Are large firms more profitable than small and medium firms in the European Union?

This study comparatively analyses the profitability between large enterprises (LE) and small and medium enterprises (SME) in the European Union in order to understand which group of companies is more profitable. The analysis is also segmented by groups of countries and industries. Furthermore, we study the impact of the financial crisis on profitability. The sample includes 54,654 firms from 21 EU countries and from 17 industries during the period between 2004 and 2013. Two measures of profitability are used: (1) Return on Assets (computed both with earnings before interest and taxes and net profit), and; (2) Return on Equity. The results suggest that LE are, on average, more profitable than SME. This finding holds across all industries except one. However, there is additional evidence that SME in Eastern Europe are more profitable than LE and are also more profitable than SME in Western Europe. Finally, the results also suggest that the financial crisis negatively impacted firms’ profitability, particularly in SME.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ambient particulate matter exposure interacts with abdominal obesity to increase blood triglycerides

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Consumer Attitudes toward News Delivering: An Experimental Evaluation of the Use and Efficacy of Personalized Recommendations

This paper presents an experiment on newsreaders’ behavior and preferences on the interaction with online personalized news. Different recommendation approaches, based on consumption profiles and user location, and the impact of personalized news on several aspects of consumer decision-making are examined on a group of volunteers. Results show a significant preference for reading recommended news over other news presented on the screen, regardless of the chosen editorial layout. In addition, the study also provides support for the creation of profiles taking into consideration the evolution of user’s interests. The proposed solution is valid for users with different reading habits and can be successfully applied even to users with small consumption history. Our findings can be used by news providers to improve online services, thus increasing readers’ perceived satisfaction.Paula Viana and Márcio Soares were partial supported by Project “TEC4Growth—Pervasive Intelligence, Enhancers and Proofs of Concept with Industrial Impact/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000020”, under Research Line FourEyes, financed by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Paula Viana has also been supported by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within project UIDB/50014/2020. Rita Gaio was partially supported by CMUP, which is Financed by national funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project with the reference UIDB/00144/2020. Amílcar Correia was partially supported by the Project Pglobal (Nr. 2014/38592-Programa Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividade/Programa Operacional do Norte, Funded by ERDF).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social Responsibility and Financial Performance: The Case of STOXX Europe Index

The main objective of this study is to analyze whether companies that pursue corporate social responsibility (CSR)-based policies have a higher level of financial performance compared to those that do not. Additionally, we study the effect of the last financial crisis on the relationship between CSR and financial performance in order to figure out whether or not companies sharing these environmental and social concerns had higher financial performance than their peers. To do so, three empirical models are designed, combining both traditional accounting measures (return on equity and return on assets) and a measure sensible to market values (Tobin’s Q) to assess the financial performance. A sample of 266 listed companies, from 15 European countries and 14 industries, listed on the STOXX Europe 600, is analyzed. Results suggest that companies pursuing CSR policies financially outperform their peers, and these results are supported even during the financial crisis period. This study highlights the idea that companies pursuing CSR policies put a considerable effort on building a stronger corporate reputation which in turn generates short- and long-term benefits, leaving behind the idea of the traditional companies that focused only on financial performance

results from the link between the Portuguese Health Examination Survey and air quality data

Copyright © 2023 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: High blood pressure (BP) remains a major modifiable cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. Several epidemiologic studies have been performed to assess the association between air pollution exposure and this CV risk factor but results remain inconsistent. This study aims to estimate the effect of short-term PM10 exposure (average previous three-day concentration) on diastolic (DBP) and systolic (SBP) blood pressure values of the resident mainland Portuguese population. METHODS: Our study was based on available DBP and SBP data from 2272 participants from the first Portuguese Health Examination Survey (INSEF, 2015) living within a 30 km radius of at least one air quality monitoring station, with available measurements of particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter ≤10 μm (PM10). We used data from the air quality monitoring network of the Portuguese Environment Agency to obtain the individual allocated PM10 concentrations. Generalized linear models were used to assess the effect of PM10 exposure on DBP and SBP values. RESULTS: No statistically significant association was found between PM10 exposure and both DBP and SBP values (0.42% DBP change per 10 μg/m3 of PM10 increment (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.85; 1.70) and 0.47% SBP change per 10 μg/m3 of PM10 increment (95% CI: -0.86; 1.79)). Results remain unchanged after restricting the analysis to hypertensive or obese participants or changing the PM10 assessment methodology. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the PM10 levels observed in 2015, our results suggests that exposure to PM10 concentrations have a small or no effect on the blood pressure values. Other air pollutants and mixtures of pollutants that were not included in our study should considered in future studies.publishersversionpublishe

