Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
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Standardised innovation management systems: modelling the antecedents of certification and maintenance benefits
Publication . Candido, Carlos Joaquim Farias; Cesário, Marisa; Saboya, Liana Mendes de
The literature lacks a comprehensive model examining the performance impact of certifying and maintaining standardised innovation management systems (SIMS), or clarifying the advantages of standardisation. This study addresses that gap by analysing the key determinants of the benefits associated with SIMS certification and maintenance. Drawing on the literature and data collected from 103 Portuguese organisations holding certified SIMS, a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) is developed that encompasses two critical stages of the certification life cycle: initial certification and maintenance. The results reveal that SIMS maintenance significantly influences maintenance benefits, underscoring its pivotal role in sustaining organisational performance. Certification motivations strongly affect certification benefits but do not directly enhance maintenance benefits, exerting only a moderate indirect impact mediated by maintenance motivations. Maintenance motivations, critical success factors (CSFs), and certification benefits emerge as the principal predictors of maintenance benefits. Although certification barriers do not directly influence performance, they exert a persistent indirect negative effect, highlighting the importance of effectively managing maintenance CSFs. In addition, two subsets of organisations display contrasting relationships between barriers and benefits (one negative and the other positive) reflecting differences in strategic alignment with SIMS and in the perceived importance of resource availability. This study is the first to examine the antecedents of SIMS maintenance benefits and to propose an empirical model explaining their determinants; it is also the first to integrate two main stages of the SIMS certification life cycle within a single framework. The findings contribute to the SIMS, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 literature, where such frameworks are currently lacking, and offer valuable theoretical and practical insights for optimising the certification and maintenance of management systems so as to enhance organisational performance. Notably, the study demonstrates that the impact of barriers on performance is nuanced, and reveals the importance of nurturing maintenance motivations, given that initial certification motivations lose their direct effect over time. Overall, the study clarifies not only that standardisation is beneficial, but also how these benefits can be effectively realised and sustained.
Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity
Publication . Alonso, Goizane; Rufà, Anna; Rivals, Florent; Rosell, Jordi; Blasco, Ruth
The interaction between Neanderthals and their environment has long been a subject of interest. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the hunting and processing by Middle Paleolithic human groups. The exploitation of resources provided by small animals, such as leporids and birds, is considered an important aspect for understanding the complex relationships between these hominins and the surrounding environment. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on identifying anthropogenic patterns related to small game processing. However, human groups are not the only contributors to bone accumulations, as mammalian carnivores and birds of prey are also common predators of small animals. In this work, the avian and leporid assemblage from sub-unit IIIb of Teixoneres Cave (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) was analysed. The results indicate a mixed contribution of non-human agents, probably red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and eagle owl (Bubo bubo), together with human activity. Carnivore damage was identified through mechanical modifications and digestive modifications and is quantitatively more significant than the anthropogenic evidence, which is mainly represented by cut marks and burnt bones. Although most burnt bones appear to result from waste-cleaning activities or accidental exposure to fire, cooking activities cannot be ruled out. The exploitation of small prey by Neanderthals and their use of fire are undoubtedly important topics that deserve further investigation. Future research will help to clarify these issues and expand our understanding of the implications of small game exploitation for dietary diversification and the hunting strategies employed by Neanderthal groups.
Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and bioactivities of halophytes and salt-tolerant plants with potential against metabolic syndrome: a comprehensive review
Publication . Rodrigues, Maria João; García-Caparrós, Pedro; Guerreiro Pereira, Catarina Alexandra; Magné, Christian; Hamed, Karim Ben; Mesquita, Mariana Laundry de; Custódio, Luísa
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex cluster of interconnected metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, chronic inflammation, and impaired glucose metabolism, which collectively increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Although current therapeutic strategies, including lifestyle interventions and pharmacological treatments, can be effective in managing specific MetS components, the multifactorial nature of this condition continues to encourage the search for complementary approaches and novel bioactive compounds. Salt-tolerant plants (STPs), particularly halophytes, survive under adverse saline and oxidative stress conditions through specialized physiological and biochemical adaptations, including the production of diverse secondary metabolites such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, sterols, terpenoids and polysaccharides. Several of these compounds have been associated with health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, lipid-modulating and cardioprotective effects. This review provides an integrated and critical overview of the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and bioactivities of STPs with potential relevance to MetS and its associated conditions, namely chronic inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, dyslipidemia and obesity. The review first introduces the main features of MetS and the relevance of STPs as bioresources, followed by a synthesis of ethnomedicinal uses related to MetS-associated disorders. It then discusses in vitro and in vivo evidence for selected species, extracts and compounds, including reported bioactive metabolites and proposed mechanisms of action when available. Finally, the most promising species, extracts and metabolites are highlighted, together with current limitations and future research needs regarding efficacy, safety, bioavailability, standardization and clinical relevance.
