A influência do posicionamento empresarial no processo de tomada de decisão nos Destination Weddings: o caso de Viseu

O sector do turismo de casamentos está em crescimento em diversas regiões de Portugal, estando a adquirir um papel cada vez mais relevante na economia das empresas fornecedoras de serviços para este tipo de eventos. Perante esta oportunidade, torna-se importante perceber se as empresas se posicionam para o nicho de mercado, associado aos destination weddings. Cada vez mais é imprescindível para uma empresa incluir a gestão do posicionamento e comunicação na sua estratégia. Com a existência de novos mercados, cabe ao sector dos eventos responder de forma dinâmica e atual às necessidades dos seus públicos-alvo. Para que as empresas possam ser competitivas, necessitam saber como se destacar das restantes do mercado. O conceito de posicionamento está diretamente relacionado com a gestão de qualquer empresa e qualquer sector, inclusive, é de extrema importância para o desenvolvimento de um destino turístico. É necessário optar por estratégias diferenciadoras que façam as pessoas optar por determinada empresa em função de outra. O propósito é sempre criar valor e potenciar o crescimento das empresas que trabalham no mercado dos destination weddings. Esta dissertação descreve o sector do turismo de casamentos de uma forma geral e respetiva abordagem no contexto português, sendo o caso de estudo a cidade de Viseu, onde se constatou uma tendência de crescimento deste mercado, em concordância com o que se consegue perceber no resto do país. O recurso a uma investigação empírica suportada por uma abordagem predominantemente qualitativa recolhida através de entrevistas a um conjunto de profissionais no tema, permitiu contribuir para conhecer a realidade deste segmento no município em estudo, quais as potencialidades e apontar algumas pistas para o seu desenvolvimento. Os resultados permitiram ainda concluir que ao nível do posicionamento este segmento ainda se encontra, neste território, numa fase primária de desenvolvimento.The wedding tourism sector is growing in several regions of Portugal and is acquiring an increasingly growing role in the economy of the providers for this kind of events. Given this opportunity, it becomes important to understand if companies position themselves for the market niche associated with destination weddings. Increasingly, it is imperative for a company to include positioning and communication management in its strategy. With the existence of new markets, it is up to the events sector to respond dynamically and up-to-date to the needs of its target audiences. For companies to be competitive, they need to know how to stand out from the rest of the market. The concept of positioning is directly related to the management of any company and any sector and it is extremely important for the development of a tourist destination. It is necessary to choose differentiating strategies that make people choose one company over another. The purpose is always to create value and boost the growth of companies that work in the destination wedding market. This dissertation describes the wedding tourism sector in general and its approach to the Portuguese context, being in study the city of Viseu, where there is a trend of the growing of this market, in agreement with what can be seen in the rest of the country. The use of an empirical research supported by a predominantly qualitative approach collected through interviews with a set of professionals, allowed to contribute to the understanding of the reality of this segment in the area under study, to perceive what are its strengths and to point out some clues to its development. The results also allowed to conclude that positioning in this segment is still, in this territory, in a primary phase of development

Challenges, facilitators and barriers to the adoption and use of a web-based national IRD registry: lessons learned from the IRD-PT registry

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.Rare disease registries increase research accessibility for patients, while providing clinicians/investigators with a coherent data ecosystem necessary to boost research and patient care. The IRD-PT registry is a national, web-based, interoperable registry for inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) designed to generate scientific knowledge and collect high-quality data on the epidemiology, genomic landscape and natural history of IRDs in Portugal. In two years, the number of enrolled patients almost doubled (537 to 1060). Still, the registry has a lower-than-expected adoption rate, with only 4 centers across Portugal actively enrolling patients. This highlights a strong need to understand factors that may be hindering the registry's nationwide adoption. The purpose of this manuscript is to analyze challenges, facilitators and barriers to the adoption and use of the IRD-PT registry, and to discuss avenues for improvement, focusing on keeping the registry sustainable in the long run. We believe that this exercise may help other rare disease registries to improve user adherence and engagement, ultimately contributing to develop more sustainable and successful registries in the field.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New insight at the Roman Occupation in the Municipality of Mafra

