Determinants of firm failure in Portugal in 2010-2013

Firm failure is a cause and effect of economic recessions. Lower market demand can have enormous impact on firms’ businesses. As some cannot rely on their activity to safeguard a source of income, others are constrained by their clients’ inability to pay. Businesses may then collapse, contributing to job destruction, which in turn, can only further depressed economic conditions. Analysing firm failure determinants is therefore crucial. This work project proposes an analysis of financial-performance indicators on Portuguese firms during the 2010-2013 period. Variables analysed include impairment losses, short-term and long-term debt. These variables were analysed over different sub-samples to determine their effects on firm failure probability in specific contexts

Synergistic antimicrobial interaction of honey and bacteriophage in Escherichia coli biofilms

I Simpósio de Bioquímica AplicadaWound colonization by biofilms-forming bacteria is one of the main obstacles to the treatment of chronic wounds, causing a number of biological and financial problems. Biofilms are structured communities of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymeric matrix, adhered to inert or living surfaces, blocking antibiotics and patients immune cells from reaching bacteria. Bacterio(phages), viruses infecting exclusively bacteria, and honey are being considered as valuable alternatives to treat a variety of infections (Table 1). Phages are harmless to mammalian cells, specific for target bacteria therefore not affecting commensal microflora, have the ability to selfreplicate as long as the host is present, and are effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Honey is a complex substance with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, essentially attributed to the high sugar content, low pH, the presence of hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal that reacts with important biological molecules (RNA, DNA and proteins). Honey had yet the potential to promote tissue regeneration, cicatrization, decrease inflammation, improving wound healing. In this work the combination of those two antimicrobial agents was considered in the control E. coli biofilms.Hospital Escala Braga (Braga,Portugal) for providing the clinical isolate. This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope off the strategic funding of the UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte 2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012(FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and the project PTDC/CVT-EPI/4008/2014(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016598). Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the SFRH/BPD/69356/2010 and SFRH/BD/93078/2013. FCT (IF/01413/2013)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agro-industrial wastes as alternative substrates for the production of prebiotic with Zymomonas mobilis

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are promising prebiotics in the relevant and increasing market of functional food. However, to achieve a more sustainable process, the industrial production of FOS should use cheap substrates. Zymomonas mobilis (ZM) has great potential for the production of FOS due to the presence of native enzymes (levansucrase) capable of metabolizing sucrose. In addition, ZM can use different carbon sources, such as molasses and sugarcane juice, which make the FOS production process cost-effective. In this study, sugarcane molasses (a potential replacement of sucrose) and corn step liquor (CSL) (a potential replacement of yeast extract (YE)), were used as nutrients for FOS production using ZM in an in vivo bioprocess approach. FOS production process from sucrose was first optimized and 52 g/L of FOS with a yield of 0.16 g/g was obtained. Afterwards, molasses and CSL were used as alternative nutrients. After studying different combinations of CSL and YE, the highest amount of FOS (54 g/L, with a yield of 0.18 g/g) was obtained with 12 g/L of CSL and 8 g/L of YE. In addition, 45 g/L of FOS were produced from molasses containing 200 g/L of sucrose, with a yield of 0.3 g/g. With this approach, it was possible to reduce around 5.5-times the cost associated with the FOS production medium. Moreover, this study proposed a sustainable process for the valorization of agro-industrial wastes contributing to the future Circular (Bio)Economy and the EU Green Deal.Cláudia Amorim, João Rainha, Beatriz B. Cardoso and Daniela Gomes acknowledge their grants (2020.0029.CEECIND, SFRH/BD/138325/2018, SFRH/BD/132324/2017 and SFRH/BD/04433/2020, respectively) from Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The study received financial support from Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Zymomonas mobilis an emerging microbial cell factory to produce prebiotics

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mammals in Portugal: a data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ~26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated with habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished georeferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira that includes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8), observation in shelters, (9) photo trapping | video, (10) predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, (11) scat | track | ditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n =31,573) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n = 18,857), Carnivora (n = 18,594), Lagomorpha (n = 17,496), Cetartiodactyla (n = 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n = 7008). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus [n = 12,159], Monachus monachus [n = 1,512], and Lynx pardinus [n = 197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A SOBRECARGA DO CUIDADOR INFORMAL DA PESSOA COM DOENÇA MENTAL: UM ESTUDO DESCRITIVO-CORRELACIONAL

