Stakeholder satisfaction and sustainable success

The relationship between Stakeholder Satisfaction and Organizational Sustainable Growth and Success is investigated focusing on the importance of a firm’s relationships with critical stakeholders that may lead to better performance, as organizations while integrating business and societal considerations create value for their stakeholders. Framed on Stakeholder Theory an online survey was administered to Managers of Portuguese organizations with certified management systems by APCER. The findings suggest that Competitive position is strongly correlated with Shareholders, Suppliers and Partners, Employees and Customers satisfaction, legitimating Freemans Stakeholder Theory. In an overall final remark, the importance of Shareholders, Partners/Suppliers, Employees and Customers satisfaction for organisational Sustainable Success is highlighted in this study results

Impact of social responsibility programms in stakeholder satisfaction: an empirical study of portuguese managers' perceptions

This study investigates the relationship between social responsibility programmes of organizations and stakeholder satisfaction. Based on stakeholder theory, an online survey was administered to managers of Portuguese organizations with certified management systems. The findings suggest that stakeholder satisfaction is indeed increased with a social responsibility programme, as suggested by Freeman’s stakeholder theory. The components of social responsibility programmes that we discussed in this paper comprehend, among others, the “best governance practices”, “best customers, suppliers and partners management practices” and “best social inclusion and society support and relationship practices”, and do provide a balanced and continuously satisfaction to the different sets of stakeholders as shown by our survey results

Draft Genome Sequence of a Pathogenic O86:H25 Sequence Type 57 Escherichia coli Strain Isolated from Poultry and Carrying 12 Acquired Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Free PMC Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4582591/Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium that is frequently associated with multidrug-resistant zoonotic and foodborne infections. Here, we report the 5.6-Mbp draft genome sequence of an E. coli recovered from poultry, which encodes multiple acquired antibiotic resistance determinants, virulence factors, pathogenicity determinants, and mobile genetic elements.Daniela Jones-Dias and Vera Manageiro have received research funding from Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (grant numbers SFRH/BD/ 80001/2011 and SFRH/BPD/77486/2011, respectively). This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (grant number PEst-OE/AGR/UI0211/2011-2014)

Draft Genome Sequence of the First NDM-1-ProducingProvidencia stuartiiStrain Isolated in Portugal

We report here the draft genome sequence of the first NDM-1-producing Providencia stuartii strain isolated in Portugal. Sequence analyses revealed the presence of an incompatibility group A/C2 (IncA/C2) plasmid and of diverse acquired genes conferring resistance to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, macrolides, chloramphenicol, and sulfonamides. This sequence contributes to the evaluation of the spread of NDM-1 producers.V. Manageiro was supported by grant SFRH/BPD/77486/2011 from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Lisbon, Portugal

Evaluating the electromagnetic shielding of continuous carbon fiber parts produced by additive manufacturing

Electronic devices are sensitive to electromagnetic (EM) emissions, and require electromagnetic shielding protection to ensure good operation, and prevent noise, malfunctioning, or even burning. To ensure protection, it is important to develop suitable material and design solutions for electronic enclosures. Most common enclosures are made with metal alloys using traditional manufacturing methods. However, using thermoplastic composites combined with additive manufacturing (AM) technologies emerges as an alternative that enables the fabrication of complex parts that are lightweight, consolidated, and oxidation- and corrosion-resistant. In this research, an AM technique based on material extrusion was used to print 2 mm-thick specimens with a multi-material made of micro-carbon fiber (CF)-filled polyamide that was reinforced at specific layers using continuous carbon fibers stacked with a 90° rotation to each other. The specimens’ electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) was evaluated in the frequency band of 0.03–3 GHz using the coaxial transmission line method. Depending on the number of CF layers, the EM shielding obtained can be up to 70 dB, with a specific shielding up to 60 dB.cm3/g, predominantly by the absorption mechanism, being 22 times higher than without the CF layers. These findings promote this innovative approach to lightweight customizable solutions for EM shielding applications.ERDF - European Regional Development Fund(47108

Contribution for the vulnerability assessment of water pipe network

Water pipe network systems are key public utilities which require being robust, protected and preserved. Knowing their weaknesses will help these processes. The theory of vulnerability of water pipe networks can contribute in this context because it is able to map the vulnerable parts of this type of system. The meaning of vulnerability has been defined as being the disproportionateness of the failure consequences in relation to the initial damage and, in particular, its theoretical concepts. The main objectives of this paper are to briefly introduce this theory, to illustrate its application highlighting its potential. The application of the theory is presented using an example of a simple water pipe network. In a real water supply utility, where the vulnerabilities of WPN components are less evident, the identification of the most vulnerable ones may play an important contribution as support decision during WPN design period and for a sustainable infrastructure asset management. Further work is in progress to account for different type of damage and consequences and thus manage risks due to failure scenarios not identified by the classical theories.(undefined

