Positive Psychological Capital as a Predictor of Satisfaction With the Fly-In Fly-Out Model

The flexibility of markets and international agreements have lured a growing number of companies to expand their business beyond frontiers in search for new markets and a bigger business network. Specifically, expatriates became keystones to implant and promote the so desired expansion into international markets, Particularly, Fly-in flyout (FIFO) flexpatriates. Although FIFO work practices are widely used, little is known about how to promote these professionals’ perceived job satisfaction (JS) across the course of their work cycles. That is why the goal of our research is to test the positive psychological capital (PsyCap) applicability to Portuguese FIFO flexpatriates. In the midst of the positive psychology theories, Luthans et al. (2007b) underline that workers are the psychological capital of any organization. Therefore, the development of the PsyCap becomes crucial and also contributes to the promotion of JS, nowadays a construct intertwined with well-being. As such, we developed and applied a HERO– (hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism)–micro-intervention in order to assess whether it moderated the relationship between a FIFO flexpatriates PsyCap and their JS. The research took place over three distinct moments, both PsyCap and JS were measured before and after the HERO micro-intervention, and again 3 months later. The data collected shows that a positive correlation exists between FIFO flexpatriates PsyCap and JS. Moreover, our results pointed out that the micro-intervention enhanced FIFO flexpatriates PsyCap, and also showed that this increase lasted over (at least) 3 months.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caracterização do Engaço da Uva e Avaliação do seu Potencial como Matéria‐Prima Lenhocelulósica

Resumo O presente estudo avalia a composição química detalhada do engaço da uva de modo a encontrar novas formas para a sua valorização. O engaço da uva é um subproduto vinícola de origem lenhocelulósica, com 30-31% de celulose, 21% de hemicelulose, 17-18% de lenhina, 15-16% de taninos e cerca de 6,0% de proteínas. A análise dos monossacarídeos mostrou que, a seguir à celulose, a xilana é o segundo polissacarídeo mais abundante no engaço (ca. 12%). A celulose foi isolada pelo método Kürscher e Hoffer e foi caracterizada por difração de raios-X (DRX). Esta análise revelou a existência de uma célula unitária típica de celulose I com um elevado grau de cristalinidade (ca. 75%). Também foi possível verificar uma elevada abundância de compostos extratáveis em água (ca. 24%), atribuídos principalmente a sais inorgânicos solúveis, taninos hidrolisáveis e pectinas. A lenhina Klason foi caracterizada por espectroscopia de infravermelho e espectroscopia de ressonância magnética tendo-se verificado tratar-se de uma lenhina do tipo HGS, com predominância de unidades guaiacilo.Abstract The present study evaluates the detailed chemical composition of grape stalks to find new forms of recovery. Grape stalk is a by-product from winemaking process of lignocellulosic source with 30-31% cellulose, 21% hemicellulose, 17-18% lignin, 15-16% tannin and about 6.0% protein. Analysis of monosaccharides showed that, after cellulose, the xylan is the second most abundant polysaccharide in stalks (ca. 12%). Cellulose was isolated by the Kürscher and Hoffer method and was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). This analysis revealed the existence of a typical unit cell of cellulose I with a high degree of crystallinity (ca. 75%). It was also observed a high abundance of water extractable compounds (ca. 24%), attributed to mainly soluble inorganic salts, hydrolysable tannins and pectins. Klason Lignin was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and magnetic resonance spectroscopy and it was found that this is a HGS lignin-type, predominantly with guaiacyl units

Patterns of physical activity: an exploratory study using twins

The study of physical activity patterns (PAP) is still in its infancy due to methodological problems in measuring instruments of physical activity, and the lack of specific analytical tools to capture all its intrinsic issues. Moreover, it is not well known if differences among subjects are mainly due to specific environmental conditions, genetic attributes or both. This picture is more acute in children. PURPOSE: to explore different ways of viewing and analyzing PAP in children. METHODS: 31 twin pairs (18 MZ and 13 DZ) aged 6 to 12 years of age were monitored for 5 days (3 week-day and a week-end) with a tri-axial accelerometer (TRITRAC R3D). Count data was read in a specialized software (GEMWIZARD), was transformed in energy expenditure according to manufacturer indications, so that 4 phenotypes were derived: till 3 Mets (low PA), from 3 to 6 Mets (moderate PA), from 6 to 9 Mets (vigorous PA), and above 9 Mets (very vigorous PA). SPSS was used for all data analysis (descriptive stats, graphical dispays and correlations). RESULTS: It is evident that most part of the days is spent in low PA, and very few episodes of vigorous or very vigorous activities. Per each hour, across days, about 56 minutes are of low PA. Per day, about 17 minutes are spent in moderate PA, and 3 to 4 minutes in vigorous or very vigorous PA. The amount of inter-individual differences in pairs of MZ and DZ twins is very high, although intra-pair range seems higher in DZ than MZ twins. Twin similarity (Pearson correlation) is as follows : low PA, rM Z=0.886, rDZ=0.772; moderate PA, rMZ=9.946, rDZ=0.880; vigorous PA, rMZ=0.636, rDZ=0.490; very vigorous PA, rMZ=0.759, rDZ=0.522). CONCLUSIONS: In children, physical activity is mainly random. The highest frequency is for low activities

High pressure solubility data of carbon dioxide in (tri-iso-butyl(methyl)phosphonium tosylate + water) systems

Ionic liquids are attracting great attention nowadays due to their interesting properties which make them useful in a broad range of applications including reaction media or separation/capture of environmentally hazardous gases such as carbon dioxide. In many cases, for practical and/or economical reasons, the use of aqueous solutions of ILs would be preferable to their use as pure compounds. In this work, high pressure equilibrium data for the {carbon dioxide (CO2) + tri-iso-butyl(methyl)phosphonium tosylate [iBu3MeP][TOS] + water system were measured at temperatures ranging from (276 to 370) K and pressures up to 100 MPa. Measurements were performed using a high-pressure cell with a sapphire window that allows direct observation of the liquid–vapour transition. Mixtures with different IL concentrations were studied in order to check the influence of the amount of IL on the solubility of CO2 in the aqueous mixture. The results show that the presence of IL enhances the solubility of CO2 in the (IL + water) system revealing a salting-in effect of the IL on the solubility of CO2. The appearance of a three phase region was observed for IL concentrations higher than 4 mol% of IL in water when working at pressures between 4 and 8 MPa and temperatures between (280 and 305) K. In this range, the upper limit of the VLE region observed is shown to increase with the temperature being almost independent of the IL initial concentration in the mixture.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)FEDERCICECO, University of Aveir

Construção de cartas centílicas da coordenação motora de crianças dos 6 aos 11 anos da Região Autónoma dos Açores, Portugal

Objectivo: Construir cartas centílicas e respectiva distribuição de valores da Coordenação Motora em crianças açorianas dos 6 aos 11 anos segundo o género e idade. Metodologia: A amostra é constituída por 2359 meninas e 2365 meninos da Região Autónoma dos Açores. A Coordenação Motora foi avaliada através da bateria KTK, que compreende quatro provas: equilíbrio à retaguarda, saltos laterais, saltos monopedais e transposição lateral. As estatísticas descritivas básicas foram calculadas no SPSS 15. os centis foram estimados pelo método da máxima verosimilhança no software LMS versão 1.32 e as cartas centílicas construídas no Excell. Resultados: Em todas as provas da bateria de testes KTK, para ambos os sexos, é visível um incremento do desempenho quer dos valores médios quer para categorias extremas de performance, seja o P3 ou P10, ou ainda os P90 e P97, não obstante uma forte variação em cada valor discreto de idade e sexo. Conclusões: Com base nos valores centílicos do desempenho da Coordenação Motora pode traçar-se perfis configuracionais e interpretar-se o seu significado relativamente ao que é esperado para uma dada idade e ano de escolaridade. Discorre daqui o contributo deste estudo em termos pedagógicos para a disciplina de Actividade Física e Desportiva no 1º ciclo do Ensino Básico

Structural signatures of water-soluble organic aerosols in contrasting environments in South America and Western Europe

This study describes and compares the key structural units present in water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fraction of atmospheric aerosols collected in different South American (Colombia – Medellín and Bogotá, Peru – Lima, Argentina – Buenos Aires, and Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Porto Velho, during moderate (MBB) and intense (IBB) biomass burning) and Western European (Portugal – Aveiro and Lisbon) locations. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was employed to assess the relative distribution of non-exchangeable proton functional groups in aerosol WSOC of diverse origin, for the first time to the authors’ knowledge in South America. The relative contribution of the proton functional groups was in the order H-C > H–C–C= > H-C-O > Ar-H, except in Porto Velho during MBB, Medellín, Bogotá, and Buenos Aires, for which the relative contribution of H-C-O was higher than that of H-C-C=. The 1H NMR source attribution confirmed differences in aging processes or regional sources between the two geographic regions, allowing the differentiation between urban combustion-related aerosol and biological particles. The aerosol WSOC in Aveiro, Lisbon, and Rio de Janeiro during summer are more oxidized than those from the remaining locations, indicating the predominance of secondary organic aerosols. Fresh emissions, namely of smoke particles, becomes important during winter in Aveiro and São Paulo, and in Porto Velho during IBB. The biosphere is an important source altering the chemical composition of aerosol WSOC in South America locations. The source attribution in Medellín, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and Lima confirmed the mixed contributions of biological material, secondary formation, as well as urban and biomass burning emissions. Overall, the information and knowledge acquired in this study provide important diagnostic tools for future studies aiming at understanding the water-soluble organic aerosol problem, their sources and impact at a wider geographic scale.Fil: Duarte, Regina M.B.O.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Matos, João T.V.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Paula, Andreia S.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Lopes, Sónia P.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Pereira, Guilherme. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Vasconcellos, Pérola. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Gioda, Adriana. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Carreira, Renato. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Silva, Artur M.S.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Duarte, Armando C.. Universidade de Aveiro; PortugalFil: Smichowski, Patricia Nora. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rojas, Nestor. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Sanchez Ccoyllo, Odon. No especifíca

Polar lipids of commercial Ulva spp. of different origins: profiling and relevance for seaweed valorization

Macroalgae of the genus Ulva have long been used as human food. Local environmental conditions, among other factors, can have an impact on their nutrient and phytochemical composition, as well as on the value of the seaweed for food and non-food applications. This study is the first to initiate a comparison between commercial Ulva spp. from different European origins, France (FR, wild-harvested Ulva spp.), and Portugal (PT, farm-raised Ulva rigida), in terms of proximate composition, esterified fatty acids (FA), and polar lipids. The ash content was higher in PT samples, while FR samples had higher levels of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates and other compounds. The profile of esterified FA, as well as FA-containing polar lipids at the class and species levels were also significantly different. The FR samples showed about three-fold higher amount of n-3 polyunsaturated FA, while PT samples showed two-fold higher content of monounsaturated FA. Quantification of glycolipids and phospholipids revealed, respectively, two-fold and three-fold higher levels in PT samples. Despite the differences found, the polar lipids identified in both batches included some lipid species with recognized bioactivity, valuing Ulva biomass with functional properties, increasing their added value, and promoting new applications, namely in nutraceutical and food markets.UIDB/50011/2020+UIDP/50011/2020, UID/QUI/00062/2019, UIDB/50006/2020, UIDB/50017/2020+UIDP/50017/2020, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030962, BPD/UI51/5041/2017, BPD/UI51/5042/2018; EC/H2020/727892/EUinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A de novo paradigm for male infertility

Funding Information: (DFG, CRU326) to C.F. and F.T. This project was also supported in part by funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1120356) to M.K.O.B., by grants from the National Institutes of Health of the United States of America (R01HD078641 to D.F.C. and K.I.A., P50HD096723 to D.F.C.) and from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/S008039/1) to D.J.E. Funding Information: We are grateful for the participation of all patients and their parents in this study. We thank Laurens van de Wiel (Radboudumc), Sebastian Judd-Mole (Monash University), Arron Scott and Bryan Hepworth (Newcastle University) for technical support, and Margot J Wyrwoll (University of Münster) for help with handling MERGE samples and data. This project was funded by The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (918-15-667) to J.A.V. as well as an Investigator Award in Science from the Wellcome Trust (209451) to J.A.V. a grant from the Catherine van Tussenbroek Foundation to M.S.O. a grant from MERCK to R.S. a UUKi Rutherford Fund Fellowship awarded to B.J.H. and the German Research Foundation Clinical Research Unit “Male Germ Cells” Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).De novo mutations are known to play a prominent role in sporadic disorders with reduced fitness. We hypothesize that de novo mutations play an important role in severe male infertility and explain a portion of the genetic causes of this understudied disorder. To test this hypothesis, we utilize trio-based exome sequencing in a cohort of 185 infertile males and their unaffected parents. Following a systematic analysis, 29 of 145 rare (MAF < 0.1%) protein-altering de novo mutations are classified as possibly causative of the male infertility phenotype. We observed a significant enrichment of loss-of-function de novo mutations in loss-of-function-intolerant genes (p-value = 1.00 × 10−5) in infertile men compared to controls. Additionally, we detected a significant increase in predicted pathogenic de novo missense mutations affecting missense-intolerant genes (p-value = 5.01 × 10−4) in contrast to predicted benign de novo mutations. One gene we identify, RBM5, is an essential regulator of male germ cell pre-mRNA splicing and has been previously implicated in male infertility in mice. In a follow-up study, 6 rare pathogenic missense mutations affecting this gene are observed in a cohort of 2,506 infertile patients, whilst we find no such mutations in a cohort of 5,784 fertile men (p-value = 0.03). Our results provide evidence for the role of de novo mutations in severe male infertility and point to new candidate genes affecting fertility.publishersversionpublishe

SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio