The Impact of FDI, Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions and Greenfield Investments on Economic Growth

This paper investigates whether aggregate foreign direct investment (FDI), cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and greenfield investments affects economic growth based on a panel data of 53 countries over the period 1996-2006. Both causality tests and single growth equations are applied to examine this relationship. The evidence suggests that there is bidirectional causality between FDI, M&A and growth. We can also conclude that economic growth Granger causes greenfields, but the reverse is not true. The estimation of the growth equation leads us to conclude that FDI through greenfield investments exerts a positive impact on economic growth in both developed and developing countries. Oppositely, M&A has a negative effect on the economic growth of developing countries, but insignificant on developed countries.Foreign Direct Investment, Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions, Greenfield Investments, Economic Growth

Vantagens e desvantagens da relação entre plantas e fungos

Apresentação efetuada nas III Jornadas Micológicas, Braga, 2011Os fungos são capazes de estabelecer múltiplas associações/relações com as plantas. Apesar de muitas dessas relações se revelarem prejudiciais, outras apresentam vantagens significativas ao nível do desenvolvimento, nutrição e sanidade das plantas. Nesta comunicação será particularmente abordada a associação sirnbiótica que ocorre entre raízes e fungos do solo - micorrização - referindo-se as vantagens que daí advêm para plantas, fungos e inclusivamente para o Homem

Distinguishing allies from enemies-a way for a new green revolution

Plants are continually interacting in different ways and levels with microbes, resulting in direct or indirect effects on plant development and fitness. Many plant-microbe interactions are beneficial and promote plant growth and development, while others have harmful effects and cause plant diseases. Given the permanent and simultaneous contact with beneficial and harmful microbes, plants should avoid being infected by pathogens while promoting mutualistic relationships. The way plants perceive multiple microbes and trigger plant responses suggests a common origin of both types of interaction. Despite the recent advances in this topic, the exploitation of mutualistic relations has still not been fully achieved. The holistic view of different agroecosystem factors, including biotic and abiotic aspects, as well as agricultural practices, must also be considered. This approach could pave the way for a new green revolution that will allow providing food to a growing human population in the context of threat such as that resulting from climate change.This work was supported by FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) within the framework of CBMA (UIDB/04050/2020) and CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2020) I&D centers

Platelets, endothelium and shear join forces to mislead neutrophils in sepsis

Neutrophils are circulating leukocytes with great cytotoxic potential, responsible for the first combat against invading pathogens. Their accumulation in tissues must be highly controlled so that the number of neutrophils delivered to the affected site is sufficient to control infection with minimum injury to the surrounding healthy tissue. In sepsis, neutrophil migration is dysregulated - resulting in insufficient delivery of neutrophils to the infectious site and massive neutrophil accumulation in uninfected organs. This dysregulation has the potential to cause inappropriate tissue injury that may explain the multiple organ dysfunction observed in severe sepsis. A better understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to this process is fundamental to design therapeutic strategies to circumvent tissue injury and organ dysfunction in sepsis

An Algorithm Proposal To Oral Feeding In Premature Infants

The transition from tube feeding, to oral feeding is one of the most difficult for preterm infants. It’s a continuous but slow process, which demands physiological development respiratory independence and the ability to coordinate suction, breathing and swallowing. Getting the premature to develop his/her feeding skills is the big challenge to the professionals that work in the NICU. Know the characteristics of preterm infants, essentials for oral feeding; to know the nurses’ opinion on nursing interventions, that promote the transition of gavage feeding for oral feeding in preterm infants; to contribute to the development of a proposal for a guide to oral feeding in preterm infants were our objectives. As a methodology, qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study. Semistructured interviews were performed to neonatal nurses. Content analysis to treat data was used. Results - Weight, gestational age, physiological stability, sucking coordination, swallowing and breathing, and feeding involvement, are fundamental parameters to begin oral feeding. Positioning the baby, reflexes stimulation, control stress levels, monitoring the temperature and the milk flow, are nursing interventions that promotes the development of feeding skills. The existence of a guide not only gives security but also promotes the respect for the developmental stages of the preterm infant, the standard of care, encourages learning, reduces the subjectivity and fosters the evidence based practice, nevertheless, it ought to have a simple structure, be practical/judicious and small. An algorithm for the preterm infants oral feeding was developed grounded on nurses’ opinion but also in the best available evidence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Macroeconomic Determinants of Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions and Greenfield Investments

When a company decides to invest abroad, it can do it through the establishment of a new firm (greenfield investment) or by the purchase of an already existing firm. Although there is a vast empirical literature on the macroeconomic determinants of aggregate FDI, there are just a few studies examining the location-specific determinants of each entry mode. The aim of this study is to extend the previous work by Globerman and Shapiro (2005) through the analysis of panel data of 53 countries over the period 1996-2006, in order to identify the potential location-specific determinants of both M&A and greenfields. We have found evidence that there is a group of mode-encompassing variables which are common to all entry modes (such as economy’s size, openness, governance and human development index) and mode-specific variables. Investor’s protection and cultural variables seem to play an important role in the explanation of M&A and greenfields, respectively.Foreign Direct Investment, Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions, Greenfield Investments

Efeitos de mediação do burnout e da perda de bem-estar

Objetivo: O Assédio psicológico no trabalho é uma preocupação crescente para gestores e trabalhadores, pelos efeitos negativos que tem na organização e na produtividade. Constitui também preocupação crescente para os profissionais de saúde pelos efeitos, por vezes devastadores, que têm sobre a saúde. No entanto, poucos estudos têm investigado a forma como o Assédio psicológico no trabalho se relaciona com o Burnout e a perda de Bem-estar e de como, no conjunto, afetam a produtividade dos trabalhadores, traduzida em formas de Presentismo. Assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi examinar os efeitos de mediação, considerando a análise de relações diretas e indiretas, do Burnout e do Bem-estar psicológico na relação entre o Assédio no trabalho e a perda de produtividade devida a qualquer das dimensões do Presentismo (Trabalho não completado e Concentração). Método: Recorreu-se a modelos de equações estruturais (SEM) para análise de dados de um estudo transversal, recolhidos por Computer Assisted Web Interview – CAWI, referente a uma amostra de 353 trabalhadores de uma empresa portuguesa de serviços de âmbito nacional. Foram consideradas as seguintes variáveis: Assédio no trabalho (Quine, 1999), Burnout (MBI – Exaustão emocional), Bem-estar psicológico (GHQ-28) e as perdas de produtividade devido ao presentismo (SPS-6) (Trabalho não completado e Concentração). Todas as variáveis apresentaram características psicométricas aceitáveis. Resultados: O modelo final revelou um ajuste aceitável. Verificou-se que o assédio no trabalho teve um efeito significativo sobre o Presentismo por duas vias: diretamente, afetando a dimensão Trabalho não completado e indiretamente, afetando a Concentração. Esta última via foi mediada pelos efeitos do Burnout e pela perda de Bem-estar psicológico. Conclusões e recomendações: Os profissionais de saúde ocupacional devem estar cientes de que o Burnout e a perda de Bem-estar podem ter como causa primária o Assédio no trabalho e que as perdas de produtividade podem ser um sinal de alerta. Os gestores e as chefias devem ter em conta que, no mecanismo subjacente à perda de produtividade dos trabalhadores, poderão estar situações de Assédio no trabalho devido aos efeitos diretos e ao impacto negativo sobre o Burnout e Bem-estar.N/

Study of the experimental conditions of the co-pyrolysis of rice husk and plastic wastes

The main objective of this study is to access the technical and economical viability of using pyrolysis technology applied to the rice production main wastes to produce bio-fuels to substitute fossil fuels and electricity consumption during rice milling processes. Therefore, it was studied the effect of operating conditions (reaction temperature, initial pressure and reaction time) on products yields and quality, as well as the possible synergetic effects that may occur during the pyrolysis of these wastes. The pyrolysis experiments were performed in 1 L capacity batch reactor made of Hastelloy C276 and built by Parr Instruments. According to previous studies, the range of operational conditions studied was: 350-430 ºC for reaction temperature, 2-10 bar for initial pressure and 10-60 min for reaction time. So far, the results obtained showed that these two wastes can be processed together. The presence of PE seems to favour the biomass conversion, as PE is easily converted into liquids by pyrolysis, which increases heat and mass transfer in the reaction medium