Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-05-10"
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- Crisis communication and public perception in a health crisis : the effectiveness of the Portuguese authorities’ communication strategy to fight Covid-19 pandemicPublication . Damásio, Maria Inês Ferraz Viegas; Victorino, Mariana Hidalgo Barata MartinsThe beginning of 2020 was marked by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, an unprecedented health crisis that struck the whole world and forced governmental institutions to develop crisis communication strategies in order to deal with the virus and all its consequences. Considering the unfamiliarity with the virus and the disease among the scientific community its fast spread and contagious rate led society to face new challenges such as harsh confinements, adoption of mitigation measures, and complex social, economic and political dynamics. Given this situation, Governments and Health authorities had to implement new ways of communicating, conveying preventive messages to the public, and carrying out communication strategies to manage the ongoing health crisis. In this context, the object of this research is related with the modus operandi of health authorities concerning the communication strategies performed to mitigate Covid-19 pandemic as well as the public perception, using Portugal as the geographic scope of the research. More specifically this investigation focuses on understanding how effective the Portuguese government and health authorities' communication strategy was in the combat of SARS-CoV-2, more specifically to capture how the Millennial and Z generations' sentiments throughout the pandemic were. As so, this theme has as its main objectives to analyze the communication strategy implemented by the Portuguese authorities, to understand the outcome of the implementation of the communication strategy on the commitment of the public to follow the rules established, and to access the Portuguese public emotional response towards the communication strategy as well as the virus, through traditional and modern media. The methodology outlined for this particular study implicated the use of a mix-method approach resorting to a qualitative analysis of the Portuguese Government’s communication strategy as well as an online survey to acquire the public’s perception of Millennial and Z generations about the course chosen to fight the Covid-19 outbreak, in Portugal. In view of the study carried out it was feasible to verify that the communication strategy was overall effective in its purpose and that the Portuguese public, within the range that was under analysis, trusted the authorities to handle the health crisis in the best way possible.
- Becoming an activist : what brands should know before taking a standPublication . Pereira, Alicia Januário; Souto, Daniela Langaro da Silva doBrand activism has been gaining popularity over the years and has given brands the opportunity to show their concerns over social issues. However, this one is a double-edged sword, since consumers expect brands to take a stand on important matters, but often interpret these stands as mere marketing ploys, because they cannot perceive authenticity in these ones, which puts brands at risk. Thus, the purpose of this study is to understand the impact that perceived brand authenticity (PBA) has on consumers’ attitudes toward the activism message, and if the fit between the brand and cause also influence these attitudes. An online survey was conducted, and 319 responses were obtained. Results revealed that (PBA) influences consumer’s attitudes through symbolism. Yet, it was proven that brand fit also has a significant impact on consumers’ attitudes, with these attitudes being more positive when the fit between the brand and the cause of the activism is higher, compared to when this fit is lower. Moreover, since this study focuses on the brand’s perspective, the effects of consumers’ attitudes were measured based on brand advocacy and overall brand equity (OBE), and it was proven that consumer’s attitudes are a good predictor of these last two. Hance, brands should investigate these relations further, to deeper connect with their audiences.
- Gamification in digital mental health : effects of reward points and social comparison on users’ intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy judgments, and willingness to recommendPublication . Scheunemann, Christina Marie; Jacinto, SofiaAs gamified mobile health apps dominate the market, they are promised to motivate healthy habits and behaviors effectively and efficiently. While researchers have studied the effects of gamification in a multitude of contexts, its effects in digital mental health are still unclear. This thesis aims to understand whether the promises of gamification are also applicable in mobile mHealth, specifically stress management. For this purpose, this thesis studies the effects of two gamification elements: social comparison and achievementrelated gamification, in the form of collectible reward points on users' intrinsic motivation, selfefficacy judgments, and willingness to recommend the app. The experiment was conducted in a 2 achievementrelated gamification (on vs. off) x 2 type of reward (social vs. individual) betweensubjects design in the context of a fictitious stress management app. The results found no main effects of achievementrelated gamification on the dependent measures, suggesting that collecting reward points might not be an effective tool in mobile mHealth. In contrast, social comparison positively influences users' perceptions about their competence and marginally influences the control they feel over their stress. Based on the results, we conclude that social gamification may be an effective but controversial tool in eliciting feelings of control and that those can, in turn, can make it more likely that users will recommend the app.
