How servant leadership is perceiver by leaders and followers in a Portuguese organizational context

Servant leadership theory has been the subject of great academic discussion, namely in what concerns reaching a consensus for its definition. As many frameworks have been designed in order to define the servant leader’s characteristics, we based ourselves in van Dierendonck’s review and synthesis on servant leadership (2011) to assess how it is perceived in a Portuguese organizational context. After performing several interviews in a private health care organization, we conclude that the perception of servant leadership is generally positive and that its characteristics seem to be in line with academic literature. However, some issues arose such as a seemingly lack of relevance given to authenticity and humility, the latter being a unique attribute of servant leadership. Also, we found a discrepancy between hierarchical levels’ perception of servant leadership characteristics as well as questioning if an over emphasis on service can diminish the servant leader’s impact on organizational performance.

Levels of leaf Herbivory in Amazonian trees from different stages In forest regeneration

Leaves from 120 canopy trees and 60 understory tree saplings growing in primary and secondary forests near Manaus, Brazil, were collected for determination of standing levels of herbivory (percent leaf area lost). Overall, levels of herbivory on leaves of central Amazonian trees were low. About one quarter of the leaves examined (n = 855) had no damage at all. In most other Neotropical sites studied the mean percentage of herbivory was found to vary between 5.7 and 13.1%, whereas in Manaus it was only 3.1%. The data presented here support the contention that levels of herbivore damage are positively related to soil fertility. No significant difference was found in herbivory levels between canopy trees and understory saplings. Also, there was no difference in damage between leaves from pioneer and late successional trees. Field assays of preference, however, revealed that leaves from pioneer trees are more palatable to leaf-cutting ants (Atta laevigata). This effect was dependent upon leaf age, being observed in mature leaves, but not in young leaves. The greater rate of leaf production in secondary forests may be a factor accounting for the greater abundance of leaf-cutting ants in secondary compared to primary forests.

Physiological responses of matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus) fed different levels of vitamin C and submitted to air exposure

The role of vitamin C on physiological responses of matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus) submitted to air exposure was analyzed. Nine hundred fish (70.15 g) were distributed in fifteen 500 l boxes (60 fish.box-1) and fed five rations (treatments): Control (no vitamin C); T100 (100 mg); T200 (200 mg); T400 (400 mg) and T800 (800 mg of vitamin C kg.ration-1). Each ration was offered to fish of three boxes during 60 days before the stress challenge that consisted of exposing fish to air for two minutes. Samplings were carried out for 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes after the air exposure. Blood was collected for glucose, cortisol, total protein, sodium, chloride, hematocrit, hemoglobin determination, and white and red cell count. Liver was removed for hepatosomatic index (HSI) calculation and glycogen determination. Vitamin C did not affect the levels of cortisol, chloride, total protein, hemoglobin, leukocytes, hepatic glycogen or HSI in air exposed fish. Blood glucose levels elevation observed 60 minutes after the challenge did not depend on the levels of vitamin C, nor did the drop in serum sodium levels verified 60 minutes after stressor. In general, hematocrit did not change by effect of vitamin C but it was lower at 15 and 30 minutes after the challenge. The number of erythrocytes decreased in fish after 5 minute sampling in all treatments, especially at 30 and 60 minutes. The air exposure evoked alterations in stress indicators of matrinxã, and the vitamin C did not alter the responses.

Instrumentos de políticas públicas do turismo: uma análise empírica dos municípios portugueses

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Administração

High levels of Mercury and Lead detected by hair analysis in two Venezuelan environments

Mercury and Lead concentrations obtained by ICP-OAS analysis of human hair from riverside communities along the Orinoco river in the Amazon state (Venezuela) were compared with those from Caracas, Venezuela. Taking into account the characteristics of these two environments and the values of the average concentrations of Mercury and Lead, baselines were established suggesting that gold mining activity near the Orinoco river is responsible for the high levels of Mercury in hair from the Amazon state, whereas automobile activity is responsible for high levels of Lead in hair in Caracas.

A mensuração do Capital Humano nas organizações: estudo de caso da empresa Tuacar, SA

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Contabilidade

Self-narrative reconstruction after dilemma-focused therapy for depression: a comparison of good and poor outcome cases

Objective: The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of self-changes after an intervention for depression focused on implicative dilemmas, a type of cognitive conflict related to identity. As recent research has highlighted the relevance of identity-related dilemmas in clients with depression, we sought to assess the way in which clients resolve such inner conflicts after a tailored dilemma-focused intervention and how this is reflected in the clients’ self-narratives. Method: We used three instruments to observe differences between good (n = 5) and poor (n = 5) outcome cases: (i) the Repertory Grid Technique to track the resolution of dilemmas, (ii) the Change Interview to compile clients’ accounts of changes at posttreatment, and (iii) the Innovative Moments Coding System to examine the emergence of clients’ novelties at the Change Interview. Results: Groups did not differ in terms of the number and relevance of client-identified significantly helpful events. However, between-group differences were found for the resolution of dilemmas and for the proportion of high-level innovative moment (IM) types. Furthermore, a greater self-narrative reconstruction was associated with higher levels of symptom improvement. Conclusions: Good outcome cases seem to be associated with the resolution of conflicts and high-level IMs.

