uBibliorum
Digital Repository of the University of Beira Interior
A Universidade da Beira Interior, no cumprimento da sua missão, mantém em funcionamento, desde junho de 2009, o Repositório Digital – uBibliorum - integrado na rede de Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP).
A sua função é alojar, disponibilizar, preservar, divulgar e facilitar a citação de toda a investigação científica produzida pelos docentes e investigadores da UBI, mediante autodepósito a ser realizado por cada um deles, e perpetuar a memória científica institucional.
Recent Submissions
Radio Coverage Assessment and Indoor Communication Enhancement in Hospitals: A Case Study at CHUCB
Publication . da Silva, Óscar; Teixeira, Emanuel; Corceiro, Ana; Reis, António; Velez, Fernando J.
The adoption of wireless medical technologies in hospital environments is often limited by cellular coverage issues, especially in indoor areas with complex structures. This study presents a detailed radio spectrum measurement campaign conducted at the Cova da Beira University Hospital Center (CHUCB), using the NARDA SRM-3006 and R&S®TSME6 equipment. The signal strength and quality of 5G NR, LTE, UMTS, and NB-IoT technologies were evaluated. Critical coverage gaps were identified, particularly at points 17, 19, and 21. Results revealed that operators MEO and NOS dominate coverage, with MEO providing better 5G NR coverage and NOS excelling in LTE signal quality. Based on the results, the localized installation of femtocells is proposed to improve coverage in these areas. The approach was designed to be scalable and replicable, with a planned application at Cumura Hospital (Guinea-Bissau), reinforcing the applicability of the solution in contexts with limited infrastructure. This work provides both technical and clinical contributions to achieving ubiquitous cellular coverage in healthcare settings.
Business Internationalization: Motivations, Challenges, Resilience, and the Strategic Impact of N-Tuple Helix Networks
Publication . Martins, Rui Manuel Centeno ; Ferreira, João José de Matos; Farinha, Luís Manuel do Carmo
This thesis aims to study the theme of Business internationalization, analyzing the motivations that encourage companies to expand into international markets, as well as the challenges faced that determine the successful or unsuccessful of companies in adapting to the complexities of the international markets and the decisive strategic impact of N-Tuple of Helices collaborative networks in simplifying and improving the internationalization process. In practical terms, by highlighting business internationalization, this research will allow company managers to understand the main motivating factors and challenges faced in this process and identify resilient strategies to overcome global barriers. Furthermore, the study provides insights on how to benefit from N-Tuple of Helices networks in strengthening partnerships, promoting innovation, obtaining competitive advantages, and contributing to strategic decision-making to improve competitiveness in international markets. In the theoretical context, this study seeks to contribute to the dynamics of business internationalization, exploring the implementation of multi-helix collaborative networks in business initiatives and public policies for the robustness of the internationalization of companies, particularly with regard to the integration of multiple actors, such as academia, companies, government and entities that promote support for internationalization, this research offers an innovative perspective on how these synergies in desire of a common objective, enhance and foster the growth and competitiveness of companies in the global market. This research will follow the empirical-formal research method, which will be characterised by the formulation of research questions based on the theoretical framework, testing these questions and critical reflection, confronting theory with the evidence of observed facts, and safeguarding the possibility of refutation. In the specific case of this research, the formulation of questions will be inspired by the existing theoretical framework on the internationalization of companies, which is a delimited set of observable phenomena. The first empirical essay in this thesis (Chapter 2) is entitled "Analysing stimuli and barriers, failure and resilience in Companies' Internationalization: a systematic and bibliometric review", where the framework and issues of the topic were framed, following a process of deductive reasoning, construction and based on a logic of a chain of reflection in descending order, which consisted of a general theoretical framework for private research cases. The