the incomplete process of an action research in the hospital

Health professionals are at high risk for developing burnout symptoms. Directed at reducing the organizational variables affecting professionals’ burnout, an action research was developed in a specific sector of a large hospital, with 59 doctors, 66 nurses, and 42 ancilliary professionals. Researchers conducted 11 interviews, one focus group, and 20 h of in loco observation. Professionals report demotivation and the need to address the emotional part of their job. Nonetheless, the hierarchy blocked the proposed intervention possibilities. Organizational factors are unequivocally relevant, particularly in complex settings with emotionally charged interactions, and the direct hierarchy is pivotal for facilitating organizational change.publishersversionpublishe

Anti-inflamatório choline based ionic liquids: Insights into their lipophilicity, solubility and toxicity parameters

The impact on in vivo efficacy and safety of two novel ionic liquids based on the association of choline with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ketoprofen and naproxen forming IL-APIs, was evaluated. Their lipophilicity, solubility and toxicity were assessed aiming the illustration of the pharmaceutical profile and potential toxic impact. Partition coefficientwas determined usingmicelles of hexadecylphosphocholine and UV–Vis derivative spectroscopy. Additionally, solubility in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 wasmeasured using amodified shake flaskmethod and UV–Vis spectroscopy as detection technique. Ultimately, toxicity was considered resorting to a fully automated cytochrome c oxidase assay based onmicrofluidics. The obtained results demonstrated that the IL-APIs' drug format has the ability to interact with biological membranes and also improves solubility up to 58 times. Moreover, it was evidenced that, although being a nutrient, choline influences the IL-APIs' toxicity. The studied anti-inflammatory IL-APIs exhibited promising properties regarding their incorporation in pharmaceutical formulations

Efeitos da orientação para a aprendizagem e da segurança psicológica nos conflitos nas equipas

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of two specific dimensions of team climate (learning orientation and psychological safety), as a cognitive contextual factor, on different types of team conflict. We hypothesized that the relationship between learning orientation and the different types of conflict is moderated by psychological safety climate. A total of 218 teams (959 individuals) participated in this study. All teams were enrolled in a strategic and management competition for a 5-week period. Globally, the results supported the hypotheses concerning the direct influence of team climate on intragroup conflicts, since more positive climates diminish team conflict. The results also supported the hypothesis of the moderating role of psychological safety on the relationship between learning orientation and both relationship conflict and temporal conflict. Learning orientation diminishes both relationship and temporal conflicts when teams experience high levels of psychological safety. These results point out the importance of team climates on processes and dynamics among members.O objectivo do presente estudo foi o de avaliar o impacto de duas dimensões específicas do clima de equipa (clima de orientação para a aprendizagem e clima de segurança psicológica), enquanto factor contextual de natureza cognitiva, nos diferentes tipos de conflito das equipas. Colocou-se a hipótese de que a relação entre orientação para a aprendizagem e os diferentes tipos de conflito é moderada pelo clima de segurança psicológica. Participaram neste estudo 218 equipas (959 indivíduos) envolvidas numa competição de estratégia e gestão que decorreu ao longo de cinco semanas. Globalmente, os resultados suportaram as hipóteses da influência directa do clima de equipa nos conflitos intragrupais no sentido em que climas mais positivos diminuem os conflitos nas equipas. Os resultados suportaram igualmente a hipótese do papel moderador da segurança psicológica na relação entre orientação para a aprendizagem e o conflito relacional e o conflito de gestão de tempo, sendo que a orientação para a aprendizagem reduz os conflitos quer relacionais quer de gestão de tempo nas situações de elevada segurança psicológica. Estes resultados chamam a atenção para a importância dos climas de equipa nos processos e dinâmicas entre os membros

Production of the ragworm Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776), fed with a diet for gilthead seabream Sparus auratus L., 1758: survival, growth, feed utilization and oogenesis

