Brand gender and consumer-based brand equity on Facebook: The mediating role of consumer-brand engagement and brand love

Brand gender has been suggested as a relevant source of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). The purpose of this paper is to deepen understanding of the relationship between brand gender and CBBE by analyzing the mediating roleofconsumer–brandengagement (CBE)andbrandlove(BL)onthisrelationship.Thisresearchwas conducted on Facebook, the dominant global social media platform. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Results support 6 of the 9 hypotheses, with a significant relationship between analyzed constructs. This study advances prior work by showing that brand gender has an indirect and relevant impact on CBBE through BL and CBE. Therefore, this research confirms the advantages of clear gender positioning and extends prior research by suggesting that brands with a strong gender identity will encourage BL and CB

Anthropometric data collection of Portuguese children using 3D body scanning: considerations about the scanning booth

This paper presents some considerations regarding the scanning booth used in an anthropometric study done with a 3D body scanning technology. The data collected is part of a Ph.D. study conducted in Textile Engineering at University of Minho in Portugal, which aims to develop clothing for overweight and obese Portuguese children aged 2-11 years, of both genders. The challenges faced during data collection are described, and modifications of the scanning booth are proposed. It is possible to conclude that the importance of the scanning booth is key to an efficient anthropometric data collection, including the growth of this technology in the garment industry, Universities Research Institutes involved with anthropometric studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Obesidade infantil: dimensão do problema, perspetivas futuras e questões metodológicas

Citação: Leitão, R. B., Rodrigues, L. P., Neves, L., & Carvalho, G.S. (2015). Obesidade Infantil: Dimensão do problema, perspetivas futuras e questões metodológicas. In: L. Santos, C. Parente, J. Ribeiro & A. Pontes (Eds.), Promoção da Saúde: Da Investigação à Prática. Lisboa: Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicologia da Saúde (SPPS), Editora, Lda, Vol. 1, pp. 48-51. (ISBN: 978-989-98855-1-6)A obesidade infantil tornou-se atualmente na doença nutricional mais prevalente em países desenvolvidos, sendo considerada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde um dos maiores problemas de Saúde Pública no Mundo. Apesar das variações que se verificam entre países e regiões a maioria dos estudos, independentemente dos métodos e critérios utilizados, têm mostrado que a prevalência do excesso de peso e obesidade em idade pediátrica aumentou de uma forma notável. Apresenta-se, de forma sucinta, os fatores implicados na obesidade bem como diversos métodos e técnicas utilizadas para a avaliação do excesso de peso e obesidade.CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, IE, UM (UI 317 da FCT

Implantação de unidade de captação e gerenciamento de recursos para o município de Santa Maria/RS

Este Plano de Intervenção foi elaborado como alternativa de solução a um problema contemporâneo diagnosticado na Prefeitura Municipal de Santa Maria/RS, no que se refere a Captação de Recursos extra tributários. As tarefas relacionadas a este fim, estão hoje sendo desenvolvidas por uma equipe multidisciplinar de profissionais que operam informalmente no Gabinete da Casa Civil, sem estarem a ela subordinados seja por questões formais, normativas ou por questões profissionais. As atividades de captação carecem de uma estrutura organizada com a dedicação exclusiva de profissionais em seu quadro, capacitados e atualizados conforme as exigências sistêmicas que envolvem as tarefas de captação de recursos. Para tornar o desenvolvimento dos projetos que tem prioridade de acordo com as políticas públicas da atual gestão administrativa do município, identifica-se necessário a implementação de uma Unidade de Captação e Gerenciamento de Recursos – UCGR, estruturada e instituída através de norma própria, para tornar os processos e resultados organizacionais mais céleres, eficazes, efetivos e eficientes.33 páginasGestão Públic

Evaluation of mannans from saccharomyces cerevisiae as potential human microbiota modulators

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Methane Emissions from Ruminants on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems

Ruminant livestock produce ~80 million tonnes of methane (CH4) annually, accounting for ~33% of global anthropogenic emissions of CH4 (Beauchemin et al. 2008). CH4 is a powerful greenhouse gas, with global warming potential of 25 (Eckard et al. 2010), and represents a significant loss of dietary energy (2 to 12% of gross energy of feeds; Patra 2012) in the ruminant production system. Despite greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have become an increasingly important topic worldwide, there is still a high variability around the estimated values of these emissions, mainly about emissions attributable to livestock (range from 8 to 51%; Herrero et al. 2011). This variability creates confusion among researchers, policy makers and the public, particularly in tropical/sub-tropical regions due substantial uncertainties. Therefore, using rigorous and internationally accepted protocols, a Brazilian national project was established in order to contribute for the estimates of GHG emissions attributable to livestock in Brazilian ruminant production systems. Moreover, enteric CH4 emissions are a major challenge for research, in order to develop technologies and strategies for sustainable ruminant production systems in the future (Eckard et al. 2010). In recent years, integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) have gained interest due to, for example, the abatement of methane from livestock production: directly through a reduction in CH4 per unit of animal products resulting from the increase on feed quality and animal welfare (i.e. improved environmental temperature for ICLS with trees), and indirectly through reduction of area submitted to land use changes (i.e. leading to a loss of soil C stocks). This paper deals with the preliminary results from CH4 emissions by beef heifers grazing in two ICLS (i.e. production system that integrates corn or soybeans crops, during the warm season, and cattle grazing on a cool season pasture, on the same area and in the same cropping year, with or without trees), how these findings contributes to determine the soil C balance and mitigation measures

