Portuguese SME Innovation Sources: Trends of the last Decade

The study aims to explain the changes in the sources of information for innovation used by Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) comparing two 3-years periods: 2002-2004 and 2010-2012. For this purpose, it was used the data from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) published in 2004 (CIS 4) and 2014 (CIS 2012). Comparative analysis reveals that there was a greater incidence of innovation activities in SME, mainly due to the use of their own knowledge resources and of their customers. The interaction with the scientific and technological system showed to be modest, although it has been detected in the medium-sized enterprises an appreciable increase on related sources – including higher education institutions, Government and research centres. Despite being a strictly descriptive analysis, evidence gathered through graphical analysis suggests a slight change along the last decade towards to organizational and technological innovations within Portuguese SME, based on knowledge networking

Adaptação da metodologia Skrat "Strategic Practice for know-how retention and transmission within organization" : O caso dos Serviços Económico-Financeiros de uma Instituição Portuguesa de Ensino Superior Público

Tese de mestrado. Engenharia de Serviços e Gestão. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Perfil, hábitos e atitudes do consumidor de carne mirandesa DOP

O objectivo deste estudo é conhecer o perfil, os hábitos e as atitudes dos consumidores da carne mirandesa DOP, a fim de melhor responder às necessidades, aos gostos e aos hábitos destes mesmos consumidores. A partir desta investigação conseguiremos determinar o grau de influência de características, designadamente, pessoais, sociais, geográficas e económicas, na decisão de compra deste produto e verificar a existência de diferenças de atitudes e comportamentos entre grupos no que diz respeito ao consumo deste produto. A investigação prosseguiu com a aplicação directa dos questionários (165 questionários) aos consumidores de carne mirandesa DOP em diferentes locais de venda desta carne (Bragança, Chaves, Porto) desde Fevereiro de 2009 a Novembro de 2009. Dos inquiridos (pertencentes ao distrito de Bragança, Chaves e Porto) 65% têm idades compreendidas entre os 49 e os 79 anos, 29% possuem como nível de escolaridade o ensino secundário e 20% apresentam um rendimento apreciável (rendimento líquido mensal, em média, do agregado familiar de 1350 e 1800 euros). Nos agregados familiares dos inquiridos (com um mínimo 1 pessoa e um máximo 6 pessoas) maioritariamente é a mulher a responsável pela compra e pela confecção de produtos alimentares, sendo a maioria das compras feita semanalmente. De entre os respondentes 69% frequentam restaurantes num mês entre 1 a 3 vezes, destes, 61% frequentam restaurantes que servem carne mirandesa. Os três aspectos que diferenciam positivamente a carne Mirandesa são a tenrura (28%), a suculência (23%) e o sabor (21%). Para os respondentes a diferença média de preço entre a carne Mirandesa e carne de bovino convencional, situa-se entre 2 e 5 euros e a sua predisposição de compra de pré-cozinhados com carne Mirandesa é de 53%. The present study aims to know the profile, habits and attitudes of the consumers of Mirandesa DOP meat, in order to better understand the needs, preferences and habits of the same consumers. With this investigation we will be able to calculate the influence level of some characteristics, namely the personal, social, geographical and economic ones, in the purchase options of this product, as well as check if there is a difference in the attitudes and behaviours among groups on what concerns the consumption of that product. The investigation was based on a survey (165 questionnaires) applied to the consumers of Mirandesa DOP meat in different commercial areas (Bragança, Chaves, Porto) from February 2009 to November 2009. Sixty five per cent of the questioned were between 49 and 79 years old, 29% finished secondary education and 20% enjoy a reasonable income (average monthly income of the household between 1350 to 1800 euros). Among the surveyed households (minimum 1 person to a maximum of 6) the purchase and preparation of food supplies is mostly assumed by the woman who usually purchases the meat on a weekly basis. Among the questioned, 69% go to a restaurant between once to thrice a month, while 61% of those choose eateries where Mirandesa meat is served. The three main highlights of this type of meat are its tenderness (28%), juice (23%) and flavor (21%). For the surveyed the average price difference between this type of meat and conventional beef, is between 2 to 45 euros and their willingness to purchase Mirandesa meat pre-cooked products is 53%

Reaproveitamento de inertes para o fabrico de um novo betão

A reciclagem de inertes para o fabrico de novos betões é um processo de reaproveitamento que vem sendo utilizado em vários pontos do mundo. Em Portugal, vem-se procurado pesquisar no sentido de saber qual a viabilidade destes betões. Este artigo pretende descrever, de forma simples, um estudo feito em laboratório com inertes reciclados e fazer uma breve análise acerca da situação em outros países e em PortUgal. (O excerto aqui descrito é uma síntese do trabalho apresentado pela Aluna Manuela Duarte, na disciplina de projecto do Curso de Licenciatura bi-etápica de Engenharia Civil, sob a orientação do Docente Miguel Oliveira. Esse trabalho pode ser consultado na biblioteca da EST