Atualmente os cuidados de saúde mental são promovidos maioritariamente a nível comunitário, com o intuito de diminuir o afastamento dos indivíduos dos seus domicílios e facilitar a sua inserção social e reabilitação. Assim, os Cuidadores Informais (CIs) ganham especial importância, uma vez que facilitam o processo de recovery da pessoa com Doença Mental (DM). Este estudo teve como objetivos: 1) caracterizar a sobrecarga do CI da pessoa com DM; 2) analisar a relação entre a sobrecarga e as dificuldades do CI; e 3) verificar se a dependência da pessoa com DM eleva os níveis de sobrecarga do CI. Foi desenvolvido um estudo quantitativo, descritivo e correlacional. Os dados foram colhidos através de um questionário de avaliação do desempenho do papel do cuidador, que incluiu dados sociodemográficos, o Índice de LawtonBrody, o Índice de Avaliação das Dificuldades do Cuidador e a Escala de Avaliação da Sobrecarga do Cuidador, a 119 CIs principais recrutados num departamento de psiquiatria de um hospital português. Os resultados revelaram que mais de metade dos CIs eram mulheres com uma média de 53,84 anos. Através da aplicação da Escala de Zarit, 45% dos CIs apresentam sobrecarga intensa. Das 119 pessoas que participaram no estudo, 85 referiram sentir necessidade de mais apoio por parte dos profissionais de saúde. Verificou-se que existe uma correlação moderada entre as variáveis: sobrecarga do CI e o nível de dependência da pessoa com DM para a realização das Atividades Instrumentais de Vida Diária. Face aos resultados obtidos, compreende-se a importância de valorizar os CIs, enquanto parceiros de cuidados, de forma a diminuir a sua sobrecarga e as dificuldades que Serviços e Cuidados em Saúde 4 Capítulo 1 2 sentem ao cuidar da pessoa com DM.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Utentes com gastrectomia por carcinoma gástrico: nutrição versus qualidade de vida - Revisão sistemática de literatura Usuarios con gastrectomía por carcinoma gástrico: nutrición versus calidad de vida - Revisión sistemática de la literatura Users with gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma: nutrition versus quality of life - Systematic literature review

A doença oncológica reveste-se de um carácter estigmatizante, sentida pelo utente e sua família que, associada a incertezas de prognóstico, provocam sofrimento, levantando questões ao nível da Qualidade de Vida (QV) dos indivíduos. Com a finalidade de compreender qual o impacto da gastrectomia em utentes com carcinoma gástrico (nutrição versus QV), a sua influência na satisfação do autocuidado e o papel do enfermeiro, ao longo do processo de transição saúde-doença efectuou-se uma Revisão Sistemática de Literatura (RSL), sem meta-síntese e sem metanálise. Foi seguida a metodologia PI[C]OD - Participantes; Intervenções; [Comparações]; Outcomes; Desenho do estudo - para a elaboração da pergunta de investigação e definição dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão dos estudos recolhidos, sendo que, doze constituíram a amostra: foram analisados, interpretados e sintetizados. Dessa análise pode concluir-se que a nutrição se traduz num benefício quando iniciada precocemente traduzindo-se numa melhoria da QV. O enfermeiro funciona como elemento facilitador no processo, promovendo a autonomia e independência necessárias para satisfazer as necessidades, expressas ou sentidas, de autocuidado. Em Portugal, surge a necessidade de reconhecer a importância da variável nutrição na minimização do impacto da cirurgia por carcinoma gástrico e desenvolver estudos neste âmbito transpondo os resultados para a prática.<br>La enfermedad oncológica está impregnada de un carácter estigmatizante sentida por el usuario y su familia que, asociado a incertidumbres de pronóstico, provoca sufrimiento, planteando interrogantes respecto a la Calidad de Vida (QV) de los individuos. Con el fin de comprender cuál es el impacto de la gastrectomía en usuarios con carcinoma gástrico (nutrición versus calidad de vida), su influencia en la satisfacción del autocuidado y el papel del enfermero a lo largo del proceso de transición salud-enfermedad se efectuó una Revisión Sistemática de la Literatura (RSL), sin meta-síntesis y sin metanálisis. Se siguió la metodología PI[C]OD - Participantes; Intervenciones; [Comparaciones]; Resultados; Diseño del estudio - para la elaboración de la pregunta de investigación y definición de los criterios de inclusión y exclusión de los estudios recogidos siendo que, los doce que constituyeron la muestra fueron analizados, interpretados y sintetizados. De ese análisis pudo concluirse que la nutrición se traduce en un beneficio cuando es iniciada precozmente y que conlleva a una mejora de la Calidad de Vida. El enfermero funciona como elemento facilitador en el proceso, promoviendo la autonomía e independencia necesarias para satisfacer las necesidades, exprimidas o sentidas, de autocuidado. En Portugal, ha surgido la necesidad de reconocer la importancia de la variable nutrición en la minimización del impacto de la cirugía por carcinoma gástrico y de desarrollar estudios en este ámbito, transponiendo los resultados a la práctica.<br>Cancer has a stigmatizing nature felt by the sufferer and his familie, associated with the uncertainty of prognosis, causing suffering, and raising issues of the Quality of Life (QOL) of individuals. In order to understand the impact on those having gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma (nutrition versus QOL), its influence on satisfaction with self-care and the nurse’s role during the health-disease transition process, a Systematic Literature Review (RSL) was conducted, without meta-synthesis and without meta-analysis. The PI[C]OD methodology - Participants; Interventions; [Comparisons]; Outcomes, Study design - was used to develop the research question and to define the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies identified, with twelve forming the sample; analysis, interpretation and summary were conducted. From this analysis it can be concluded that nutrition is beneficial when started early, leading to improvement in QOL. The nurse acts as a facilitator in the process, promoting autonomy and independence, to satisfy the needs, expressed or perceived, for self-care. In Portugal, there is a need to recognize the importance of nutrition in minimizing the impact of surgery for gastric carcinoma and to carry out studies in this area to transfer the results into practice