Interactive Tree and N Supply Effect on Root Mass of Two Annual Pasture Grasses

A major aim of integrated crop livestock system (ICLS) with trees is to increase the overall land productivity and/or its sustainability by making best use of the environmental resources (water, light and nutrients) used by plant for growth (Jose et al. 2008). Consequently, research efforts have been done in order to investigate the complex animal-plant-soils interactions operating upon the biological production of these systems, and their environmental impacts. For instance, since roots return to soil as a stock of C in the soil is in general larger than shoot return, interest in describing plant root system has increased due the current debate over sequestration of C by vegetation. Therefore, an important issue of ICLS is the degree of competition or, conversely, the complementary level that exists between root development and root system activities (Gregory 2006). However, our knowledge about the mechanisms by which biomass allocation (aerial parts of the plant vs. root system) is regulated is poor (Poorter et al. 2011), mainly when considering simultaneous stresses (e.g. light and nutrients). In the present study we report the shoot:root ratio and root mass variation responses to N fertilization levels of two forage grass species growing in field situation under a tree canopy while grazed by beef heifers versus an open, treeless ICLS

Phyllochron and Leaf Lifespan of Four C4 Forage Grasses Cultivated in a Silvopastoral System

Silvopastoral systems are emerging as an option for more sustainable land use. However, the challenge is to optimize pasture production and the determine suitable management by understanding the growth and development of forages under trees canopy (Palma et al. 2007). In the silvopastoral system, trees change the environment that forages grow, and can influence the development of plants and, consequently, the sward dynamics. For instance, the light quantity (i.e. photon flux density) and quality (e.g. changes in red: far-red ratios) can vary as a result of the tree canopy (Beaudet et al. 2011). Phyllochron and leaf lifespan are morphogenetic processes that control growth and development of plants in a specific environment. These processes determine leaf area index and so the light interception by the sward (Lemaire and Chapman, 1996). These two characteristics can be used as tools for pasture management, and also are influenced by management practices, like nitrogen fertilization. However, there are few studies that evaluated these characteristics for forages cultivated under tree canopy (Paciullo et al. 2008), particularly when using the light interception (LI) as a criteria for cutting frequency. Under full sun, rotational stocking using 95% canopy LI has been recommended to use C4 species to their fullest potential and optimize ruminant weight gains on pasture (Silva and Carvalho, 2003). The aim of our work was to determine both the shading (five-year-old plantation of Eucalyptus dunni) and nitrogen availability effect on phyllochron and leaf lifespan of four C4 forage grasses species in a sub-tropical region, managed using the 95% light interception criteria to determine cutting frequency

O novo regime de contrato de trabalho em funções públicas e riscos psicossociais emergentes

Apresentação realizada no 3º Encontro Nacional de Riscos, Segurança e Fiabilidade em Lisboa, de 3-5 de novembro de 2009

Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (MTLE) Drug-Refractoriness Is Associated With P2X7 Receptors Overexpression in the Human Hippocampus and Temporal Neocortex and May Be Predicted by Low Circulating Levels of miR-22

Objective: ATP-gated ionotropic P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) actively participate in epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Neocortical nerve terminals of patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis (MTLE-HS) express higher P2X7R amounts. Overexpression of P2X7R bolsters ATP signals during seizures resulting in glial cell activation, cytokines production, and GABAergic rundown with unrestrained glutamatergic excitation. In a mouse model of status epilepticus, increased expression of P2X7R has been associated with the down-modulation of the non-coding micro RNA, miR-22. MiR levels are stable in biological fluids and normally reflect remote tissue production making them ideal disease biomarkers. Here, we compared P2X7R and miR-22 expression in epileptic brains and in the serum of patients with MTLE-HS, respectively. Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of P2X7R in the hippocampus and anterior temporal lobe of 23 patients with MTLE-HS and 10 cadaveric controls. Confocal microscopy and Western blot analysis were performed to assess P2X7R protein amounts. MiR-22 expression was evaluated in cell-free sera of 40 MTLE-HS patients and 48 healthy controls. Results: Nerve terminals of the hippocampus and neocortical temporal lobe of MTLE-HS patients overexpress (p 3) anti-epileptic drug (AED) regimens. Conclusion: Data show that there is an inverse relationship between miR-22 serum levels and P2X7R expression in the hippocampus and neocortex of MTLE-HS patients, which implies that measuring serum miR-22 may be a clinical surrogate of P2X7R brain expression in the MTLE-HS. Moreover, the high area under the ROC curve (0.777; 95% CI 0.629-0.925; p = 0.001) suggests that low miR-22 serum levels may be a sensitive predictor of poor response to AEDs among MTLE-HS patients. Results also anticipate that targeting the miR-22/P2X7R axis may be a good strategy to develop newer AEDs.This research was partial funded by a BICE Tecnifar Grant. The work performed in PC-S’s Lab was partially supported by UP/Santander Totta and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, POCTI PTDC/SAU-PUB/28311/2017—EPIRaft grant and Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional—FEDER funding and COMPETE—MedInUP projects Pest-OE/SAU/UI215/2014, UID/BIM/4308/2016, UIDB/04308/2020 and UIDP/04308/2020). Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB) is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Portugal (grant numbers UIDB/00215/2020 and UIDP/00215/2020) and ITR—Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (LA/P/0064/2020). RM-F was in receipt of an FCT PhD studentship (SFRH/BD/137900/2018).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio