Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-12-01"
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- Life cycle assessment of the manothermosonication of liquid whole egg: a comparative evaluation with conventional thermal preservationPublication . Beitia, Enrique; Silva, Beatriz Q.; Smetana, Sergiy; Heinz, Volker; Valdramidis, Vasilis; Aganovic, KemalManothermosonication (MTS) is a promising alternative to thermal preservation of liquid whole egg (LWE) in terms of safety level and improved quality. However, energy and sustainability assessment of MTS are not well described. This study compared the energy balance and life cycle assessment (LCA) of MTS to traditional thermal preservation of LWE, considering equivalent microbial inactivation levels and a production capacity of 100 kg/h within a “gate to gate” approach. Results of the energy assessment indicated that MTS preservation consumed 15% less energy (2.00 kWh/kg of LWE) and water compared to thermal preservation (2.36 kWh/kg of LWE). This reduction is attributable to cavitation, the mechanism of action in MTS, which eliminates the need of pre-homogenisation stage and water for heating. Concerning the environmental impact, MTS scored lower in all impact indicators, mainly due to reduced electricity and water usage. For instance, carbon footprint of CO2 emissions from LWE processing were 57.3% for MTS and 61.8% for thermal preservation, with the environmental impact of the pasteurisation stage being 4.1-fold lower in MTS. This study suggests MTS preservation of LWE is a viable alternative to thermal methods, offering safety, quality, and improved energy and environmental benefits.
- Drawing on the dark triad to teach leadership is dangerous, irresponsible, and bad theoryPublication . Pina e Cunha, Miguel; Clegg, Stewart; Rego, Arménio; Simpson, Ace VolkmannThe proposition that the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits, comprising a callous ‘constellation’ of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, are beneficial for leaders has gained traction. While supported by certain scholars and practitioners, this perspective represents bad management theory that undermines good management practice. Although some research suggests potential benefits of DT traits in leaders, it is a mistake to assume that they are inherently functional. A common error underlying this viewpoint is the assumption that if a number of successful and celebrated leaders exhibit DT behaviors in their leadership, then other managers must adopt similar behaviors to be effective and successful. In this essay, we propose a teaching-learning agenda aimed at identifying and screening dark traits, reducing DT behaviors in future leaders, and dealing with DT leaders. Just as good educators combat toxic management behaviors that hinder sustainability, we should also counteract toxic management behaviors that negatively affect employees, organizations and even society. Despite the apparent correlation with stereotypes of successful leaders, DT traits in leadership are a destructive force, and it is important to teach students and practitioners how to counteract them.
- Introducing menus of three weekly insect- or plant-based dinner meals slightly reduced meat consumption in Danish families: results of a randomized intervention studyPublication . Maya, C.; Wilderspin, D. E.; Costa, A. I. A.; Cunha, L. M.; Roos, N.The environmental concerns associated with excess meat consumption have emphasized the need for sustainable alternatives. Edible insects offer a promising alternative due to their environmental efficiency and nutritious profile, but their widespread adoption in Western diets remains a challenge. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of exposing families (parents and children) to insect-based or plant-based dinner menus on dietary pattern, meat intake, and protein intake over a six-week intervention period. The study was a two-arm randomized equivalence trial comparing an insect-based menu to a plant-based control. Families received either an insect or plant-based menu to replace meat in dinner meals three times a week for six weeks, aiming to replace 20% of their meat protein intake. Dietary changes were assessed through dietary registrations and daily questionnaires. Both adults and children maintained their estimated daily total protein intake, while reducing daily meat protein intake. Neither group met the 20% weekly meat replacement goal. In the insect-based menu group, adults and children reached an average 5.5% and 2.3% weekly meat replacement, respectively. In the plant-based menu group, adults and children replaced 9.0% and 4.3%, respectively. Meat attachment had an effect on meat protein intake. The menus slightly reduced meat protein intake. The weekly frequency of meat meals slightly declined, but portions remained the same. By enhancing insect and plant-based food quality and understanding consumer behavior, insect- and plant-based products have the potential to be a complementary alternative in a sustainable dietary transition without sacrificing nutrition. Clinical trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05156853; clinicaltrials. gov/study/NCT05156853.
