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This study provides an overview of the past, present, and future of research in the artisan entrepreneurship field. We have carried out a systematic review of the literature by combining different bibliometric techniques applied to data from a search of the following keywords 'entrepreneur*' (article titles) AND '*craft*' OR 'artisan*' (topics), in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. Our findings indicate that the extant literature on this topic falls into two clusters: 1) entrepreneurship ecosystem, culture, and the artisan; 2) models, theories and conceptual visions. We present the most relevant contributions and a future research agenda for each cluster to address the gaps in the field. This study will enable future researchers to focus their efforts on the poorly addressed shortcomings in the literature.

This study conducted a bibliometric review of the literature on the importance of embeddedness in internationalization processes in order to map the research on this topic, identify its main trends, and propose future lines of investigation. The review covered articles published in academic journals listed in the Web of Science database. The analysis of the data obtained relied on the functions offered by IRaMuTeQ software. The results confirm internationalization is important in current business contexts in terms of the development of companies’ activities and these firms’ local relationship networks. Four clusters of articles were identified as major trends in the literature: international strategic management, networking through international joint ventures, international entrepreneurship, and trade and international relations. The findings contribute to mapping the existing literature on the importance of embeddedness to the development of companies’ international activities, as well as identifying potential new lines of investigation.

A study analyzes data from a performance appraisal system (SIADAP) implemented among Portuguese Public Administration employees to explore whether it confirms that psychological capital (PsyCap) predicts work performance. Findings identify some SIADAP features which may neutralize the impact of PsyCap on individual perfo rmance among Portuguese civil servants.

Purpose: In 2010, Portugal’s newly implemented Accounting Standardization System (SNC - Sistema de Normalização Contabilística) aligned Portuguese accounting standards for unlisted companies with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of the local context and the role of auditors in the institutionalization of this IFRS-based model in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing from an institutional theory framework, the authors interviewed 16 Portuguese auditors in 2017 (seven years after formal implementation of the SNC) to determine their perceptions on whether barriers to the IFRS-based model persisted. Findings: The authors reveal that the code-law institutional logic embedded in the Portuguese context is hindering full institutionalization of the new accounting model. Some persisting barriers to implementation reflected a decoupling between formal requirements and actual practices. Despite these barriers, there has been an encouraging institutionalization of SNC. The authors reveal a high level of commitment of auditors. They draw attention to the engagement of auditors in the institutional work that is intended to assist in SNC implementation, and their role as promoters of a power-knowledge discourse in propagating IFRS institutional logics at the national level, namely, through the justification and rationalization of the reported institutional contradictions. Practical implications: The highlighting the authors provide of problems related to accounting change should assist international regulators, the Portuguese standard-setter and professional accounting associations to devise appropriate strategies to promote IFRS-based accounting systems implementation. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the skimpy literature on micro institutional analysis and encourage further exploration of the dynamics between the micro and macro levels of analysis in institutional research.

Purpose: Public policies provide a way for governments to influence the effectiveness of business strategies in the international marketplace. The main goal of this article is to show the importance of key aspects for policymaking at the national level and, secondly, to try to evaluate if public policies and programmes are effective in the entrepreneurship and internationalization of firms. Design/methodology/approach: The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data set was used to perform a multivariate analysis through multiple linear regression. Findings: The economic and financial crisis that has plagued the world recently has incentivized entrepreneurs to be more creative and encouraged policymakers to be more effective in the important role they can play in economic growth. Thus, the findings indicate that government support can help firms be more entrepreneurial and increase their level of internationalization in the marketplace. The findings indicate that entrepreneurship is an important growth factor, so it is important to understand government support can be effective in stimulating business activity. Research limitations/implications: This study focusses on perceptions of government policy based on the GEM database, which means it is limited to subjective assessments rather than objective measures. Practical implications: The findings of this study will help business managers focus on their country of origin as a way to stress the impact of government policies on reputation in the international marketplace. Social implications: Governments need to acknowledge how their entrepreneurial policies regarding innovation and internationalization affect business success rate. This means emphasizing the trustworthiness and credibility of their policies. Originality/value: This article highlights the need for more entrepreneurial policymaking that emphasizes government reputational affects in the success rate of firms in the international marketplace. This provides a way for firms to gain better recognition from country-of-origin effects but also for policymakers to prioritize international strategic efforts. By comparing data from different countries, the article highlights the different ways government policy can be utilized strategically in order to increase entrepreneurship and internationalization rates.

