Unfairness in consumer services: Outcomes of differential treatment of new and existing clients

In a consumption context, there is a growing interest in understanding unfair behaviour of firms towards customers. Our research focuses on unfairness perceptions driven by differential treatment, particularly through price discrimination, i.e. the practice of charging differential prices to different customers. Our purpose is to investigate the consequences of these practices for unfairness perceptions, satisfaction, trust and patronage, showing a dual perspective: the perceptions of new vs existing clients when they face the advantaged or disadvantaged conditions. A survey-based experimental design approach was used. We conclude that unfairness perception is stronger for existing than for new clients, prompting negative attitudinal and behavioural consequences when the former are exposed to disadvantaged conditions in relation to the latter. Our study aims to provide marketers with a perspective on the pitfalls related to differential treatment between present and prospective clients, with implications in terms of design and implementation of customer management strategies

Population data of five STRs in three regions from Portugal

Allele and haplotype frequencies of five chromosome STR loci (CD4, TPO, FES, TH01 and VWA) were determined for unrelated males throughout Portugal. This report presents STR data for three separate regions of Portugal, being the first time that data on the south of the country is presented. This study reveals that the three regions from Portugal are not genetically homogeneous. The north of Portugal presents significant differences in the CD4 locus, when compared with the other two populations. When compared with Madeira and Ac¸ores, the three regions show a different behavior at TPO and VWA loci.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence and clinical characterization of HPV-induced oropharyngeal cancers: the experience of the Portuguese Oncological Institute in Porto

