Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2019"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 1019
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Numerical experimental evaluation of the aerodynamic drag of the air curtain in Vertical Open Refrigerated Display CabinetsPublication . Nascimento, Samuel Mariano do; Heidinger, Gustavo Galdi; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Silva, Pedro Dinho daThis paper presents the experimental and numerical results of a set of air curtain evaluations in a Vertical Open Refrigerated Display Cases (VORDC) when subjected to external disturbances due to the transfer of people in front of the air curtain. Previous experimental studies identified that the stability of the air curtain depends on the climatic conditions and ambient air movement inside the stores. The ambient air and VORDC air curtain can be disturbed during the movement of people in front of the VORDC, causing a certain amount of cold air to flow out of the VORDC and consequently hot and humid air entering. It is not possible to quantify exclusively the increase in energy consumption due to the transfer of people in the real case, due to the other variables involved in the process. Thus, a robot (Automated Mannequin for Interference Reproduction in the Air Curtain - MARIA) was mounted on a rail placed around the VORDC, in a climate chamber with controlled environment according to climatic class (n. º 3: T=25°C; =60%). MARIA performed clockwise and counterclockwise movements around the VORDC, with velocities of 0.2 m.s-1 at 0.8 m.s-1, with a pitch of 0.2 m.s-1. For the numerical evaluation, a 3D CFD model was developed to predict and analyze the air flow and heat transfer in the air curtain and outside both ways, refrigerated space and ambient air due to transfer of a body parallel to the air curtain.
- Undoing gender inequalities: insights from the Portuguese perspectivePublication . Schouten, Maria Johanna ChristinaIn Portugal and elsewhere in the world, the movement promoting gender equality has known advances and setbacks over the past century. While acknowledging and outlining the major favourable developments, this paper discusses mainly some tendencies in the opposite direction, in particular those that highlight and encourage, from an early age, differences between men and women, usually to the detriment of the latter. Examples in Portugal include the growing genderization of children’s toys and books (which in one case has triggered a widely-mediatized polemic in September 2017) and the importance of the colours pink and blue. After childhood, differences persist regarding choice of study, professional activities, salary and domestic responsibilities. In this respect, sociological research in Portugal has observed a backlash in the position of women, in particular as an effect of the financial and economic crisis in the period 2010-2014.
- Chisquared and related inducing pivot variables: an application to orthogonal mixed modelsPublication . Ferreira, Dário; Ferreira, Sandra S.; Nunes, Célia; Fonseca, Miguel; Mexia, João T.We use chi-squared and related pivot variables to induce probability measures for model parameters, obtaining some results that will be useful on the induced densities. As illustration we considered mixed models with balanced cross nesting and used the algebraic structure to derive confidence intervals for the variance components. A numerical application is presented.
- Entrepreneurial passion amongst female athletesPublication . Ratten, Vanessa; Miragaia, DinaAn increasing number of female athletes are becoming sport entre-preneurs in order to utilize their prior sport experience in a businesssetting. Past research has focused on the role entrepreneurial pas-sionplaysinanentrepreneur’s career but few studies have exam-ined it from a sport and gender perspective. Using the theoreticalframework of entrepreneurial passion, this exploratory study utilizessemi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with ten female ath-letes to analyze the role of work, obsessive, and harmonious pas-sion. The findings reveal that female athletes consider gender as aninfluencing factor affecting their entrepreneurial passion but alsoutilize prior networks and business connections made in their sportcareer for business ventures. The managerial implications from thearticle are the need for more entrepreneurship training amongstathletes, and this is linked to the need for policymakers to focus onbuilding female entrepreneurial capacity. Future research sugges-tions are that there needs to be more link between the disparategender, sport, and entrepreneurial passion literature.