A 65-day experiment was conducted to determine survival, growth, feed utilization and oogenesis of Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776), fed with a commercial dry diet developed for gilthead seabream Sparus auratus L., 1758. Worms were reared in three replicate tanks with 50 worms per tank (255 indiv · m_2). Tetramin®, a commonly used diet for ornamental fish and polychaete laboratory experiments, was used as a control. Survival was high (95.3 %) for both treatments, and not significantly affected by diet. Specific growth rates and feed efficiency ratios did not differ significantly between worms fed with either diets, nor were there significant differences in the proportion of individuals in the oocyte size classes.La supervivencia, el crecimiento, la utilización del alimento y la oogénesis de Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776) alimentado con pienso de dorada Sparus auratus L., 1758 fueron estudiados durante 65 días. Los poliquetos se cultivaron en tres tanques replicados con 50 individuos en cada uno (255 indiv · m_2). Como control se utilizó Tetramin®, una dieta común para peces ornamentales y en experimentos de laboratorio con poliquetos. La supervivencia fue alta (95,3 %) en ambos tratamientos y no se vio afectada significativamente por la dieta. El aumento de peso y los cocientes de eficiencia alimentaria no variaron significativamente entre los poliquetos alimentados con ambas dietas. Entre los grupos experimentales no hubo diferencia significativa en la proporción de individuos por clases de tamaño de los oocitos.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

There Is Light and There Is Darkness: On the Temporal Dynamics of Cohesion, Coordination, and Performance in Business Teams

This study examines teams as complex adaptive systems (tCAS) and uses latent growth curve modeling to test team cohesion as an initial condition conducive to team performance over time and the mediational effect of team coordination on this relationship. After analyzing 158 teams enrolled in a business game simulation over five consecutive weeks, we found that change in team coordination was best described by a continuous linear change model, while change in team performance was best described by a continuous nonlinear change model; and the mediation latent growth curve model revealed a negative indirect effect of team cohesion on the level of change in team performance over time, through the level of change in team coordination. This study contributes to the science of teams by combining the notions of initial conditions with co-evolving team dynamics, hence creating a more refined temporal approach to understanding team functioning

Nondestructive Assessment of Citrus Fruit Quality and Ripening by Visible–Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

As non-climacteric, citrus fruit are only harvested at their optimal edible ripening stage. The usual approach followed by producers and packinghouses to establish the internal quality and ripening of citrus fruit is to collect fruit sets throughout ripening and use them to determine the quality attributes (QA) by standard and, in many cases, destructive and time-consuming methods. However, due to the large variability within and between orchards, the number of measured fruits is seldom statistically representative of the batch, resulting in a fallible assessment of their internal QA (IQA) and a weak traceability in the citrus supply chain. Visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (Vis–NIRS) is a nondestructive method that addresses this problem, and has proved to predict many IQA of a wide number of fruit including citrus. Yet, its application on a daily basis is not straightforward, and there are still several questions to address by researchers in order to implement it routinely in the crop supply chain. This chapter reviews the application of Vis–NIRS in the assessment of the quality and ripening of citrus fruit, and makes a critical evaluation on the technique’s limiting issues that need further attention by researchers

Internalization of methotrexate conjugates by folate receptor-α

The folate antagonist methotrexate is a cytotoxic drug used in the treatment of several cancer types. Methotrexate entry into the cell is mediated by two main transport systems: the reduced folate carrier and membrane-associated folate receptors. These transporters differ considerably in their mechanism of (anti)folate uptake, substrate specificity and tissue specificity. Although the mechanism of action of the reduced folate carrier is fairly well-established, that of the folate receptor has remained doubtful. The development of specific folate receptor-targeted antifolates would be accelerated if additional mechanistic data becomes available. In this work, we used two fluorescent-labeled conjugates of methotrexate, differently linked at the terminal groups, to clarify the uptake mechanism by the folate receptor-α. The results demonstrate the importance of methotrexate amino groups in the interaction with the folate receptor-α.E.A. (SFRH/BD/122952/2016) and J.N. (SFRH/BD/121673/ 2016) hold scholarships from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). This study was supported by the FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of the UID/ BIO/04469/2013 unit and the COMPETE 2020 (POCI-010145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work has also received funding from the European Union 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007−2013), under Grant Agreement NMP4-LA-2009228827 NANOFOL, and the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement NMP-06-2015683356 FOLSMART.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anti-inflammatory choline based ionic liquids: Insights into their lipophilicity, solubility and toxicity parametrites