results of the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) allow for the identification of emerging and as yet little explored themes on which the development of the following chapters is based. The second empirical essay in the thesis (Chapter 3), entitled "SMEs internationalization process: from success to insolvency, from brand rebirth to the re-internationalization", highlights the need to better understand the negative impact of these experiences on the internationalization of companies, SMEs with major investments deployed in their internationalization processes, through recourse to high levels of bank financing, in association with the COVID-19 pandemic period, were not able to successfully overcome the calvary of internationalization and culminating in their own bankruptcies, however, despite such failures, the attractiveness and reputation of the brand, supported by the strategic vision and perseverance of new entrepreneurs, enabled the rebirth of the brands and opening the door to their re-entering international markets. The third empirical essay in this thesis (Chapter 4) is entitled "Firms' internationalization: the sustainment process". In this study, we adopted the pragmatist paradigm through a mixed-method research approach that included two distinct studies. The first was a conceptual study focusing on the internationalization strategies of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), which utilized a questionnaire for data collection. This was followed by a qualitative study that involved interviews to explore the factors that enhanced and propelled companies towards greater competitiveness in international markets. The fourth empirical essay in the thesis (Chapter 5) is entitled " What is the Role of Collaborative Networks in the Internationalization of Companies? An N-Tuple Helix Qualitative Approach”. The N-Tuple of Helices is fundamental for increasing the internationalization of companies, allowing adaptation to global complexities and expanding presence in international markets through collaborative networks. The study methodology applied was multiple cases, comprising the current synergies of the Triple Helix and the respective combination between the spheres, thus promoting the viability of the success of government and international projects to increase the national competitiveness of companies in international markets. The present thesis uncovered new insights and a clearer understanding of the business internationalization by highlighting the interplay between internal motivations, external challenges, and organisational resilience in navigating global markets. This study demonstrated how strategic engagement with N-Tuple of Helices networks fosters innovation, facilitates knowledge exchange, and strengthens collaborative efforts among academia, industry and government. Furthermore, the research provides actionable recommendations for business leaders, emphasizing the importance of leveraging multi-stakeholder partnerships to overcome barriers, enhance adaptability, and secure competitive advantages in diverse international contexts. These contributions enrich existing literature and offer a practical framework for businesses aspiring to expand globally in a competitive and strategic way.
Driving Healthcare Monitoring with IoT and Wearable Devices: A Systematic Review
Publication . João Pedro da Silva Baiense; Zdravevski, Eftim; Coelho, Paulo Jorge Simões; Serrano Pires, Ivan Miguel; Velez, Fernando J.
Wearable technologies have become a significant part of the healthcare industry, collecting personal health data and extracting valuable information for real-time assistance. This review article analyzes 35 scientific publications on driving healthcare monitoring with IoT and wearable device applications. These articles were considered in a quantitative and qualitative analysis using the Natural Language Processing framework and the PRISMA methodology to filter the search results. The selected articles were published between January 2010 and May 2024 in one of the following scientific databases: IEEE Xplore, Springer, ScienceDirect (i.e., El- sevier), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), or PubMed Central. The analysis considers population, methods, hardware, features, and communications. The research highlights that data collected from one or numerous sensors is processed and accessible in a database server for various uses, such as informing professional careers or assisting users. The review sug- gests that robust and efficient driving healthcare monitoring with IoT and wearable devices applications can be designed considering the valuable principles presented in this review.