- Technological modernization and innovation of traditional agri‐food companies based on ICT solutionsPublication . Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Caldeira, João; Andrade, Luís P.; Soares, Cláudia D.This paper assesses the potential for technological modernization and innovation based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in traditional agri‐food companies located in the central region of Portugal. A survey was applied to 50 agri‐food companies of cereals, cheese, olive oil, dry sausages, honey, wine, and horticultural sectors. Results analysis show that companies use computers, have internet service, and use social networks for business purposes. However, most of it have no webpage, do not use internet for advertising/selling/buying products, and have not promoted collaborators’ ICT training. Companies expect webpages to improve their productivity and/or marketing products/services. Recommendations were provided to promote the use of ICT for business purposes. Webpages, Facebook pages, and CRM systems were developed to a limited set of companies. The results of the satisfaction survey of the ICT solution confirm the company sales increase due to the web visibility gained by the company products.
- In-season internal and external training load quantification of an elite European soccer teamPublication . Oliveira, Rafael; Brito, João P.; Martins, Alexandre; Mendes, Bruno; Marinho, Daniel; Ferraz, Ricardo; Marques, Mário C.Elite soccer teams that participate in European competitions need to have players in the best physical and psychological status possible to play matches. As a consequence of congestive schedule, controlling the training load (TL) and thus the level of effort and fatigue of players to reach higher performances during the matches is therefore critical. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to provide the first report of seasonal internal and external training load that included Hooper Index (HI) scores in elite soccer players during an in-season period. Nineteen elite soccer players were sampled, using global position system to collect total distance, high-speed distance (HSD) and average speed (AvS). It was also collected session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) and HI scores during the daily training sessions throughout the 2015-2016 in-season period. Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10) and collected according to the number of days prior to a one-match week. Total daily distance covered was higher at the start (M1 and M3) compared to the final mesocycle (M10) of the season. M1 (5589m) reached a greater distance than M5 (4473m) (ES = 9.33 [12.70, 5.95]) and M10 (4545m) (ES = 9.84 [13.39, 6.29]). M3 (5691m) reached a greater distance than M5 (ES = 9.07 [12.36, 5.78]), M7 (ES = 6.13 [8.48, 3.79]) and M10 (ES = 9.37 [12.76, 5.98]). High-speed running distance was greater in M1 (227m), than M5 (92m) (ES = 27.95 [37.68, 18.22]) and M10 (138m) (ES = 8.46 [11.55, 5.37]). Interestingly, the s-RPE response was higher in M1 (331au) in comparison to the last mesocycle (M10, 239au). HI showed minor variations across mesocycles and in days prior to the match. Every day prior to a match, all internal and external TL variables expressed significant lower values to other days prior to a match (p<0.01). In general, there were no differences between player positions. Conclusions: Our results reveal that despite the existence of some significant differences between mesocycles, there were minor changes across the in-season period for the internal and external TL variables used. Furthermore, it was observed that MD-1 presented a reduction of external TL (regardless of mesocycle) while internal TL variables did not have the same record during in-season match-day-minus.
- Como nos movemos nos dois lados da fronteira – Reflexão sobre variação lexical entre o português e o galegoPublication . Vázquez Diéguez, Ignacio; Carrilho, Ana RitaA reflexão sobre o conceito de movimento remonta à filosofia grega pré-socrática, associada a outros conceitos como os de tempo, de mudança e metamorfose. É histórica a contenda entre Parménides (imobilidade) e Heráclito de Éfeso, para quem na natureza, na vida e na sociedade tudo é dinâmico. Mais tarde, Aristóteles sintetizou estas duas posições e o conceito de movimento, frequentemente associado a mudança e devir, torna-se num dos principais desafios colocados ao pensamento aristotélico. O filósofo traça uma teoria do movimento, dividindo-o em deslocamento no espaço (traslação), substância (geração), mudança quantitativa (aumento e diminuição) e mudança qualitativa (alteração). Neste sentido, estão lançadas as bases para a máxima tomista: Tudo o que se move é movido por alguma coisa. Do ponto de vista lexical, uma recolha (e respetiva análise) dos verbos que carregam o sema de movimento permitirá traçar um percurso da forma como o sujeito se relaciona desde sempre com tudo o que o rodeia, sendo ainda mais pertinente verificar a existência de pontos de contacto e de afastamento entre línguas como o galego e o português que partilham não só uma fronteira, como também uma história.
- Interactions between financial efficiency and sports performance: Data for a sustainable entrepreneurial approach of European professional football clubsPublication . Miragaia, D. A. M.; Ferreira, João José de Matos; Carvalho, Alexandre Miguel Guerreiro; Ratten, VanessaPurpose – In the current economic climate, the huge rise in the levels of debt incurred by professional football clubs challenges the need to improve their efficiency levels. Hence, analysis of their productivity is essential and represents an integral dimension to any realistic and efficient strategy. Any such strategy includes the identification and analysis of the inputs and outputs that underpin club sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between the team performance of professional European football clubs and the stability of their financial efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The sample spans 15 professional football clubs that won the league titles in the leading football leagues (the English, German, Spanish, Italian and French leagues) in the period between 2009 and 2014. The analysis made recourse to the data envelopment analysis method. Findings – The results demonstrate that of the 15 clubs analysed, only 10 proved efficient. Football is now an industry that moves major quantities of financial capital and holds the attentions of large groups of fans worldwide. However, despite this attractiveness, the financial crisis and recession, ongoing since 2008, increasingly requires the better management of such resources. To this end, clubs should improve their control over the financial resources available given the positive relationship prevailing between the sporting performance of clubs and their levels of financial efficiency. Originality/value – Analysis of the efficiency levels of the inputs and outputs encapsulating performance related financial variables may aid in improving the standards of planning and sustainable management at professional sport clubs.
- Comparing open and closed vertical refrigerated display cabinets at mild and tropical external environmentsPublication . Heidinger, Gustavo Galdi; Nascimento, Samuel Mariano do; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Silva, Pedro Dinho daThis paper reports the results of experimental tests performed according to ISO 23953 in vertical open and closed refrigerated display cabinets (VORDC vs. VCRDC). Tests were performed at a mild climate class (n. º 3: T=25°C; φ=60%) and a tropical one (n. º 6: T=27°C; φ=70%). The direct energy consumption is 46% higher at VCRDC due to the heated glass doors frame and defrost heaters. The product simulator temperature is higher and more stable at VORDC. The highest product simulator temperature is lower (-1.4°C) at the VCRDC and less stable (+2.7°C variation) due to the opening doors period. The total mass of condensed water at the evaporator is reduced 87% and the total heat load is 77% lower at the VCRDC. Thus, the estimated total energy consumption is reduced 42%. Given the current concerns with energy consumption and sustainability of the heat exchange processes, the VCRDC provide the best solution.
- Ecological Approach as an Urban Solution for Sensitive AreasPublication . Virtudes, Ana L.; Kakosova, Nina; Filippidi, Nikoleta; Carriço, AnaThe urban spaces of river banks are sensitive areas, not only in environmental terms but also considering the spatial planning rules. Often the spatial planning rules are focused on building and urban development questions rather than of ecological approaches. In this sense, this article aims to present an urban design project for a sensitive territory of river banks having as pivotal concern ecological solutions. This proposal is due to the requirement of linking the landscape features of river water fronts with the characteristics of the urban fabric. The case study area is the Train Station surroundings in São Pedro do Sul, a city in the central region of Portugal very well-known because of its thermal baths. It was proposed to the university team, on behalf of the Urban Planning Unit of the Master Degree in Architecture at the University of Beira Interior, by the Municipal authority. The students were organized in groups in order to propose the urban design projects, ensuring the continuity of the urban fabric with the Vouga river. The best projects won prizes (1st , 2 nd and two honour awards) offered by the city hall. This fact was an extra motivation for students along to the design process in an academic environment comprising an international background (including Portugal, Greece, Brazil, Slovakia, Lithuania and Poland). Regarding the presented solution, the conclusions show that the main strategy was to preserve and to enhance the ecological identity of the place, possible given the agreement in between university and municipal authority, working together.