Engagement no trabalho – o caso dos colaboradores do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança

Mestrado APNORConsiderando que o envolvimento no trabalho é crucial para enfrentar as dificuldades que vão aparecendo no dia a dia, encontrou-se ser pertinente neste estudo verificar o grau de envolvimento dos colaboradores do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança com o trabalho constituindo este o principal objetivo do presente trabalho. O estudo realizado é de âmbito quantitativo, tendo sido utilizado um inquérito por questionário organizado por duas partes: a primeira parte diz respeito aos dados demográficos e profissionais dos indivíduos e a segunda parte é referente à avaliação do engagement através da escala Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17), desenvolvida por Shaufeli e Bakker (2003) e traduzida e adaptada por Simães e Gomes (2012). A amostra é constituída por 203 colaboradores docentes e não docentes do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança sendo que a média de idades dos inquiridos é de 45,88 anos. Quanto ao género dos inquiridos verifica-se que mais de 50% são do sexo masculino (55,7%) e apenas 44,3% são do sexo feminino. Dos respondentes, 143 (70,4%) inquiridos responderam ter filhos e apenas 58 (28,6%) inquiridos responderam não ter filhos. De entre os inquiridos que responderam ter filhos 6,3% responderam ter 3 filhos, seguindo-se com 39,2% aqueles que responderam ter 1 filho e finalmente com 52,4% aqueles que têm 2 filho. O estado civil de 139 inquiridos é casados/união de fato (68,5%), temos ainda 43 inquiridos que dizem ser solteiros (21,2%), 19 inquiridos que dizem ser divorciados/separados (9,4%) e por fim 2 inquiridos que dizem ser viúvos (1%). No que concerne às habilitações literárias quase 100% dos inquiridos diz possuir o ensino superior (98,0%) e apenas 2,0% dos inquiridos diz ter o ensino secundário. Os resultados obtidos indicaram, ainda, a não existência de resultados estatisticamente significativos na relação do engagement com as variáveis demográficas e profissionais com exceção da dimensão dedicação com o n.º de anos a trabalhar na instituição (p-value=0,021).Considering that work engagement is crucial to face the difficulties that appear on a daily basis, it was found pertinent in this study to verify the degree of work engagement of the employees of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, this being the main objective of this study. The study carried out is quantitative and a survey by questionnaire organized in two parts was used: the first part concerns the demographic and professional details; and the second part refers to the assessment of engagement using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17), developed by Schaufeli and Bakker (2003) and translated and adapted by Simães and Gomes (2012). The sample consists of 203 teaching and non-teaching staff of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, with the average age of the respondents being 45.88 years. As for the gender of the respondents, it appears that more than 50% are male (55.7%) and only 44.3% are female. 143 (70.4%) of the respondents answered that they had children and only 58 (28.6%) of the respondents answered that they had no children. Among the respondents who answered that they had children, 6.3% answered that they had three children, 39.2% answered that they had one child, and finally, 52.4% answered that they had two children. With regard to marital status, 139 respondents answered that they were married/non-marital partnership (68.5%), 43 respondents say they are single (21.2%), 19 respondents answered that they are divorced/separated (9.4%) and, finally, 2 respondents answered that they are widowed (1%). As regards the educational qualifications, almost 100% of the respondents answered that they have completed higher education (98.0%) and only 2.0% of respondents answered that they have completed secondary education. The results obtained also indicated the lack of statistically significant results in the relationship of engagement with demographic and professional variables, except for the dedication dimension with the number of years working at the institution (p-value=0,021)

Diabetic foot infections : application of a nisin-biogel to complement the activity of conventional antibiotics and antiseptics against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Research Areas: Science & Technology - Other TopicsABSTRACT - Background Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a frequent complication of Diabetes mellitus and a major cause of nontraumatic limb amputations. The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, known for its resilient biofilms and antibiotic resistant profile, is the most frequent DFI pathogen. It is urgent to develop innovative treatments for these infections, being the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) nisin a potential candidate. We have previously proposed the use of a guar gum biogel as a delivery system for nisin. Here, we evaluated the potential of the nisin-biogel to enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics and antiseptics against DFIs S. aureus clinical isolates. Methods A collection of 23 S. aureus strains isolated from DFI patients, including multidrug- and methicillin-resistant strains, was used. The antimicrobial activity of the nisin-biogel was tested alone and in different combinations with the antiseptic chlorhexidine and the antibiotics clindamycin, gentamicin and vancomycin. Isolates' in vitro susceptibility to the different protocols was assessed using broth microdilution methods in order to determine their ability to inhibit and/or eradicate established S. aureus biofilms. Antimicrobials were added to the 96-well plates every 8 h to simulate a typical DFI treatment protocol. Statistical analysis was conducted using RCBD ANOVA in SPSS. Results The nisin-biogel showed a high antibacterial activity against biofilms formed by DFI S. aureus. The combined protocol using nisin-biogel and chlorhexidine presented the highest efficacy in biofilm formation inhibition, significantly higher (p0.05) between the activity of the combination nisin-biogel plus chlorhexidine and the conventional antibiotic-based protocols. Conclusions Results provide a valuable contribution for the development of complementary strategies to conventional antibiotics protocols. A combined protocol including chlorhexidine and nisinbiogel could be potentially applied in medical centres, contributing for the reduction of antibiotic administration, selection pressure on DFI pathogens and resistance strains dissemination.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bacterial Biofilms in Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Potential Alternative Therapeutics

Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem that affects approximately 171 million people globally. One of its most severe complications is the development of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Ischemic and neurophatic lesions are of major importance for DFU onset; however, it is the infection by multidrug-resistant and biofilm-producing microorganisms, along with local microenvironmental conditions unfavorable to antibiotics action that ultimately cause infection chronicity and lower limbs amputation. Novel therapeutic protocols for DFU management are extremely urgent. Bacteriophages, probiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have recently been proposed as alternatives to currently available antibiotics. Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect and multiply within bacterial cells. Their ability to diffuse through polymeric matrixes makes them particularly efficient to eradicate biofilm-based bacteria. Promising results were also observed with probiotic therapy. Probiotics are well-characterized strains with the ability to compete with pathogenic microorganisms and modulate the host immune response. AMP are molecules produced by living organisms as part of their innate immune response. Unlike conventional antibiotics, AMP also act as immunomodulators and resistance to AMP was rarely observed, supporting their potential as therapeutic agents. These innovative therapeutic strategies may in the future substitute or complement antibiotherapy, ultimately contributing for the decrease in multidrug-resistant bacteria dissemination

Climatic alterations influence bacterial growth, biofilm production and antimicrobial resistance profiles in aeromonas spp.

Research Areas: Infectious Diseases ; Pharmacology & PharmacyClimate change is expected to create environmental disruptions that will impact a wide array of biota. Projections for freshwater ecosystems include severe alterations with gradients across geographical areas. Life traits in bacteria are modulated by environmental parameters, but there is still uncertainty regarding bacterial responses to changes caused by climatic alterations. In this study, we used a river water microcosm model to evaluate how Aeromonas spp., an important pathogenic and zoonotic genus ubiquitary in aquatic ecosystems, responds to environmental variations of temperature and pH as expected by future projections. Namely, we evaluated bacterial growth, biofilm production and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Aeromonas species in pure and mixed cultures. Biofilm production was significantly influenced by temperature and culture, while temperature and pH affected bacterial growth. Reversion of antimicrobial susceptibility status occurred in the majority of strains and tested antimicrobial compounds, with several combinations of temperature and pH contributing to this effect. Current results highlight the consequences that bacterial genus such as Aeromonas will experience with climatic alterations, specifically how their proliferation and virulence and phenotypic resistance expression will be modulated. Such information is fundamental to predict and prevent future outbreaks and deleterious effects that these bacterial species might have in human and animal populations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Territorial innovation systems and strategies of collective efficiency

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the relevance of territorial innovation systems approach for non-central regions’ development strategies. The research made allowed to identify actions of collective efficiency to strengthen endogenous capacity for regional innovation, and also to detect some institutional weaknesses that inhibit the innovation dynamics in a particular rural region (Tagus Valley). Design/methodology/approach – The research followed an interpretive case study, of explanatory type. Data collecting method comprised semi-structured face-to-face interviews with business agents and local government members, direct observation of innovation activities and documentary analysis. Statistical methods to analyse the firms’ innovation behaviour, as well as owners and managers’ perceptions, were also used in order to improve the trustworthiness of the research. Findings – The results show that innovation is positively associated to a diverse set of institutional factors that shape a territorially embedded innovation system, in which the firms’ innovation activity is chiefly based on localized learning processes. Moreover, a path of smart and creative diversification area is detected, but there are substantial differences between firms belonging to agro-food supply chain. While food industries and wineries show very interesting levels of investment in innovation activities and external knowledge synergies, farmers/producers depend greatly from producers’ organizations. Research limitations/implications – Given the absence of generalizability and some speculative argumentation, further research needs to be done, especially about the critical role of higher education institutions to promote innovation. Practical implications – The paper provides empirical insights about the role of actors belonging to the governance layer inherent to the territorial innovation system in discussion. Originality/value – The paper fulfils an identified need to systematize institutional factors able to affect non-central regions innovation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio