Repositório RCAAP

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The impact of fuel consumption on climate change has prompted governments to increase the taxation of fossil fuels. This is often referred to as a Pigouvian tax, in other words, a tax that attempts to internalize a social cost (i.e., negative externality). However, indirect taxes like this risk being regressive – i.e., affecting disproportionally more the poorer members of society -, because their rates are invariant with consumers’ income level. To ensure social justice in fuel taxation it is important to analyse the regressivity of fuel taxes. Furthermore, since richer people tend to pollute more, to effectively decrease pollution from fossil fuel consumption, it might be important to tax the richest people relatively more. On the other hand, public transportation is more fuel and energy efficient compared to motorized private cars, which combined with the nature of its cost technology (i.e., large, fixed costs, average cost higher than marginal cost), justify subsidizing public transport use. In contrast to fuel prices and taxes, public transport pricing often includes social fares for more vulnerable groups of society – e.g., children, the elderly, and the unemployed -, which promotes social justice. This paper analyses the degree of progressivity, or regressivity, of transport costs relating to driving (i.e., fuel, tolls, parking) and public transport use in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto. We use data on transport expenses and analyse the degree of progressivity, or regressivity, and the impact that these expenses have on income inequality by comparing the Gini index of income before and after transport expenses. The findings indicate that transport expenses increase inequality and that taxes can be slightly regressive. To evaluate the progressivity of fuel taxes we use the Suits index, which shows a slight regressivity of the fuel taxes. The policy implications from this analysis show the importance of investment in alternatives to reduce the use of private motorized vehicles, as well as in reducing the price of public transportation, at least in big cities where this kind of transportation is more viable.

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Simulation schemes to estimate volatility from high frequency data lead some authors to start studying local volatility models, where the local volatility of the stock varies with the stock price and the stock price is itself stochastic. Hence, in local volatility models, volatility is stochastic, but only because it is a function of the stochastic stock price. This typically produces a skew in implied volatility (known as volatility smile), which can also be obtained by using stochastic volatility models (like, for example, the Heston stochastic volatility model), where the constant volatility of the Black-Scholes model is replaced by a stochastic process driven by a random factor correlated with the random factor that drives the price of the underlying asset. Recently, Bayer et al. in [1] have gone a step further from local and stochastic volatility modelling, proposing rough fractional stochastic volatility (RFSV) models stating that log-volatility behaves as a fractional Brownian motion with Hurst exponent H less than 0.5, which is essentially a non-Markovian process with stationary but not independent increments. As a particular case for the RFSV model, these authors proposed the so-called rough Bergomi (rBergomi) model. In this dissertation, the rBergomi model is implemented by using the hybrid scheme proposed by Bennedsen et al. in [3], and the implied volatility smiles over the SPX options are estimated for different maturities. Finally, as the model depends only on three parameters: H, η (related to increments of log-volatility) and ρ (correlation factor), these were calibrated to market data.