- Vaginal prevention of Candida albicans: synergistic effect of lactobacilli and mannan oligosaccharides (MOS)Publication . Faustino, Margarida; Pereira, Joana Odila; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Ferreira, Carlos M. H.; Pereira, Carla F.; Durão, Joana; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects approximately 30-50% of women at least once during their lifetime, causing uncomfortable symptoms and limitations in their daily quality of life. Antifungal therapy is not very effective, does not prevent recurrencies and usually causes side effects. Therefore, alternative therapies are urgently needed. The goal of this work was to investigate the potential benefits of using mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) extracts together with a Lactobacillus sp. pool, composed by the most significant species present in the vaginal environment, to prevent infections by Candida albicans. Microbial growth of isolated strains of the main vaginal lactobacilli and Candida strains was assessed in the presence of MOS, to screen their impact upon growth. A pool of the lactobacilli was then tested against C. albicans in competition and prophylaxis studies; bacterial and yeast cell numbers were quantified in specific time points, and the above-mentioned studies were assessed in simulated vaginal fluid (SVF). Finally, adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells (HeLa) was also evaluated, once again resorting to simultaneous exposure (competition) or prophylaxis assays, aiming to measure the effect of MOS presence in pathogen adherence. Results demonstrated that MOS extracts have potential to prevent vaginal candidiasis in synergy with vaginal lactobacilli, with improved results than those obtained when using lactobacilli alone. KEY POINTS: Potential benefits of MOS extracts with vaginal lactobacilli to prevent C. albicans infections. MOS impacts on growth of vaginal lactobacilli pool and C. albicans in SVF. MOS extracts in synergy with L. crispatus inhibit C. albicans adhesion in HeLa cells.
- Teleneuropsychology: reliability and acceptance in memory assessmentPublication . Varandas, Mariana; Ribeiro, FilipaIntroduction: The use of telehealth in psychological interventions has experienced a significant increase in recent years. This form of patient interaction has important implications, especially in neuropsychological assessment. Given the limited research on this subject in Portugal, the reliability of neuropsychological tests and acceptance of this format by the Portuguese elderly must be studied. Methods: The sample consisted of 43 healthy Portuguese adults. They were assessed by cognitive measures and questionnaires regarding sociodemographic aspects, memory complaints, computer literacy, functionality, depressive symptoms, and satisfaction with the teleconsultation via videoconference and in-person approaches. The order of the two conditions was randomized. Results: There were no significant differences between scores on the Logical Memory Test. However, higher scores were found in the online condition for the Paired Associate Learning Test. The level of satisfaction with teleconsultation was high, but it did not translate into a greater preference for this format. Discussion: The neuropsychological assessment of auditory-verbal episodic memory through teleconsultation is promising and well accepted by the older Portuguese population. The data indicate that teleconsultation provides reliable results for episodic memory assessment.
- LC-ESI-UHR-QqTOF-MS/MS profiling and anti-inflammatory potential of the cultivated Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and the wild Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. fruits from the Algerian regionPublication . Zeghbib, Walid; Boudjouan, Fares; Carneiro, João; Oliveira, Ana L. S.; Sousa, Sérgio F.; Pintado, Manuela Estevez; Ourabah, Asma; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Lopes, GracilianaOpuntia plants are abundant but still underexplored edible resources of the Algerian region. This work chemically characterizes extracts of different parts of the fruit of the commercial Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and the wild Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. growing in Bejaia, and evaluates their anti-inflammatory potential through different cell and cell-free bioassays. The LC-ESI-UHR-QqTOF-MS/MS analysis enabled the identification of 18 compounds, with azelaic acid and 1-O-vanilloyl-β-D-glucose reported here for the first time. Aqueous extracts of seeds were the most effective in scavenging superoxide anion radical (IC50 = 111.08 μg/mL) and presented the best anti-inflammatory potential in LPS-stimulated macrophages (IC50 = 206.30 μg/mL). The pulp of O. stricta suggested potential for addressing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, with piscidic and eucomic acids predicted with the strongest binding affinity towards tyrosinase, exhibiting higher scoring values than the reference inhibitor kojic acid. This pioneer study brings valuable perspectives for the pharmacological, nutritional and economic valorization of the wild O. stricta for functional foods.
