CSR practices and labor retention: how can these variables be related?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsCompanies offer volunteering activities and training & development for several reasons but mainly because it is an investment that can have a great impact in one variable with major importance within every company: labor retention, once socially responsible companies are likely viewed as better companies to work with and which value more their employees and their interests and values. Using survey information collected from 100 business professionals, this exploratory study proposed that the investment in both company-sponsored volunteering and training & development will have a positive impact in affective commitment and organizational identification that as last result will reduce the employees’ turnover intentions and consequently there will be a higher retention rate of employees in the company. This is crucial for companies nowadays because it is a competitive advantage which makes them stand out from others, once these socially responsible companies are able to keep their employees trained and with values aligned with the ones that characterize the company, getting positive outcomes from the investment they are making in human capital. Using a sample of 65 employees from different industries and roles within the company, results indicated that these CSR measures have a statistically significant impact on turnover intentions and, by consequence on labor retention

Impact of the architecture of dye sensitized solar cell-powered electrochromic devices on their photovoltaic performance and the ability to color change

The functional layers arrangement in a dye sensitized solar cell electrochromic device (DSSC-EC) on the energy conversion efficiency and on the ability to change the color is studied. The highest power conversion efficiency of ca. 7% and good color change in closed circuit conditions was observed with electrochromic WO3 deposited on the counter-electrode of the DSSC. When WO3 layer was applied over the photoanode, the DSSC-EC displayed less power conversion efficiency - 3.4%, but a more intense color change was observed under illumination and opened external circuit. Response of the photocurrent vs. applied potential, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency and optical behavior of the DSSC-EC were assessed and discussed considering optical properties of the components of the device and their energy bands alignment. Smart window and self-powered proof-of-concept pixelated device operating on DSSC-EC are presented

Low-cost SARS-CoV-2 vaccine homogenization system for Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vials

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been affecting all sectors worldwide, and efforts have been targeting the enhancement of people’s health and labour conditions of collaborators belonging to healthcare institutions. The recent vaccines emerging against covid-19 are seen as a solution to address the problem that has already killed up to two million people. The preparation of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine requires a specific manipulation before its administration. A correct homogenization with saline solution is needed and, therefore, a manual process with a predefined protocol should be accomplished. This action can endanger the operators’ ergonomics due to the repetitive movement of the process. This paper proposes a low-cost prototype incorporating an arduino based embedded system actuating a servomotor to perform an autonomous vials’ homogenization allowing to redirect these healthcare workers to other tasks. Moreover, a contactless start order process was implemented to avoid contact with the operator and, consequently, the contamination. The prototype was successfully tested and recognised, and is being applied during the preparation of the covid-19 vaccines at the hospital pharmacy of Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, E.P.E., Portugal. It can be easily replicated since the source files to assemble it are provided by the authors.The developers of this system thank the pharmacy department of the Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, E.P.E for supporting the implementation, tests and validation of the proposed system. This work is financed by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, FCT - Fundac¸ao˜ para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia within project UIDB/50014/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transporte de umidade nos regimes monçônicos e sua variabilidade relacionada com eventos de seca e cheia na Amazônia