Sweet Cherries as Health Promoters: Valuable Red Fruits with Nutritive and Functional Properties
Publication . Gonçalves, Ana Carolina Almeida ; Silva, Luís Manuel Lopes Rodrigues da; Alves, Gilberto Lourenço; Ferreira, Amílcar Celta Falcão Ramos
Currently, it is widely recognized that consuming fruits and vegetables effectively reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality caused by cardiovascular and cancerous diseases, among others, being widely recommended a daily intake of 400 g of fruits and vegetables. In fact, the potential of fruits and vegetables to treat various ailments and alleviate symptoms, such as migraines, metabolic syndrome, intestinal problems, physical pain, certain cancer types, rheumatoid arthritis, dizziness, colds, fever, psychological fatigue, and symptoms derived from rheumatoid arthritis, among others, has been known since ancient times. Nowadays, the trend is increasing, being accompanied by an emphasis on different communities. This interest is essentially since it is believed that, unlike synthetic pharmaceutics that cause undesirable side effects, natural products have few, or no side effects, and are easy to obtain and economical. Natural products have been the subject of many studies and an important topic of discussion among the medical and scientific communities. Indeed, the biological potential of a wide range of products has already been recognized, being already incorporated in many pharmaceutical drugs. These beneficial activities are directly related to their nutritional constituents, namely due to the presence of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and fiber, as well as phenolic compounds. The combination of all these compounds is beneficial and capable of promoting the good functioning of human organisms, and hence, promoting the normalization of several parameters to basal levels and contributing to general well-being. Among the various compounds, special emphasis has been given to phenolic compounds. As far as we know, phenolic compounds derive from the secondary metabolism of plants and their main function is to protect them against abiotic (water, sunlight, and temperature) and biotic (attacks by microorganisms) factors. These are commonly divided into 2 large subclasses: (i) non-coloured phenolic compounds (e.g., hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, among others) and (ii) coloured compounds (anthocyanins, which are largely responsible by the colors exhibited by various natural products). Recent research has demonstrated that their chemical structure gives them a remarkable ability to reduce levels of oxidative stress and interact with proinflammatory cascades, thus restoring basal levels and consequently reducing the risk of occurrence of many diseases, or alleviating your symptoms, and consequently, contributing to a better quality of life. The human body naturally possesses intracellular antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) that are considered essential for the survival and health of the population, once, under physiological conditions, they are capable of balancing the levels of free radicals. However, given genetic factors, unexpected decompensation, severe discomfort, and lifestyle choices, such as sedentary habits, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and/or intake of foods very rich in fats and calories, the aforementioned enzymes become insufficient to guarantee basal levels, leading to proteins, organs and cells injury. This damage is caused by high levels of free radicals and the appearance of exacerbated inflammatory responses in the human body. Consequently, this decompensation “triggers” for the appearance and progression of many diseases whose prevalence is increasing worldwide. These data are corroborated by many studies, which describe that free radicals and pro-inflammatory species are largely related to oxidative stress, and the appearance of various types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and syndromes, including the metabolic one. Given the mentioned facts, it is not surprising that many studies involving cherries consumption are being carried out, since it is urgent to find accessible and effective therapies for the entire population, and preferably natural based, in order to improve their quality of life. Cherry (Prunus avium Linnaeus) is a fruit highly appreciated by consumers, not only due to its organoleptic characteristics, but also due to its nutritional value and health benefits. In fact, it has been shown that this fruit is an excellent source of macro and micronutrients, and phytochemicals. In fact, this last class of compounds has been the subject of many studies, being a topic of discussion among various communities given their various positive effects on health. Among the different nutritional classes found, cherries have high contents of phenolic compounds, highlighting the presence, until now, of anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids. Particularly, the main compounds identified are cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside and -glucoside, quercetin, rutin, kaempferol, catechin, and ρcoumaroylquinic and chlorogenic acids. Therefore, the richness of cherries in bioactive compounds has been one of the reasons for the growing interest of the scientific community in exploring the beneficial healthpromoting effects associated with their intake. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly well-informed and, once, they are looking for healthy products, such as cherries, there is verified an increase in their demand. Faced with this, the market responds by increasing their global production, especially of the cultivars that most attract consumers. To date, several scientific studies carried out on animals and humans suggest that consuming cherries reduces the risk of several inflammatory and chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. Clinical evidence has already demonstrated that consuming cherries can reduce the scale of pain caused by arthritis, gout and inflammation, possibly due to their ability to increase superoxide dismutase levels, and reduce inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, MDA and PGE-2) and serum levels of C-reactive protein levels, as well as inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, which is one of the main proteins responsible for enhancing the pro-inflammatory response. Furthermore, cherries have also shown to be effective in reducing muscle pain, accelerating recovery and improving the performance of recreational exercisers and high-competition athletes, diminishing risk factors associated with the onset of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and associated with stress and anxiety, thus improving sleep and mood, memory and cognitive functions. More recently, it has been reported that the consumption of cherries can also alleviate hepatic steatosis and inhibit the activity of the α-glucosidase enzyme, thus delaying the conversion of starch and disaccharides into glucose. Furthermore, cherries also show potential to protect human erythrocytes against free radicals and to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. These health-promoting activities are closely related to cherry phenolic content, which is the main responsible for offering this berry, notable antioxidant and antiinflammatory capabilities. This fact is supported by several studies and correlations already performed. In recent years, the production of this fruit has increased considerably worldwide, including in Portugal. Our country produces around 20,000 tonnes per year. A large part of this production occurs in the Fundão region, and hence, it is not surprising that sweet cherries present a distinguished economic impact in this region. The availability of detailed information about their health-promoting properties could lead to an increase in consumer demand, raising their consumption and use of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, contributing to the valorisation of the region and the fixation of people and industrial companies. Therefore, with this doctoral project, the aim was to extensively characterize, for the first time, the quality parameters and phytochemical and mineral composition of the best-known cultivars in the region, with the intention of helping in the selection of the most promising cultivars. In total, 23 cultivars were characterized. The results obtained revealed that, among the cultivars studied, there are significant differences in the physicochemical characteristics and in the phenolic, mineral and volatile profiles, showing the verified variability between the various cherry cultivars is mainly influenced by the genotype of the cultivar. In general, Black star and Starkrimson cultivars had the highest soluble solids content, while the highest acidity value was found in Sweetheart cultivar. On the other hand, Cristalina, Kordia and Santina cultivars were those that exhibited the most intense/dark color, while the lightest ones were Sunburst and Sweetheart. Relatively to phenolic compounds, 46 phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, including 9 hydroxycinnamic acids, 2 hydroxybenzoic acids, 13 flavonols, 5 flavan-3-ols, 2 flavanones, 1 flavanonol and 4 anthocyanins. Among the compounds, chlorogenic acids were the majority noncoloured phenolic compounds, while cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside was the most predominant coloured phenolic compound. Regarding their levels, Sunburst cultivar had the highest amounts of unstained compounds, while the Tavora, Garnet and 4-84 cultivars had the highest concentration of anthocyanins. With regard to mineral content, 27 were identified by ICP-MS and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, namely 12 essential and 15 non-essential. The element potassium (K) was the most abundant element detected in all cultivars, while Thallium (Tl) was the least abundant. On the other hand, the analysis of volatile organic compounds by SPME/GC-MS showed that cherries have a wide variety of these, having been detected a total of 66 volatiles from 8 different families, including 16 aldehydes, 23 alcohols, 6 ketones, 6 esters, 8 monoterpenes, 3 norisoprenoids, 2 hydrocarbons and 2 acids. Among the compounds, benzaldehyde, hexanal, nonanal, benzyl alcohol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1- hexanol, (Z)-2-hexen -1-ol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, linalool, α-terpineol and α-ionone were the main found. Based on the obtained results, from a commercial point of view, Cristalina, Saco, Tavora, 4-84, Bigalise, Celeste and Satin cultivars might be considered some of the most interesting cultivars, since they offer a better flavor and a higher percentage of edible fruit, and consequently, major intake of phytochemicals, mainly due to their size, weight, and phenolic, mineral and volatile contents. The microbial ecology of the Saco cultivar was also explored for the first time. In total, 22 different bacteria and 33 fungi were isolated. The genera of Pseudomonas spp. (27.273%) and Ralstonia spp. (18.182%) were the most dominant bacteria, followed by Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Erwinia spp., Tatumella spp. and Dermacoccus spp. (each with 