Addressing the ageing workforce phenomenon in the food retail sector: challenges and solutions

Demographics have been changing inverting the age pyramid in developed countries. This shift raises challenges to many companies, which must regard the current tendency of an ageing workforce with increasing concerns and looking forward to anticipate the adversities that may come with this new tendency as the food retail sector seems to be no exception. This study concludes that companies are being reactive towards this phenomenon, therefore, the purpose is to identify the key challenges and solutions in order to mitigate both the risks and negative effects taking the example of a Portuguese company that operates in the mentioned sector of activity. The challenges and solutions identified are related to human resources management policies and practices as well as initiatives and implications that will be further discussed in this study

Between Heroes or Deities? Iron Age Sacrificial Agencies Depicted in Rock 6 From Monte de Porreiras (Northwest Portugal)

The aim of this work is to publish the rock engravings of Monte das Porreira 6, located in the council of Paredes de Coura, in the Northwest of Portugal. The study was based on photogrammetric surveys and subsequent contrast recurring to geometric distance determination./nIt is a profusely decorated rock with a long diachrony of carving. The initial phase includes Classical Atlantic Art, integrated in the regional Neo-Chalcolithic period. The second phase includes representation of several types of equids, horsemen, and antenna-hilted daggers. Based on parallels for such weapons, it is possible to integrate these motifs between the Late Bronze Age and an Early Iron Age of North-western Iberia./nIt is also possible to observe a change from an abstract grammar, during the first phase, to a figurative grammar, in which we can identify a narrative related to human and animal sacrifices, associated with the use of antenna-hilted daggers. These depictions recall a symbolism reminiscent of Strabo's writings, including bronze objects containing sacrificial scenes. The final phase of engraving indicates new symbolic changes, with valorisation of isolated actions perpetrated by horsemen, carrying throwing weapons, which may be a representation of a deity or hero.El objetivo de este trabajo es publicar los grabados rupestres del Monte das Porreira 6, situado en Paredes de Coura, en el no de Portugal. El estudio se ha basado en un levantamiento fotogramétrico y el posterior contraste con la determinación de la distancia geométrica./nSe trata de una roca profusamente decorada con una larga diacronía de grabados. La fase inicial incluye el arte atlántico clásico, integrado en el Calcolítico Reciente. La segunda fase incluye la representación de équidos, jinetes y puñales con mango de antenas. Basándose en los paralelos de dichas armas, es posible integrar estos motivos entre la Edad de Bronce Final y la Edad de Hierro Inicial./nTambién es posible observar el paso de una gramática abstracta, durante la primera fase, a una gramática figurativa, en la que se puede identificar una narrativa relacionada con los sacrificios humanos y de animales, asociada al uso de puñales con mango de antenas. Estas representaciones evocan un simbolismo que recuerda a los textos de Estrabón y objetos de bronce que contienen escenas de sacrificio. La última fase del grabado indica nuevos cambios simbólicos, con la valorización de acciones aisladas perpetradas por un jinete, portando un arma arrojadiza, que pueden representar a una divinidad o a un héroe

¿Entre héroes y deidades? actos de sacrificio de la Edad del Hierro grabados en la roca 6 del monte de Porreiras (Noroeste de Portugal)

El objetivo de este trabajo es publicar los grabados rupestres del Monte das Porreira 6, situado en Paredes de Coura, en el no de Portugal. El estudio se ha basado en un levantamiento fotogramétrico y el posterior contraste con la determinación de la distancia geométrica. Se trata de una roca profusamente decorada con una larga diacronía de grabados. La fase inicial incluye el arte atlántico clásico, integrado en el Calcolítico Reciente. La segunda fase incluye la representación de équidos, jinetes y puñales con mango de antenas. Basándose en los paralelos de dichas armas, es posible integrar estos motivos entre la Edad de Bronce Final y la Edad de Hierro Inicial. También es posible observar el paso de una gramática abstracta, durante la primera fase, a una gramática figurativa, en la que se puede identificar una narrativa relacionada con los sacrificios humanos y de animales, asociada al uso de puñales con mango de antenas. Estas representaciones evocan un simbolismo que recuerda a los textos de Estrabón y objetos de bronce que contienen escenas de sacrificio. La última fase del grabado indica nuevos cambios simbólicos, con la valorización de acciones aisladas perpetradas por un jinete, portando un arma arrojadiza, que pueden representar a una divinidad o a un héroe.The aim of this work is to publish the rock engravings of Monte das Porreira 6, located in the council of Paredes de Coura, in the Northwest of Portugal. The study was based on photogrammetric surveys and subsequent contrast recurring to geometric distance determination. It is a profusely decorated rock with a long diachrony of carving. The initial phase includes Classical Atlantic Art, integrated in the regional Neo-Chalcolithic period. The second phase includes representation of several types of equids, horsemen, and antenna-hilted daggers. Based on parallels for such weapons, it is possible to integrate these motifs between the Late Bronze Age and an Early Iron Age of North-western Iberia. It is also possible to observe a change from an abstract grammar, during the first phase, to a figurative grammar, in which we can identify a narrative related to human and animal sacrifices, associated with the use of antenna-hilted daggers. These depictions recall a symbolism reminiscent of Strabo’s writings, including bronze objects containing sacrificial scenes. The final phase of engraving indicates new symbolic changes, with valorisation of isolated actions perpetrated by horsemen, carrying throwing weapons, which may be a representation of a deity or hero

Profiling microglia in a mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease

Microglia have been increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), and specific disease associated microglia (DAM) profiles have been defined for several of these NDs. Yet, the microglial profile in Machado–Joseph disease (MJD) remains unexplored. Here, we characterized the profile of microglia in the CMVMJD135 mouse model of MJD. This characterization was performed using primary microglial cultures and microglial cells obtained from disease-relevant brain regions of neonatal and adult CMVMJD135 mice, respectively. Machine learning models were implemented to identify potential clusters of microglia based on their morphological features, and an RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to identify molecular perturbations and potential therapeutic targets. Our findings reveal morphological alterations that point to an increased activation state of microglia in CMVMJD135 mice and a disease-specific transcriptional profile of MJD microglia, encompassing a total of 101 differentially expressed genes, with enrichment in molecular pathways related to oxidative stress, immune response, cell proliferation, cell death, and lipid metabolism. Overall, these results allowed us to define the cellular and molecular profile of MJD-associated microglia and to identify genes and pathways that might represent potential therapeutic targets for this disorder.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (PTDC/NEUNMC/3648/2014) and COMPETE-FEDER (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016818). It was also supported by Portuguese funds through FCT in the framework of the Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031987 (PTDC/MED-OUT/31987/2017). A.B.C. was supported by a doctoral fellowship from FCT (PD/BD/ 127828/2016). S.P.N. was also supported by FCT (PD/BD/114120/2015). Work in the JBR laboratory was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT in the framework of the Project POCI-01-0145- FEDER030647 (PTDC/MED-NEU/31318/2017). This work was funded by ICVS Scientific Microscopy Platform, member of the national infrastructure PPBI (Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging) (PPBIPOCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122), and by National funds, through FCT—project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020

High-resolution multibeam bathymetry of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 45–46° N: the Moytirra hydrothermal field

This work presents a new high-resolution multibeam bathymetric map of a segment of active deep sea-floor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean, the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) at 45–46º N. New high-resolution bathymetry data were acquired using an Atlas multibeam echosounder onboard the research vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa during the EXPLOSEA-2 survey in 2019. The final map of the MAR (50 m cell grid size) at the original scale of 1:200,000 shows a segment of 140 × 35 km of the MAR, at water depths from 715 to 3700 m. This new high-resolution bathymetric map allows to better defining the submarine morphology of the Moytirra hydrothermal active field, the only high-temperature field identified between the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) and Iceland. ROV submarine observations reaching the deepest part of the system for the first time show giant anhydrite-sulfide chimneys up to 20 m high, active strong black smokers and polymetallic massive sulfides

Multidisciplinary Scientific Cruise to the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Azores Archipelago

This work presents the preliminary result of the multidisciplinary cruise EXPLOSEA2 surveying the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Azores Archipelago from 46 300 N to 38 300 N aboard the R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa and ROV Luso over 54 days (June 11 to July 27, 2019). In this cruise report, we detail the geophysical, hydrographic, geological, oceanographic, ecological, and microbiological data acquired and a brief of main findings. The cruise addressed the exploration and comprehensive characterization of venting sites, including the water column, the sediments and rocks that host the hydrothermal activity, and the associated mineralizations, biology, and microbiology. Deep hydrothermal chimneys and massive sulfide deposits (up 3,000 m in depth) within the Moytirra hydrothermal active field were identified on slopes that had not been explored previously. Another striking finding made during the EXPLOSEA2 cruise was the field of carbonate chimneys named the “Magallanes-Elcano” field, a potentially relict ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal site sourced by abiotic methane. This field is related to a serpentinite and gabbro rock outcropping on a dome-shaped massif named the “Iberian Massif.” An outstanding finding of the EXPLOSEA2 survey was the identification of the first garden of soft corals growing after active submarine eruptions were reported in the Azores Archipelago composed by a high density of soft corals the suborder Alcyoniina at the summit and flanks of a recent volcanic cone at 160 m water depth developed during the 1957–1958 eruption of Capelinhos. Several cold-water coral habitats formed by colonial scleractinians (e.g., Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata), coral gardens composed of mixed assemblages of black corals (Leiopathes sp.), and octocorals and dense aggregations of the glass sponge Pheronema carpenteri that may be classified as vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) have been discovered during the EXPLOSEA2 cruise along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This work reveals the importance of multidisciplinary surveys to the knowledge of deep-sea environments

The effects of an intronic polymorphism in TOMM40 and APOE genotypes in sporadic inclusion body myositis

Keywords: Sporadic inclusion body myositis sIBM APOE TOMM40 Age of onset a b s t r a c t A previous study showed that, in carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype ε3/ε3 or ε3/ε4, the presence of a very long (VL) polyT repeat allele in "translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40" (TOMM40) was less frequent in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) compared with controls and associated with a later age of sIBM symptom onset, suggesting a protective effect of this haplotype. To further investigate the influence of these genetic factors in sIBM, we analyzed a large sIBM cohort of 158 cases as part of an International sIBM Genetics Study. No significant association was found between APOE or TOMM40 genotypes and the risk of developing sIBM. We found that the presence of at least 1 VL polyT repeat allele in TOMM40 was significantly associated with about 4 years later onset of sIBM symptoms. The age of onset was delayed by 5 years when the patients were also carriers of the APOE genotype ε3/ε3. In addition, males were likely to have a later age of onset than females. Therefore, the TOMM40 VL polyT repeat, although not influencing disease susceptibility, has a disease-modifying effect on sIBM, which can be enhanced by the APOE genotype ε3/ε3