Railway Regulation In Portugal: Lessons From Experience

Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Análise de conteúdo a sites de franchising em Portugal: traços de personalidade das empresas franchisadoras .

Mestrado em MarketingUm grande número de estudos académicos tem-se dedicado à conceptualização e medição do fenómeno "reputação da organização." Para este efeito, várias abordagens têm sido seguidas na identificação de indicadores de escalas de reputação da organização. A abordagem da personificação da marca é utilizada desde há muitos anos na identificação de associações à marca. Recentemente, houve interesse renovado nesta abordagem tendo surgido a escala de personalidade da marca de Aaker ( 1997) e, mais tarde, uma outra escala aplicada especificamente à marca institucional ( Davies et al. 2003). Qualquer destas escalas é multidimensional tendo os autores testado a sua validade em culturas anglo-saxónicas. Contudo, a generalização de uma escala para contextos culturais diferentes daqueles onde foi construída pode encontrar dificuldades relacionadas com a sua validade. Em Portugal está actualmente em curso um projecto que visa o desenvolvimento de uma escala de reputação da organização adaptada à realidade e cultura portuguesas. Este estudo tem um carácter exploratório e insere-se nesse projecto mais amplo. Especificamente, o seu foco é investigar a adequação dos indicadores das escalas de personalidade Aaker ( 1997) e Davies et al. (2003) ao contexto cultural português. Foi pesquisada a comunicação institucional incluída em sites da Internet de empresas franchisadoras que actuam em Portugal. Através da técnica de análise de conteúdo identificaram-se nesses textos os traços de personalidade incluídos na escala de personalidade da marca de Aaker ( 1997) e na escala de personalidade da marca institucional de Davies et al. (2003). Os resultados de frequência estatística mostram que 81,9% dos indicadores das escalas são utilizados nos sites estudados. É sugerido que as organizações atribuem níveis de importância aos traços de personalidade em função do valor que julgam que eles têm no desenvolvimento de reacções emocionais positivas sobre a marca institucional nos seus stakeholders. Assim, estes níveis de importância poderão ser utilizados para ajudar a justificar a adequação dos indicadores das escalas de personalidade Aaker ( 1997) e Davies et al. (2003) ao contexto cultural português.A substantial number of academic studies have been devoted to the conceptualization and measurement of corporate reputation. To accomplish this purpose several approaches have been followed to identify indicators of corporate reputation scales. The brand personification metaphor has been used for many years to identify brand associations. Following a renewed interest in this approach Aaker ( 1997) developed a brand personality scale and, later, another scale specifically relevant to the corporate brand was designed by Davies et al. (2003). Both scales are multidimensional and were tested for validity in the American and British contexts. However, the potential generalization of a scale to cultural contexts different to those were it was developed should be assessed for validity. It is currently in progress in Portugal a project with the purpose of developing a corporate personality scale adapted to the Portuguese reality and culture. The current study has an exploratory nature and it is under that wider project. Specifically, the focus of this study is to investigate the adequacy of the scale items of two personality scales — Aaker ( 1997) and Davies at al. (2003) — to the Portuguese cultural context. The research analysed corporate communication texts included in the Internet sites of franchising organizations that operate in Portugal. A content analysis of those texts was performed to identify the personality traits included in the brand personality scale of Aaker ( 1997) and the corporate personality scale of Davies et al. (2003). The results of statistical frequencies show that 81,9% of the scale items were used in the researched sites. Results suggest that organizations assign different innportance leveis to each personality trait which might express the perception that organizations have towards the value of each personality trait for the development of positive emotional reactions about the corporate brand by their stakeholders. Thus, these rankings might contribute to assess the adequacy of each researched personality trait to the Portuguese cultural context.N/