Flowering levels, harvest season and yields of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum)

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum), a specie native to Amazonia, has been planted commercially in Brazil to satisfy the demand for the flavorful juice obtained from the pulp around its seeds. The trees are notorious for low and irregular fruit production. Data gathered over two seasons from trees in a germplasm collection in Pará, Brazil, showed that some of them fruited more regularly than others. Differences in fruit production correlated to differences in flower production. Tree-to-tree variation in flower production, fruit production, and consistency of both over time suggest considerable scope for improving yields by selection. Hand pollinations resulted in a much higher frequency of fruit set than open pollinations, indicating that lack of effective pollination is also a reason for low yield. However, attempts to increase the level of effective pollination are handicapped by low knowledge about the pollinators of cupuassu and their behavior.

Cognitive stimulation for portuguese older adults with cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial of efficacy, comparative duration, feasibility and experiential relevance

Although some studies point to cognitive stimulation as a beneficial therapy for older adults with cognitive impairments, this area of research and practice is still lacking dissemination and is underrepresented in many countries. Moreover, the comparative effects of different intervention durations remain to be established and, besides cognitive effects, pragmatic parameters, such as cost-effectiveness and experiential relevance to participants, are seldom explored. In this work, we present a randomized con- trolled wait-list trial evaluating 2 different intervention durations (standard 1⁄4 17 vs brief 1⁄4 11 sessions) of a cognitive stimulation program developed for older adults with cognitive impairments with or without dementia. 20 participants were randomly assigned to the standard duration intervention program (17 sessions, 1.5 months) or to a wait-list group. At postintervention of the standard intervention group, the wait-list group crossed over to receive the brief intervention program (11 sessions, 1 month). Changes in neuropsychological, functionality, quality of life, and caregiver outcomes were evaluated. Experience during intervention and costs and feasibility were also evaluated. The current cognitive stimulation programs (ie, standard and brief) showed high values of experiential relevance for both intervention durations. High adherence, completion rates, and reasonable costs were found for both formats. Further studies are needed to definitively establish the potential efficacy, optimal duration, cost-effectiveness, and experiential relevance for participants of cognitive intervention approaches.

Taxonomic relevance of seed and seedling morphology in two Amazonian species of Entada (Leguminosae)

We carried out a comparative morphological study to evaluate the taxonomic value of seed and seedling traits of Entada polystachya and E. simplicata (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae, Mimoseae). Seeds of both species were collected from wild populations in Roraima State, Brazil. Our results show consistent quantitative and qualitative differences between these species regarding their seeds and seedlings. Testa fracture lines, funiculus impression, lens characters, radicle shape and length, and cotyledon lobes length, seedling morphology group, number of pinnae at first node, and hypocotyl length permit a straightforward distinction of E. polystachya from E. simplicata, supporting a recent treatment of the latter taxon as a distinct species, endemic to Roraima State, northern Amazonia, Brazil.

The relevance of bacterial interactions on oral health

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Biomédica (área de especialização em Engenharia Clínica)

Prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults with very low levels of schooling, and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle: the Bambuí Health and Ageing Study (BHAS)

OBJECTIVE: Population-based studies on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in older adults living in less developed countries are scarce. The purpose of this paper was to estimate the prevalence of EDS and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: The study was carried out in Bambuí, a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. EDS was defined as the presence of sleepiness in the last month occurring three or more times per week, with any interference in usual activities. The exploratory variables were: gender, age, skin color, marital status, schooling level, current employment status, religion, recent migration, smoking, binge drinking and physical activities during leisure time. RESULTS: Of 1,742 residents aged > 60 years, 1,514 (86.9%) participated. The prevalence of EDS was 13%. After adjustment for confounders, female gender and low schooling level remained positively and independently associated with EDS. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EDS in the study population was within the range observed in studies carried out in developed countries. The most impressive finding was the association of EDS with schooling, indicating that even in a population with low levels of schooling, this was an important factor to explain the distribution of EDS.

Nanocomposites: the contribution of multiscale modelling to improve the dispersion levels

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciência e Engenharia de Polímeros e Compósitos

A glycolytic phenotype is associated with prostate cancer progression and aggressiveness: a role for Monocarboxylate Transporters as metabolic targets for therapy.

Metabolic adaptation is considered an emerging hallmark of cancer, whereby cancer cells exhibit high rates of glucose consumption with consequent lactate production. To ensure rapid efflux of lactate, most cancer cells express high levels of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), which therefore may constitute suitable therapeutic targets. The impact of MCT inhibition, along with the clinical impact of altered cellular metabolism during prostate cancer (PCa) initiation and progression, has not been described. Using a large cohort of human prostate tissues of different grades, in silico data, in vitro and ex vivo studies, we demonstrate the metabolic heterogeneity of PCa and its clinical relevance. We show an increased glycolytic phenotype in advanced stages of PCa and its correlation with poor prognosis. Finally, we present evidence supporting MCTs as suitable targets in PCa, affecting not only cancer cell proliferation and survival but also the expression of a number of hypoxia-inducible factor target genes associated with poor prognosis. Herein, we suggest that patients with highly glycolytic tumours have poorer outcome, supporting the notion of targeting glycolytic tumour cells in prostate cancer through the use of MCT inhibitors.

Resiliência familiar e risco psicossocial: estudo das percepções das famílias e dos profissionais que as acompanham

Dissertação de mestrado em Estudos da Criança (área de especialização em Intervenção Psicossocial com Crianças, Jovens e Famílias)