Economic growth in the United Kingdom: the impact of brexit

This thesis analyses Brexit effects on UK economic growth, through the role of internal and external demand. A multiple regression model of UK economic growth was developed, using data from 1997 to 2021. Results from the estimation of the model provided evidence on Brexit’s negative impact on internal and external demand. A descriptive analysis of the components of both dimensions accompanied the model and allowed to determine the drivers, connected to Brexit, of the lower UK economic growth. Uncertainty, negative expectations, inflation and trade costs were identified as Brexit related causes of lower economic growth

Projeto de um serviço de orientação e encaminhamento para a aprendizagem ao longo da vida

Trabalho de ProjetoO presente Trabalho de Projeto, pretende ser uma proposta, devidamente justificada, de constituição de um serviço de orientação e de encaminhamento para a aprendizagem ao longo da vida que apoie os adultos portugueses possuidores de menores qualificações no sentido da prossecução de um percurso formativo e qualificante. Através da metodologia de projeto, ambiciona-se desenhar um serviço que permita adequar o encaminhamento para processos educativos e formativos às necessidades dos adultos, sobretudo direcionado para a expansão das suas reais potencialidades. A estratégia que fundamenta este projeto apoia-se, assim, na convicção de que a realização de parcerias e a mobilização da população adulta para a importância da aprendizagem ao longo da vida é essencial para todos os intervenientes, tentando dar um passo importante para o planeamento do que deve ser feito como evolução dos Centros Novas Oportunidades e colmatando uma necessidade que se sentiu no terreno e que foi também identificada nos estudos realizados acerca das dinâmicas de funcionamento desses centros.This Project Work is intended as a proposal, appropriately justified, for the establishment of a guidance and orientation service for lifelong learning aimed at supporting the Portuguese adults with low qualification to pursue a training course and become certified. The project methodology should enable designing a service that allows the harmonization of educational and training guidance with the needs of adults, especially focussed on the expansion of their true potentials. The strategy underlying this project is based on the conviction that the establishment of partnerships and awareness creation among adults about of the importance of lifelong learning is essential for all stakeholders, thus trying to provide an important step forward for the planning of what needs to be done for the evolution of the New Opportunities Centres and filling a need felt in the fieldwork and identified in studies about the dynamics of functioning of these centres

Proceso de Planeamento estratégico como fator de sucesso:um caso de estudo

Dissertação de Mestrado em EstratégiaNum mercado cada vez mais competitivo, a garantia de qualidade e de rapidez na deslocação de mercadorias de um ponto para o outro do globo, é uma condição essencial para o sucesso no comércio internacional. Ao apresentar uma solução que visa dar um estímulo ao mercado de carga aérea, a Icarus Network representa uma importante inovação no setor ao utilizar as novas tecnologias da informação para rentabilizar o negócio. Um dos instrumentos que apoiou esta investigação individual, foi a elaboração de um processo de planeamento estratégico. O objetivo passou por analisar o impacto que o processo estratégico poderá ter na eficácia da empresa Icarus Network. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foram selecionadas três estratégias que visam suportar a estrutura da empresa, tendo estas sido cuidadosamente definidas de modo a que na fase da operacionalização todas as linhas de ação fossem aplicadas com sucesso.In a increasingly competitive market, the guarantee of quality and fast transportation of goods between two different places, is an essential condition for success in international trade. Delivering a solution that aims to boost the air cargo market, Icarus Network represents an important innovation in the use of information technology to maximize business profits. One of the instruments that supported this individual research was the elaboration of a strategic planning process. The main purpose was analyzing the strategic process impact that may have on the Icarus Network company’s efficiency. To achieve this goal, three strategies that aim to support the company’s structure were selected, carefully defined to successfully apply all lines of action in operationalization phases

FPD- PROCESSODESIGN®: web strategy for agency’s website

JEL: L- L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance; L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior; L81-Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce; L82 - Entertainment; Media M- M3 - Marketing and AdvertisingFPD- Processodesign is a Design & Advertisement agency that intends to be revolutionary in the Portuguese market and aims to go abroad. In order to that, a website is an extremely necessary tool. A study was made about the advertisement market in Portugal, along with its way of function, to create the agency. As a way to the growth of the agency, along with its awareness, it has been decided that a good project would include the development of a website, so it would be easier to expose projects and also to become more competitive against market leaders and bigger agencies. This project presents a study made about the advertisement market in Portugal along with its function and it also intends to show the online world: International Marketing and Internet, factors related to the will of growth, differences between e-business and e-commerce that most times are confounded and taken by the same thing, although they are totally different, and online optimization tools like Affiliate Marketing and CRM. The market components explanation and the propagation of online businesses solidify the need that Processodesign has to implement a website to succeed in the market. The use of online tools inside the website highlight the great bet it is. Combined with these factors, the company is presented along with a Web Strategy that is the basis for the website implementation because it specifies the strategy that is going to be presented on the website. Web Strategy, along with optimization tools, clarifies the necessity that the agency has to have a website to prevail in the market since there are companies well solidified.FPD- Processodesign é uma agência de Design & Publicidade que tem como objectivo ser revolucionária no mercado e que tenciona expandir-se internacionalmente. Para isso acontecer, ter um website é fundamental. Para a criação da agência foi feito um estudo sobre o mercado publicitário em Portugal assim como sobre o seu funcionamento. Como forma de crescimento da agência, assim como do crescimento da sua notoriedade, foi decidido que um bom projecto incluiria a criação de um website para ser mais fácil expor o trabalho e também a tornar mais competitiva contra agências maiores e líderes de mercado. Este projecto mostra o estudo feito sobre o mercado em Portugal bem como o seu funcionamento e explica o mundo online: desde o Marketing Internacional e a Internet, factores relacionados com o crescimento, diferenças entre e-business e e-commerce que várias vezes são confundidos e tomados pelo mesmo, embora sejam completamente diferentes, e ferramentas de optimização online como o Marketing Afiliado e o CRM. A explicação das componentes do mercado e a propagação de negócios online solidificam a necessidade que a Processodesign tem de criar um website para vingar no mercado. O uso de ferramentas online dentro do site evidenciam a boa aposta que é. Juntamente com estes factores é apresentada a empresa e uma estratégia Web que é a base de implementação do site pois especifica a estratégia que irá estar presente no site. A estratégia Web, em conjunto com as ferramentas de optimização, evidencia a necessidade que a agência tem de ter um website para vingar no mercado visto que existem empresas bem solidificadas

double-blind crossover study

Background: to evaluate the effects of one week of supplementation with curcumin combined with piperine on physical performance, immune system cell counts, muscle damage, and plasma levels of inflammatory markers after a treadmill running training session. Methods: This study is a double-blind, crossover-balanced clinical trial with a three-week intervention. Sixteen male runners with a mean age of 36 ± 9 years and VO2 max of 60.6 ± 9.03 mL.kg −1 min −1 were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups: the first group (CPG) was supplemented daily for 7 days with 500 mg of curcumin + 20 mg piperine, and the second group (PG) was supplemented with 540 mg of cellulose. After the 7th day of supplementation, the volunteers participated in the experimental running protocol, where blood samples were collected before, after, and one hour after exercise for analysis of the number of leukocytes, creatine kinase, and cytokine concentration (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN, IL-6, and IL-10) using flow cytometry. This process was repeated, reversing the supplementation offered to the groups. Results: curcumin and piperine supplementation could not change the physical performance, immune cell counts, and muscle damage; however, the aerobic fatiguing exercise protocol inhibited the elevation of the plasmatic levels of some cytokines. The running exercise protocol could elevate the circulating levels of IL-2 (from 49.7 to 59.3 pg/mL), TNF-α (from 48.5 to 51.5 pg/mL), INF (from 128.8 to 165.0 pg/mL), IL-6 (from 63.1 to 77.3 pg/mL), and IL-10 (from 48.9 to 59.6 pg/mL) 1 h after the end of the running protocol. However, the curcumin and piperine supplementation could inhibit this elevation. Conclusions: curcumin and piperine supplementation had no effect on physical performance, immune cell counts, or muscle damage; however, the supplementation could modulate the kinetics of IL-2, TNF-α, INF, IL-6, and IL-10 1 h after the end of exercise.9E1A-F9DD-3EB8 | Filipe Manuel ClementeN/

Adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 are useful diagnostic and stratification biomarkers of NAFLD

[EN] Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease where liver biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Here we aimed to evaluate the role of circulating adiponectin, leptin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels as non-invasive NAFLD biomarkers and assess their correlation with the metabolome. Materials and Methods: Leptin, adiponectin, and IGF-1 serum levels were measured by ELISA in two independent cohorts of biopsy-proven obese NAFLD patients and healthy-liver controls (discovery: 38 NAFLD, 13 controls; validation: 194 NAFLD, 31 controls) and correlated with clinical data, histology, genetic parameters, and serum metabolomics. Results: In both cohorts, leptin increased in NAFLD vs. controls (discovery: AUROC 0.88; validation: AUROC 0.83; p < 0.0001). The leptin levels were similar between obese and non-obese healthy controls, suggesting that obesity is not a confounding factor. In the discovery cohort, adiponectin was lower in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) vs. non-alcoholic fatty liver (AUROC 0.87; p < 0.0001). For the validation cohort, significance was attained for homozygous for PNPLA3 allele c.444C (AUROC 0.63; p < 0.05). Combining adiponectin with specific serum lipids improved the assay performance (AUROC 0.80; p < 0.0001). For the validation cohort, IGF-1 was lower with advanced fibrosis (AUROC 0.67, p<0.05), but combination with international normalized ratio (INR) and ferritin increased the assay performance (AUROC 0.81; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Serum leptin discriminates NAFLD, and adiponectin combined with specific lipids stratifies NASH. IGF-1, INR, and ferritin distinguish advanced fibrosis.CR was funded by FEDER through the COMPETE program and by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/MED-FAR/29097/2017—LISBOA-01- 0145-FEDER-029097) and by European Horizon 2020 (H2020- MSCA-RISE-2016-734719). This work was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PD/BD/135467/2017) and Portuguese Association for the Study of Liver/MSD 2017. JB was funded by Spanish Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) (PI15/01132, PI18/01075 and Miguel Servet Program CON14/00129 and CPII19/00008), co-financed by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERehd, Spain), La Caixa Scientific Foundation (HR17-00601), Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, and European Horizon 2020 (ESCALON project: H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020)

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Author Correction: Floating macrolitter leaked from Europe into the ocean (Nature Sustainability, (2021), 4, 6, (474-483), 10.1038/s41893-021-00722-6)

During the preparation of the Supplementary Data spreadsheet “S. Data 3_Regression data,” the mean and median confidence intervals (CI) of FML (items yr−1) were misplaced in relation to their corresponding river names. The Supplementary Data file has now been updated in the HTML version of the article. This update does not alter the results or conclusions of this article.Correction to: Nature Sustainability https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00722-6, published online 10 June 2021. During the preparation of the Supplementary Data spreadsheet “S. Data 3_Regression data,” the mean and median confidence intervals (CI) of FML (items yr−1) were misplaced in relation to their corresponding river names. The Supplementary Data file has now been updated in the HTML version of the article. This update does not alter the results or conclusions of this article.Peer reviewe