PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand challenges and constraints in reaching top leadership positions for women in the Portuguese press. Specifically, it aims at characterizing their communication and leadership styles, and at identifying main gender biases in newsrooms routines from their point of view.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative method was employed by conducting in-depth interviews with four women who have held higher management positions in Portuguese leading newspapers. Participants were asked to characterize their communication and leadership style, but also newsrooms environment, trying to understand how gender asymmetries persist and manifest. Results were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsWhile considering that Portuguese newsrooms are no longer environments marked by a sexist/macho environment, through increasing female participation, women still represent a minority in leadership. Leadership traits linked to male styles, including assertiveness and courage, were revealed, though mixed with a more participative/relational leadership. Also, female leaders regret when emotional ties with teams are not developed and recognized some degree of privilege towards other women through family support or not having children.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a limited number of interviews, although they represent the few top women leaders in Portuguese journalism.Practical implicationsPolicymaking recommendations derived from conclusions include participative leadership, implementing quotas, and monitoring tools of gender biases and special training.Social implicationsMedia literacy policies and open debates on main media outlets concerning female leadership and communication styles may contributes toward the acknowledgement of lingering gender biases in the industry.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a fuller insight into the identification of leadership and personal traits among women who managed to disrupt stigmas and break barriers. Their voices are seldom heard in studies focusing leadership, so results enable ascertaining whether there is a female way of leading in journalism and comprehending the sense of privilege these women perceive.

The city of Aripuana is one of the largest wood producer in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Wood residues are used in the electricity generation at three thermoelectric plants in this region. However, the plants have high costs in transporting the wood residues (due to poor road conditions). Hence, this paper compares the energy performance of wood residues in natura and compacted as briquettes by calculating the heating value and determining the influence of moisture content on the energy characteristics of wood residues. The goal is to demonstrate the viability of using briquettes in order to improve thermoelectric generation. The wood residues from this region are affected by the high humidity of the biome. An alternative to improve the use of energy contained in the wood residues is to produce briquettes with lower humidity. This allows one to maintain high levels of heat energy in a lower volume, facilitating handling and storage. The results show that the use of briquettes improved the performance of thermoelectric plants, generating 1 MW of electricity power with less than 1 ton of briquettes. This contributes to the preservation of the environment, reducing operating costs, transportation and storage of the raw materials.

Abstract² This paper presents the general strategy concerning Variable Message Sign harmonization in Europe represented by the work of the Expert and Study Group 4-Mare Nostrum (ESG4) within the EasyWay program. Co-funded by the European Commission and participated by 22 European Member States, EasyWay focuses on ITS implementation integrating stakeholders from the public and private sector. The paper shows some empirical data to illustrate the slow but careful, integral approach followed by ESG4 in order to issue specific recommendations concerning Variable Message Signs design and use in Europe.

The wood industry is an essential part of the economy of some regions in Brazil. Although the excess of wood residue is an environmental concern, it is also an alternative source for electricity generation. This allows for compliance with current legislation to minimize environmental impacts such as strategies to control the emission of pollutants and the decarbonization in the wood exploration activity. Despite this, the thermoelectric plants based on wood residues face problems associated with the low efficiency in generation due to the high moisture content of the residues, and challenges related to transport and storage. In this sense, this work is to evaluate the application of a self-sustainable briquetting plant as an alternative for solving the problems associated with the high moisture content, transport, and storage of wood residues. The aspects related to the construction of the briquetting plant and economic indicators associated with the economic feasibility, such as, the estimation of the net present value over the project lifecycle, internal rate of return and pay-back period, are also presented and discussed. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the plant mainly due to the better energy/volume ratio of the briquette (drying and compaction) and the transportation cost savings associated to the density of the compacted material.

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