Hybrid chemical-biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles with antibacterial efficacy using salicornia and sarcocornia hydroethanolic extracts
Publication . Harboub, Nesrine; Amaral, Mariana Neves; Mighrim, Hedi; Maria, Rui Miguel; Elias, Rita; Perdigão, João; Nunes, Daniela; Fortunato, Elvira; Martins, Rodrigo; Custódio, Luísa; Reis, Catarina Pinto; Akrout, Ahmed; Abdellaoui, Raoudha
This study investigates the use of a hybrid approach combining various ratios of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) with hydroethanolic extracts of Salicornia emerici, Sarcocornia fruticosa, and Sarcocornia alpini as reducing agents for AgNPs synthesis. The resulting nanoparticles were confirmed by the presence of a characteristic absorption peak around 400nm using UV-visible spectroscopy, observed for Sarcocornia-mediated AgNPs at a 1:5 (v/v) extract-to-NaBH4 ratio and at a 1:2 (v/v) ratio for AgNPs synthesized from S. emerici (SE-AgNPs). Furthermore, their size, dispersity and morphology were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The nanoparticles displayed variable sizes with broad polydispersity, reflecting heterogeneous nucleation associated with plant-derived metabolites, and predominantly exhibited a cubic shape. Their antibacterial activity against different bacterial strains was evaluated using the broth microdilution method. All formulations inhibited bacterial growth, showing size-independent efficacy. The inhibition of multidrug-resistant bacteria Enterococcus faecalis was particularly noteworthy, with the strongest efficacy observed in SE-AgNPs at a concentration of 21.9µg/mL. Taken together, the findings suggest that hybrid synthesis can generate bioactive AgNPs while partially reducing dependence on strong chemical reductants. Future work should focus on improving nanoparticle size control, cytotoxicity assessment, and elucidating the mechanistic pathways underlying their bioactivity.
Use of the spatial economic benefit analysis (SEBA) for marine spatial planning: a case including offshore wind energy and fisheries in France
Publication . Pawar, Lokesh; Le Gallic, Bertrand; Ramos, Jorge
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a key instrument for sustainable ocean governance in Europe, yet the spatial distribution of socioeconomic benefits and trade-offs remains poorly documented. This study applies and extends the Spatial Economic Benefit Analysis (SEBA) framework to offshore wind energy and capture fisheries in France, with a focus on the North Atlantic–Western Channel (NAMO) façade. Three extensions are introduced relative to earlier single-sector, single-scale SEBA applications: simultaneous dual-sector comparison, nesting of project-level firm mapping within regional analysis, and delivery through an open, updatable visualization platform that allows planners to re-run the analysis as registries are updated. Twelve indicator families were selected against four explicit criteria (relevance to a SEBA step, spatial attributability, traceability to a planning instrument, and public availability) and cross-validated against independent registries. Offshore wind employment is more unevenly distributed across regions than fishery revenue (Gini 0.59 versus 0.42), and firm presence is a weak proxy for employment: Brittany hosts 26.6% of mapped offshore wind firms but only 6.5% of sectoral full-time equivalents (2.1 FTE per firm), whereas Île-de-France hosts 4.8% of firms and 19.6% of employment (34.6 FTE per firm). Fishery revenue and offshore wind firm counts are positively rank-correlated across coastal regions (Spearman ρ = 0.90, n = 5, p = 0.037), indicating co-location rather than causation: offshore wind constitutes an additional spatial pressure on a sector already contracting (−9.5% employment 2012–2022; −29% vessels 2000–2023). Uncertainty was addressed through a three-tier data confidence classification and sensitivity testing; concentration rankings were robust to extreme reassignments of multi-role firms (ΔGini ≤ 0.06). The analysis is deliberately restricted to the distribution of economic benefits and does not assess ecological impacts, which must be integrated before SEBA outputs inform zoning. Outputs are directly interpretable for façade plan revision, tender local content scoring, and compensation design, and the workflow is transferable to any jurisdiction with public corporate registries and landings statistics.