9.091%). Regarding fungi, Metschnikowia spp. (39.394%) was the most abundant genus, followed by Aureobasidium spp. (27.273%) and Hanseniaspora spp. (18.182%). In the initial stages of fruit development, Erwinia Tasmaniensis, Peudomonas viridiflava and Pseudomonas syringae bacteria are the first to emerge, while Ralstonia pickettii, Bacillus altitudinis, Enterococcus Rotai, Tatumellla terrea, Pseudomonas qingdaonensis, Pseudomonas gramininis, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis and Buttiauxella ferragutiae appear in the final stages of fruit ripening. Regarding fungi, Metschnikowia spp. (39.39%) was the most abundant genus, followed by Aureobasidium spp. (27.27%) and Hanseniaspora spp. (18.18%). The majority of fungi were detected in the final stages of fruit ripening, particularly the fungi Hanseniaspora uvarum, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Hanseniaspora pseudoguilliermondii, Penicillium crustosum, Hanseniaspora meyeri, Aureobasidium proteae and Aureobasidium pullulans. The study of the microbial ecology of fruits and vegetables is vital because they can be a potential vector of foodborne pathogenic diseases and/or an important reservoir of microorganisms capable of improving the quality, characteristics and nutritional value of foods, and exert positive effects on human health. The isolation of certain microorganisms can also be an added value at an industrial level. Additionally, the in vitro biological properties of Saco cultivar were also evaluated, namely its potential to reduce free radicals and pro-inflammatory levels, as well as its potential to protect human blood samples against hemolysis and hemoglobin oxidation, interfere with the growth of cancer cells and with the activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), one of the main proteins related to resistance seen against several drugs, as well of αglucosidase enzyme. It was also observed that both fractions and the total extract can also inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase enzyme. Saco cultivar was chosen to carry out these assays, since it already showed to possess considerable biological properties and also for being one of the most produced cultivars in Portugal, possessing inclusive, protected geographical indication. Therefore, with the intention of increasing knowledge of the biological potential of the various phenolic compounds, and for the first time, 2 fractions rich in phenolic compounds were extracted using a solid phase C18 column, a fraction I, rich in noncoloured phenolic compounds, and fraction II, rich in anthocyanins. For comparison purposes, a total extract (III) rich in both phenolic subclasses was also tested and the results were further compared between them and with positive controls. In general, the three extracts showed a remarkable ability to capture free radicals and ferric species, as well as to interfere with the activity of proteins related to inflammation (iNOS and COX-2), and with the transmembrane transport protein, P-gp, as well as with the activity of α-glucosidase enzyme, in dose-dependent manner. It was also possible to verify that the three extracts demonstrated effectiveness in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, namely colon, stomach and liver cancer cells, causing necrosis at the highest concentration (800 µg/mL for colon and stomach cells) and 100 µg/mL for liver cells). Both fractions and the total extract also showed the ability to reduce induced-oxidative stress in cancer cells, as well as in neuroblastoma model cells. From the obtained data, it is important to highlight the biological potential of the fraction rich in anthocyanins, which is in accordance with the literature. In fact, anthocyanins have been a target of many studies, due to their chemical structure. Indeed, anthocyanins are composed of several hydroxyl groups, which gives them a remarkable biological potential, namely, to reduce levels of free radicals and inflammation. Furthermore, it was also verified that the interaction between different phenolic compounds, which was observed in the total extract, was an added value in the majority of the assays done. In order to deepen the results obtained, the antioxidant activity of the main individual phenolic compounds present in cherries was evaluated against DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals. The obtained values for the DPPH radical revealed that anthocyanins, (-)-epicatechin and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside were the most active phenolic compounds against this radical, while isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside was the least. On the other hand, anthocyanins, (-)-epicatechin, quercetin 3-O-glucoside and caffeic acid proved to be the most effective in scavenging nitric oxide radicals, while ρhydroxybenzoic acid was the least efficient. In relation to the superoxide radical, quercetin and its derivatives showed the highest capacity, while cyanidin aglycone did not show the potential to intercept this radical at the concentrations tested. Additionally, molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies were carried out, and it was observed that compounds with lower molecular masses, such as kaempferol, can easily interact with proteins related to oxidative stress, interfering in their activity, and thus, contributing to lower the concentration of free radicals to basal levels. The results obtained are highly promising and encourage translation into clinical trials, as well as the incorporation of cherries and/or their extracts into new medicines, cosmetic products, food supplements and nutraceuticals.