a cross-sectional linkage study

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND: Blood lipids and glucose levels dysregulation represent potential mechanisms intermediating the adverse cardiovascular effects of ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure. This study aims to estimate the effect of long-term PM10 exposure on blood lipids and glucose levels and to assess the potential mediation and/or modification action of abdominal obesity (AO) (waist-to-height ratio). METHODS: Our study was based on 2,390 participants of the first Portuguese Health Examination Survey (INSEF, 2015) with available data on blood lipids and glucose parameters and living within a 30-km radius of an air quality monitoring station with available PM10 measurements. PM10 concentrations were acquired from the air quality monitoring network of the Portuguese Environment Agency. Generalized linear models were used to assess the effect of 1-year PM10 exposure on blood lipids and glucose levels. An interaction term was introduced in the models to test the modification action of AO. RESULTS: We found an association between PM10 and non-fasting blood triglycerides (TG) after adjustment for age, sex, education, occupation, lifestyles-related variables and temperature but only in participants with AO. Per each 1 µg/m3 PM10 increment, there was a 1.84% (95% confidence interval: 0.02-3.69) increase in TG. For the remaining blood lipid and glucose parameters, no associations were found. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that even at low levels of exposure, long-term PM10 exposure interacts with AO to increase blood TG. Our findings suggest that reducing both AO prevalence and PM10 below current standards would result in additional health benefits for the population.publishersversionpublishe

Prevalence and factors associated with diabetes mellitus among tuberculosis patients: a nationwide cohort

In Press, Corrected ProofThe association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) has been a matter of study worldwide, since it is assumed that DM triples the risk of TB. Recent studies have found discrepant prevalence of DM among TB patients, ranging from 5.3% in Denmark to 44% in India. There is an urgent need to control both epidemics in order to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) TB elimination goal. To reach this goal, an integrated approach between TB elimination strategies and control of noncommunicable diseases that perpetuate the risk for TB is fundamental.(undefined

Síndrome de Budd-Chiari e Falência Hepática Aguda: Uma Apresentação Incomum de Leucemia Mieloide Aguda

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare entity, particularly in the context of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). BCS is an uncommon disorder with multiple risk factors, most commonly myeloproliferative disorders. In BCS, active search and exclusion of underlying malignancy is mandatory, particularly in the context of ALF, as it may contraindicate liver transplantation (LT). We present the case of a healthy 29-year-old male, without known risk factors for liver disease, who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, ascites, and jaundice. BCS with consequent severe acute liver injury with rapid progression to ALF was diagnosed. The patient was listed for LT. The study of peripheral blood finally revealed myeloid blasts, and flow cytometry showed a population of blast cells with abnormal immunophenotypic profile (CD33+ and myeloperoxidase, MPO+). The bone marrow biopsy showed morphological and immunophenotypic aspects of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) FAB M1. This diagnosis was considered a formal contraindication to LT, so the patient was delisted. ALF contraindicated rescue chemotherapy and AML contraindicated LT. The patient died 48 h after ICU admission. The search for underlying neoplasia is mandatory in the context of BCS, moreover with associated ALF, as it may limit lifesaving treatments and interventions to supportive and palliative.A falência hepática aguda (FHA) é uma entidade rara, particularmente no contexto da Síndrome de Budd-Chiari (SBC). A SBC é uma doença incomum com múltiplos fatores de risco, principalmente as doenças mieloproliferativas. Na SBC, a procura ativa e exclusão de malignidade subjacente é obrigatória, particularmente no contexto de FHA, já que pode contraindicar o transplante hepático (TH). Apresentamos o caso de um homem de 29 anos saudável, sem fatores de risco conhecidos para doença hepática que se apresentou no serviço de urgência com dor abdominal, ascite e icterícia. A SBC associada a lesão hepática severa com rápida progressão para FHA foi diagnosticada e o doente colocado em lista para TH. O estudo do sangue periférico finalmente revelou a presença de blastos mieloides e a citometria de fluxo a presença de uma população de blastos com perfil imunofenotípico anormal (CD33 + e mieloperoxidase (MPO) +). A biópsia da medula óssea mostrou aspetos morfológicos e imunofenotípicos de leucemia mieloide aguda (LMA) FAB M1. Este diagnóstico foi considerado uma contraindicação formal para o TH, pelo que o doente foi retirado de lista. Pela FHA a quimioterapia de resgate estava também contraindicada. O doente faleceu 48 horas após a admissão na UCI. O despiste de neoplasia subjacente é obrigatório no contexto de SBC, ainda mais com FHA, pois pode limitar o tratamento lifesaving a cuidados de suporte e paliativos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio