Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2017-04-28"
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- Analysis of sales representatives’ profile in DellEMC Rio de Janeiro through the challenger sale modelPublication . Rodrigues, Miguel Marques Xavier Nogueira; Gonçalves, Ana Paula BorgesSales panorama has been changing through the years and even more since the 2008 global crisis. Since then, companies started to demand more from the suppliers and their sales representatives; especially in more the complex sectors like Information Technologies (IT). Companies have been adapting their sales strategies to increase sales; however few have studied the sales representatives’ behavior with the client. Based on the Challenger Sale model this project aims to study the sales representatives’ profile in an IT market leader – DellEMC, Rio de Janeiro. The project was developed as a unique case study due to the leadership characteristics’ of DellEMC, A questionnaire was developed and administered to DellEMC’s sales department. According to the Challenger Sale model, DellEMC’s sales representatives appeared to have characteristics from all the three model dimensions – Teaching for differentiation; Tailoring for resonance and Taking Control of the sale. However it was also recognized that some factors like organizational culture or market characteristics have an impact on the sales representatives’ behavior. This project has no intension on generalization but to refine the Challenger Sale model theory and applicability to the specific case of DellEMC.
- Development of new Bombyx mori silk fibroin membranes for periodontal guided tissue regenerationPublication . Geão, Catarina Barros; Oliveira, Ana Leite de Almeida Monteiro de; Oliveira, Joaquim MiguelPeriodontitis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases and a leading cause of tooth loss in adults, being characterized by progressive destruction of the tooth-supporting apparatus. Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) and Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) procedures were established as basic techniques in periodontal regenerative medicine due to its promising results. These procedures are based, typically, on a membrane, that is placed between the gingiva and the alveolar bone in which the regenerative process will take place. However, the commercial available membranes present limitations at structural, mechanical and biofunctional level demonstrating the need for developing clinically effective materials. In this work a new generation of GTR/GBR membranes is presently being proposed using a natural-based material. Bombyx mori silk fibroin(SF)-based membranes have been developed using glycerol (GLY) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as plasticizers to improve the flexibility and enhanceSF stabilization. The developed membranes, designed to be in contact with the gingiva, aim at providing an effective solution for mild periodontitis (the most prevalent form worldwide) by helping to restore the anatomy and function of lost or damaged periodontal tissues. Purified SF solution was mixed with GLYor PVA at weight ratios of 0, 10, and 30%. The membranes were obtained by casting the final solutions into Petri dishes and dried at 85 ºC in the oven for 6 hours some and 12 hours others for further characterization. A comparative study was undertaken using the pure SF membrane as control. The SF-based membranes were characterized in terms of their morphology, physical integrity, chemical structure, mechanical and thermal properties, swelling capability and in vitro degradation behavior. Membranes dried for 6 and 12 hours presented similar aspect and microstructure. Scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) micrographs suggested that GLY is well distributed in SF matrix while PVA presented phase separation between the two polymers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the surface nanotopography and the average roughness of the SF-based membranes are affected by the exposure time and by the percentage of additive content. Contact angle measurements showed a decrease of water contact angle with GLY and PVA increasing, indicating that the surfaces become more hydrophilic. Attenuated infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis demonstrated that the thermal treatment induced SF b-sheet conformation for both exposure periods. However, only the membranes dried for 12 hours were water stable for more than 24 hours. These membranes reached equilibrium hydration degree after 3 hours. With the addition of the synthetic polymers, the hydration capacity increased together with the weight loss both in PBS and PBS with enzyme. The mechanical properties revealed that GLY and PVA had a plasticizing effect on the membrane which became more ductile without compromising its mechanical strength. The developed membranes demonstrated to be promising systems to be used in a guided tissue regeneration approach for periodontal regeneration.
- China imaginada : (des)construção de estereótipos sobre a China e os chineses em Portugal : 1974-2016Publication . Sousa, Érica Lima de; Alves, Jorge Manuel Ribeiro dos SantosOs contactos entre portugueses e chineses remontam ao século XVI via Macau, e desde desta época, que surgem as primeiras imagens sobre o que seria a China e os chineses aos olhos de navegadores portugueses em terras longínquas. Imagens que foram transportadas para o país luso, onde desde então, se transformaram com o passar dos anos. Os estereótipos, sejam eles positivos ou negativos, são muitas vezes usados na representação do “Outro” – no que se desconhece – de forma a criar uma imagem geral, mas que muitas vezes não corresponde ao país e sua cultura. Com o crescente investimento chinês em Portugal, pretende-se analisar algumas das imagens representativas da China e dos chineses em Portugal de forma a averiguar a imagem presente dos portugueses em relação ao país asiático. Para além da análise de imagens, a mesma será apoiada por um inquérito efetuado a portugueses.