Go Natural case study : internationalization of the Healthy Food Concept

Go Natural is a Portuguese Healthy Food Concept founded in 2004 by two entrepreneur siblings, Diogo and Joana Martorell. With a selective and distinctive offer of high-quality food, Go Natural managed to create a new niche segment: Healthy Food in Shopping Centres, in a time characterized by a market offer based on international fast-food chains and traditional Portuguese cuisine. This dissertation aims to evaluate a real challenge that Go Natural experienced in 2013. Being in the market for a decade, the company is facing a strategic decision that may influence its future grow: to internationalize or not to Brazil, a growing and potential market. After suffering with the effects of the economical crisis affecting Portugal and changing consumers’ eating-out habits, Go Natural performed a category extension project named Kitchen, in order to reach the new emerging Fast Casual segment that was attracting more and more consumers, downgrading from full-service restaurants. Go Natural’s goal is not only to re-conquer consumers by offering them an added-value, but at the same time stabilize the company’s growth and strengthen its position in the national market. The internationalization process requires an extensive analysis of the Brazilian partner, market and consumer, in order to evaluate if this is the right timing for Go Natural to go abroad. To address the key success factors and differentiation basis that sustained Go Natural through its tenyear existence is also another objective of this study. The Literature Review section of this dissertation approaches pertinent topics such as brand revitalizing strategies through product and brand extensions and the analytical aspects of the decision making for the successful internationalization process. The Go Natural case study intends to give an extensive perspective of the Portuguese and Brazilian fast-food market and related future challenges. The main conclusion from this study is that Go Natural is ready to go to Brazil, as it has gathered the required experience in Portugal, as well as a stable basis to continue on growing and is now ready to expand into a new market with an experienced partner.Go Natural é um conceito português de comida saudável, fundado em 2004 por dois irmãos empreendedores, Diogo e Joana Martorell. Com uma oferta selectiva e distinta de comida de elevada qualidade, o Go Natural criou um novo segmento de nicho: Comida Saudável em Centros Comerciais, numa altura caracterizada por uma oferta de Mercado baseada em cadeias de fastfood internacionais e cozinha tradicional Portuguesa. Esta dissertação tem como objectivo analisar o desafio real que o Go Natural enfrentou em 2013. No Mercado há uma década, enfrenta agora uma decisão estratégica que poderá influenciar o seu crescimento futuro: internacionalização para o Brasil, um mercado crescente com potencial. Após ter sofrido com os efeitos da crise económica que afecta Portugal e que alterou os hábitos de consumo fora de casa, o Go Natural realizou um projecto de extensão de categoria, de forma a aproximar-se do novo segmento Fast Casual que atrai cada vez mais consumidores. O objectivo do Go Natural é reconquistar os consumidores ao oferecer-lhes um valor acrescentado e estabilizar o crescimento da empresa ao reforçar a sua posição no mercado nacional. O processo de internacionalização requere uma análise extensiva do sócio Brasileiro, do Mercado e do consumidor, de modo a avaliar se esta é a altura certa para o Go Natural se expandir. Avaliar os factores críticos de sucesso e as bases de diferenciação que sustentaram o Go Natural durante os seus dez anos de existência é outro dos objetivos deste estudo. Na secção Literature Review desta dissertação são abordados tópicos pertinentes tais como estratégias de revitalização de marca através de extensões de produto e marca, e também aspectos analíticos da tomada de decisão para um processo de internacionalização bem sucedido. O case study Go Natural pretende oferecer uma perspectiva extensiva dos mercados Português e Brasileiro de fast-food e os seus futuros desafios. A conclusão principal deste estudo é de que o Go Natural está preparado para ir para o Brasil, uma vez que reuniu a experiência necessária em Portugal, bem como uma base estável para continuar a crescer e está agora pronto para se expandir para um novo Mercado com um sócio experiente

Winter collection of the underutilized berry Corema album (L.): New insights on its maturation progression

Increasing interest in Corema album L. is raising due to the appealing white colour and potential health benefits related to its bioactive composition. White fruits production culminates in late August on coastal dunes, but fruits of various colours are present almost till flowering (late February). We undertook a preliminary physical-chemical characterisation (biometric, CIELab colour, pH, soluble solids content and titrable acidity) of a late fruit collection to disentangle maturity progression and to reveal latent qualities for future utilisation. Irrespective of fruit perceived colouration (white, translucent, brown, brown with black spots and black), the characterized high acidity (1-3 g.100 mL-1) is suggestive that over-mature fruits can still be further explored as food additives. Moreover, using a multivariate exploratory technique, we found a clear fruit’s maturation progression from white/translucent to black, a so-far unreported maturity stage. Addressing gaps in plant phenology and fruit’s maturity behaviour is needed before undertaking cultivation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of a heat-shock pre-treatment on wound-induced phenolic biosynthesis as an alternative strategy towards fresh-cut carrot processing