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the eighth most common cancer worldwide. Alongside traditional risk factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, HPV is now recognized as the etiologic factor driving carcinogenesis for HNSCCs of the oropharynx. Recently, multiple investigational groups have found that in the last two decades there has been a rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with a decrease in the incidence of other head and neck cancers, likely due to declines in alcohol and tobacco abuse. There is robust evidence in the literature supporting the etiologic role of HPV in a subset of OPSCC that have a distinct epidemiologic profile, and also, a strong evidence to show that HPV positive status is an independent marker of favorable prognosis for OPSCC, with an improved response to treatment and survival. Objectives: To review the current scientific evidence about the new entity of head and neck cancer: human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and to retrospectively analyze the set of patients diagnosed in the period between 2018 till 2021 with OPSCC in Portuguese Oncological Institute Porto (IPO-Porto), in order to determine the prevalence of HPV+ OPCSS and to make a clinical characterization of patients with oropharyngeal cancers. Methods: A bibliographic search and a review of the scientific literature about the topic were carried out using the PubMed, ClinicalKey, Jama, NCCN and other scientific platforms. Regarding the IPO study, the medical records of each patient were analyzed, and p16 status, age, gender, TNM-stage, treatment and survival were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: In total, 280 patients were included. Immunohistochemically (IHC), p16 protein overexpression was only present in 57 (20.4%) of the 280 cases. The vast majority of patients (223, 79.6%) were HPV negative. According to the gender the patients were mostly male (254, 90.7%). 80 (28.6%) patients had low-T-stage (T1/T2) OPSCC tumors, and the others 197 (70.4%) had high-T-stage (T3/T4) OPSCC tumors. 74.5% of the stage I/II tumors were HPV +, and only 25.5% were HPV-. Regarding patients with advanced stages III/IV, only 7.1% were HPV+ and 92.9% were HPV-. 3 (1.1%) cases were T0. 226 (80.7%) patients showed clinically positive lymph node metastasis (cN+). According to the 8th UICC/AJCC TNM classification, 55 (19.6 %) patients were at a low clinical stage (I/II). The overall 2-years survival rate was 63.5%. The 2-years survival rate in stage I-II was 89.2% and 57.2 % in stage III-IV. The HPV+ group had a better prognosis than the HPV- group (OS: p = 0.014, DFS: p = 0.45). Discussion: There are few reports about HPV-related cancers prevalence in Portugal. One of the strengths of this study was the evaluation of HPV status using p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) for HPV detection. p16 protein overexpression is a surrogate marker for HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma and has been researched in all patients (n=280). In contrast to most European countries and the USA, only a minority of patients (20.4%) in the sample were p16 positive. It may reflect differences in sexual behaviors (type of sex, age at onset of sex, number of sexual partners) of the Portuguese population for 6-7 decades ago “less liberal” compared to other Western societies. The HPV+ group had a significantly better prognosis than de HPV – group in terms of overall survival (OS) and disease- free survival (DFS), and this is in line with the published studies. This study has some limitations, the retrospective analysis might have hampered the accurate characterization of some patient risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use and there is a chance that p16 could have been inactivated by mutation or promoter methylation. This may be one of the possible explanations for the low rate of p16+ in our sample. Conclusion: The prevalence of HPV-related cancers in IPO-Porto is low, when compared to other studies focused on developed countries. Accordingly to literature review, the HPV-related OPSCC had a significantly better prognosis than de non-HPV – related group in terms of overall survival (OS) and diseasefree survival (DFS).Introdução: O carcinoma de células escamosas da cabeça e pescoço representa o oitavo cancro mais comum em todo o mundo. Além de fatores de risco, como o tabagismo e o consumo excessivo de álcool, o HPV é atualmente reconhecido como um fator etiológico que conduz à carcinogénese destes carcinomas da orofaringe. Recentemente, vários grupos de investigação epidemiológica mostraram que nas últimas duas décadas houve um aumento na incidência de carcinoma de células escamosas da orofaringe, com uma diminuição na incidência de outros cancros da cabeça e pescoço, provavelmente devido ao declínio do consumo excessivo de álcool e tabaco. Na literatura há fortes evidências que suportam o papel etiológico do HPV num subgrupo de doentes com carcinomas de células escamosas da orofaringe, com um perfil epidemiológico distinto, e também uma forte evidência que mostra que o status HPV positivo é um fator prognóstico independente favorável para estes carcinomas, com melhor resposta ao tratamento e sobrevivência. Objetivos: Revisão da evidência científica atual acerca do carcinoma de células escamosas da orofaringe HPV-positivo e análise retrospetiva do conjunto de doentes diagnosticados com carcinoma de células escamosas da orofaringe, no período de 2018 a 2021, no Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto (IPO-Porto), com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência do carcinoma de células escamosas da orofaringe HPV-positivo e fazer uma caracterização clínico-patológica dos doentes com cancro da orofaringe. Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica e revisão da literatura científica sobre o tema, utilizando a PubMed, ClinicalKey, Jama, NCCN e outras plataformas científicas. Em relação ao estudo do IPO, foram analisados os registos clínicos de cada doente, registando-se a respetiva idade, sexo, status p16, estadio TNM, o tipo de tratamento e a sobrevivência. Realizou-se uma análise estatística a partir dos dados recolhidos. Resultados: No total, foram incluídos 280 doentes. O estudo imuno-histoquímico mostrou uma sobrexpressão da proteína p16 em apenas 57 (20,4%) dos 280 casos. A grande maioria dos doentes (223, 79,6%) eram HPV- negativo. Quanto ao sexo, a maioria era do sexo masculino (254, 90,7%). 80 (28,6%) doentes tinham tumores em estadio T precoce (T1/T2), e os outros 197 (70,4%) tinham tumores em estadio T avançado (T3/T4). 3 (1,1%) casos eram T0. 226 (80,7%) doentes apresentaram-se com metástases regionais clinicamente positivas (cN+). De acordo com a 8ª edição da classificação TNM da UICC/AJCC, dos 280 doentes, 55 (19,6%) apresentavam-se em estadio clínico precoce (I/II) e desses 55 doentes, 41 (74,5%) eram HPV+, e apenas 14 (25,5%) eram HPV-. 225 doentes apresentavam doença em estadio avançado III/IV, sendo que destes, apenas 16 (7,1%) eram HPV+ e 209 (92,9%) eram HPV-. A taxa de sobrevivência global aos 2 anos foi de 63,5%. A taxa de sobrevivência aos 2 anos no estadio I-II foi de 89,2% e 57,2% no estadio III-IV. O grupo HPV-positivo teve um prognóstico melhor do que o grupo HPV-negativo. Discussão: Existem poucos estudos sobre a prevalência de cancros associados ao HPV em Portugal. Um aspetos mais importantes deste estudo foi a avaliação do status HPV usando a imuno-histoquímica do p16 para a deteção do HPV. A sobrexpressão da proteína p16 é um marcador indireto do carcinoma orofaríngeo associado ao HPV e foi pesquisado em todos os doentes (n=280). Ao contrário da maioria dos países europeus e dos EUA, apenas uma minoria dos doentes (20,4%) desta amostra eram p16 positivos. Isto pode refletir diferenças nos comportamentos sexuais (tipo de sexo, idade de início das relações sexuais, número de parceiros sexuais) da população portuguesa há 6-7 décadas, “menos liberais”, em comparação com outras sociedades ocidentais, à época “mais liberais”. O grupo HPV+ teve um prognóstico significativamente melhor do que o grupo HPV- em termos de sobrevivência global e sobrevivência livre de doença, o que está de acordo com os estudos publicados. Este estudo apresenta algumas limitações, como seja a análise retrospetiva, que pode ter dificultado a caracterização precisa de alguns fatores de risco de cada doente, como consumo tabágico e de álcool, bem como a possibilidade de ter ocorrido a inativação do p16 por mutação ou por metilação. Essa pode ser uma das possíveis explicações para a baixa taxa de p16+ nesta amostra. Conclusão: A prevalência de cancros relacionados com o HPV no IPO-Porto é baixa, quando comparada com outros estudos centrados em países desenvolvidos. O estudo foi de encontro ao que se verifica na revisão da literatura, na medida em que o carcinoma de células escamosas da orofaringe associado ao HPV teve um prognóstico significativamente melhor do que o grupo não associado ao HPV em termos de sobrevivência global e sobrevivência livre de doença