The impact on in vivo efficacy and safety of two novel ionic liquids based on the association of choline with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ketoprofen and naproxen forming IL-APIs, was evaluated. Their lipophilicity, solubility and toxicity were assessed aiming the illustration of the pharmaceutical profile and potential toxic impact. Partition coefficientwas determined usingmicelles of hexadecylphosphocholine and UV–Vis derivative spectroscopy. Additionally, solubility in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 wasmeasured using amodified shake flaskmethod and UV–Vis spectroscopy as detection technique. Ultimately, toxicity was considered resorting to a fully automated cytochrome c oxidase assay based onmicrofluidics. The obtained results demonstrated that the IL-APIs' drug format has the ability to interact with biological membranes and also improves solubility up to 58 times. Moreover, it was evidenced that, although being a nutrient, choline influences the IL-APIs' toxicity. The studied anti-inflammatory IL-APIs exhibited promising properties regarding their incorporation in pharmaceutical formulations

The role of biomass elemental composition and ion-exchange in metal sorption by algae

The use of macroalgae, microalgae and cyanobacteria for metal sorption has been widely reported. Still, there are no studies allowing a direct comparison of the performance of these biomasses, especially while evaluating metal competition. The simultaneous sorption of Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ present in a multi-elemental solution by six macroalgae, two microalgae and three cyanobacteria was evaluated. Brown macroalgae were shown to be the most promising biosorbent, with Undaria pinnatifida having a total metal sorption capacity of 0.6 mmol g-1. Overall, macroalgae performed better than microalgae, followed by cyanobacteria. Carboxyl groups were identified as being the main functional groups involved in metal sorption, and all biomass samples were found to be selective to Cu2+. This was linked not only to its higher complexation constant value with relevant functional groups when compared to the remaining metals, but also the Irving-Williams series. The release of K+ and Ca2+ to the aqueous solution during the metal sorption was followed. The obtained results suggest they are readily exchanged with metals in the solution, indicating the occurrence of an ion-exchange mechanism in metal sorption by most biomass. Red macroalgae are an exception to the reported trends, suggesting that their metal sorption mechanism may differ from the other biomass types.publishe

Synthesis of purine-based ionic liquids and their applications

Bio-based ionic liquids (ILs) are being increasingly sought after, as they are more sustainable and eco-friendly. Purines are the most widely distributed, naturally occurring N-heterocycles, but their low water-solubility limits their application. In this work, four purines (theobromine, theophylline, xanthine, and uric acid) were combined with the cation tetrabutylammonium to synthesize bio-based ILs. The physico-chemical properties of the purine-based ILs were characterized, including their melting and decomposition temperatures and water-solubility. The ecotoxicity against the microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata was also determined. The ILs show good thermal stability (>457 K) and an aqueous solubility enhancement ranging from 53- to 870-fold, in comparison to their respective purine percursors, unlocking new prospects for their application where aqueous solutions are demanded. The ecotoxicity of these ILs seems to be dominated by the cation, and it is similar to chloride-based IL, emphasizing that the use of natural anions does not necessarily translate to more benign ILs. The application of the novel ILs in the formation of aqueous biphasic systems (ABS), and as solubility enhancers, was also evaluated. The ILs were able to form ABS with sodium sulfate and tripotassium citrate salts. The development of thermoresponsive ABS, using sodium sulfate as a salting-out agent, was accomplished, with the ILs having different thermosensitivities. In addition, the purine-based ILs acted as solubility enhancers of ferulic acid in aqueous solution.publishe