- O custo de capital enquanto fator de competitividade do sector do olival em PortugalPublication . Negrão, Matilde Mendo Côrte-Real; Reis, Ricardo César Ribeiro Ventura FerreiraEm relação à competitividade em Portugal, esta é cada vez maior, sendo um dos países mais desenvolvidos em termos de tecnologia de ponta no sector. Apesar da evolução do sector, é necessário que haja uma melhoria em termos de associativismo e cooperação. O azeite português tem de ser valorizado, não permitindo que seja vendido como uma commodity em que os produtores não têm poder negocial.A dissertação proposta tenta compreender de que maneira o custo de capital influencia a agricultura portuguesa, mais concretamente o sector do olival e o seu impacto direto no investimento estrangeiro e na competitividade. Na década de 90, a agricultura portuguesa era intensiva. Os estrangeiros viram um elevado potencial de produção de azeite por explorar, num país onde as condições edafoclimáticas eram boas, existia uma grande quantidade de água disponível e o valor das terras era reduzido. Começaram assim os primeiros investimentos estrangeiros. Nesta dissertação, a metodologia aplicada é qualitativa, através de entrevistas abrangendo vários players em foco neste estudo, desde producers, até aos investidores, consultores e à banca, resultando deste modo, numa análise que foca os vários prismas de um modo transversal, mais rico e completo. A conclusão retirada foi de que, em Portugal os financiamentos por parte dos bancos, assim como todo o processo associado ao próprio Estado, são extremamente complexos. As principais razões desta complexidade prendem-se, principalmente com: - Questões burocráticas e extensão dos processos; - Elevada exigência de covenants; - Risco de taxas de juro superior por serem praticadas taxas variáveis.
- Opinions of older individuals on advance care planning and factors affecting their views: a systematic reviewPublication . Korkmaz Yaylagul, Nilufer; Demirdas, Fatma Banu; Melo, Pedro; Silva, RosaThe objective of this systematic review is to present older individuals’ views on the advance care planning (ACP) process and the factors affecting those opinions. The review contains search terms predetermined in the databases of CINAHL, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Academic Search Ultimate, Web of Science, Master FILE, and TR Dizin over the last 10 years (1 January 2012–31 December 2021) in English and Turkish. The studies were included in the research using inclusion (sample age ≥ 50, focusing on individuals’ opinions on ACP) and exclusion (articles whose samples consisted of individuals with a specific disease, non-research articles) criteria. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was used to collate findings. The most striking results are the positive perspectives increasing in parallel with the individuals’ level of knowledge and experience about ACP. Variables affecting their views are advanced age, marital status, socioeconomic status, perception of remaining life expectancy, self-perceived health, number and stage of chronic diseases, religion, and cultural characteristics. This study offers guidance on the application and dissemination of ACP, empowering the use of this practice given the perspectives of older adults on ACP and the factors that affect them that the data show.
- User gratifications in social media usage : the case of TikTokPublication . Borges, Natalia Portilho; Souto, Daniela Langaro da Silva doSocial media has become an integral part of modern society, transforming the way people communicate, obtain information, and form communities. With platforms like Facebook and Instagram boasting millions of active users, social media has revolutionized universal connectivity and information sharing. Despite its undeniable impact, understanding users' motivations for using social media platforms is crucial, especially given the emergence of TikTok, the latest and most popular social network. The uses and gratifications theory explains why people use media and what they hope to gain from it. Individuals use media to fulfil specific needs or desires, such as entertainment and information acquisition, and actively seek out content that meets their specific motivations. Media channel selection is determined by situational and individual factors. The present study uses the uses and gratifications theory to investigate TikTok users' reasons for social media usage, as there is insufficient research on how users perceive its value despite its unique content approach. Using a quantitative analysis, this study delves into TikTok users' motivations, offering a glimpse into the platform's distinguishing features and paving the way for further research on social media's influence. The study found that social, entertainment, and informative gratifications significantly influence TikTok usage frequency, with varying preferences between Generation Z and Generation Y users. Findings inform social media marketers and creators on engaging TikTok users with tailored content and designing effective strategies for user retention by understanding their motivations and gratifications.
- Carotenoids diet: digestion, gut microbiota modulation, and inflammatory diseasesPublication . Rocha, Helena R.; Coelho, Marta C.; Gomes, Ana M.; Pintado, Manuela E.Several epidemiologic studies have found that consuming fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of getting a variety of chronic illnesses, including several types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and bowel diseases. Although there is still debate over the bioactive components, various secondary plant metabolites have been linked to these positive health benefits. Many of these features have recently been connected to carotenoids and their metabolites’ effects on intracellular signalling cascades, which influence gene expression and protein translation. Carotenoids are the most prevalent lipid-soluble phytochemicals in the human diet, are found in micromolar amounts in human serum, and are very susceptible to multiple oxidation and isomerisation reactions. The gastrointestinal delivery system, digestion processes, stability, and functionality of carotenoids, as well as their impact on the gut microbiota and how carotenoids may be effective modulators of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, are still lacking research advances. Although several pathways involved in carotenoids’ bioactivity have been identified, future studies should focus on the carotenoids’ relationships, related metabolites, and their effects on transcription factors and metabolism.
- Production of enzymatic hydrolysates from blue shark skin by-product using a biorefinery approachPublication . Coscueta, Ezequiel R.; Brassesco, María E.; Rosa, Ana Catarina; Almeida, André; Pintado, Manuela E.Portugal is the third country in the world with the highest fish consumption, with an average of 59 kg per capita per year. That results in a considerable amount of fish waste, up to 30% of which can be skin and bones. Fish skin mainly comprises collagen (more than 70% of its total protein content). Collagen is a structural protein found in animal extracellular matrices and has a wide range of commercial applications s. In the past, bovine and porcine sources have been the primary sources of collagen, but due to religious beliefs and some infectious diseases, other sources are in debate. Marine-based collagen is an attractive alternative for the industry. Blue shark skin is a by-product of the fishing industry that is rich in collagen. This study used a biorefinery approach to valorize blue shark skin waste. We used a process we reported for another type of marine matrix (cod skin) to obtain collagenic peptide hydrolysates and non-collagenic protein hydrolysates. We evaluated two proteases: alcalase (of microbial origin) and bromelain (of vegetable origin). We performed a multifactorial optimization study for both matrices and both enzymes, considering as responses the degree of hydrolysis and antioxidant activity for all models and, additionally, protein solubilization for the case of collagen hydrolysates. In all cases, alcalase was the enzyme with the best performance. Once we validated the predictive models, we chose the most viable conditions, and the production of these hydrolysates was scaled up to pilot production. The optimized hydrolysates present molecular profiles, bioactivities, and organoleptic characteristics of interest for the nutraceutical and cosmetic industries (in the case of collagen hydrolysates) and aquaculture (in the case of non-collagen hydrolysates). In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that blue shark skin waste can be valorized to produce collagenic peptide hydrolysates and non-collagenic protein hydrolysates, which have potential applications in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, and aquaculture industries.
- The impact of Catena-X on digital business models in the automotive industryPublication . Ehlers, Leon; Bohnsack, René; Marante, Cláudia AntunesLike many other manufacturing industries, the automotive industry is also affected by the consequences of the climate crisis and is required to ensure greater sustainability. Corresponding laws and standards are continuously coming into force and require new methods of implementation. A shared network that supports standardized verification and facilitates communication among participants is the industry's answer. Promoted by the German government, the expectation is to better equip the industry for an increasingly digital, global market. The emergence of open data ecosystems such as Catena-X in the automotive industry creates new opportunities for value creation by extending existing, or creating new Business Models. Catena-X is an open data ecosystem that connects the supply chain and creates value through increased transparency, which in turn leads to sustainability in the industry. Companies that are part of the automotive supply chain can thereby profitably contribute their data, creating benefits for the entire network. The research in this thesis is based on five semi-structured interviews with experts from the German automotive industry. The responses enable the identification of current developments, including the merging of production and service as a Business Model, but also a transformation of smaller companies that are adapting to the digital age in order to benefit from the new opportunities for value creation. This study places itself in a comparatively early phase of Catena-X and shows possible paths for further research, especially with regard to sustainability, which provides a solid basis for value creation on a social, environmental, and economic level.
- Nutritional assessment of patients in long-term care at Hospital Santa Maria – Porto, and the perceptions of the nursing teamPublication . Barros, Maria Inês; Pinto, Elisabete; Correia, MartaWorldwide increases in life expectancy entails a higher prevalence in chronic diseases (1). At the same time, the adult population is increasingly sedentary which conveys a greater risk for potentially fatal and chronic degenerative diseases (2) increasing the probability for long-term care (LTC) (3,4). Additionally, malnutrition negatively affects the LTC patient, highlighting the relevance of timely identifying patients at nutritional risk to further prevent the onset/aggravation of pathologies (5), through nutritional support prescription. A multidisciplinary team, including the nurse team, is of particular importance for a successful nutritional approach in LTC, since the regular daily proximity to patients, might facilitate recognition of important signs influencing the patient's food intake that, overall, will impact patient nutritional and clinical status.