The relevance of entrepreneurs personality characteristics for new ventures internacionalization

Mestrado em Ciências EmpresariaisO Empreendedorismo Internacional (EI) tem origem na área do negócio internacional e do empreendedorismo. Baseada em três abordagens teóricas, visão baseada no conhecimento, teoria dos escalões superiores e perspectiva cognitiva, esta investigação pretende contribuir para uma melhor compreensão do processo de internacionalização e do papel desempenhado pelas características do empreendedor. Este estudo analisa a influência das características empreendedoras e de personalidade, bem como, as característica da empresa e a sua influência na internacionalização. Esta investigação apresenta os seguintes objectivos: i) desenvolver um quadro conceptual estruturado para o processo de internacionalização; ii) identificar características empreendedoras do indivíduo e da empresa relevantes para a internacionalização; e iii) distinguir entre novas empresas domésticas e internacionais (DNVs e INVs) relativamente ao mindset empreendedor. As hipóteses foram testadas através de dados recolhidos por questionário e dados secundários obtidos a partir da base de dados eInforma D&B, para DNVs e INVs Portuguesas criadas entre 2004 e 2013. Os resultados forneceram suporte empírico para as relações entre características de personalidade do empreendedor e características empreendedoras. Adicionalmente, foi encontrada uma relação entre a orientação e intenção empreendedoras do indivíduo. Foi encontrado suporte empírico para as relações entre características empreendedoras individuais e a orientação empreendedora e internacional da empresa. Para além disso, a orientação internacional manifestou uma relação positiva relativamente ao tipo de empresa e à percentagem de exportação. Esta investigação forneceu uma abordagem a diferentes níveis destacando o papel do empreendedor cuja personalidade e características empreendedoras são determinantes para a identidade da empresa e para a internacionalização.International Entrepreneurship (IE) has its origins from international business and entrepreneurship research. Contemplating three main frameworks, knowledge-based view, upper echelons theory and cognitive perspective, this research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the internationalization process and the role of the entrepreneur’s characteristics. The study analyzes the influence of the entrepreneur’s personality and entrepreneurial characteristics as well as the firm characteristics and the influence of the latter on internationalization. The following objectives were defined: i) develop a well-structured framework for the internationalization process; ii) identify entrepreneurial characteristics at the individual and firm level relevant to internationalization; and iii) distinguish INVs from DNVs regarding the entrepreneurial mindset. Hypotheses were tested through a survey data combined with secondary data provided by eInforma D&B database for Portuguese INVs and DNVs founded between 2004 and 2013. The results provided empirical support for the relationships between several entrepreneur’s personality characteristics and entrepreneurial characteristics. Additionally, an association was found between individual entrepreneurial orientation and individual entrepreneurial intent. There was also empirical support for relationships between individual entrepreneurial characteristics and the firm’s entrepreneurial and international orientation. Furthermore, international orientation was positively related to the type of venture and the firm’s export percentage. The present research provided a different level approach highlighting the role of the entrepreneur whose personality and entrepreneurial characteristics are determinant to the firm’s identity and its internationalization

Construcción de ciudadanía desde la formación de diseño

En este trabajo se busca crear e implementar ambientes de aprendizaje en educación media desde la disciplina del diseño y en el área de tecnología; para desarrollar competencias ciudadanas. Los escenarios que se manejan en los ambientes, serán herramienta de producción conceptual y cognitiva; empleada en la didáctica del área de tecnología para la enseñanza de temáticas específicas de esta materia. En la planeación de los ambientes de aprendizaje, se toman algunas metodologías proyectuales, llegando a la metodología design thinking como una herramienta de producción conceptual. Para esto, se hace un estudio de caso en el colegio IED El Virrey José Solís, ubicado en la Localidad 5 Usme, con estudiantes de Ciclo V, es decir grado décimo y undécimo. Para el proceso investigativo hubo siempre participación activa de los estudiantes para asegurar mejores resultados en el proceso. Ellos son partícipes del proceso de construcción de los ambientes de aprendizaje, son protagonistas en posibles cambios a dinámicas convivenciales. El trabajo se desarrolla en el marco de la metodología investigación acción participación; los estudiantes son partícipes en el proceso reflexivo de la práctica que se desarrolla alrededor del ambiente de aprendizaje. Se consulta el marco normativo de convivencia y ciudadanía, indagando acerca de proyectos implementados en la institución, haciendo caracterización de estudiantes y visualización de círculos de violencia de acuerdo al entorno donde se desenvuelven. En paralelo, se examina la teoría sobre cognición, el proceso cognitivo desde la disciplina del Diseño, el taller de diseño y la pedagogía del diseño. Se desarrollan ambientes de aprendizaje en un comienzo intuitivos, llegando finalmente al design thinking y al desarrollo de ambientes e implementando esta metodología, propia del diseño, que permite trabajo colaborativo para conceptualizar y fortalecer competencias ciudadanas.Abstract: This paper seeks to create and implement learning environments in secondary education from the discipline of design and technology area; to develop citizenship skills . The scenarios are handled in the environment, they will be conceptual tool production and cognitive; used in teaching the area of technology for teaching specific subject of this matter. In planning learning environments , some project methodologies are taken, reaching the methodology design thinking as a conceptual tool production. For this, a study case is carried out in the IED Virrey Jose Solis School, located in the Localty of Usme 5, with students from Fifht Cycle, of tenth and eleventh grade. For the research process there was always an active student participation to ensure the best results in the process. They are participants of the construction process of learning environments and are key players in the possible changes to coexistance dynamics. The work takes place in the framework of the participation and action research methodology; students are participants in the reflexive process that develops around the learning environment. The regulatory framework for coexistence and citizenship is consulted, investigating about projects implemented in the institution, making students characterization on violence circles in accordance to the environment where they operate. In parallel, the cognition theory is examined, the cognitive process from the discipline of design, the design workshop and education for design. Learning environments are developed in an intuitive start, reaching the design thinking and the development of environments and implementing this methodology, from design itself, which allows collaborative work to conceptualize and strengthen citizenship skills.Maestrí

Contribuição para a compreensão da psoríase a partir da perspectiva psicanalítica da psicossomática

Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Secção de Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde - Núcleo de Psicologia Clínica Dinâmica), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2010A Psoríase é uma doença dermatológica crónica que afecta homens e mulheres de qualquer faixa etária cuja causa não é ainda completamente compreendida. O presente estudo tem como objectivo geral contribuir para uma melhor compreensão da Psoríase procurando conceptualizá-la enquanto perturbação psicossomática, definida no referencial da psicossomática psicanalítica. Relativamente aos objectivos específicos considerámos: 1) a presença de sintomatologia depressiva e de características alexitímicas nos indivíduos psoriáticos; 2) a influência de perturbações afectivas e distúrbios somáticos na manifestação de características alexitímicas e 3) a interferência de eventos traumáticos no aparecimento e/ou agravamento da doença psoriática. A amostra foi constituída por 130 sujeitos psoriáticos e 130 sujeitos sem a doença com idades compreendidas entre os 15 e 74 anos. Os dados foram recolhidos através de três questionários: um Questionário Sócio-Demográfico, a Escala de Alexitimia de Toronto de 20 Itens (TAS-20) e o Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI), sendo que o primeiro apresentava questões relacionadas com a Psoríase especificamente para os sujeitos psoriáticos. Verificámos que os sujeitos psoriáticos manifestam níveis mais elevados de sintomatologia depressiva e um maior grau de alexitimia do que os sujeitos sem a doença. Na população psoriática, as mulheres manifestam uma maior tendência para a depressão enquanto os homens revelam uma maior presença de características alexitímicas. Através da análise pormenorizada dos factores do BDI, observámos que as perturbações cognitivo-afectivas e a manifestação de distúrbios somáticos, para além de serem superiores nos doentes psoriáticos, predizem um maior grau de alexitimia. Para além disso, os resultados mostram que os doentes psoriáticos que sofreram eventos traumáticos revelam-se mais deprimidos e mais alexitímicos. A conceptualização da Psoríase enquanto perturbação psicossomática, como descrita na teoria psicossomática psicanalítica parece ser apoiada por este estudo. As implicações desta investigação para a doença psoriática são também discutidas.Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects men and women of any age whose cause is not yet fully understood. This study aims to contribute to a better general understanding of Psoriasis looking to conceptualise it as a psychosomatic disorder, defined on the psychoanalytic psychosomatics theory. Our specific objectives were: 1) the presence of depressive symptoms and alexithymic characteristics in psoriatic individuals, 2) the influence of affective disorders and somatic disorders in the manifestation of alexithymic characteristics and 3) the interference of traumatic events in the onset and/or aggravation psoriatic disease. The sample consisted of 130 subjects psoriatics and 130 subjects without psoriasis disease aged between 15 and 74 years. Data were collected through three questionnaires: a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 Items (TAS-20) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), where the first had issues specifically related to Psoriasis for subjects with this disease. We found that subjects with psoriasis express higher levels of depressive symptoms and a higher degree of alexithymia than subjects without the disease. In psoriatic population, women show a greater tendency to depression while men show a greater presence of alexithymic characteristics. Through detailed analysis of the factors of the BDI, we found that cognitive-affective disorders and the manifestation of somatic disorders, in addition to being higher in psoriatic patients, predicts a higher degree of alexithymia. Besides that, the results show that psoriatic patients who suffer traumatic events appear more depressed and more alexithymic. The conceptualization of psoriasis as psychosomatic disorder, as described in psychoanalytic psychosomatic theory appears to be supported by this study. The implications of this research for psoriatic disease are also discussed