O presente artigo apresenta uma leitura de síntese atualizada sobre os vestígios de período romano identificados no concelho de Mafra, integrando-se nas ações de investigação e divulgação do projeto Lisboa Romana. O concelho de Mafra integrava-se na zona Oeste do municipium Olisiponense, estando documentada a existência de villae, casais rurais, necrópoles, monumentos epigráficos e abundantes achados avulsos que não permitem uma classificação segura. Remonta ao século XV a mais antiga referência a um monumento epigráfico romano, existindo um longo historial de recolhas até à atualidade. Contudo, são escassas as escavações, resultando quase exclusivamente de operações de arqueologia preventiva, limitando a análise interpretativa. Apresenta-se em anexo o corpus epigráfico romano (19 epigrafes, 3 inéditas), o corpus dos sítios arqueológicos do período romano (56 sítios, 35 inéditos) e uma tabela com 35 informações não confirmadas arqueologicamente, que constitui o estado do conhecimento em 2021. Trata-se de um inventário datado e necessariamente incompleto, porquanto se sucedem os achados fortuitos ou integrados em trabalhos arqueológicos.This article presents an updated synthesis analysis on the vestiges of the Roman period identified in the municipality of Mafra, integrating itself in the research and dissemination actions of the Lisboa Romana project. The municipality of Mafra was part of the western zone of the municipium Olisiponense, with villae, rural settlements, necropolises, epigraphic monuments and abundant scattered remains that do not allow a safe classification. The oldest reference to a Roman epigraphic monument dates back to the 15th century, with a long history of collections. However, excavations are scarce, resulting almost exclusively from preventive archeology operations, limiting interpretative analysis. Attached is the corpus of the epigraphic monuments (19 monuments, 3 unpublished) and the corpus of archaeological sites from the Roman period (56 sites, 35 unpublished) and a table with 35 archaeologically unconfirmed information, which constitutes the state of knowledge in 2021. It is a dated and necessarily incomplete inventory, as they are successive fortuitous or integrated findings in archaeological works.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Perceção de risco e comportamentos de proteção face à COVID-19 em estudantes do ensino superior: O papel mediador do medo

The study aims to describe the protective behaviors adopted by Portuguese higher education students in during the and to analyze their relationship with the perception of risk and the mediating role of fear of COVID-19. A total of 335 students aged between 18 and 29 participated in the study (m = 21.42; sd = 2.43). Participants completed a survey on protective (i.e., preventive and avoidance) behaviors, risk perception, and fear of covid-19. The results showed that the most used preventive behaviors were hand washing/disinfection throughout the day and using masks in public streets or outdoor spaces. The most adopted avoidance behaviors were avoiding crowded places and face-to-face interactions with colleagues/ friends. There was a positive correlation between protective behaviors, the perception of severity, and fear of covid-19. Fear of COVID-19 mediated the relation between the perception of severity and both preventive (c’ = .26, ic 95% [.11; .44]) and avoidance (c’ = .28, ic 95% [.12; .50]) behaviors. The results are discussed considering the role of risk perception and fear in the behavioral responses of young people in a pandemic context while presenting practical implications and suggestions for future studies.El estudio tiene como objetivo describir las conductas protectoras adoptadas por los estudiantes portugueses de educación superior durante la pandemia, y analizar su relación con la percepción de riesgo y el papel mediador del miedo al COVID-19. Participaron en el estudio 335 estudiantes de entre 18 y 29 años (m = 21.42; ds = 2.43). Los participantes completaron una encuesta sobre conductas protectoras (es decir, preventivas y de evitación), percepción de riesgo y miedo al COVID-19. Los resultados mostraron que las conductas preventivas más utilizadas fueron el lavado/desinfección de manos a lo largo del día y el uso de mascarilla en la vía pública o al aire libre. Los comportamientos de evitación más adoptados fueron evadir lugares con reuniones e interacciones cara a cara con compañeros/amigos. Hubo una correlación positiva entre las conductas protectoras, la percepción de seriedad y el miedo al covid-19. También se encontró que el miedo al covid-19 medió la relación entre la percepción de severidad y las conductas preventivas (c’ = .26, ic 95% [.11; .44]) y de evitación (c’ = .28, ic 95% [.12; .50]). Los resultados se discuten considerando el papel de la percepción del riesgo y el miedo en las respuestas conductuales de los jóvenes en un contexto pandémico, así mismo se presentan implicaciones prácticas y sugerencias para estudios futuros.O estudo tem como objetivo descrever os comportamentos de proteção adotados por estudantes portugueses do ensino superior durante a pandemia e analisar a sua relação com a percepção de risco e o papel mediador do medo face à COVID-19. Participaram 335 estudantes com idades entre os 18 e os 29 anos (m = 21.42; dp = 2.43). Os participantes preencheram um inquérito sobre os comportamentos de proteção (i.e., preventivos e de evitamento), a percepção de risco e o medo face à COVID-19. Os resultados demonstraram que os comportamentos preventivos mais utilizados foram a lavagem/desinfecção das mãos ao longo do dia e o uso de máscara na via pública ou espaços exteriores. Os comportamentos de evitamento mais adotados foram o de evitar locais com aglomeração e os convívios presenciais com colegas/amigos. Verificou-se uma associação positiva entre os comportamentos de proteção, a percepção de gravidade e o medo face à covid-19. O medo face à covid-19 foi mediador da relação entre a percepção de gravidade e os comportamentos preventivos (c’ = .26, ic 95% [.11; .44]) e de evitamento (c’ = .28, ic 95% [.12; .50]). Os resultados são discutidos atendendo ao papel da percepção de risco e do medo nas respostas comportamentais dos jovens, num contexto de pandemia, sendo apresentadas implicações práticas e sugestões para estudos futuros

