640 research outputs found
Work-Family Interface in the Context of Social Responsibility: A Systematic Literature Review
The literature on internal social responsibility, in which the work-family interface can be
included, already has a robust tradition in scientific research. It is, therefore, important to systematize
the path that has been taken and what the future may hold. This article aims to systematize the
literature that simultaneously focuses on the work-family relationship and on the context of social
responsibility and sustainability, with the purpose of mapping the research that has been produced
on these intersections. A systematic review of the literature was conducted between the period 1968
and 2021. The search was performed on the SCOPUS database, and the analysis was conducted using
the VOSviewer software, with 333 articles having been identified and subjected to a bibliometric and
content analysis. As a result, 88 articles were analyzed in depth, focusing on the Work and Life Space
dimension and the work-family relationship. The results indicate that corporate social responsibility
has a positive effect on the work-family relationship, where an efficient balance between personal
and professional life is often measured based on the adequacy of the adjustment of factors such as
working hours and social and family commitments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Ovule transcriptome analysis discloses deregulation of genes and pathways in sexual and apomictic Limonium species (Plumbaginaceae)
The genus Limonium Mill. (sea lavenders) includes species with sexual and apomixis
reproductive strategies, although the genes involved in these processes are unknown. To explore the
mechanisms beyond these reproduction modes, transcriptome profiling of sexual, male sterile, and
facultative apomictic species was carried out using ovules from different developmental stages. In
total, 15,166 unigenes were found to be differentially expressed with apomictic vs. sexual reproduc-
tion, of which 4275 were uniquely annotated using an Arabidopsis thaliana database, with different
regulations according to each stage and/or species compared. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analy-
sis indicated that genes related to tubulin, actin, the ubiquitin degradation process, reactive oxygen
species scavenging, hormone signaling such as the ethylene signaling pathway and gibberellic acid-
dependent signal, and transcription factors were found among differentially expressed genes (DEGs)
between apomictic and sexual plants. We found that 24% of uniquely annotated DEGs were likely to
be implicated in flower development, male sterility, pollen formation, pollen-stigma interactions, and
pollen tube formation. The present study identifies candidate genes that are highly associated with
distinct reproductive modes and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of apomixis expression in
Limonium spinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Unveiling the evolution of Madeira Wine key metabolites: a three-year follow-up study
Madeira wine (MW) encompasses an unusual oxidative ageing process that makes it distinc tive. Several metabolites have been related to its quality and safety, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
(HMF), furfural, sotolon, and ethyl carbamate (EC). These compounds were quantified over a three year period to assess their formation rate according to the ageing procedure used: canteiro vs. estufagem.
Estufagem, which includes thermal processing of young MWs, promoted greater HMF, furfural, and
sotolon accumulation, especially in sweet wines, in which sotolon contributed significantly to aroma
(odour active values up to 17.5). Tinta Negra revealed a higher predisposition to form EC while
Malvasia and Sercial were less prone to its formation. The formation of furfural, HMF, and EC
strongly correlated with the ageing time. Sotolon had a strong correlation with the ageing time in
canteiro (r = 0.79) and a moderate correlation in estufagem (r = 0.65). In both ageing procedures, sotolon,
furfural, and HMF formation trends strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.74–0.90). In turn, EC
also correlated with all furans (r = 0.51–0.85). Yellow tones (b*) correlated with these metabolites only
when wines undergo estufagem. This study provides valuable insights to improve MW quality and
safety management procedures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Sitting Time and Body Mass Index, in a Portuguese Sample of Men: Results from the Azorean Physical Activity and Health Study (APAHS)
The aim of this study was to verify the relation between body mass index (BMI) and sitting time in a sample of 4,091 Azorean men. BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height. Total physical activity (PA) time and total sitting time were assessed with the IPAQ (short version). Linear Regression analysis showed that total sitting time (hours/day) was positively associated with BMI (B = 0.078; p < 0.001) after adjustments for age, meal frequency, alcohol and tobacco consumptions, island of residence, education level and total PA time. Although the cross sectional design precludes us from establishing causality, our findings emphasize the importance of reducing sedentary behavior to decrease the risk of obesity
Kinetics of Eucalypt Lignosulfonate Oxidation to Aromatic Aldehydes by Oxygen in Alkaline Medium
