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Unemployment insurances are perceived as major benefits to support workers in their job findings. This thesis contributes to the pre-existent literature through researching the impact of the unemployment benefits on the companies’ hirings and permanent layoffs, due to a lack of research on this matter. Using state and firm-specific variables, this study analyses the absolute and percentage impact on number of companies’ employees. For two of the overall performed regression models, higher amounts of unemployment insurances seem to impact positively the number of companies’ employees.

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo principal o estudo do impacto do marketing de conteúdo no e-commerce. Este tema foi escolhido tendo em conta a sua crescente importância do tema na sociedade e a falta de estudos específicos nesta área em contexto português. O estudo foca-se nos elementos do entretenimento, da confiança, do seu valor e do propósito do marketing de conteúdo e do seu impacto no uso do e-commerce. A investigação foi conduzida em formato de análise quantitativa através de questionário e os resultados foram analisados através do software SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Os resultados desta investigação demonstram que a confiança é o elemento do marketing de conteúdo que mais influencia o uso do ecommerce, com repercussões na forma como as empresas e as agências devem apostar para induzir a compra online. The main objective of this dissertation is to study the impact of content marketing on e-commerce. This theme was chosen taking into account its growing importance in society and the lack of specific studies in this area in the Portuguese context. The study focuses on the elements of entertainment, trust, its value and purpose in content marketing and its impact on the use of e-commerce. The investigation was conducted in a quantitative analysis format using a questionnaire and the results were analyzed using the SPSS software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The results of this investigation demonstrate that trust is the content marketing element that most influences the use of e-commerce, with repercussions on the way companies and agencies should bet to induce online purchases.

Increased expression of transketolase (TKT) and its isoform transketolase-like-1 (TKTL1) has been related to the malignant leukemia phenotype through promoting an increase in the non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Recently, it has also been described that TKTL1 can have a role in survival under hypoxic conditions and in the acquisition of radio resistance. However, TKTL1’s role in triggering metabolic reprogramming under hypoxia in leukemia cells has never been characterized. Using THP-1 AML cells, and by combining metabolomics and transcriptomics techniques, we characterized the impact of TKTL1 knockdown on the metabolic reprogramming triggered by hypoxia. Results demonstrated that TKTL1 knockdown results in a decrease in TKT, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) activities and impairs the hypoxia-induced overexpression of G6PD and GAPDH, all having significant impacts on the redox capacity of NADPH- and NADH-related cells. Moreover, TKTL1 knockdown impedes hypoxia-induced transcription of genes encoding key enzymes and transporters involved in glucose, PPP and amino acid metabolism, rendering cells unable to switch to enhanced glycolysis under hypoxia. Altogether, our results show that TKTL1 plays a key role in the metabolic adaptation to hypoxia in THP-1 AML cells through modulation of G6PD and GAPDH activities, both regulating glucose/glutamine consumption and the transcriptomic overexpression of key players of PPP, glucose and amino acids metabolism.

Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar Submitted by Dina Rocha (dir.biblioteca@ipsantarem.pt) on 2021-12-28T15:43:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Relatório de Estágio_Maria Silva.pdf: 2738873 bytes, checksum: f7875cee3f895867a7df784d8fef75c0 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-28T15:43:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Relatório de Estágio_Maria Silva.pdf: 2738873 bytes, checksum: f7875cee3f895867a7df784d8fef75c0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-14 N/A