Frequency of the CCR5-A32 mutation in the Atlantic island populations of Madeira, the Azores, Cabo Verde, and São Tomé e Príncipe

There is evidence thathe CCR5-A32 mutation confers protection against HIV-1 infection tohomozygous individuals. It is believed that this mutation spread through Europe with the Vikings and that it has been subjected to positive selection, leading to a high frequency in Europe (-10%). We carried out the present study to determine the 32-bp deletion allele and genotype frequencies of the CCR5 gene (CCR5-A32 ) in the Atlantic island populations of Madeira, the Azores, Cabo Verde, and Säo Tomé e Principe. These Atlantic archipelagos were all colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries, but the latter two received most of their settlers from the West African coast. The frequency of the CCR5-A32 mutation varies between 0% in Säo Tomé e Principe and 16.5% in the Azores. The Azores Islands have one of the highest frequencies of homozygotes found in Europe (4.8%). There are significant differences (P < 0.05) between some of these populations, for example, between Säo Tomé e Principe and Cabo Verde, and even within populations (e.g., Portugal, Madeira, and the Azores).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Abuso Físico na Criança: a Cintigrafia Óssea no Diagnóstico de Lesões Não Acidentais

Introduction: Child abuse is a complex problem that must be identified and solved as quickly as possible with a multidisciplinary approach. Bone fractures, usually not life-threatening injuries, are often the strongest indicator of abuse. Medical imaging has thus a crucial role, since fractures are often hidden, with signs and symptoms difficult to interpret, and children may be unable to provide history. Bone scintigraphy has appeared in publications addressing child abuse since the 80’s.Aim: To assess the role of Bone scintigraphy in child abuse.Results/Discussion: Some guidelines on approaching child abuse already include bone scintigraphy. In our country, its role and its usefulness remain poorly known.Studies comparing Radiography and Bone scintigraphy showed that scintigraphy was the only method to identify bone lesions in 4 to 20% of patients. Additionally it helped to clarify misleading lesions.Conclusion: When evaluating the suspicion of child abuse, the method of choice is the X-ray of the skeleton. Reviewing the literature, however, we conclude that there is no ideal method and that Radiography and Bone Scintigraphy play a complementary, non-competitive role.We therefore propose the regular performance of Bone Scintigraphy when the X-ray does not identify any lesions, when it presents equivocal findings or when accurately determining the number and location of lesions may have a legal impact.Introdução: O abuso físico em crianças é um problema complexo que deve ser identificado e resolvido o mais rapidamente possível, numa abordagem multidisciplinar. As fraturas são um indicador muito forte de abuso, apesar de, maioritariamente, não causarem risco de vida. Assim, a imagiologia é crucial, uma vez que as fracturas são frequentemente ocultas, com sinais e sintomas difíceis de interpretar, e as crianças nem sempre têm capacidade de fornecer a história. A Cintigrafia óssea na suspeita de abuso físico em crianças surge em publicações desde os anos 80.Objectivo: Rever o papel da Cintigrafia óssea no abuso infantil.Discussão: A Cintigrafia óssea está incluída nas guidelines de abordagem de crianças vítimas de abuso em alguns países. No nosso país, o seu papel e a sua utilidade estão pouco divulgados.Estudos comparativos entre a Radiografia e a Cintigrafia óssea demonstraram que a cintigrafia foi o único método capaz de identificar lesões em 4 a 20% dos casos, para além de ajudar a esclarecer lesões equívocas na radiografia.Conclusão: Na suspeita clínica de abuso infantil, o método de eleição é a Radiografia do esqueleto. Contudo, concluímos que não existe um método ideal único e que a Radiografia e a Cintigrafia óssea apresentam um papel complementar, não competitivo.Propomos, assim, a realização regular da Cintigrafia óssea, quando a Radiografia não identifica qualquer lesão óssea, quando apresenta achados equívocos ou nos casos em que a determinação exata do número e da localização das lesões possa ter impacto legal

Development of an optimal methodology for the extraction of microphytobenthic chlorophyll

Benthic microalgae are important primary producers in intertidal shallow systems. Their biomass can be estimated by the assessment of chlorophyll a concentration. A rapid and reliable method of measuring chlorophyll a is by spectrophotometer. There is however, no standard protocol for the analysis of benthic chlorophyll a. Although the most common solvent generally used is 90% acetone, some authors showed better results with methanol and ethanol. Some pre-treatments, such as the addition of fine inert granules or ultrasound bath, have also been suggested as factors that improve the extraction efficiency. Sediment samples were collected from two sites, muddy and sandy, located within Ria Formosa (Portugal). The aim of this work was to test the effectiveness of different pre-treatments in the extraction and to develop an optimal method for chlorophyll a extraction and analysis. Pre-treating samples did not yield any significant differences in chlorophyll a extracted. Treating sediments with acetone was found to yield higher concentrations of chlorophyll a, both for muddy and sandy sediments. Acetone was therefore found to be the best solvent for both sediment types, with 90% being the best strength for sandy and 80% the best for muddy sediments. These differences may be related to differences in the structure of the algal communities. Six hours of extraction was found to be sufficient, since after a six hour period the extraction efficiency did not improve

Sediment and water nutrients and microalgae in a coastal shallow lagoon, Ria Formosa (Portugal): Implications for the Water Framework Directive

Coastal shallow lagoons are considered to be highly important systems, which have specific biogeochemical cycles and characteristics. The assessment of sediment–water interfaces is essential to understand nutrient dynamics and to evaluate the vulnerability to eutrophication, especially in regions of restricted water exchange (RRE), such as the Ria Formosa, which have natural conditions for the accumulation of nutrients. Water samples were collected during the years of 2006 and 2007–08 for nutrients, chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen. Sediment samples were also collected for pore water nutrients and microphytobenthic chlorophyll a. Measurements of temperature, salinity and photosynthetic active radiation were also taken. The lagoon salinity is affected by occasional strong rainfall events. From comparison with previous work, a decrease in the nitrogen concentration in the water column can be observed, which may indicate an improvement of the water quality. Pore water nutrient concentrations were significantly larger than in the water column. Sediment–water exchanges are considered to be the most important processes in nutrient dynamics of the lagoon. Benthic microalgal biomass was also large compared with that of the phytoplankton. It represents about 99% of the total microalgal chlorophyll biomass of the system. The lagoon also contains (discontinuous) meadows of intertidal seagrass, but we did not study these. Due to the importance of sediments, the standard monitoring plans required by the Water Framework Directive may fail to track changes in the nutrient conditions and the microalgal responses to them

Using data assimilation in mesoscale numerical modeling to map offshore wind resource

data from GHRSST Level 4 analysis have been ingested to an atmospheric mesoscale numerical model using a Newtonian relaxation assimilation technique. The mesoscale model WRF was used to map the wind resource at 90 m a.g.l. for the North Sea area. A model domain with a spatial resolution of 20x20 km was used to simulate a winter and a summer month, November 2008 and July 2009. The modeled wind results have been validated against observational data from the anemometric mast FINO1. A spatial improvement of the average wind field at 90 m a.g.l. from the observational data has been assessed. Each assimilated data source has shown a distinct impact. The QS assimilation had higher impact during the summer period while the SST assimilation during the winter period. Improvements of 5% and more were obtained from using data assimilation on the overall domain. Validation with the FINO1 anemometric mast shows improvements on the average vertical wind profile while error statistical parameters were only slightly improved

Portugal

During 2011, Portugal experienced a strong reduction of electricity demand. With a decrease of 2.3%, the total consumption was 50.5 TWh (1). Due to a mild winter season, the most relevant renewable generation facilities (hydro and wind) experienced a strong production reduction in comparison with 2010. In 2011, Portuguese wind farms produced 21 GWh less than the previous year. It is only because of the decrease in consumption that wind penetration achieved a value of 18%. The growth of the wind sector has maintained the pace of 2010, and 315 MW were added. This amounts to a total installed capacity of 4,302 MW, representing 22% of the electric system’s installed capacity (1). In November 2011, a milestone for Portuguese offshore wind development was achieved with the successful deployment of its first offshore floating wind turbine – WindFloat (opening photo)