Influence of the TAS2R38 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms in metabolism and anthropometry in thyroid dysfunction

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).The gene TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs-P49A, A262V and V296I) can condition bitter tasting by PAV (proline–alanine–valine) and non-bitter-tasting by AVI (alanine–valine–isoleucine) homozygosity. We evaluated this polymorphisms association with thyroid function, metabolism and anthropometry parameters determined by: Endpoint analysis (SNPs); DXA (fat mass-%, total fat mass—kg, lean mass—kg); Standard methods (lipid metabolism parameters, HbA1c-%, glycemia—mg/dL, insulinemia—µIU/mL, HOMA-IR, uricemia—mg/dL, calcemia—mg/dL and BMI—kg/m2); ELISA (leptinemia—ng/mL); Spectrophotometry (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme activity—UI/L). Statistics: SPSS program; OR [IC95%]; p < 0.05. Sample: 114 hypothyroid, 49 hyperthyroid, and 179 controls. An association between A262V-valine–valine and hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism was verified (OR = 2.841; IC95% [1.726–4.676]), p < 0.001/OR = 8.915; IC95% [4.286–18.543]), p < 0.001). Protector effect from thyroid dysfunction: A262V-alanine–valine (OR = 0.467; IC95% [0.289–0.757], p = 0.002/OR = 0.132; IC95% [0.056–0.309], p < 0.001) and PAV (OR = 0.456; IC95% [0.282–0.737], p = 0.001/OR = 0.101; IC95% [0.041–0.250], p < 0.001). Higher parameter values associated with genotypes were: fat-mass-% (V296I-valine–isoleucine), lean-mass (P49A-proline–proline; PVI), leptin (AVI), HbA1c (A262V-alanine–valine) and lower values in lean-Mass (AVI; PVV), leptin (A262V-alanine–alanine), HbA1c (PVV), uricemia (V296I-valine–isoleucine), glycemia (A262V-alanine–alanine; AAV) and plasma triglycerides (PVV). In conclusion, TAS2R38 influences thyroid function, body composition and metabolism. Bitter taste perception (PAV) and the genotype A262V-alanine–valine can protect from thyroid dysfunction. AVV, PVV and genotype A262V-valine–valine may confer higher predisposition for thyroid dysfunction, particularly PVV for hyperthyroidism.The writing of the manuscript was also supported by funds from the Foundation for Science and Technology to ISAMB (ref. UIDB/04295/2020 and UIDP/04295/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis strains

