveys, and interviews with the Assay Offices of the
countries under consideration. Drawing on their specific characteristics and leveraging
combined academic and industry expertise to strengthen customer engagement and market
positioning, six licensing models were designed, accompanied by comprehensive
recommendations for their implementation
Measuring market concentration in the luxury sector
No full textThis study examines whether M&A drives excessive concentration in the luxury sector
compared to the technology sector, using a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) methodology.
Metrics such as the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and Concentration Ratios (CR) are
analyzed for the top 100 firms in both sectors (2019–2023). Results show M&A has no
significant impact on overall concentration (HHI), but CR4 indicates increased dominance of
top luxury firms. Findings highlight the strategic nature of M&A in luxury, offering insights
for industry stakeholders and policymakers
Business in practice: a challenging road ahead at Nova
No full textThe automotive industry is constantly evolving, requiring exceptional agility from the
management of car companies. This paper analyses the performance of NOVA, a car company
active in the Business In Practice simulation. It presents a data-driven evaluation of the
Strategy, Operations and Finance department of NOVA, complemented with insights into
sustainability. Challenges, such as underutilized factories and high costs will be discussed. The
paper also includes a personal reflection on two critical incidents, which give insight into the
importance of team commitment, trust and self-efficacy. Overall, the thesis integrates company
performance with reflective lessons on personal development
Shaping future motorsports: assessing the transferability of strategic elements from formula 1 to formula E and identifying opportunities for differentiation - brand analysis
No full textIn a context of rapidly evolving automotive technologies, this thesis explores a strategic
alignment and transferability between Formula 1 and Formula E. By conducting a
comprehensive investigation applying strategic frameworks such as SWOT and PESTEL
analyses, as well as extensive primary research through questionnaires and expert interviews,
the relevant strategic levers proposed by Formula E (Core Product, Fan Growth and Brand
Perception) are independently verified. The findings contribute insights into the sustainable
development of motorsport industries by providing an objective validation of Formula E's
strategic outlook and a roadmap for future strategic directions towards the competitive
landscape
Assessing the use of an outcome-based contract (SIB) for financing an intervention model that aims to prevent the unnecessary displacement of young children
No full textThe high rate of foster care placement in Flanders demonstrates the need for more effective
preventive social interventions and policies. Social impact bonds are increasingly innovative
tools to unlock financial capital to finance such interventions. This work project evaluates
whether a social impact bond is a suitable tool to finance and implement an intervention model,
Voorzorg, an early-child prevention program for young mothers and children at risk. The
outcomes of the research show the significant economic and social value of this outcome-based
contract for the implementation of Voorzorg in Belgium
Literacia em Saúde COVID-19 e Meios de Comunicação: um estudo em Mindelo, Cabo Verde
No full textRESUMO - Introdução: A Pandemia COVID-19 apelou às populações para adquirem e/ou aplicarem informações de saúde de forma rápida e para adaptarem os seus comportamentos num ritmo acelerado, o que aumentou significativamente a exigência de literacia em saúde da população.
A literacia em saúde trata-se da capacidade da pessoa para aceder, compreender, avaliar e aplicar informação em saúde, por forma a promover e a manter uma boa saúde.
A comunicação desempenha um papel crucial na área da saúde, e a pandemia global que vivenciamos recentemente ressalta ainda mais sua importância, durante esse período desafiador, se mostrou essencial para a disseminação de informações precisas e confiáveis sobre a doença, medidas preventivas e orientações médicas, através de meios de comunicação.
Objetivos: O objetivo geral, avaliar o nível de literacia em saúde sobre COVID-19 da população residente em Mindelo, bem como avaliar a relação entre o nível de literacia em saúde COVID-19 e os meios de comunicação utilizados para obter informações.
Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativa, na Cidade Mindelo, com uma amostra de 400 indivíduos. Para avaliar a literacia em saúde COVID-19 foi aplicado o questionário HLS-COVID-Q22, que passou por um processo de adaptação transcultural.
Resultados: O meio comunicação mais utilizado foi as redes sociais generalistas, a amostra, 70,3% apresentou um nível suficiente em literacia em saúde COVID-19. No entanto, a subescala “avaliar” tem menores pontuações médias.
Discussão:Certos resultados encontrados, foram comparáveis com outros estudos feitos anteriormente, em outros países.ABSTRACT - Introduction: The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought to the population the need to acquire and/or apply health information quickly and to adapt their behaviors at an accelerated pace, which significantly increased the population's demand for health literacy.
Health literacy is a person's ability to access, understand, evaluate and apply health information in order to promote and maintain good health.
Communication plays a crucial role in healthcare, and the global pandemic we have recently experienced further highlights its importance. During this challenging period, it has proven essential for the dissemination of accurate and reliable information about the disease, preventative measures and medical guidance, through media.
Objectives: The general objective was to evaluate the level of health literacy of Mindelo residents about COVID-19, as well as to evaluate the relationship between the level of COVID-19 health literacy and the means of communication used to obtain information.
Methodology: This is a quantitative study, which took place in Cape Verde, in Mindelo City, with a sample of 400 individuals. To assess COVID-19 health literacy, the HLS-COVID-Q22 questionnaire was applied, which underwent a cross-cultural adaptation process.
Results: The most used means of communication was generalist social networks, and the sample presented, 70,3% a sufficient level of COVID-19 health literacy. However, the “evaluate” subscale had lower mean scores.
Discussion: Some results found were like other studies previously carried out in other countries
Proteomics study of malignant and non-malignant pleural effusion and their effect on healthy donor immune cells
No full textAbstract: Pleural effusion (PE) is a common complication in advanced-stage lung cancer patients but can also occur in other chronic diseases. Identification of cancer cells is the standard approach for the diagnosis of a malignant PE (MPE) with moderate sensitivity. Thus, more sensitive diagnostic tools are urgently needed. In a cohort study, we investigated potential protein diagnostic biomarkers by proteomics analysis to distinguish MPE from other non malignant pathologies. MPE in lung cancer can be distinguished from non-malignant cases by mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis. Functional analyses of protein expression in MPE compared with benign PE identified the involvement of metabolic pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and extracellular-related pathways. In the following step, we investigated the impact of MPE on immune cells, given that the pleural fluid is in proximity to the tumor microenvironment. Accordingly, the impact of three types of pleural fluid on the viability, cytotoxicity, immunophenotype, and proteomics alteration of peripheral blood immune cells, was examined. Findings indicated that MPE has cytotoxic effects on immune cells and reduced their viability. Proteomics analysis revealed distinct proteome profiles in immune cells after treatment with different types of pleural fluid, highlighting the up-regulation of proteins associated with cell death and vesicle-related pathways. Moreover, the regulatory role of extracellular vesicles derived from lung cancer cells was tested to explore their effects on peripheral immune cells, utilizing proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses. Exposure of immune cells with tumor-derived extracellular vesicles displayed phosphorylation changes in vitro condition, which were confirmed with immunoblotting analysis. The results are expected to offer insights into the proteome communication of tumor cells and the peripheral immune system in lung cancer, potentially identifying possible targets for the application of intrapleural immunotherapies and diagnostics. In general, this project identified potential protein biomarkers and outlined detailed proteome contexture of different pathological types of the PEs and their impact on the viability and proteomics alteration of immune cells. Moreover, tumor-derived vesicles were demonstrated to influence the immune cells’ phosphoproteome
DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGINT MODULE FOR ENHANCED MARITIME SURVEILLANCE
No full textThe oceans and seas are crucial to the sustainability of the planet, but they are currently facing significant threats, such as climate change, intensive fishing and human trafficking, which put this unique resource at risk. To help with maritime monitoring, a low-cost prototype was developed to monitor the Very High Frequency (VHF) band and its communication channels, as well as decoding Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages to identify suspicious cases and alert the authorities. The Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) module uses a Software Defined Radio (SDR), BladeRF 2.0 micro xA4, and a Single Board Computer (SBC), Raspberry PI 4B, to perform spectral analysis using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms. For channel detection, two methods were studied: one based on detecting the energy of each channel and another that analyzes the spectral characteristics of the signal after the FFT, using machine learning algorithms like Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). Additionally, SIGINT allows for the decoding of AIS messages, using the specific protocol for their interpretation and operating simultaneously with channel monitoring. The results show that SVM was the best performing model, especially at 200 and 500 meters, detecting almost 100% of active channels. KNN also performed well at these distances, but only when external noise was low, as it is very susceptible to noise. The energy detection method, based on the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) analysis, only proved effective at short distances. At 1000 meters, all the models performed poorly due to the weak signal strength. One of the most damaging factors was the quality of the DC-DC converters, as they radiated high amounts of noise, affecting the detection of waveforms and the performance of the algorithms. When decoding AIS messages, the module performed acceptably over short distances, but showed limitations over long distances due to the weak signal received and the throttling of the SBC caused by the Central Processing Unit (CPU) heating up. In conclusion, SIGINT will be effective at detecting communication channels in the VHF band up to 500 meters with the SVM model, while it will only perform well at short distances when decoding AIS.Os oceanos e mares são cruciais para a sustentabilidade do planeta, mas atualmente enfrentam ameaças significativas, como as alterações climáticas, a pesca intensiva e o tráfico humano que põem em risco este recurso único. Para ajudar na monitorização marítima, foi desenvolvido um protótipo de baixo custo para monitorizar a banda Very High Frequency (VHF) e os seus canais de comunicação, assim como a descodificação das mensagens de AIS, identificando casos suspeitos e alertando as autoridades. O módulo Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) utiliza um Software Defined Radio (SDR), BladeRF 2.0 micro xA4, e um Single Board Computer (SBC), Raspberry PI 4B, para realizar a análise espectral através de algoritmos Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Foram estudados dois métodos para a deteção de canais: um baseado na deteção de energia de cada canal e outro que analisa as características espectrais do sinal após a FFT, utilizando algoritmos de machine learning, como o Support Vector Machine (SVM) e o K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). Além disso, o SIGINT permite a descodificação de mensagens AIS, utilizando o protocolo específico para a sua interpretação e de modo a funcionar em simultâneo com a monitorização dos canais. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o SVM foi o modelo com melhor desempenho, especialmente a 200 e 500 metros, detetando quase 100% dos canais ativos. O KNN também teve um bom desempenho nestas distâncias, mas apenas onde o ruído externo era menor, pois é muito suscetível ao ruído. O método de deteção de energia, baseado na análise na Relação Sinal-Ruído (SNR), mostrou-se eficaz apenas a curtas distâncias. A 1000 metros, todos os modelos tiveram um desempenho fraco devido à fraca potência dos sinais. Um dos fatores mais prejudiciais foi a qualidade dos conversores DC-DC, pois radiou elevadas quantidades de ruido, afetando a deteção das formas de onda e o desempenho dos algoritmos. Na descodificação de mensagens AIS, o módulo teve um desempenho aceitável a curtas distâncias, mas apresentou limitações a longas distâncias devido ao fraco sinal recebido e ao throttling do SBC causado pelo aquecimento da Central Processing Unit (CPU). Em conclusão, o SIGINT será eficaz na deteção de canais de comunicação na banda do VHF até 500 metros com o modelo SVM, enquanto que na descodificação de AIS apenas a curtas distâncias terá uma boa performance.INOV – Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Inovaçã
AVALIAÇÃO DO EFEITO DA RADIAÇÃO IONIZANTE NAS PROPRIEDADES BIOATIVAS DO ABACAXI