NDM-1-producing Providencia stuartii isolates in a Portuguese Hospital

Objective: Providencia stuartii is an opportunistic pathogen typically associated with urinary infections, and is intrinsically resistance to a wide range of antibiotics. The main aim of this study was to characterize five carbapenemase (CA) NDM-1-producing P. stuartii isolates obtained during an outbreak detected in a Hospital. Methods: MICs were obtained by the reference microdilution broth method, according to EUCAST guidelines. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing were applied to identify the presence of CA genes from class A, B and D. Direct transfer of the CA resistance phenotype was attempted by mating-out assays. Genetic relatedness was examined by PFGE. One isolate, INSRA21868, recovered from the urine of an 88-year-old male patient admitted to the intensive care unit, was selected for genetic characterization using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), performed using 150 bp paired-end reads on a MiSeq (Illumina). A set of bioinformatic web tools were used to estimate the presence of pathogenicity determinants, antibiotic resistance (AR) genes, and clinically relevant mobile genetic elements. Results: All isolates, genetically indistinguishable by PFGE, presented multidrug-resistance with non-susceptibility to all carbapenems tested. Transconjugants had AR profiles similar to those of their parental clinical isolates. All NDM-1 determinants tested were found to be carried on conjugative plasmids. In silico AR analyses using ResFinder-v2.1 revealed genes conferring resistance to β-lactams [blaNDM-1, blaCMY-4 and ΔblaDHA-1), aminoglycosides (aac(2’)-Ia, armA), tetracycline (tetB), macrolides (mphE and msrE), chloramphenicol (catB3), and sulfonamides (sul1). PlasmidFinder-v1.2 analyses revealed the presence of an IncA/C2, which has been associated with wide dissemination of blaNDM-1. In the 3’ region, the blaNDM-1 gene was adjacent to a bleomycin resistance-encoding gene (bleMBL), followed by a trpF and part of the blaDHA-1-ampR region. The ISAba125 element upstream of blaNDM-1 was interrupted by an IS26 element. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the elements involved in dissemination of nosocomial infections and the potential of WGS in epidemiological investigations in the prevention of CA dissemination among hospitals as well as to other bacterial genera.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Isolamento de Helicobacter pullorum de carne de frango: características de um patogénio emergente de origem alimentar

Objetivo: Este estudo apresenta a primeira descrição do isolamento de H. pullorum em amostras de carne de frango crua, revelando o importante papel da metodologia de Sequenciação Total do Genoma para a correta identificação e caracterização das estirpes isolada

Legionella pneumophila strain associated with the first evidence of person-to-person transmission of Legionnaires’ disease: a unique mosaic genetic backbone

A first strong evidence of person-to-person transmission of Legionnaires' Disease (LD) was recently reported. Here, we characterize the genetic backbone of this case-related Legionella pneumophila strain ("PtVFX/2014"), which also caused a large outbreak of LD. PtVFX/2014 is phylogenetically divergent from the most worldwide studied outbreak-associated L. pneumophila subspecies pneumophila serogroup 1 strains. In fact, this strain is also from serogroup 1, but belongs to the L. pneumophila subspecies fraseri. Its genomic mosaic backbone reveals eight horizontally transferred regions encompassing genes, for instance, involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis or encoding virulence-associated Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) substrates. PtVFX/2014 also inherited a rare ~65 kb pathogenicity island carrying virulence factors and detoxifying enzymes believed to contribute to the emergence of best-fitted strains in water reservoirs and in human macrophages, as well as a inter-species transferred (from L. oakridgensis) ~37.5 kb genomic island (harboring a lvh/lvr T4ASS cluster) that had never been found intact within L. pneumophila species. PtVFX/2014 encodes another lvh/lvr cluster near to CRISPR-associated genes, which may boost L. pneumophila transition from an environmental bacterium to a human pathogen. Overall, this unique genomic make-up may impact PtVFX/2014 ability to adapt to diverse environments, and, ultimately, to be transmitted and cause human disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genome Sequencing of 10 Helicobacter pylori Pediatric Strains from Patients with Nonulcer Dyspepsia and Peptic Ulcer Disease

We present draft genome sequences of 10 Helicobacter pylori clinical strains isolated from children. This will be important for future studies of comparative genomics in order to better understand the virulence determinants underlying peptic ulcer disease.This work was supported by the FCT-PTDC/BIM-MEC/1051/2012 grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (to M.O.). A.N. and F.F.V. are recipients of postdoctoral fellowships (SFRH/BPD/75295/2010 and SFRH/BPD/95125/2013, respectively) from FCT, and R.R. is a recipient of a fellowship (BRJ-DDI/2012) from the National Institute of Health