- Exploring yeast glucans for vaccine enhancement: sustainable strategies for overcoming adjuvant challenges in a SARS-CoV-2 modelPublication . Azevedo-Silva, João; Amorim, Manuela; Tavares-Valente, Diana; Sousa, Pedro; Mohamath, Randolph; Voigt, Emily A.; Guderian, Jeffrey A.; Kinsey, Robert; Viana, Sofia; Reis, Flávio; Pintado, Manuela E.; Paddon, Christopher J.; Fox, Christopher B.; Fernandes, João C.Vaccine adjuvants are important for enhancing vaccine efficacy, and although aluminium salts (Alum) are the most used, their limited ability to induce specific immune responses has spurred the search for new adjuvants. However, many adjuvants fail during product development due to manufacturability, supply, stability, or safety concerns. This work hypothesizes that protein-free yeast glucans can be used as vaccine adjuvants due to their known immunostimulatory activity and high abundancy. Thus, high molecular weight glucans with over 99% purity, comprising 64–70% β-glucans and 29–35% α-glucans, were extracted from a wild-type yeast and an engineered yeast to produce a steviol glycoside. These glucans underwent carboxymethylation to enhance solubility. Both water-dispersible and particulate glucans were evaluated as adjuvants, either alone or in combination with Alum or squalene stable emulsion (SE), for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The study demonstrated that glucans triggered a robust immune response and enhanced the effects of Alum and SE when used in combination, both in vitro and in vivo. Water-dispersible glucans combined with Alum, and particulate glucans combined with SE, increased the production of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and enhanced serum neutralization titers against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. Furthermore, the results indicated that larger molecular weight glucans from engineered yeast exhibited stronger immunogenic activity in comparison to wild-type yeast glucans. In conclusion, appropriately formulated glucans have the potential to be scalable, low-cost vaccine adjuvants, potentially overcoming the limitations of current adjuvants.
- Society with Indian characteristics: caste, class, and species in contemporary retellings of the RāmāyaṇaPublication . Oliveira, João PedroThis paper analyzes the construction of Indian society in retellings of the Rāmāyaṇa published in India between 2010 and 2020. I focus on the concepts of caste, class, and mythological species. Through discourse analysis of a corpus of retellings, nonfiction works by the same authors, and comparisons with secondary literature, I show how specific castes, classes, and species are assimilated to one another and contrasted with competing identities. I also show how such representations define positive traits of Indianness and contrast them with the opposite negative traits of Otherness. I conclude that, despite differences in style, the retellers imagine an ancient pre-colonial India imbued with the modern neoliberal values of freedom of choice and social mobility.
- Determinants of academic achievement from the middle to secondary school education: a systematic reviewPublication . Costa, Ana; Moreira, Diana; Casanova, Joana; Azevedo, Ângela; Gonçalves, Armanda; Oliveira, Íris; Azevedo, Raquel; Dias, Paulo C.Because it is crucial for psychosocial adjustment and lifelong learning, education is the most relevant tool for ensuring inclusion and reducing inequalities. Due to its relationship with positive outcomes, such as life satisfaction, mental health, job performance or SES, academic achievement is a significant phenomenon that impacts students, families, and educational institutions. The present study sought to contribute to the field by reviewing the literature on the determinants that influence the objective achievements of a typical population of middle- to high-school students. Based on the PRISMA statement, a search for related studies was performed in the WoS, EBSCO, and PubMed databases, and 771 studies published between 1930 and 2022 were identified. After screening based on the analysis of abstracts, 35 studies met the selection criteria. The Bronfenbrenner ecological model served as the theoretical rationale for organizing the studies’ findings. The results of this review highlight the following determinants of school achievement: (i) Personal factors—gender, personality traits, cognitive abilities and academic background, motivation and self-constructs, stress and problem-solving strategies, and substance use; (ii) Contextual microsystem factors—(a) Family—parental educational background; parenting practices and interactions; parental involvement and support; (b) School—school location; school conditions, responsiveness, and practices; (c) Peers—peer-group disagreement management. This systematic review updates the existing empirical evidence on this topic and highlights the complexity of the phenomenon of academic achievement.
- Common-ownership versus cross-ownership: evidence from the automobile industryPublication . Huse, Cristian; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Verboven, FrankOverlapping ownership has gained considerable momentum in the last decades, yet little is known about the role of its sources. We quantify the relative importance of common-ownership (by shareholders external to an industry) and cross-ownership (by firms within the industry). We focus on the global automobile industry, over the period 2007–2021, and document that common-ownership links constitute between 31% and 39% of the equity ownership of automobile manufacturers, while cross-ownership links amount to 6%–9%. We show that not accounting for these relatively modest cross-ownership links has important implications: it can increase the average weight assigned by managers to the profit of competitors by between 33% and 68%.