No full textO crescimento contínuo da população mundial tem resultado num aumento significa-tivo do consumo e do desperdício alimentar, com impactos ambientais e económicos signifi-cativos. O abacaxi (Ananas comosus) é uma fruta tropical amplamente produzida e consumida em todo o mundo, reconhecida pelo seu elevado teor de compostos bioativos com proprieda-des benéficas para a saúde. Contudo, uma grande parte do fruto, incluindo a casca, a polpa e o caroço, é frequentemente descartada como resíduo, representando uma oportunidade vali-osa para a extração de compostos com benefícios para a saúde, com potencial aplicação como alternativa em diversas indústrias. A radiação gama tem sido utilizada como uma tecnologia promissora para a valorização de resíduos agroalimentares. Neste estudo, avaliou-se a eficácia da radiação gama (2 e 4 kGy) como pré-tratamento para melhorar a extração de compostos bioativos presentes nos resíduos de abacaxi. Inicial-mente, foram otimizados os métodos de extração para recuperar os principais compostos bio-ativos destes resíduos, utilizando etanol (50 e 80 %, v/v) e água como solventes a diferentes temperaturas (25, 50 e 90 ºC). Os abacaxis frescos foram tratados por radiação gama a diferentes doses de irradiação (2 e 4 kGy) e, após separação em diferentes partes, foram analisados os efeitos da radiação pela determinação dos conteúdos totais em compostos fenólicos e em flavonoides, bem como pela avaliação da atividade antioxidante e atividade antidiabética dos extratos obtidos.The continuous growth of the global population has led to a significant increase in food consumption and waste, with considerable environmental and economic impacts. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a widely produced and consumed tropical fruit, known for its high content of bioactive compounds with beneficial health properties. Nevertheless, a large portion of the fruit, including the peel, core, and pulp, is often discarded as waste, representing a valuable opportunity for the extraction of compounds with potential health benefits and applications across various industries. In the last years, gamma radiation has been explored as a promising and eco-friendly technology for the valorization of agri-food residues.
In this study, the effectiveness of gamma radiation (2 and 4 kGy) as a pre-treatment to enhance the extraction of bioactive compounds from pineapple residues was evaluated. Ini-tially, extraction methods were optimized to recover the main bioactive compounds from these residues, using ethanol (50 and 80 %, v/v) and water as solvents at different tempera-tures (25, 50, and 90 ºC). Fresh pineapples were irradiated at different doses (2 and 4 kGy), and after separation into different parts, the effects of radiation were analyzed by determining the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as by evaluating the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the obtained extracts
Durability assessment of MgO-based fiber cement reinforced with lignocellulosic fibers and cured in a CO2-rich atmosphere
No full textFunding Information:
To the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) - Processes: 2024/02445-4, 2021/04780-7, 2022/07179-5, and 2014/50948-3. To the CNPQ- Processes: 422701/2021-1 and 402980/2022-0. The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for funding research units CERIS (UIDB/04625/2020) at the NOVA University of Lisbon and the University of Minho.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025This study investigates the durability and performance of fiber cement composites produced from magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) matrices reinforced with lignocellulosic fibers, subjected to accelerated carbonation. The composites underwent mechanical, physical, and chemical characterization through flexural strength tests, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after various aging cycles. Durability was assessed via freeze-thaw, soak-and-dry, and UV exposure tests. Carbonation led to a reduction in mechanical strength, which is attributed to the reaction of CO2 with phase 5-1-7, a key component responsible for strength development. The formation of new carbonation products, confirmed by TGA and SEM, modified the physical properties of the composites. The changes in physical properties clearly demonstrate that accelerated carbonation promoted the formation of Hydrated Magnesium Carbonates (HMCs), which precipitated in voids, thereby increasing the density of the fiber cements. XRD analysis showed a reduction in the phase 5-1-7 peak intensity following CO2 exposure, corroborating the carbonation process. These results contribute to optimizing curing processes and durability treatments, enhancing the applicability of MOS-based composites in construction, particularly for prefabricated panels and non-structural walling systems exposed to different weather conditions.authorsversionpublishe