The oxidation kinetics of lignosulfonates (LS) from acidic magnesium-based sulfite pulping of Eucalyptus globulus wood with oxygen under alkaline conditions was studied. The analysis of oxidation products in the reaction system O(2)/NaOH revealed a predominance of aromatic aldehydes (vanillin and syringic aldehyde) though small amounts of vanillic and syringic acids and acetophenone/phenylacetaldehyde derivatives have also been detected. The rate constant of syringic aldehyde formation was roughly twice of that for vanillin. The effective activation energies for the oxidation of LS to aromatic aldehydes (ca. 60-70 kJ/mol) were rather different to those found for the formation of aromatic acids (ca. 110 kJ/mol) indicating different mechanisms involved in the rate-determining reaction step. The addition of catalyst (copper salt, 20% w/w) promoted the LS oxidation with increments of aromatic aldehyde yields by 25-50%. The maximum yields of syringic aldehyde and vanillin upon LS oxidation were 16.1 and 4.5%, respectively (150 degrees C, 20 min, P(O2) = 10 bar, 0.9 M NaOH solution). The highly negative effect of concomitant sugars in sulfite liquor to the yield of aromatic aldehydes was highlighted
A proposed adaptation of the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model to physical activity programmes for the elderly - development of a quality self-assessment tool using a modified Delphi process
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There has been a growing concern in designing physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people, since evidence suggests that such health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. Complete programme evaluations are a necessary prerequisite to continuous quality improvements. Being able to refine, adapt and create tools that are suited to the realities and contexts of PA programmes for the elderly in order to support its continuous improvement is, therefore, crucial. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a self-assessment tool for PA programmes for the elderly.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A 3-round Delphi process was conducted via the Internet with 43 national experts in PA for the elderly, management and delivery of PA programmes for the elderly, sports management, quality management and gerontology, asking experts to identify the propositions that they considered relevant for inclusion in the self-assessment tool. Experts reviewed a list of proposed statements, based on the criteria and sub-criteria from the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model (EFQM) and PA guidelines for older adults and rated each proposition from 1 to 8 (disagree to agree) and modified and/or added propositions. Propositions receiving either bottom or top scores of greater than 70% were considered to have achieved consensus to drop or retain, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In round 1, of the 196 originally-proposed statements (best practice principles), the experts modified 41, added 1 and achieved consensus on 93. In round 2, a total of 104 propositions were presented, of which experts modified 39 and achieved consensus on 53. In the last round, of 51 proposed statements, the experts achieved consensus on 19. After 3 rounds of rating, experts had not achieved consensus on 32 propositions. The resulting tool consisted of 165 statements that assess nine management areas involved in the development of PA programmes for the elderly.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based on experts' opinions, a self-assessment tool was found in order to access quality of PA programmes for the elderly. Information obtained with evaluations would be useful to organizations seeking to improve their services, customer satisfaction and, consequently, adherence to PA programmes, targeting the ageing population.</p
The preyssler-type polyoxotungstate exhibits anti-quorum sensing, antibiofilm, and antiviral activities
The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led researchers to find new compounds or find combinations between different compounds with potential antibacterial action and
with the ability to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. Polyoxotungstates (POTs) are
inorganic clusters that may fulfill that need, either individually or in combination with antibiotics.
Herein, we report the ability of the polyoxotungstates (POTs) with Wells-Dawson P2W18, P2W17,
P2W15, and Preyssler P5W30 type structures to differently affect Gram-negative and Gram-positive
microorganisms, either susceptible or resistant to antibiotics. The compound P5W30 showed the
highest activity against the majority of the tested bacterial strains in comparison with the other tested
POTs (P2W15, P2W17 and P2W18) that did not show inhibition zones for the Gram-negative bacteria,
A. baumanii I73775, E. coli DSM 1077, E. coli I73194, K. pneumoniae I7092374, and P. aeruginosa C46281).
Generally, the results evidenced that Gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to the POTs tested.
The compound P5W30 was the one most active against S. aureus ATCC 6538 and MRSA16, reaching
<0.83 mg·mL−1
(100 µM) and 4.96 mg·mL−1
(600 µM), respectively. Moreover, it was verified by
NMR spectroscopy that the most promising POT, P5W30, remains intact under all the experimental
conditions, after 24 h at 37 ◦C. This prompted us to further evaluate the anti-quorum sensing activity
of P5W30 using the biosensor Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, as well as its antibiofilm activity
both individually and in combination with the antibiotic cefoxitin against the methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus 16 (MRSA16). P5W30 showed a synergistic antibacterial effect with the antibiotic
cefoxitin and chloramphenicol against MRSA16. Moreover, the antibiofilm activity of P5W30 was
more pronounced when used individually, in comparison with the combination with the antibioticcefoxitin. Finally, the antiviral activity of P5W30 was tested using the coliphage Qβ, showing a dosedependent response. The maximum inactivation was observed at 750 µM (6.23 mg·mL−1
). In sum,
P5W30 shows anti-quorum sensing and antibiofilm activities besides being a potent antibacterial
agent against S. aureus and to exhibit antiviral activities against enteric viruses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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