Atmospheric moisture transport and moisture convergence characteristics of the monsoon regimes of the globe are obtained. Special emphasis is laid on the South American monsoon system. The NCEP/NCAR gridded analysis data for 62 years is used for the calculations. Seasonal cross-equatorial moisture transport in the sector of a given monsoon regime is seen to characterize the monsoon intensity. Whereas the lower tropospheric winds change their direction by almost 180 ° from winter season (DJF) to summer (JJA) over the South Asian and East African monsoon region, the trade winds over the tropical Atlantic and tropical South America east of the Andes remain basically easterlies in all seasons. However, the moisture transport across the equator in the South American monsoon region changes sign from JJA to DJF, being north to south in the DJF season. The mean yearly total cross-equatorial moisture transport from the Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere is approximately three times the discharge of water by the mighty Amazon River into the Atlantic, most of it happening in the Indian Ocean. Between the equator and 20ºN there is moisture convergence, which supplies moisture for the ITCZ. This explains its position to north of the equator. A comparison of different monsoon regimes reveals that the South Asian monsoon is wide and three times more intense than the South American monsoon. The Australian monsoon is weaker than the South American monsoon. There is an indication that the South American monsoon is stronger, on seasonal average, when the Australian monsoon is weaker. The convergence of moisture accounts for almost 70% of the total rainfall over the Amazon Basin, the remaining 30% is contributed by evapotranspiration over the Amazon forest. The sources of moisture for the Amazon Basin are situated in the Tropical North and South Atlantic Oceans away from the equator but equatorward of 35ºS and 35ºN. Moisture transport from the Tropical South Atlantic into the Amazon Basin passes over Northeast Brazil. However, there is net divergence of moisture over the Northeast. The regression showed a not very good relationship between the moisture convergence and precipitation over the Amazon basin in the wet season (October to April), where approximately 34% of the rainfall variability is explained by variability in moisture convergence over the basin. The level of the Rio Negro has a low correlation with the moisture convergence over the basin being 26% in DJF. The results of this study indicate that the atmospheric moisture transport can be used to identify the monsoon and characterize its intensityAs características do transporte e da convergência de umidade atmosférica dos regimes monçônicos do globo são obtidos. Especial ênfase é dada ao Sistema de Monção da América do Sul (MAS). Os dados em pontos de grade de reanálises do NCEP / NCAR para 62 anos são usados para os cálculos. O transporte sazonal de umidade que atravessa o equador no setor de um dado regime de monção é visto caracterizar a intensidade das monções. Enquanto, os ventos na troposfera inferior invertem sua direção da estação de inverno boreal (Dez-Jan-Fev, DJF) para estação de verão boreal (Jun-Jul-Ago, JJA) sobre as regiões monçônicas do Sul Asiático e o do Leste Africano, os ventos alísios sobre o Atlântico Tropical e América do Sul tropical, a leste dos Andes, permanecem basicamente de leste em todas as estações. No entanto, o transporte de umidade que atravessa o equador na região de MAS muda de sinal de JJA para DJF, sendo de norte para sul em DJF. A média do total anual do transporte de umidade equatorial do Hemisfério Sul (HS) para Hemisfério Norte (HN) é cerca de três vezes a descarga de água pelo rio Amazonas para o Oceano Atlântico. Entre o equador e 20ºN há convergência de umidade, a qual alimenta a região da Zona de Convergência Intertropical (ZCIT), isto explica sua posição ao norte do Equador. Uma comparação dos diferentes regimes de monção revela que a Monção do Sul Asiática é extensa e três vezes mais intensa do que a MAS. A Monção Australiana (MA) é mais fraca que a MAS e há uma indicação de que esta última seja mais forte, em média sazonal, quando a MA é mais fraca. A convergência de umidade responde por quase 70% do total de chuvas sobre a bacia Amazônica, os 30% restantes são fornecidos por evapotranspiração sobre a floresta Amazônica. As fontes de umidade para a bacia Amazônica estão situadas nos oceanos Atlântico Tropical Norte (ATN) e Atlântico Tropical Sul (ATS) longe do equador, precisamente nas saídas das Altas Subtropicais desses oceanos (35ºS e 35ºN). O transporte de umidade vindo do ATS para a bacia Amazônica passa sobre o Nordeste Brasileiro (NEB), no entanto, há divergência líquida de umidade sobre ele. A regressão mostrou uma relação não muito boa entre a convergência de umidade e a precipitação sobre a bacia Amazônica na estação chuvosa (outubro – abril), onde aproximadamente 34% da variabilidade da precipitação é explicada pela variabilidade da convergência de umidade sobre a bacia. O nível do rio Negro apresenta uma baixa correlação com a convergência de umidade sobre a bacia, sendo de 26% em DJF. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho indicam que o transporte de umidade pode ser utilizado como um índice confiável para identificar e caracterizar a intensidade de monção

Adolescentes en atención socioeducativo y escolarización : desafíos señalados por orientadores educacionales