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Os sucessivos avanços tecnológicos tiveram o efeito de evolução e recriação na indústria a partir do século XVIII até aos dias de hoje. Contudo, o ritmo de inovação na atualidade é único causando uma disrupção na indústria, nos negócios e no mundo. A quarta revolução industrial acarreta novos e enormes desafios sociais e económicos. A indústria portuguesa de moldes é constituída por empresas altamente reconhecidas internacionalmente, o que demonstra a qualidade dos seus produtos e a qualificação da sua mão-de-obra. Além disso, distingue-se pela aposta constante na inovação e na tecnologia de ponta. O objetivo da presente dissertação passa por fazer uma avaliação da maturidade de Indústria 4.0 (I4.0) aplicada à indústria portuguesa dos moldes, concretamente por análise do caso da empresa Planimolde. Para alcançar este objetivo, será feita uma avaliação da maturidade de I4.0, à empresa em estudo, através de um modelo de maturidade de I4.0. O modelo utilizado foi uma adaptação à realidade portuguesa, da autoria do Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (ISQ) e promovida pelo Instituto de Apoio às Pequenas e Médias Empresas e à Inovação (IAPMEI) e a Universidade de Aveiro (UA), do modelo IMPULS que foi desenvolvido pelo IW Consult da Cologne Institute for Economic Research e pela FIR da RWTH da Universidade de Aachen. O modelo é baseado na análise de 6 dimensões e 18 temas associados à I4.0 da empresa avaliada e contempla 6 níveis de maturidade de I4.0. Tendo como base de funcionamento ferramenta de autodiagnóstico de maturidade de I4.0, designada por SHIFTo4.0. O presente estudo identificou a fraca preparação da Planimolde para a integração da Indústria 4.0 e a falta de competências nas diferentes dimensões de valor para o estudo. Foi possível concluir que as restantes empresas intervenientes no estudo estão numa fase inicial de integração na Indústria 4.0, sendo que a Planimolde apresenta estar pior preparada que a média destas empresas. Um dos principais motivos da sua fraca preparação deve-se ao foco na sua área operacional.

The main purpose of this PhD thesis was to develop and validate a novel criterion-referenced Physical Literacy (PL) assessment system for application in Portuguese PE for grade 10-12 adolescents (15-18 years): the Portuguese Physical Literacy Assessment (PPLA). Inspired by the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF), this tool is comprised of two instruments assessing the physical, cognitive, psychological, and social domains of PL: 1) PPLA-Questionnaire (PPLA-Q) and 2) the PPLA-Observation tool (PPLA-O). The first is a self-administered questionnaire with three modules, each respectively designed to assess the psychological, social, and part of the cognitive domains of PL; while the latter is an instrument with two modules that uses teacher-reported data to assess the physical and the remainder of the cognitive domain of PL. PPLA development and validation process is presented through five scientific papers: the first and fourth present the development of both instruments, marrying quantitative and qualitative methods; while the second, third and fourth establish evidence for the content and construct validity (dimensionality, measurement invariance across sex, and convergent and discriminant validity), as well as reliability (score and test-retest) at element-level, within each of the four domains assessed. Finally, the fifth articles focus on the integration of the full PPLA measurement model with all domains and elements, establishing its construct validity and reliability. Overall, the PPLA emerges as a highly feasible tool for the PE context that can be completed in around 20 minutes (students filling in the PPLA-Q) plus time spent by PE teachers in data insertion/copying into the PPLA-O spreadsheet. Its measurement model is best represented through an asymmetrical bifactor model, allowing for disentangling the variance associated with a general PL trait - referent to a transversal broadband meta-learning or disposition in movement settings – from variance of specific group factors (domains). PPLA can be used to provide a detailed and feasible assessment of each student’s PL journey, and to support pedagogical decisions (at local, regional, and national level) towards a more meaningful and targeted PE environment to promote PL learning. Further research is warranted in replicating these findings outside an imposition-laden COVID-19 setting, along with multiple fine-tuning to the PPLA. Similarly, adaptation of this tool to other age-ranges and its use as an aid in monitoring and advocating for PL inside a quality PE setting are open threads for future work.