Research Areas: MicrobiologyThe pathogenesis mechanisms of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv), the etiologic agent of Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis remain elusive. This study evaluated the virulence potential and biovar characteristics of Cfv isolates (n = 13) by PCR screening of putative virulencefactor (VF) genes, Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis, antimicrobial susceptibility to tetracycline, penicillin, enrofloxacin and streptomycin testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS; n = 5), also comparing the latter with 26 other whole-genome sequences of Cfv strains. The putative VF genes encoding type IV secretion system of Cfv (virB2-virB11/virD4) were absent in 92% of isolates, including isolates from aborted foetuses, evidencing that these VF genes are not essential for Cfv pathogenicity. The parA gene, used as a Cfv diagnostic molecular target, was detected in only 3 of 13 isolates, invalidating its use for diagnosis purposes. Three novel sequence types were identified by MLST. Although no in vitro antimicrobial resistance was detected, WGS identified antimicrobial resistance-related genes, including those encoding the multidrug efflux pumps CmeABC and YkkCD, indicating that their presence is not enough to provide antimicrobial resistance. The SNP and accessory protein families analysis segregated the Cfv and Cfv biovar intermedius (Cfvi) strains into different clusters. In conclusion, this study evidenced virulence potential and biovar characteristics of Cfv and Cfvi, which are of relevance for the control of Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparing follow-up of patients with vitamin K antagonists in a health center: pre- and post- COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction and objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the follow-up of patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) may have been affected. This study aims to compare how these patients were monitored preand post-COVID-19 pandemic and understand the impact of non-face-to-face appointments on their follow-up. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a Portuguese Health Center. The study included patients treated with VKAs and followed at the Health Center for international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring between March 2019 and March 2021. Data collected: sex, age, type of VKA; INR; date of INR assessment, type of appointment (face-to-face or phone/e-mail). Rosendaal’s method was used to calculate pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 time in therapeutic range (TTR). Good TTR control was defined if values ≥ 70%. Results: 44 patients were included. The mean TTR in the pre-COVID-19 period was 64.55% (95% CI: 58.10 - 71.00%). The post-COVID-19 mean was slightly higher (+ 2.26%), 66.81% (95% CI: 59.66 - 73.97%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.576). The use of non-face-to-face appointments did not contribute to worsening post-pandemic TTR, showing no lower follow-up than during pre-pandemic period in which all contacts were face-to-face [CI (95%) -0.397 - 0.196 for a reference range -0.489 - 0.693]. Conclusions: The TTR value in both periods was similar and lower than the value defined for effective hypocoagulation. The use of non-face-to-face consultation in the post-COVID-19 period does not seem to have influenced the quality of hypocoagulation.Introdução e objetivos: Durante a pandemia COVID-19 o acompanhamento de doentes medicados com antagonistas da vitamina K (AVKs) pode ter sido afetado. Este estudo pretende comparar a forma como estes doentes foram monitorizados antes e depois da pandemia COVID-19 e compreender o impacto da consulta não presencialno seu seguimento. Métodos: Estudo de coorte retrospetivo num Centro de Saúde em Portugal. O estudo incluiu doentes tratados com AVKs e seguidos no Centro de Saúde para monitorização do International Normalized Ratio (INR) entre março de 2019 e março de 2021. Dados recolhidos: sexo, idade, tipo de AVK; INR; data da avaliação do INR, tipo de consulta (presencial ou por telefone/e-mail). Foi utilizado o método de interpolação linear de Rosendaal para calcular o tempo em intervalo terapêutico (TTR) pré- e pós-COVID-19. Foi definido um bom controle se valores de TTR ≥ 70%. Resultados: Foram incluídos 44 doentes. A média de TTR no período pré-COVID-19 foi de 64,55% (95% IC: 58,10 - 71,00%). A média pós-COVID-19 foi ligeiramente superior (+ 2,26%), 66,81% (95%IC: 59,66 - 73,97%), mas a diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa (p = 0,576). A utilização da consulta não presencial não contribuiu para o agravamento do TTR no período pós-pandemia, não mostrando um seguimento inferior ao do período pré-pandemia em que todos os contatos foram presenciais [IC (95%) -0,397 - 0,196 para um intervalo de referência -0,489 - 0,693]. Conclusões: O valor de TTR em ambos os períodos foi semelhante e inferior ao valor definido para hipocoagulação eficaz. A utilização da consulta não presencial no período pós-COVID-19 não parece ter influenciado a qualidade da hipocoagulação

Prognostic value of Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 overexpression in cancer: a systematic review

Energy production by cancer is driven by accelerated glycolysis, independently of oxygen levels, which results in increased lactate production. Lactate is shuttled to and from cancer cells via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). MCT1 works both as an importer and an extruder of lactate, being widely studied in recent years and generally associated with a cancer aggressiveness phenotype. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the prognostic value of MCT1 immunoexpression in different malignancies. Study collection was performed by searching nine different databases (PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, OVID, TRIP and PsycINFO), using the keywords “cancer”, “Monocarboxylate transporter 1”, “SLC16A1” and “prognosis”. Results showed that MCT1 is an indicator of poor prognosis and decreased survival for cancer patients in sixteen types of malignancies; associations between the transporter’s overexpression and larger tumour sizes, higher disease stage/grade and metastasis occurrence were also frequently observed. Yet, MCT1 overexpression correlated with better outcomes in colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer patients. These results support the applicability of MCT1 as a biomarker of prognosis, although larger cohorts would be necessary to validate the overall role of MCT1 as an outcome predictor.This work has been funded by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)-project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020 and by the project NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-000055, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). A.S., M.C.C. and J.A. received fellowships from FCT, references 2022.11018.BD (A.S.), 2022.10233.BD (M.C.C.) and SFRH/BPD/116784/2016 (J.A.)

Assessment of heart rate in infants from 6 to 36 months old during aquatic activities

Some authors (e.g. Maclaren and Coulson, 1999; Dekerle, 2006) reported that aerobic training has a positive effect on critical velocity in swimming. However, it raises the question whereas this effect is similar among swimmers of different performance level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the training responses in aerobic parameters (critical velocity and critical stroke rate) in young swimmers of different level during an in-season period of training