SARS-CoV-2 decreases malaria severity in co-infected rodent models

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and malaria, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Plasmodium parasites, respectively, share geographical distribution in regions where the latter disease is endemic, leading to the emergence of co-infections between the two pathogens. Thus far, epidemiologic studies and case reports have yielded insufficient data on the reciprocal impact of the two pathogens on either infection and related diseases. We established novel co-infection models to address this issue experimentally, employing either human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2)-expressing or wild-type mice, in combination with human- or mouse-infective variants of SARS-CoV-2, and the P. berghei rodent malaria parasite. We now show that a primary infection by a viral variant that causes a severe disease phenotype partially impairs a subsequent liver infection by the malaria parasite. Additionally, exposure to an attenuated viral variant modulates subsequent immune responses and provides protection from severe malaria-associated outcomes when a blood stage P. berghei infection was established. Our findings unveil a hitherto unknown host-mediated virus-parasite interaction that could have relevant implications for disease management and control in malaria-endemic regions. This work may contribute to the development of other models of concomitant infection between Plasmodium and respiratory viruses, expediting further research on co-infections that lead to complex disease presentations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from “Alheira”, a traditional fermented sausage produced in Portugal

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from ‘‘alheira”, a fermented sausage produced in Portugal. LAB were identified to genus and species level by phenotypic characteristics, using genus or speciesspecific primers and sequencing of the gene encoding 16S rRNA. Two-hundred and eighty-three isolates were grouped into 14 species. Lactobacillus plantarum was isolated from all sausages and Enterococcus faecalis from most of the samples. Low numbers of Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus zeae, Lactobacillus paracasei, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Weissella cibaria, Weissella viridescens and Enterococcus faecium were recorded. The genetic heterogeneity of L. plantarum and E. faecalis strains were determined by numerical analysis of DNA banding patterns obtained by RAPD–PCR. Strains of L. plantarum and E. faecalis were different from different producers. This study forms the basis from which starter cultures could be selected for production of ‘‘Alheira”.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Bacteriophage depolymerases: evolutionary insights and antivirulence strategies against bacterial pathogens

To be able to enter and replicate in exopolysaccharide slime or capsule surrounded bacteria, bacteriophages (viruses of bacteria) have evolved the ability to overcome the exopolysaccharides structure by producing virion-associated proteins with polysaccharide depolymerization activities. We have isolated > 20 bacteriophages infecting several species of the Acinetobacter baumannii-Acinetobacter calcoaceticus complex and demonstrate that they encode depolymerase enzymes to specifically recognize bacterial capsular types as ligands for host adsorption. These enzymes are integrated at the bacteriophage tail spikes C-terminus, genes with high genetic plasticity to allow to recognition of a vast variability of polymorphic capsular K antigens of their hosts. We also show that depolymerases are effective antimicrobial agents against multidrug resistant A. baumannii. Heterologously expressed enzymes were showed to be active in several environment conditions, are refractory to resistant development, are non-nontoxic to mammalian cells and most importantly, able to make A. baumannii fully susceptible to host complement effect. Depolymerases can strip bacterial cells from their capusles, which diminish the bacterial virulence and expose them to the host immune system. This innovative antimicrobial approach was already applied in i) Galleria mellonella caterpillar, ii) murine sepsis and iii) human serum. A single intraperitoneal injection of 50 g of depolymerase is able to protect 60% of mice from dead, with a significant reduction in the pro-inflammatory cytokine profile. Overall this work demonstrates the great diversity of bacteriophage depolymerases, their role in phage infection and evolution and their therapeutic properties as antivirulence drugs against capsulated bacteria.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Retinoic acid downregulates thiol antioxidant defences and homologous recombination while promotes A549 cells sensitization to cisplatin

Recent studies have investigated the use of retinoic acid (RA) molecule in combined chemotherapies to cancer cells as an attempt to increase treatment efficiency and circumvent cell resistance. Positive results were obtained in clinical trials from lung cancer patients treated with RA and cisplatin. Meanwhile, the signalling process that results from the interaction of both molecules remains unclear. One of the pathways that RA is able to modulate is the activity of NRF2 transcription factor, which is highly associated with tumour progression and resistance. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate molecular mechanism of RA and cisplatin co-treatment in A549 cells, focusing in NRF2 pathway. To this end, we investigated NRF2 and NRF2-target genes expression, cellular redox status, cisplatin-induced apoptosis, autophagy and DNA repair through homologous recombination. RA demonstrated to have an inhibitory effect over NRF2 activation, which regulates the expression of thiol antioxidants enzymes. Moreover, RA increased reactive species production associated with increased oxidation of thiol groups within the cells. The expression of proteins associated with DNA repair through homologous recombination was also suppressed by RA pre-treatment. All combined, these effects appear to create a more sensitive cellular environment to cisplatin treatment, increasing apoptosis frequency. Interestingly, autophagy was also increased by combination therapy, suggesting a resistance mechanism by A549 cells. In conclusion, these results provided new information about molecular mechanisms of RA and cisplatin treatment contributing to chemotherapy optimization