A alergia alimentar é uma condição de saúde adversa crónica que ocorre quando o corpo reconhece erradamente um alimento, considerando-o como prejudicial ao organismo. A prevalência desta condição tem vindo a aumentar nas últimas três décadas, afetando cerca de 17 milhões de indivíduos em toda a Europa. A sintomatologia associada à alergia alimentar divide-se em vários níveis de severidade, desde irritações cutâneas, a quadros mais severos, como os choques anafiláticos. A adoção de medidas de caráter preventivo como a evicção dos alimentos causadores da reação alérgica, são o tratamento mais eficaz para este tipo de condição, resultando em alterações ao quotidiano dos portadores e do seu seio familiar. O caso de estudo desta investigação tem por objetivo o desenho, prototipagem, implementação e avaliação de uma solução para identificação de alimentos e potenciais riscos, durante o processo de aquisição de bens de consumo diário, contribuindo para o aumento da qualidade de vida dos portadores de alergias alimentares e do seu núcleo familiar. A investigação procura focar-se no conceito de nutrição mediada por tecnologias de realidade aumentada, e no seu contributo para resolução de uma problemática, nomeadamente, a aquisição de bens alimentares de consumo diário. Food allergies are a chronic adverse health condition that occurs when the body misrecognizes a food, considering it harmful to the body. The prevalence of this condition has been increasing over the past three decades, affecting around 17 million individuals across Europe. The symptoms associated with food allergies are divided into different levels of severity, that can go from skin irritations to more severe conditions, such as anaphylactic shocks. The adoption of preventive measures, such as the avoidance of foods that cause allergic reactions, is the most effective treatment for this type of condition but it can result in drastic changes to the daily lives of patients and their families. The case study of this research aims to design, prototype, implement and evaluate a solution for identifying food products and their potential risks during the process of purchasing daily consumer goods, and therefore to contribute for an increased quality of life of people with food allergies and their families. The research seeks to focus on the concept of nutrition mediated by augmented reality technologies, and its contribution to solving a particular issue, namely the acquisition of daily consumer goods. Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédia

Staphylococcal food poisoning is a disease that originates significant health and economic losses and is caused by Staphylococcus aureus strains able to produce enterotoxins. The aim of this work is to go further on the study of the volatile exometabolome of S. aureus using an advanced gas chromatographic technique. Enterotoxic and non-enterotoxic strains were assessed. The volatile exometabolome profile comprised 240 volatiles belonging to ten chemical families. This volatiles were mainly by-products of branched-chain amino acids and methionine degradation, pyruvate metabolism, diacetyl pathway, oxidative stress and carotenoid cleavage. Metabolites released by the first two pathways were produced in higher contents by the enterotoxic strains. This study add further insights to S. aureus volatile exometabolome, and also shows that by applying it, it is possible to distinguish strains of S. aureus by the number of produced enterotoxins, which is especially important from the food safety point of view.

Purpose To investigate the subjective experience of adult cancer patients undergoing external radiotherapy and provide evidence for better practices in radiotherapy services. Methods A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA Statement Guidelines. Qualitative and mixed studies were identified through five electronic databases (CINAHL, PsychINFO , Medline, Scopus and Web of Science), between March and April 2020, using defined criteria. Methodological quality assessment was conducted, and the data integrated into a thematic synthesis. Results Of the 886 studies identified, 13 met our inclusion criteria. Patients experiences were described into four main themes: (1) Time, (2) Physical Environment, (3) Treatment Concerns and (4) Radiotherapy Team. Time refers to waiting time and treatment time; Physical Environment states temperature in the treatment room and equipment; Treatment Concerns included side effects, daily activities, positioning and immobilization and treatment preparation (e.g., bladder filling); radiotherapy team comprised patients support; response to patients needs and recognized team. The generating analytical phase of thematic analysis allowed us to recognize that the effectiveness of the radiotherapy team operates as a facilitator of the patients' experience. In contrast, time in the waiting room, the treatment preparation when is required, and the positioning and immobilization, specifically for the neck and head patients, act as barriers. Conclusion Four distinct themes were identified to be positively and negatively associated with patients' experience during external radiotherapy . The evidence provides valuable recommendations to improved radiotherapy services organization, as well as to the delivery of more patient-centred care adjusted to the concerns and needs of patients.

Food safety is a major concern of consumers, food industry and governments, with 25 million foodborne diseases occurring annually worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus , is an extremely versatile opportunistic pathogen being responsible for staphylococcal food poisoning due to enterotoxic strains. With increasing demands for safer food, new food preservation technologies are increasingly gaining interest. In the last two decades, high pressure processing (HPP) appeared as an alternative non-thermal food preservation method promoting inactivation of some spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, while maintaining food characteristics. Factors that modulate its efficiency will be revised, firstly based on the state-of-the art described for bacteria in general and afterwards, when studies exist, for S. aureus specifically. S. aureus inactivation by HPP, like in other microorganisms, is conditioned by cell structures and biomolecules, matrix, HPP processing conditions, the use of antimicrobials and is also dependent of the strain and growth phase. Cell membrane is the most pressure sensitive structure of S. aureus , being the lipids and proteins the most important target molecules. However, monomeric proteins such as staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) are not affected by HPP, and strains with SE appear to be more efficiently inactivated than those without. Other phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of S. aureus strains, such as pigmentation and the presence of σ B factor are extremely important factors determining the efficacy of HPP treatments. Inactivation of S. aureus by HPP to ensure food safety still remains a current challenge regarding the understanding of its particular barotolerance and its inactivation kinetics profile that often deviates from the simpler first order decay. Thus, this review provides state-of-the-art information for researchers interested in studying HPP inactivation of S. aureus . Industrial relevance This review gives an insight on the importance of Staphylococcus aureus as a foodborne versatile opportunistic pathogen and its importance from the food safety point, its barotolerance and the main reasons for this resistant behavior to high pressure processing and the mechanisms of S. aureus inactivation by HPP.

Vertical impulse tests usually designated “jump tests”, are regularly carried out in the assessment of physical performance in athletic performers. The present review aims to explore if such tests can be part of the performance evaluation processes in non-athlete performers. To achieve this, a systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA standards. The databases Pubmed, CINAHL Plus, Medline Complete and Google Scholar were accessed. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven articles were selected. Overall conclusions indicate that countermovement jump (CMJ) gathered consensus as the preferred method to evaluate physical performance, particularly with the contribution of upper limbs movement and self-selected range of angular knee joint flexion. Other information gathered include test procedures to enhance vertical test results and the gender influence on test results.

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a large spectrum of diseases, including staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), due to its ability to produce enterotoxins. To prevent the development of SFP, effective food preservation methods are needed. High pressure processing (HPP) uses pressures, between 100 and 600 MPa, to inactivate pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. In this study, HPP treatments (450 MPa and 600 MPa, both for 15 and 30 min, at 20 °C) were applied in three different strains of S. aureus in the stationary growth phase and reduction effectiveness was assessed. A non-enterotoxic strain ATCC 6538 and two enterotoxic strains 2153 MA (with enterotoxin A) and 2065 MA (with enterotoxin A, G, I) were used. It was verified that the non-enterotoxic strain was the most resistant to HPP, not being completely inactivated within 30 min at 600 MPa. Additionally, it was demonstrated that HPP had no effect on virulence factors (enterotoxins, β-hemolysin, lipase, lecithinase, coagulase, thermonuclease, catalase), and also in mannitol fermentation capacity and methicillin susceptibility. HPP treatments also proved to be less effective in the strain with higher carotenoids content (non-enterotoxic strain). The results of this study show that S. aureus HPP barotolerance might be related not only to the presence of enterotoxins but also to carotenoids level, although these two factors may not be the only mechanisms responsible for the distinct sensitivity/resistance to HPP shown by different strains of S. aureus .

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária A endometrite é uma inflamação aguda ou crónica do endométrio com etiologia multifatorial e constitui um dos principais problemas reprodutivos dos equinos, sendo a maior causa da infertilidade das éguas. Uma vez que a infertilidade está associada a uma perda económica significativa no sector da reprodução equina, revela-se importante o estudo da fisiopatologia e dos fatores que contribuem para o aparecimento da endometrite, pelo que é essencial um correto diagnóstico etiológico e uma caracterização do grau de inflamação, de modo a ser estabelecido o tratamento adequado o mais rapidamente possível. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi o estudo da abordagem das endometrites num centro de reprodução, com o intuito de avaliar a influência de diferentes variáveis no aparecimento de fluido uterino à ecografia e a viabilidade da utilização deste parâmetro como medida indireta do estabelecimento e grau da inflamação uterina. Foram analisados os dados de um centro de reprodução, localizado no Porto Alto, relativos à época reprodutiva de 2017 de uma amostra de 186 éguas, divididas em três grupos: Grupo 1 (n=186) representado pela totalidade das éguas; Grupo 2 (n=34) representado pelas éguas submetidas a lavagem uterina 24 horas após a IA ou cobrição; Grupo 3 (n=10), representado pelas éguas sujeitas a lavagem uterina pré-IA ou cobrição. Nos grupos 2 e 3 foi realizada uma avaliação citológica do grau de inflamação, a partir dos fluidos obtidos através das lavagens uterinas. Recorrendo à análise estatística, foi possível correlacionar as variáveis estudadas, tendo sido utilizado o limiar de p

A relação marca/consumidor é importante e, atualmente, com a evolução tecnológica e com a disseminação das redes sociais, a sua importância subiu de nível pois o meio online permite que os consumidores estejam mais informados e tenham mais consciência das diversas opções que existem no mercado. Como tal, as marcas aproveitam as redes sociais, tais como o Facebook, para se fazerem notar, para mostrarem o seu lado mais humano e assim estabelecer comunicação com os utilizadores de forma a criar ou manter uma relação mais íntima com o mesmo. Contudo, a liberdade de expressão que existe nas redes sociais nem sempre é favorável às marcas, o que faz com que estas optem por utilizar critérios de gatekeeping para filtrar alguns conteúdos. O que se pretende deste estudo não experimental de tipo exploratório e de método qualitativo, é aferir que critérios de gatekeeping é que são mais suscetíveis de serem utilizados pelas marcas, de forma a evitarem que a relação forte que detêm com o consumidor fique comprometida e manchada pelo ódio e, consequentemente, perceber como é feita a gestão das próprias páginas de Facebook. O objeto do estudo em causa envolve, assim, duas empresas do setor eletrónico que são concorrentes diretas e que têm consumidores muito dedicados e que foram selecionadas através de um método de amostragem não aleatório intencional. The brand/consumer relationship is important and currently, with the technological evolution and the spread of social networks, its importance has increased because the online environment allows consumers to be more informed and more aware of the several options that exist in the market. As such, the brands take advantage of social networks, such as Facebook, to be noticed, to show more of their human side and therefore establish some communication with users in order to create or maintain a more intimate relationship with the user. However, the freedom of speech that exist in social networks is not always favourable to the brands, which makes them choose to use gatekeeping criteria in order to filter some content. The aim of this non-experimental exploratory-type study of qualitative method is to identify which gatekeeping criteria are more likely to be used by brands, in order to avoid that the strong relationship they hold with the consumer gets compromised and marked with hate and, consequently, to understand how the administration of the Facebook pages is done. The object of this study implicates two electronic companies that are direct competitors and both of them have very dedicated consumers, these two companies were selected through a non-intentional random sampling method.

In this work, the development of resistance and the recovery of growth after several consecutive cycles of high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) were for the first time evaluated in different strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Three strains of this important and highly resilient to HPP foodborne pathogen were used: a non-enterotoxigenic ATCC 6538 strain, treated with 600 MPa for 30 min at 20 °C, and the toxigenic strains 2153 MA (with enterotoxin A) and 2065 MA (with the enterotoxins A, G and I), treated with 600 MPa for 15 min at 20 °C. After the first treatment, surviving colonies were used to produce new bacterial cultures. This procedure was repeated nine times more for each bacterium or until total inactivation occurred. The inactivation profile of non-enterotoxic strain and the two enterotoxic strains did not change after consecutive cycles, but the toxic strain with three enterotoxins was completely inactivated after the fourth cycle. The three strains did not recover their viability after 14 days. The results indicate that HPP effectively inactivates non-toxigenic and toxigenic strains of S. aureus after a single treatment. The surviving bacteria did not develop resistance after 10 cycles of pressurization and did not recover their viability after 14 days of incubation.