A pesar del tratamiento con hipotermia, el 40% de los neonatos con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica fallecen o sufren discapacidad moderada-grave. La espectroscopia cercana al infrarrojo (NIRS) se propone como una herramienta útil y no invasiva para establecer el pronóstico.

This study sought to analyse the impact of the creation and acquisition of knowledge in company coopetition and innovation, as well as the effect of coopetition and innovation on internationalisation. The analysis used variables included in the database of the Community Innovation Survey - CIS 2012, to which multivariate statistical tests were applied. The results reveal that the creation process, including knowledge creation, has an impact on company innovation and coopetition. In addition, innovation has a positive impact on the internationalisation of enterprises. Thus, companies that promote knowledge creation and acquisition and that implement coopetition strategies innovate significantly more, thereby promoting internationalisation. This study's results contribute to validating the importance of investment in knowledge - supported by coopetition strategies -as a way to understand trends and to plan and define innovation strategies that contribute to companies' entry into the global market.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global mortality with a tendency to increase due to population ageing as well as an increase in associated risk factors. Although current therapies improve survival rates, they are associated with several side effects, thus justifying the development of novel preventive and/or therapeutic approaches. In this way, plant metabolites such as essential oils have emerged as promising agents due to their biological effects. Objective: Bearing in mind that several essential oils are characterized by high amounts of phenylpropanoids, which may play a crucial role in the activity of these volatile extracts, a comprehensive and systematic review focusing on the cardiovascular effects of phenylpropanoid-rich essential oils is presented. Methods: Popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar were consulted and papers from 2000 onwards were selected. Non-volatile phenylpropanoids were not considered in this review. Results: A compilation of the current knowledge on this thematic pointed out beneficial effects for volatile phenylpropanoids namely hypotensive, vasorelaxant, antiplatelet aggregation, antidyslipidaemic and antidiabetic, as well as protective properties against ischemia/reperfusion injury and heart hypertrophy. Conclusion: A better understanding of the protective effects of phenylpropanoids on the cardiovascular system is presented, thus paving the way towards future research on plant-based therapies for cardiovascular diseases.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the most extensively studied topics with respect to the triple, quadruple and quintuple helix models developed to explain these links. The review also focusses on ascertaining future trends within this field. Design/methodology/approach: Relevant documents obtained from a search in the Institute for Scientific Information’s Web of Science were submitted to bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software. Findings: The results of this systematic review illustrate that, despite growing concern about society and the environment, issues related to the three helixes of universities, industries and governments continue to be the most often studied. However, an additional focus on research on the quadruple and quintuple helix models has emerged in the more specialised literature. An analysis of co-citations also identified four clusters of research such as, innovation and knowledge policies; entrepreneurial universities; business innovation strategy; and triple helix stakeholders in innovation, knowledge and regional development. Originality/value: Some policies are needed. Polices that undergo the mapping of the universities’ specialisations, the industry/society necessities and financial measures could foster the relations between all the stakeholders.

Technological advancement has required ever more computing resources. In this context the cloud computing emerges as a new paradigm to meet this demand, though its resources are physically limited due to the growing data traffic that the system may be subject. The task scheduling aims to distribute tasks in order to make them more efficient in the use of computing resources. Thus, this paper aims to propose a solution to the task scheduling problem in cloud computing to reduce the processing time of the tasks and the number of virtual machines (VM). The metaheuristic genetic algorithm (GA) was used in the first stage of the algorithm, in order to reduce the processing time of the tasks. The static algorithm is designed to solve the set partitioning problem. Their performance was compared with two algorithms, classic and heuristic, along with realistic workloads.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurship education (EE) on the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of higher education students, as mediated by gender and family history. A survey tool for measuring EO was developed and used in one university. The responses were processed using statistical methods. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected with an online questionnaire distributed to students of engineering and business and social sciences in the past year of their degree program at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some respondents had a class in entrepreneurship, while others did not have it. Findings: The results highlight that EE generally has a greater impact on business and social sciences students. Family background and gender are moderating variables with a positive influence on individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO). Practical implications: This study’s main practical implication is that evidence was found that universities need to develop more effective didactic approaches to EE. These must take into account new market demands and students’ profile and always taking into account their different academic areas and levels of previous EE. Originality/value: This paper contributes to filling a gap in the literature by identifying the importance of EE, gender and family background to the development of IEO in students of different academic programs (i.e. engineering, business and social sciences).