Gestão do Capital Intelectual no setor da Construção Civil
Publication . Sucena
, André Filipe Calvário ; Nunes, António João Santos; Matos, Florinda Maria Carreira Neto
In a global economy that is constantly changing, academia and organizations face challenges that can be overcome independently. However, cooperation between universities and organizations can enhance their ability to overcome these challenges by increasing competitiveness, implementing new technology, and promoting innovation. The capacity to overcome these barriers can provide value in organisational, academic, and social contexts. With the aim of analyzing the impact of intellectual capital on the organisational performance (growth of the organization) of SMEs in the construction sector, this thesis will consist of five articles. These articles will highlight the importance of studying this issue in the construction sector and how knowledge management and strategic partnerships can influence the relationship between intellectual capital and organisational performance. The objective of the initial article was to examine the impact of intellectual capital on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry. After reviewing the literature, it was determined that the most appropriate approach was to consider intellectual capital as a whole, which is divided into three categories: human capital, relational capital, and structural capital. Three interviews were conducted following the Matos (2013) model. The results indicate that intellectual capital significantly impacts the performance of SMEs in the construction sector. The evidence highlights the importance of knowledge management and strategic partnerships in this relationship. The objective of the second article was to confirm and expand upon the theoretical basis of the findings presented in the first article. After identifying a lack of literature on the subject within the construction sector, we broadened our search parameters and utilized the keywords 'intellectual capital', 'SME', 'company', and 'organisational performance', which yielded 105 articles. Two types of article analysis were conducted. First, we utilized VOSviewer to exclude articles that did not fit the theme. Then, we conducted a manual analysis, resulting in a total of 61 articles. After a thorough analysis, we identified four main clusters. Two of these clusters focused on intellectual capital and innovation, while the other two addressed knowledge management and strategic partnerships, as identified in the first article. This article presents a framework that will serve as the basis for the next two articles. The third article aims to analyze the relationship between organisational performance, intellectual capital, and strategic partnerships, similar to the previous article. The questionnaire answered by 88 companies analyzed the dimensions of partnership management, strategic relationship management, and identification of new partnerships. The article concludes that there is a strong relationship between three constructs: intellectual capital, strategic partnerships, and organisational performance. These constructs influence each other and have a joint influence on organisational performance. The language used is clear, objective, and value-neutral, and the text is free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. The content of the improved text is as close as possible to the source text, and no new aspects have been added. The fourth article employed a questionnaire to assess the applicability of the previously proposed framework in the context of SMEs in the construction sector. The questionnaire was administered to 88 entities, and the results indicated a significant correlation between knowledge management, intellectual capital, and organisational performance, with each factor influencing the others. The study found that the first two concepts individually influence the organisational performance of SMEs in the construction sector. However, when considered together, they have a greater impact on the latter concept. The article examines knowledge management in terms of knowledge storage, creation, and sharing. The framework is based on the first analysis of the field of study, the analysis of the theoretical basis, and two studies that confirmed the previously identified theoretical basis through a questionnaire. The fifth and final article presents a framework for companies, particularly in the construction sector, to analyze their environment and enhance their organisational performance. This research contributes to future research related to the topic under study and to the theoretical base.