Understanding the role of entrepreneurial orientation in Junior Enterprises

The promotion of entrepreneurial behaviour and competences among students is being highlighted by researchers and policy-makers, as a mean to promote social and economic development. Therefore, the search for the most effective teaching methods, programs and curricula, as well as extra-curricular activities, is a concern of many teachers and educators. This study focus on Junior Enterprises (JEs), a non-profit organization, constituted by university students with the purpose of providing the context that mimics an actual business environment, in order to enhance the entrepreneurial competences of their members. Currently, the JE network is present in more than 500 universities worldwide, accounting for more than 990 JEs and 50000 students. Although its relevance, JEs are an ill-studied subject, with only a limited number of empirical studies focused on this type of organization. This study aims at fulfilling this gap by providing evidence that JEs are an adequate test-bed for students to learn and practice entrepreneurship. Based on these assumptions, this study explores the strategic orientations and its impact on JEs performance, in order to assess if JE behaves similarly to an actual company. Thus, an Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) measurement instrument adapted to JEs is developed and then used to test the effect of EO dimensions on the performance of JEs. The regression analysis conducted with the new dimensions showed that EO positively influences the performance of JEs, having an important role in the development of the JE and consequently in the development of the students.publishe

Projeto «Alverca…na Rota do Tejo»: Uma proposta educativa inovadora

UID/SOC/04647/2013 UID/ELT/00657/2013Este artigo centra‑se na paisagem e na sua mais‑valia na construção da cidadania territorial, dimensão chave da educação geográfica. Apresenta‑se um projeto educativo inovador, sustentado no projeto «Tejo: Paisagem Cultural» e no Observatório da Paisagem do Tejo, enquadrado nos princípios da Convenção Europeia da Paisagem, que visa apoiar a recolha e a troca de informação, bem como o estabelecimento de protocolos e parcerias entre instituições públicas e comunidades locais, numa lógica de governança territorial. O artigo comporta três pilares de ação, que se interligam e comple‑ mentam: a) enquadrar a paisagem no quadro da geografia; b) discutir a mais‑valia da paisagem na construção da cidadania territorial e no ensino‑aprendizagem da geografia; c) apresentar um projeto educativo centrado na paisagem e perspetivado no âmbito da relação escola‑município.publishersversionpublishe

Combined antibiotic therapy spacers either commercial or handmade are superior to monotherapy – a microbiological analysis at the second stage of revision

Background: Antibiotic-loaded spacers are often used during two-stage exchange for periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) both for its mechanical properties and as a means of local antibiotic delivery. Purpose: The main goal of this study is to compare the efficacy of different options of antibiotic(s) in spacers concerning the rate of positive cultures at the second stage. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated two-stage exchange procedures for infected hip or knee arthroplasty performed between 2012 and 2018 in which adequate (at least four deep tissue samples) culture results in both stages were available. The type of spacer and antibiotics used, in addition to several other patient, infection and treatment-related variables, were registered and correlated to microbiological findings in the second stage. Results: Fifty-eight cases were included with a 19.0 % (11/58) overall rate of positive cultures during reimplantation. With a mean follow-up of 46 months, failure rate was significantly higher at 63.6 % (7/11) in cases with positive cultures at reimplantation compared to 4.3 % (2/47) for those with negative cultures during reimplantation ( p < 0.001). The need for additional surgeries was also significantly higher (odds ratio (OR) 122.67, confidence interval (CI) 95 % 11.30-1331.32, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed antibiotics in the spacers were the main independent prognostic risk factor associated with positive cultures at the second stage with an advantage for combined antibiotics. Monotherapy is associated with failure with an OR of 16.99. Longer time between surgeries did not have statistical significance ( p = 0.05), and previous surgical treatment for PJI, presence of difficult-to-treat microorganism(s), duration of systemic antibiotic therapy or even treatment within a dedicated septic team were not shown to be independent risk factors. Among combined antibiotic spacers, there were no significant differences between the rate of positive cultures during the second stage, comparing commercially available vancomycin/gentamicin spacers to hand-mixed vancomycin/meropenem manufactured spacers (8.3 % [2/24] vs. 15.0 % [3/20], p = 0.68). Conclusions: Results show that combined antibiotic therapy spacers are advantageous when compared to gentamicin monotherapy as they produce significantly lower rates of subsequent positive cultures during the second stage. Hand-mixed high-dose vancomycin/meropenem spacers seem to perform just as well as prefabricated commercially available vancomycin/gentamicin options. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic level III.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cardiovascular mechanisms activated by microinjection of baclofen into NTS of conscious rats

The peripheral mechanisms responsible for pressor response produced by microinjections of baclofen (GABA(B) agonist) into the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) of conscious rats were studied. Bilateral microinjections of baclofen (10-1,000 pmol/100 nl) produced a dose-related increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate. the maximal response was observed after 15 min. Intravenous injection of prazosin decreased MAP to control levels. Subsequent treatment with Manning compound (vasopressin receptor antagonist; iv) produced an additional decrease in MAP. in a different group of rats, vasopressin antagonist was injected first and MAP was significantly decreased; however, it remained elevated compared with prebaclofen injection levels. Subsequent treatment with prazosin abolished the baclofen-induced pressor response. Reductions in baclofen-induced pressor response with prazosin treatment were followed by a reflex tachycardia in animals that received a 100 pmol/100 nl dose of baclofen. the tachycardia was not observed with a dose of 1,000 pmol/100 nl. the pressor response induced by microinjection of baclofen into the NTS of conscious rats may be produced by both increases in sympathetic tonus and vasopressin release.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, BR-04023060 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, BR-04023060 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The role of mobility in sexual risk behaviour and HIV acquisition among sub-Saharan African migrants residing in two European cities