The São Domingos mining area is located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, SE Portugal, and represents a serious environmental hazard (Matos and Martins, 2006). Exploitation dated back to pre-roman and roman times with extraction of Ag, Au and Cu exploitation, mainly in the gossan (resulting from the ore weathering). The intense exploitation started in the middle of 19th century, both in the gossan and sulfide ore-containing Cu, Zn, As and Pb, and lasted until 1960, with the exhaustion of the ore (Quental et al., 2002). Different types of waste materials were left: gossan, host rocks (volcanic with shales, and shales), roman and modern slags, smelting ashes and brittle and blocks of pyrite (Matos, 2004; Álvarez-Valero et al., 2008). All sulfide mine wastes are typically heterogeneous and contain high amounts of trace elements, acidic pH and small contents of organic matter and nutrients. The large dumps containing pyrite and other metal sulfides generate, by oxidation, acidic mine drainage (AMD) which increases the availability of trace elements for microorganisms and plants in the surrounding soils. All of these characteristics contribute towards a system that is barely capable of supporting the establishment or survival of plants. The use of amendments and spontaneous colonization (vegetation) from mining areas (phytostabilization) are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods to rehabilitate these contaminated and degraded areas even in arid and semi-arid conditions (Tordoff et al., 2000; Mendez and Maier, 2008). Thus, the preparation of Technosols from mixtures of organic and inorganic wastes can be an attractive option to rehabilitate mining areas because they can improve physical, chemical and biological properties contributing, at the same time, towards a strategy of wastes valorisation (Macías, 2004). The use of mixtures composed of residues with different C:N ratios can be used to manipulate the rate of mineralization. Nevertheless, the amendments used should also promote other soil functions (Arbestain et al., 2008). The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of cost-effective organic and inorganic amendments, available in the region, in the rehabilitation of sulfide materials from the São Domingos mine area

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Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the Mozambican economy, directly affecting not only the lives of millions of Mozambicans, whether at the level of employment and income generation, food, and diet of the population, or at the level of some national accounts. This sector, however, remains underdeveloped. The guidelines for the agricultural sector set forth in the agrarian policy are little considered in the different plans, programs, and projects that have been implemented in the sector, which are often based on current acceptable theoretical thinking, the international market’s needs and suffering pressures from international public and private actors and financial institutions. However, throughout these strategies for the implementation of the agrarian policy, the policy instruments remain the same. The objective of this thesis is to analyse the dynamic effects of variations in agricultural policy instruments of pricing, funding, and technology on agricultural production in Mozambique, in the short run. To achieve this objective, the author used an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. The model results suggest a positive relationship between agricultural production per capita and chemical input use, producer price index, agricultural credit, and lagged agricultural GDP; a negative relationship between agricultural GDP per capita and international commodity price index, rural population growth rate, and agricultural land; and a nonsignificant relationship between agricultural production per capita and agricultural exports, agricultural investment, and agricultural gross fixed capital formation. Some of the results are consistent, and some are not, with the empirical evidence found by other authors for Mozambique and in other countries. Nevertheless, the results may be biased given the small sample size.

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Three-dimensional gait analysis methodologies are widely used to assess gait and the effects of ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) in the treatment of gait deviations in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). However, due to the specific requirements for motion capture, AFO characteristics, and the heterogeneity of this population, the wide range of gait parameters present such variability that makes it difficult to interpret its clinical application. This PhD thesis main purpose was to investigate how those assessment methodologies could provide important and clinically relevant data regarding gait analysis with AFO. Four studies were conducted employing exploratory and experimental methods: the first study is a scoping review that presents the immediate and long-term effects of AFO in children with spastic bilateral cerebral palsy; the second study evaluates test-retest reliability of a six-degree-of-freedom marker set in key points of gait kinematics, kinetics, and time-distance parameters in children with CP; the third study demonstrates the use of the gait profile score index to quantify gait quality in children with cerebral palsy wearing several types of AFO; the last study explores two different pose estimation algorithms used to build a 3D model of a child with cerebral palsy wearing a specific AFO. Overall, the findings of our work presented in this dissertation, provided scientific data for the rehabilitation science, demonstrating that the use of gait analysis protocols specific to the characteristics of children with cerebral palsy, and to existing therapeutic interventions, offer less susceptible information to methodological errors. Further research is required to continue exploring the several methodologies to assess and analyse the gait in children with cerebral palsy to support decision making and therefore providing a more effective treatment in the rehabilitation processes.