O adolescente em cumprimento de medida socioeducativa em regime aberto possui o direito de frequentar a escola, que deve afetar positivamente sua formação global e desenvolvimento psicológico. Entretanto, a inserção e permanência desses adolescentes no ambiente escolar se mostram desafiadoras. Trata-se aqui de pesquisa exploratória que teve por objetivo o levantamento das estratégias pedagógicas adotadas para promover a inclusão e o sucesso acadêmico desses jovens, em quatro escolas do Distrito Federal. Participaram do estudo cinco orientadoras educacionais. As informações foram obtidas a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas, e analisadas qualitativamente segundo sistema aberto de categorização. Os resultados apontaram dificuldades e possibilidades: a insuficiência de estratégias pedagógicas que atendam às especificidades destes alunos; precária interlocução entre atores do atendimento socioeducativo e a escola; motivação para o efetivo acompanhamento pedagógico dos adolescentes nas escolas; compreensão de que o ambiente escolar deve possibilitar o desenvolvimento integral dos estudantes.The adolescents in compliance with socio-educational measures in open system has the right to attend school, which should positively affect your overall training and psychological development. However, the insertion and permanence of these adolescents in the school environment are challenging. This is about an exploratory research aimed to survey the pedagogical strategies adopted to promote inclusion and academic success of these young people, in four schools in the Federal District. Five educational counselors participated in the study. The information was obtained from semi-structured interviews, and analyzed qualitatively according to the open categorization system. The results pointed out difficulties and possibilities: the insufficiency of pedagogical strategies that meet the specificities of these students; precarious interlocution between actors of the socio-educational service and the school; and motivation for the effective pedagogical accompaniment of adolescents in schools; understanding that the school environment should allow for the integral development of students.El adolescente en cumplimiento de medida socioeducativa en ambiente abierto posee el derecho de frecuentar la escuela, que debe afectar positivamente su formación global y desarrollo psicológico. Sin embargo, la inserción y permanencia de esos adolescentes en el ambiente escolar se muestran desafiadoras. Se trata aquí de investigación exploratoria en que se tuvo por objetivo levantar las estrategias pedagógicas adoptadas para promover la inclusión y el éxito académico de esos jóvenes, en cuatro escuelas del Distrito Federal. Participaron del estudio cinco orientadoras educacionales. Las informaciones fueron obtenidas a partir de entrevistas semiestructuradas, y analizadas cualitativamente según sistema abierto de categorización. Los resultados señalan dificultades y posibilidades: la insuficiencia de estrategias pedagógicas que atiendan a las especificidades de estos alumnos; precaria interlocución entre atores de la atención socioeducativo y la escuela; y motivación para el efectivo acompañamiento pedagógico de los adolescentes en las escuelas; comprensión de que el ambiente escolar debe posibilitar el desarrollo integral de los estudiantes

Chromosome Instability in Asthma an Antioxidant Treatment as a Possible Pharmacological Strategy?

This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 1st International e-Conference on Antioxidants in Health and Diseas, publicado em: Med Sci Forum. 2021;2(1):13. doi:10.3390/CAHD2020-08577Asthma is a disease with multiple phenotypes and different degrees of severity. Severe inflammation appears when oxidative stress (OS) overwhelms the antioxidant defense. Knowing the role of OS in the increase of chromosome instability (CI) and, consequently, in cancer predisposition, it is important to carry out studies to establish limits for OS harmful effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate OS-related CI in asthma patients and the possible protective effect of antioxidants. For that purpose, spontaneous and OS-induced lymphocyte cultures from patients with mild and severe asthma, and from normal controls, were performed. Antioxidant-enriched cultures from severe patients were posteriorly performed. A hundred metaphases per culture were scored in order to estimate the frequency of CI. Our results showed that lymphocytes from severe patients had increased CI, both in spontaneous and OS-induced cultures. However, in lymphocytes from mild patients there were no differences compared to controls. This suggests that in patients subjected to extreme OS conditions, a genotoxic effect may occur at the cellular level. When lymphocytes from these patients were treated with antioxidants, a decrease in CI was observed. Understanding how CI correlates to asthma patients’ clinical situation may be pivotal to the design of future preventive measures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sobre um conjunto de silos em Beja: a Avenida Miguel Fernandes

No âmbito do programa BejaPolis realizou‑se uma intervenção arqueológica de emergência no Parque Subterrâneo da Avenida Miguel Fernandes, onde se identificou um conjunto de 137 silos. Estes localizam‑se no exterior da muralha e a sua utilização como contentores de armazenagem de cereais ocorreu durante os séculos XIV e XV. Ao serem desactivados, foram entulhados durante os séculos XV e XVI com materiais de diversas tipologias.In 2004, an archaeological rescue excavation took place in Beja (Av. Miguel Fernandes) identifying a set of 137 silos. These were situated outside of the ancient city walls and its chronology is fit in the Christian Medieval period. Its primary function was of storagen containers for cereal. After the end of this activity, were filled, during the 15th and 16th centuries, with materials of several typologies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monkeypox Diagnosis by Cutaneous and Mucosal Findings

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.A monkeypox outbreak has been reported in several countries since early May 2022. Human monkeypox (MPX) diagnosis is based on a clinical suspicion supported by typical skin and mucosal lesions, confirmed with molecular testing. We present the results of all MPX confirmed patients presenting to our department until July 15 of 2022, describing the characteristics of the lesions at diagnosis. In total, 47 patients were included, all men and 44.7% (n = 21) were HIV-positive. Skin lesions were noted in all patients. The most commonly affected area was the genital region (63.8%), followed by the anorectal region (46.8%). Extra anogenital mucosal (oral or conjunctival mucosa) involvement was reported in three patients. Typical skin findings included erythematous papules, whitish, umbilicated papules, some with a necrotic center and an elevated whitish border. Most patients had lesions in multiple phases presenting simultaneously. Correct identification of MPX skin and mucosal lesions is crucial to avoid late diagnosis and prevent further spreading, ensuring less worldwide morbidity.publishersversionpublishe