This article describes how learning is a native ability of the brain. However, very little is known of the process as it happens. The engineering model presented in this work provides a base to explore the innards of cognition. The computational implementation of the model is usable to assess cognitive profiles by means of machine learning and harmonic filtering. The model relies on an evolutionary dimensional space consisting of phylogenetic, ontogenetic and microgenetic timelines. The microgenetic space reveals the state machine nature of cognition, standing as an internal translator to a brain specific language. The study of this machine and its language is the key to understanding cognition.

Knowledge sharing (KS) lies at the core of knowledge management and reflects employees' willingness to share valuable expertise. The benefits of KS have been documented in many settings, but its effectiveness varies considerably among organisations. This research sought, first, to identify healthcare workers' perception of the importance of KS practices and the way they relate to organisational performance. Second, this study focused on verifying the (in)existence of the mediation effects of job satisfaction and turnover intention in the relationship between KS and organisational performance. Two dimensions of KS were considered: informal (IKS) and formal (FKS). To model their effects on performance, job satisfaction and turnover intention were considered mediators. Measurements of these four latent variables were collected from a sample of Portuguese healthcare professionals and validated via confirmatory factor analysis. Path structural equation modelling was used to assess the direct and indirect relationships between the four variables. The results suggest that, while FKS increases job satisfaction, it also increases the perceived performance of healthcare professionals regardless of their satisfaction levels. Keeping sample limitations in mind, our preliminary conclusion is that investing in FKS is beneficial to healthcare services, favouring the retention of satisfied workers who value non-financial organisational performance.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity associated with diabetes. Although impairment of the cell response to hypoxia due to destabilization of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which regulates the expression of genes that help cells to cope with low oxygen tension, has been implicated in diabetes-associated disease, the molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. It is known that hyperglycemia leads to the enhanced production of methylglyoxal (MGO). Therefore, the main objective of this study was to establish whether MGO leads to the degradation of HIF-1α in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia.

This paper aims to encourage the discussion as well as to promote a better understanding of the relationships between the key dimensions in the Portuguese knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) (namely, innovation, knowledge, networks, location, and internationalisation). The motivation for this research is based on the objective to reach a deeper understanding of the relationships between KIBS and other firms, especially with their clients, analysing the effects on innovation and internationalisation processes, taking into account knowledge, networks and location. The current study follows a qualitative methodology approach, applying semi-structured interviews to chief executive officers (CEOs) of the Portuguese KIBS firms and specialised academics on KIBS and innovation. The results suggest that KIBS play an important role in transferring knowledge, thus contributing, in different forms, to the processes of firms' innovation and internationalisation. The obtained results are important for firms involved in networks regarding technology as well as the creation of new products/services or new markets.

This paper seeks to promote a better understanding of the relationships between, and possible effects of strategic knowledge management (SKM), innovation, internationalisation and performance in the Portuguese footwear industry. The rationale for this research is based on the understanding that innovation has played a major role in the recent good performance and internationalisation of this industry - trends that have developed despite Portugal's economic recession. The study used a quali-quantitative methodology, gathering data through semi-structured interviews with chief executive officers of footwear firms and academics specialising in innovation. In addition, a questionnaire was distributed that concentrated on the largest geographical cluster of Portugal's footwear industry. We found support for our initial expectation that SKM is mostly absent from these firms' formal practices: codification is seldom considered, and personalisation tends to be informal. Nevertheless, SKM was found to contribute to innovation, and more innovative firms are more extensively and deeply internationalised.

The study's purpose is to identify the psychological profile of women entrepreneurs, and assess the extent to which their entrepreneurial motivation may be influenced by the territorial and conjunctural contexts in which they operate, and by their capacity to reconcile the demands of family and business. A questionnaire was used to gather data on recent entrepreneurial initiatives by women in Northern Portugal. Structural equation models validated the links between women's dual role (family/business) and their psychological/cognitive profiles, their business start-up propensity and the firms' success. The study suggests that while a correlation exists between motivation and business environment that positively influenced women's start-up decisions and subsequent success, the motives underpinning decisions in rural and urban contexts differ. However, women prove capable of effectively managing their dual role as wife/mother and entrepreneur regardless of territorial context. The paper confirms women's capacity to reconcile the demands of work and family as a key variable, offers tentative conclusions as to how the current economic and financial crisis may influence women's entrepreneurial motivation, and recommends new directions in research that may better inform entrepreneurship theory, practice, policies and teaching.

The present study intends to identify the profile of women microentrepreneurs and assess the extent to which their entrepreneurial motivations may be influenced by legal incentives to formalise their businesses and by their capacity to reconcile the demands of family and work. A questionnaire was used to gather data on the individual entrepreneurial initiatives of women in Brazil. We evaluated multiple linear regression models for their explanation of the dimensions involving motivations to formalise business activities and dual roles as workers and homemakers, as well as using cluster analysis to identify the profile of women micro-entrepreneurs. The results suggest that these women opt for legalised individual entrepreneurship to access the benefits offered by the formalisation of their businesses and to search for mechanisms that encourage a work-family balance.

To report the etiology of liver cirrhosis cases diagnosed at the University Hospital in Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil.

Connexins modulate intercellular communication when assembled in gap junctions. Compromised macroautophagy increases cellular communication due to failure to degrade connexins at gap junctions. Nedd4-mediated ubiquitinylation of the connexin molecule is required to trigger its autophagy-dependent internalization and degradation.

This research aims to identify the factors which influence the location of technology-based firms. For this purpose, a conceptual research model on the location of firms, based on the neoclassical, behavioural and institutional views is developed. In order to reach these objectives, an empirical study was developed based on a questionnaire filled by 203 technology-based firms located in the Beira Interior region (Portugal). The resulting data was subject to two types of statistical analyses: bivariate and multivariate analyses. It was possible to identify crucial factors that mostly influence the location of these firms. These factors were: founder’s wish to live in a particular locality, employees’ wish to live in that particular locality; proximity to the residence of the founder; birthplace of the founder; and the level of economic activity in the region.

Technological innovation associated with e-business is seen as one of the key drivers of the knowledge economy and innovation performance and is a considerable test of a region’s or nation’s capacity to generate e-entrepreneurship and sustain competitiveness. The importance of the knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) sector to economic growth will increase significantly with the development of the knowledge economy and the rise of e-entrepreneurship. This article identifies different types of new KIBS and recognizes factors influencing their location. A conceptual research model based on the link between KIBS and location attributes is proposed and tested, and a survey was carried out in the Region Centro of Portugal to test a multidimensional approach at the location decision level. The authors’ found many different factors associated with the location of new KIBS, and their findings highlight two profiles of KIBS.

Mutations in the coding sequence of the methyl‐CpG‐binding protein 2 gene (MECP2), which cause Rett syndrome (RTT), have been found in male and female autistic subjects without, however, a causal relation having unequivocally been established. In this study, the MECP2 gene was scanned in a Portuguese autistic population, hypothesizing that the phenotypic spectrum of mutations extends beyond the traditional diagnosis of RTT and X‐linked mental retardation, leading to a non‐lethal phenotype in male autistic patients. The coding region, exon–intron boundaries, and the whole 3′UTR were scanned in 172 patients and 143 controls, by Detection of Virtually All Mutations‐SSCP (DOVAM‐S). Exon 1 was sequenced in 103 patients. We report 15 novel variants, not found in controls: one missense, two intronic, and 12 in the 3′UTR (seven in conserved nucleotides). The novel missense change, c.617G > C (p.G206A), was present in one autistic male with severe mental retardation and absence of language, and segregates in his maternal family. This change is located in a highly conserved residue within a region involved in an alternative transcriptional repression pathway, and likely alters the secondary structure of the MeCP2 protein. It is therefore plausible that it leads to a functional modification of MeCP2. MECP2 mRNA levels measured in four patients with 3′UTR conserved changes were below the control range, suggesting an alteration in the stability of the transcripts. Our results suggest that MECP2 can play a role in autism etiology, although very rarely, supporting the notion that MECP2 mutations underlie several neurodevelopmental disorders. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Abstract: The influence of age, gender and sexual activity on both hepatic levels of some trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se) and the activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was investigated in Wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) and Algerian mice (Mus spretus). Animals were taken from a riverside community of an unpolluted area of central Portugal. Adult A. sylvaticus presented the highest hepatic mean concentrations of Cu and Mn, whereas adult M. spretus had the highest Fe concentration in the liver. Moreover, an influence of age on the contents of Fe, Zn, and Mn has been observed in A. sylvaticus, whereas in M. spretus an influence of gender and sexual activity was only detected on Zn levels. In contrast, enzyme activities were not influenced by the studied variables, despite a tendency for an increase in SOD activity in sexually active M. spretus. GST activity was species dependent, whereas SOD activity was similar between species. These findings were analyzed regarding the relationship of both essential trace elements and the two antioxidant enzymes with physiological and metabolic pathways related to life cycles in the two species of mice. Results enhanced the understanding of A. sylvaticus and M. spretus as biological models, allowing their future use as bioindicators of environmental toxicity.

Abstract: • Background: This study was designed to establish whether increased glycation of human crystallins could be related to an increased susceptibility to aggregation and insolubilization. The study was focused particularly on the glycation levels and composition of low-molecular-weight (LMW) peptides present in human cataractous lenses. • Methods: Lens crystallins from the water-soluble fraction were separated on a preparative scale by gel filtration. Each crystallin was purified and its glycation level evaluated as furosine content. The peptides were further purified by reverse-phase chromatography. The amino acid composition of each of these peptides was also determined by RP-HPLC using PITC pre-column derivatization. • Results: The high-molecular-weight (HMW), αL crystallin and LMW crystallins from diabetic patients present high furosine content. LMW peptides were shown to constitute a heterogeneous population of three major peptides with a lysine content similar to that observed for native crystallins. These peptides were shown to present glycation levels ten times higher than those observed for the crystallins. Glycated proteins from insoluble fraction were found to be mostly urea soluble and were present at higher concentration in diabetic cataracts. • Conclusions: LMW peptides are suggested to play a major role in protein aggregation and insolubilization, probably via a mechanism involving protein glycation. This process seems to be particularly relevant to diabetic cataract development.

Family businesses display distinctive characteristics as compared with non-family companies, and family firms are of great importance to the global economy, which means that more research is needed on how to promote their growth and sustainability. Despite the prevalence of family business, they still need to actively engage in corporate entrepreneurship education in order to stay competitive. This study sought to analyze the effects of corporate entrepreneurship education on a Brazilian family business and to confirm whether company's investment in corporate entrepreneurship education has, over time, promoted competitive advantages, ensured sustainability, and facilitated a carefully planned succession process. The methodology was an exploratory-descriptive case study based on qualitative data based on individual's perceptions then subjected to discourse analysis. The data were gathered from interviews with the top management of the family firm under study in order to understand their perceptions of corporate entrepreneurship education. The results reveal that the company presents the expected family business characteristics and that the firm's investment in corporate entrepreneurship education has ensured its growth and sustainability and facilitated a smoother succession process. These findings indicate that the perception regarding investment in corporate entrepreneurship education contributing to family businesses' sustainability is generally positive. Based on the prevailing theories, these firms are extremely likely to cease to exist from the third generation onward often due to successors' lack of professional skills and the predominance of hiring based on relationships rather than qualifications. This study's results provide empirical evidence of how investing in corporate entrepreneurship education adds value to family businesses.