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O presente Relatório de Estágio representa a finalização do Mestrado em Ensino de Educação Física nos Ensinos Básico e Secundário da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana da Universidade de Lisboa. Este registo escrito resulta da prática pedagógica desenvolvida na Escola Básica Eugénio dos Santos, integrante do Agrupamento de Escolas Rainha Dona Leonor, em Alvalade, junto de uma turma do 8º ano de escolaridade, durante o ano letivo 2018/2019. A formação de professores tem duas vertentes importantes. A formação académica, que engloba todo o conhecimento científico, transmitido inicialmente; e a formação pedagógica, que consiste em aprender a ensinar, esta que ocorre maioritariamente no estágio. Portanto, o estágio pedagógico constitui-se como o período de formação curricular que possibilita, ao futuro professor, a execução da função do docente, em todas as suas dimensões, sempre com supervisão, o que torna efetiva a aplicação da teoria adquirida inicialmente. Esta passagem entre a teoria e a prática apenas é eficaz quando é assumida uma postura crítica e reflexiva, para que o desenvolvimento do processo de ensino-aprendizagem seja potenciado. Assim, através desta reflexão crítica, estão descritas as experiências sentidas, os conhecimentos alargados e as aprendizagens conquistadas durante este estágio pedagógico. O documento é iniciado com uma apresentação de todo o contexto e duma análise das bases existentes, partindo para uma divisão em três partes, que constituem o “antes”, o “durante” e o “depois” da prática efetiva do estágio. Esta parte desenvolvese na premissa do desenvolvimento de um papel ativo do professor como agente responsável pelo progresso e pela promoção de boas relações pedagógicas, visando sempre o sucesso de todos os alunos.

Os relacionamentos empresariais têm ganho cada vez mais importância nos mercados business-to-business (B2B). Uma abordagem frequentemente utilizada pelas empresas para gerir o relacionamento com os seus clientes chave é o Key Account Management. Esta é uma atividade que é usada em diferentes indústrias e, por este motivo, tem sido cada vez mais estudada na literatura. A literatura tem reconhecido bastantes benefícios e fatores de sucesso na gestão dos relacionamentos com os clientes. Posto isto, este estudo incide sobre Key Account Management como sendo uma abordagem que envolve a articulação de recursos e capacidades, bem como de diversas áreas funcionais dentro, ou até mesmo fora, de uma empresa. Com esta perspetiva de base, este estudo pretende explorar em que medida é que a mobilização de recursos pode impactar os relacionamentos com as Key Accounts. Foram conduzidos dois estudos de caso no setor farmacêutico para explorar o impacto da gestão de recursos na criação de valor nos relacionamentos com Key Accounts. O estudo permite evidenciar a importância que a gestão de recursos tem no Key Account Management, bem como o impacto que os próprios relacionamentos têm na coordenação destes mesmos recursos e capacidades associadas. Neste contexto, verificou-se ainda que existem diversos fatores que afetam a gestão dos recursos e, consequentemente, os relacionamentos.

A crise da COVID-19 veio afetar o modo como as pessoas vivem, afetando inúmeros negócios. Se o e-commerce já apresentava uma elevada importância na delineação das estratégias dos gestores, o aparecimento da pandemia apenas a veio salientar: a utilização da internet aumentou por todo o mundo e os retalhistas viram-se obrigados a apostar no seu canal digital. Por sua vez, os consumidores alteraram o seu comportamento, e passaram a realizar as suas compras através de lojas online, nomeadamente no que concerne a produtos de moda e vestuário. O principal objetivo deste trabalho prende-se com o intuito de entender a perceção da qualidade do consumidor em relação à compra online de produtos de vestuário, tendo em conta antecedentes da intenção de recompra. Considerou-se a qualidade do website (processo), qualidade da entrega (resultado) e satisfação. De forma a testar o modelo concetual proposto, foram utilizadas 218 respostas de utilizadores de lojas de vestuário online, recolhidas através de um questionário. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a qualidade do processo influencia positivamente e diretamente a qualidade do resultado, a satisfação e a intenção de recompra. A qualidade do resultado apresenta um impacto positivo na satisfação, no entanto não influencia diretamente a intenção de recompra. Por fim, a satisfação apresenta um forte impacto na intenção de recompra.