Background: Migrants from high endemic countries accounted for 18% of newly diagnosed HIV infections in Europe in 2017. Knowledge on the link between HIV risk and post-migration travels and their impact on HIV acquisition is scarce, but critical to inform prevention. This study aims to explore risky sexual behaviour and HIV-acquisition among sub-Saharan African migrants, and to assess post-migration mobility as a determinant of sexual risk behaviour. Methods: Data from two cross-sectional bio-behavioural surveys to assess HIV-prevalence conducted in Lisbon and Antwerp were analysed to explore migration-related characteristics, travel patterns, and sexual risk taking in the host country and abroad. Bi- and multivariate associations were estimated through adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals; multivariable logistic regression determined factors associated with condomless sexual intercourse. Results: Among N = 1508 participants above 18 years (58% males), 68% travelled post-migration (49.2% reported intercourse abroad). The overall proportion of condomless sex at last sexual intercourse was high (68.1%). The odds of condomless sex in the host country was five times higher when the last sexual intercourse abroad was also condomless [OR:5.32; 95% CI:2.98-9.25]. About half of the travellers reported concurrency, i.e. a regular partner in the host country while having other sexual partners abroad. Almost three percent of the participants reported being HIV+, but 5% had a reactive HIV test-result, with similar proportions among travellers and non-travellers. Also, among the n = 75 participants with reactive HIV test-results, condomless sex occurred (n = 40) and was associated with mobility. Conclusions: Sub-Saharan African migrants are mobile and engage in sexual risk behaviours in the countries of residence and while travelling, increasing risk of post-migration HIV-acquisition. A transnational perspective on HIV prevention and sexual health promotion is needed for effectively reducing migrants' HIV risk related to their mobility.publishersversionpublishe

Home monitoring in Portugal: an overview on current experiences

This paper aims to be a contribution to the discussion on the issue of innovation in healthcare since, in the author’s perspective, the health sector, and particularly the Portuguese National Health Service, needs changes in its "business model". There is a need of redirecting care provision to the citizen’s natural environment, namely considering the opportunities offered by information and communication technologies. For this purpose the authors surveyed projects already implemented in Portugal, within the Portuguese National Health Service, related to home monitoring, in order to make a critical analysis of the state of the art of ongoing projects. In this study, the authors identified four pilot experiences of home monitoring, all targeted at chronic disease. In spite of some results of these experiments are already known, there is a shortage of available information and scientific evidence, both about the implementation processes themselves and about their clinical, technical an d economic evaluation, which, in the opinion of the authors, also hinders their assessment and dissemination.publishe

Plastin and spectrin cooperate to stabilize the actomyosin cortex during cytokinesis

Cytokinesis, the process that partitions the mother cell into two daughter cells, requires the assembly and constriction of an equatorial actomyosin network. Different types of non-motor F-actin crosslinkers localize to the network, but their functional contribution remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a synergy between the small rigid crosslinker plastin and the large flexible crosslinker spectrin in the C. elegans one-cell embryo. In contrast to single inhibitions, co-inhibition of plastin and the βH-spectrin (SMA-1) results in cytokinesis failure due to progressive disorganization and eventual collapse of the equatorial actomyosin network. Cortical localization dynamics of non-muscle myosin II in co-inhibited embryos mimic those observed after drug-induced F-actin depolymerization, suggesting that the combined action of plastin and spectrin stabilizes F-actin in the contractile ring. An in silico model predicts that spectrin is more efficient than plastin at stabilizing the ring and that ring formation is relatively insensitive to βH-spectrin length, which is confirmed in vivo with a sma-1 mutant that lacks 11 of its 29 spectrin repeats. Our findings provide the first evidence that spectrin contributes to cytokinesis and highlight the importance of crosslinker interplay for actomyosin network integrity

UNFOLD Deliverable D4. Awareness raising report

This report describes the awareness raising activities carried out by the UNFOLD projec

Are opportunities being missed? Burden of HIV, STI and TB, and unawareness of HIV among african migrants

Sub-Saharan African migrants (SSAMs) have been disproportionately affected by infectious disease burden. We aimed to identify correlates of HIV, past sexually transmitted infection (STI) and past Tuberculosis infection (TB), as well as examine HIV seropositivity unawareness and testing history among SSAMs. A venue-based sample of 790 SSAMs completed a cross-sectional biobehavioral survey on sexual practices, HIV testing and self-reported infectious diseases; an HIV rapid test was offered. Overall, 5.4% of participants were HIV-positive and 16.7% reported a past STI. Odds of being HIV positive or having a past STI were higher among participants with low socioeconomic status and who experienced violence from a partner. Increased odds of having a past STI were also found among long-term migrants and those who reported sexual risk behaviors. In total, 4.1% of participants had TB in the past; these were more likely male and HIV positive. Unawareness of HIV-positive status was notably high (35%). Half of the participants had never been tested for HIV before, including over a third of those who had STI or TB in the past. Efforts are needed to reduce missed opportunities for HIV/STIs prevention and uptake of HIV testing among SSAMs through more integrated care, while addressing social determinants of infectious diseases.publishersversionpublishe

UNFOLD Deliverable D6.1. Half yearly report 1

Half yearly management report, covering the work carried out during the months of January - June 200