In fresh-cut vegetables, plant tissues are often challenged by (a)biotic stresses that act in combination, and the response to combinatorial stresses differs from that triggered by each individually. Phenolic induction by wounding is a known response contributing to increase products phenolic content. Heat application is a promising treatment in minimal processing, and its interference on the wound-induced response is produce-dependent. In carrot, two-combined stress effects were evaluated: peel removal vs. shredding, and heat application (100 C/45 s) vs. shredding, on changes in total phenolic content (TPC) during 10 days (5 C). By applying the first stress combination, a decrease in TPC was verified on day 0 ( 50%), ascribed to the high phenolic content of peels. Recovery of initial fresh carrot levels was achieved after 7 days owing to phenolic biosynthesis induced by shredding. For the second combination, changes in TPC, phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) activity of untreated (Ctr) and heat-treated (HS) peeled shredded carrot samples were evaluated during 10 days. The heat-shock did not suppress phenolic biosynthesis promoted by PAL, although there was a two-day delay in TPC increments. Notwithstanding, phenolic accumulation after 10 days exceeded raw material TPC content. Also, the decrease in POD activity (30%) could influence quality degradation during storageinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-Target Alternative Approaches to Promoting Fresh-Cut Carrots’ Bioactive and Fresh-like Quality

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as near-fresh foods, are a quick and easy solution to a healthy and balanced diet. The rapid degradation of nutritional and sensory quality during the processing and storage of a product is critical and plant-type-dependent. The introduction of disruptive technological solutions in fresh-cut processing, which could maintain fresh-like quality with less environmental impact, is an emerging research concept. The application of abiotic stress treatments (heat shock and UV-C) induces metabolic responses and microbial effects in plant tissues, potentially slowing down several quality senescence pathways. The previously selected combined and single effects of heat shock (100 °C/45 s; in the whole root) and UV-C (2.5 kJ/m2) treatments and two packaging conditions (oriented polypropylene (OPP) vs. micro-perforated OPP films) on controlling critical degradation pathways of fresh-cut carrots and on promoting bioactive and sensory quality during storage (5 °C, 14 days) were studied. Among the tested combinations, synergistic effects on the quality retention of fresh-cut carrots were only attained for applying heat shock associated with micro-perforated OPP film packaging. Its effects on reducing (3.3 Log10 CFU/g) the initial contamination and controlling microbiological spoilage (counts below the threshold limit of 7.5 Log10 CFU/g), increasing the bioactive content (38% and 72% in total phenolic content and chlorogenic acid, respectively), and preserving fresh quality attributes prove to be a viable alternative technology for shredded carrot processing.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estilos de personalidade, vergonha, culpa e suicidalidade em adultos da comunidade

A presente investigação pretende avaliar a influência dos estilos de personalidade anaclítico e introjetivo, baseando-se no modelo de Blatt (2008), na suicidalidade e o efeito mediador nesta relação da vergonha e da culpa. Num estudo de cariz longitudinal, com 195 adultos da comunidade com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 65 anos de idade, testou-se um modelo de previsão da suicidalidade, que postula que a culpa, a vergonha e a depressão desempenham um papel mediador da relação entre a variável necessidade (estilo anaclítico) e a variável auto-criticismo (estilo introjetivo) e a suicidalidade. Verificou-se que o estilo de personalidade introjetivo se relaciona com a suicidalidade. Essa relação é mediada pela depressão e pela vergonha. Contudo a depressão assume um papel preponderante, enfraquecendo o efeito da vergonha. O estilo de personalidade anaclítico não se relaciona com a suicidalidade; Abstract: Personality Styles, Shame, Guilt and Suicidality in Adults of the Community This research aims to evaluate the influence of anaclitic and introjective styles of personality, based on Blatt´s (2008) model, in suicidality and the mediating effect of shame and guilt on this relationship. In a longitudinal study, with 195 adults in the community aged between 18 and 65 years old, we tested a prediction model of suicidality that posits that guilt, shame and depression play a role as mediators of the relationship between the needness variable (anaclitic style) and the self-criticism variable (introjective style) and suicidality. It is noted that introjective personality style is related to suicidality. This relationship is mediated by depression and shame. However depression takes a leading role, weakening the effect of shame. The anaclitic personality style is not related to suicidality