Long-term risk of mortality after acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis: a contemporary analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term mortality of septic patients; however, the exact influence of AKI on long-term mortality in such patients has not yet been determined.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively evaluated the impact of AKI, defined by the "Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage kidney disease" (RIFLE) classification based on creatinine criteria, on 2-year mortality in a cohort of 234 hospital surviving septic patients who had been hospitalized at the Infectious Disease Intensive Care Unit of our Hospital.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean-follow-up was 21 ± 6.4 months. During this period, 32 patients (13.7%) died. At 6 months, 1 and 2 years of follow-up, the cumulative probability of death of patients with previous AKI was 8.3, 16.9 and 34.2%, respectively, as compared with 2.2, 6 and 8.9% in patients without previous AKI (log-rank, P < 0.0001). In the univariate analysis, age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7, P < 0.0001), as well as pre-existing cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.4, P = 0.009), illness severity as evaluated by nonrenal APACHE II (hazard ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P = 0.002), and previous AKI (hazard ratio 4.2, 95% CI 2.1-8.5, P < 0.0001) were associated with increased 2-year mortality, while gender, race, pre-existing hypertension, cirrhosis, HIV infection, neoplasm, and baseline glomerular filtration rate did not. In the multivariate analysis, however, only previous AKI (hazard ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.6-6.5, P = 0.001) and age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6, P < 0.0001) emerged as independent predictors of 2-year mortality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Acute kidney injury had a negative impact on long-term mortality of patients with sepsis.</p

Rett syndrome with and without detected MECP2 mutations: an attempt to redefine phenotypes

Background: The diagnosis of Rett syndrome (RTT) is based on a set of clinical criteria, irrespective of mutation status. The aims of this study were (1) to define the clinical differences existing between patients with Rett syndrome with (Group I) and without a MECP2 mutation (Group II), and (2) to characterize the phenotypes associated with the more common MECP2 mutations. Patients and methods: We analyzed 87 patients fulfilling the clinical criteria for RTT. All were observed and videotaped by the same paediatric neurologist. Seven common mutations were considered separately, and associated clinical features analysed. Results: Comparing Group I and II, we found differences concerning psychomotor development prior to onset, acquisition of propositive manipulation and language, and evolving autistic traits. Based on age at observation, we found differences in eye pointing, microcephaly, growth, number of stereotypies, rigidity, ataxia and ataxic-rigid gait, and severity score. Patients with truncating differed from those with missense mutations regarding acquisition of propositive words and independent gait, before the beginning of the disease, and microcephaly, growth, foot length, dystonia, rigidity and severity score, at the time of observation. Patients with the R168X mutation had a more severe phenotype, whereas those with R133C showed a less severe one. Patients with R294X had a hyperactive behaviour, and those with T158M seemed to be particularly ataxic and rigid. Conclusion: A clear regressive period (with loss of prehension and language, deceleration of growth) and the presence of more than three different stereotypies, rigidity and ataxic-rigid gait seemed to be very helpful in differentiating Group I from Group II

Significant benefits of AIP testing and clinical screening in familial isolated and young-onset pituitary tumors

Context Germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene are responsible for a subset of familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) cases and sporadic pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). Objective To compare prospectively diagnosed AIP mutation-positive (AIPmut) PitNET patients with clinically presenting patients and to compare the clinical characteristics of AIPmut and AIPneg PitNET patients. Design 12-year prospective, observational study. Participants & Setting We studied probands and family members of FIPA kindreds and sporadic patients with disease onset ≤18 years or macroadenomas with onset ≤30 years (n = 1477). This was a collaborative study conducted at referral centers for pituitary diseases. Interventions & Outcome AIP testing and clinical screening for pituitary disease. Comparison of characteristics of prospectively diagnosed (n = 22) vs clinically presenting AIPmut PitNET patients (n = 145), and AIPmut (n = 167) vs AIPneg PitNET patients (n = 1310). Results Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut PitNET patients had smaller lesions with less suprasellar extension or cavernous sinus invasion and required fewer treatments with fewer operations and no radiotherapy compared with clinically presenting cases; there were fewer cases with active disease and hypopituitarism at last follow-up. When comparing AIPmut and AIPneg cases, AIPmut patients were more often males, younger, more often had GH excess, pituitary apoplexy, suprasellar extension, and more patients required multimodal therapy, including radiotherapy. AIPmut patients (n = 136) with GH excess were taller than AIPneg counterparts (n = 650). Conclusions Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut patients show better outcomes than clinically presenting cases, demonstrating the benefits of genetic and clinical screening. AIP-related pituitary disease has a wide spectrum ranging from aggressively growing lesions to stable or indolent disease course

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men