Evidence for inter- and intra-species biofilm formation variability among a small group of coagulase-negative staphylococci

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are common bacterial colonisers of the human skin. They are often involved in nosocomial infections due to biofilm formation in indwelling medical devices. While biofilm formation has been extensively studied in Staphylococcus epidermidis, little is known regarding other CoNS species. Here, biofilms from six different CoNS species were characterised in terms of biofilm composition and architecture. Interestingly, the ability to form a thick biofilm was not associated with any particular species, and high variability on biofilm accumulation was found within the same species. Cell viability assays also revealed different proportions of live and dead cells within biofilms formed by different species, although this parameter was particularly similar at the intra-species level. On the other hand, biofilm disruption assays demonstrated important inter- and intra-species differences regarding extracellular matrix composition. Lastly, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) experiments confirmed this variability, highlighting important differences and common features of CoNS biofilms. We hypothesised that the biofilm formation heterogeneity observed was rather associated with biofilm matrix composition than with cells themselves. Additionally, our results indicate that polysaccharides, DNA and proteins are fundamental pieces in the process of CoNS biofilm formation.

Intra and inter-individual differences in social intelligence of Portuguese students

Social intelligence is a favorable condition for career decision-making and development. The social intelligence indices of Portuguese students in school years prior to a career transition are characterized and intra and interindividual differences are analyzed. Participants were 1095 students (552, 50.4% women) with a mean age of 14.78 years (SD = 1.86), in the 8th (542, 49.5%), 10th (295, 26.9%) and 11th (258, 23.6%) grades. The Cognitive Test of Social Intelligence (PCIS) was administered at two moments, six months apart. Results indicate that the 8th grade obtained higher average scores in Problem Solving, Motivation and Self-confidence (time 1), while the 10th grade obtained better results in Problem Solving, Motivation and Familiarity (time 2). Between the assessment moments, all school years register an increase in Problem Solving and Self-confidence in social situations. These results constitute favorable psychological conditions for the promotion of ethical questioning in career guidance interventions.

Facilitadores e obstáculos do empreendedorismo: o caso das muambeiras de Lubango

Dissertação de mestrado em Estudos de Gestão

Global validation of the WSES Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections: a prospective multicentre study (WISS Study).

BACKGROUND To validate a new practical Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) including the clinical conditions at the admission (severe sepsis/septic shock), the origin of the cIAIs, the delay in source control, the setting of acquisition and any risk factors such as age and immunosuppression. METHODS The WISS study (WSES cIAIs Score Study) is a multicenter observational study underwent in 132 medical institutions worldwide during a four-month study period (October 2014-February 2015). Four thousand five hundred thirty-three patients with a mean age of 51.2 years (range 18-99) were enrolled in the WISS study. RESULTS Univariate analysis has shown that all factors that were previously included in the WSES Sepsis Severity Score were highly statistically significant between those who died and those who survived (p < 0.0001). The multivariate logistic regression model was highly significant (p < 0.0001, R2 = 0.54) and showed that all these factors were independent in predicting mortality of sepsis. Receiver Operator Curve has shown that the WSES Severity Sepsis Score had an excellent prediction for mortality. A score above 5.5 was the best predictor of mortality having a sensitivity of 89.2 %, a specificity of 83.5 % and a positive likelihood ratio of 5.4. CONCLUSIONS WSES Sepsis Severity Score for patients with complicated Intra-abdominal infections can be used on global level. It has shown high sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio that may help us in making clinical decisions.

A educação para o empreendedorismo em mediação: um estudo com estudantes universitários

A educação para o empreendedorismo é cada vez mais referenciada nos documentos da União Europeia, constituindo um aspeto essencial para o desenvolvimento sustentável da sociedade contemporânea e deve ser entendida como uma atitude geral e transversal dos cidadãos, onde se poderá incluir a criação de novas empresas. O espírito empreendedor desenvolve-se num ambiente que encoraje formas ativas de aprendizagem e deve desenvolver-se ao longo da vida numa lógica de transversalidade. Alguns estudos publicados pelo governo português destacam a iniciativa e o empreendedorismo como uma das competências-chave para Portugal até 2020. Neste sentido, desenvolveu-se uma formação em Educação para o Empreendedorismo, numa Instituição de Ensino Superior pública, com 10 estudantes que frequentavam uma Unidade Curricular (UC) integrada no plano curricular da Licenciatura em Educação, no 3º ano. Um dos objetivos da UC é o de aprofundar abordagens multifacetadas de que se podem revestir as dinâmicas da mediação social e educativa, pelo que a formação mobilizava as competências adquiridas, a aproximação a novas oportunidades e o desenvolvimento de competências empreendedoras. Esta formação teve a duração de 34 horas (19 horas presenciais e 15 horas de trabalho autónomo) e foi realizada por um investigador experiente, que obteve autorização do diretor de departamento e do diretor de curso. As estudantes, em grupo, construíram e apresentaram quatro projetos potencialmente inovadores que, tomando como base os princípios da formação, incidiram na intervenção em mediação. Algum tempo após a formação, foram realizadas entrevistas estruturadas às estudantes para compreender o contributo da formação. Os dados foram analisados com recurso à análise de conteúdo. Os resultados indiciam uma consciencialização da relevância que estas competências podem assumir no futuro profissional das estudantes.