Representação e comunicação de arquitectura através da fotografia

Exame público realizado em 17 de Abril de 2013.Dissertação de mestrado realizada no âmbito do Mestrado em Arquitectura.Representação e Comunicação de Arquitectura através da Fotografia é uma reflexão em torno das imagens de arquitectura, enquanto instrumento da arquitectura. Debruça-se sobre os paralelos entre a arquitectura e a fotografia, na tentativa de entender a natureza da relação entre estas duas disciplinas, e a função que a fotografia exerce no processo da representação, comunicação e percepção da arquitectura. Contextualizado o tema, e considerados factos, críticas e analogias, explora-se a questão da representação e comunicação no desenvolvimento e exposição do projecto de arquitectura, segue-se uma leitura comparativa do passado da arquitectura e da fotografia moderna, no sentido de enquadrar e entender esta relação e como esta evoluiu na contemporaneidade. Neste âmbito, é estudada a obra de vários fotógrafos de arquitectura, abrindo a discussão às diversas formas de representação em fotografia, lançando a questão chave desta pesquisa, será a fotografia uma representação válida de arquitectura? Neste seguimento revelou-se fundamental a análise de casos de estudo, com o objectivo de entender estas reflexões, defendendo-se que as imagens de arquitectura, sendo representativas e interpretativas, apresentam as suas limitações, logo, são representações insuficientes de arquitectura, e como tal, não substítuem os desenhos técnicos nem, tão pouco, a experiência do espaço, no entanto, a fotografia, quando utilizada no âmbito do estudo e processo de desenvolvimento do projecto de arquitectura, revela-se um importante instrumento de trabalho e de transmissão de valores de uma época.Representation and Communication of Architecture through Photography is a reflection about the architectural images, while an instrument on behalf of architecture. lt concentrates on the parallels between architecture and photography in the attempt of understanding the nature of the relation between these two disciplines, and on the role photography plays in the process of representation, communication and perception in architecture. Once contextualized the theme, facts, critics and analogies are taken under consideration, the issue of our query becomes the representation and communication in the development and exposure of the architectural project, followed by a comparative reading of the past of the modern architecture and photography, in the sense of framing and understanding their relation and how it has evolved to contemporaneity. In this extent, one study the work of several architectural photographers, uncovering the discussion to the diverse forms of representation in photography, launching the key question to this research, can photography be a valid form of architectural representation? lt becomes fundamental the analysis of case-studies, with the objective to comprehend these reflections, defending that architectural images, being representative and interpretative, present some limitations, are insufficient representations of architecture, and won’t replace technical drawings or, none the less, the physical experience of space, however, photography, when used in the extent of study and development of an architectural project, reveals itself to be an important work instrument, as well as a mean of carrying out the values of an era

hiPSC and hiPSC-cardiomyocytes are alternative EV biofactories for cardiac regeneration

In cardiac regenerative medicine, there is a growing interest in using EV as cell-mimetic therapeutics due to their potential superior efficacy and overall advantages over cell transplantation: i) absence of oncogenic risk, ii) low immunogenicity [1], iii) easier large-scale manufacturing and iv) consistent product profile. However, most studies have focused particularly on the potential of either mesenchymal or cardiac progenitor cell-derived EV to promote cardiac repair [2]. Here, we study the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) as alternative cell factories for the production of a high yield of therapeutic EV for cardiac regeneration. Due to their high self-renewal ability and capacity to differentiate into functional cardiomyocytes, these cells can provide an unlimited source of EV for application in cardiac regeneration. We generated and characterized EV derived from key stages of hiPSC-CM differentiation and maturation, i.e. from hiPSC (hiPSC-EV), cardiac progenitors (CPC-EV), immature (CMi-EV) and mature (CMm-EV) cardiomyocytes, with the goal of studying their potential role as therapeutics, and whether their yield and function was influenced by the state of their parent cell. Two hiPSC lines were differentiated into hiPSC-CM and cultured as 3D spheroids in a fatty acid supplemented medium to improve CM maturation [3,4]. EV isolation was performed based on density separation on an iodixanol discontinuous gradient, and EV were characterized in terms of particle size and particle size distribution, presence of EV-specific markers, and imaging through transmission electron microscopy. Functional studies were performed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to evaluate EV-uptake, migration and angiogenesis. EV yield varied along CM differentiation stages, with a minimum for CPC, for both cell lines. Bioactivity assays with HUVECs showed that uptake of PKH26-labelled EV could be blocked by dynasore, an inhibitor of dynamin-2, a GTPase that plays a crucial role in clathrin and caveolin-dependent endocytosis. Increased migration was observed in HUVECs treated with hiPSC, CPC and CM-derived EV (92.25 ± 14.69% wound closure at 24h for hiPSC, 77.13 ± 13.64 % for CPC, 74.71 ± 19.86% for CMi, 69.2 ± 19.12% for CMm versus 45.65 ± 7.26% for control), but angiogenic properties were found only for hiPSC-EV (fold change of 11.2 ± 4.59 in total segment length vs. control, p\u3c0.001). Current efforts towards the characterization of EV small RNA cargo aim at understanding the correlation between cargo composition and in vitro activity, to identify the optimal cell factory for scalable therapeutic EV production. Funding: FCT PhD fellowship PD/BD/139078/2018; IC&TD Projects MetaCardio” (PTDC/BTM-SAL/32566/2017) and NETDIAMOND (SAICTPAC/0047/2015), and iNOVA4Health Research Unit (UIDB/04462/2020). 1. Zhu, X., et al. Comprehensive toxicity and immunogenicity studies reveal minimal effects in mice following sustained dosing of extracellular vesicles derived from HEK293T cells. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 6, 1, 2017. 2. El Harane, et al. Acellular therapeutic approach for heart failure: in vitro production of extracellular vesicles from human cardiovascular progenitors. European Heart Journal 39, 20, 2018. 3. Correia, C., et al. Distinct carbon sources affect structural and functional maturation of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Scientific reports 7, 1, 2017. 4. Correia, C., et al. 3D aggregate culture improves metabolic maturation of human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 115, 3, 2018