Percorrer por autor "Carvalho, Inês"
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- Absorptive capacity and cultural diversity in the restaurant sectorPublication . Lins de Moraes, Michelle; Carvalho, Inês; Silva, Bernardo; Correia, Antónia; do Carmo, ManuelAn important way to develop innovation is through organizations’ absorptive capacity (ACAP). ACAP can be understood as the ability of companies to innovate through the application of external knowledge (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990). One hospitality industry that could potentially leverage ACAP is restaurants. Innovation is still scarcely applied in restaurant companies despite the relevance of competitive advantage stemming from innovation (Blöcher & Alt, 2021). According to Gao et al. (2017), one of the most relevant ACAP models in the literature was developed by Zahra and George in 2002. It considers the following dimensions: antecedents (knowledge sources); activation triggers (aspects that encourage companies to search for external knowledge, e.g. crises); components (acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation of knowledge); (in)formal social integration mechanisms (which promote the sharing of knowledge among employees); regimes of appropriability (e.g. patents); and outcomes (e.g. innovation). Recent studies have highlighted the relevance of employees to ACAP dimensions in the tourism sector (Moraes et al., 2021). In fact, the workforce of this sectors has high levels of cultural diversity. Cultural diversity has been considered a key aspect for management innovation in these companies (Manoharan et al., 2019). The number of publications about ACAP in tourism has increased in the last years; however, the relationship between ACAP and aspects such as cultural diversity is still an understudied subject. The present study researched how cultural diversity in the workforce is associated with restaurants’ ACAP in order to contribute to a better understanding about these dynamics.
- Dietary tryptophan intervention counteracts stress-induced transcriptional changes in a teleost fish HPI axis during inflammationPublication . Peixoto, Diogo; Carvalho, Inês; Machado, Marina; Aragão, Cláudia; Costas, Benjamín; Azeredo, RitaImmune nutrition is currently used to enhance fish health by incorporating functional ingredients into aquafeeds. This study aimed to investigate the connections between tryptophan nutrition and the network that regulates the communication pathways between neuroendocrine and immune systems in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). When tryptophan was supplemented in the diet of unstressed fish, it induced changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis response to stress. Tryptophan-mediated effects were observed in the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoid receptors. Tryptophan supplementation decreased pro-opiomelanocortin b-like levels, that are related with adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol secretion. When stressed fish fed a tryptophan-supplemented diet were subjected to an inflammatory stimulus, plasma cortisol levels decreased and the expression of genes involved in the neuroendocrine response was altered. Modulatory effects of tryptophan dietary intervention on molecular patterns seem to be mediated by altered patterns in serotonergic activity.
- Dietary tryptophan intervention counteracts stress-induced transcriptional changes in a teleost fish HPI axis during inflammationPublication . Peixoto, Diogo; Carvalho, Inês; Machado, Marina; Aragão, Cláudia; Costas, Benjamín; Azeredo, RitaImmune nutrition is currently used to enhance fish health by incorporating functional ingredients into aquafeeds. This study aimed to investigate the connections between tryptophan nutrition and the network that regulates the communication pathways between neuroendocrine and immune systems in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). When tryptophan was supplemented in the diet of unstressed fish, it induced changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis response to stress. Tryptophan-mediated effects were observed in the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoid receptors. Tryptophan supplementation decreased pro-opiomelanocortin b-like levels, that are related with adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol secretion. When stressed fish fed a tryptophan-supplemented diet were subjected to an inflammatory stimulus, plasma cortisol levels decreased and the expression of genes involved in the neuroendocrine response was altered. Modulatory effects of tryptophan dietary intervention on molecular patterns seem to be mediated by altered patterns in serotonergic activity.
- From sea monsters to charismatic megafauna: changes in perception and use of large marine animalsPublication . Mazzoldi, Carlotta; Bearzi, Giovanni; Brito, Cristina; Carvalho, Inês; Desiderà, Elena; Endrizzi, Lara; Freitas, Luis; Giacomello, Eva; Giovos, Ioannis; Guidetti, Paolo; Ressurreição, Adriana; Tull, Malcolm; MacDiarmid, AlisonMarine megafauna has always elicited contrasting feelings. In the past, large marine animals were often depicted as fantastic mythological creatures and dangerous monsters, while also arousing human curiosity. Marine megafauna has been a valuable resource to exploit, leading to the collapse of populations and local extinctions. In addition, some species have been perceived as competitors of fishers for marine resources and were often actively culled. Since the 1970s, there has been a change in the perception and use of megafauna. The growth of marine tourism, increasingly oriented towards the observation of wildlife, has driven a shift from extractive to non-extractive use, supporting the conservation of at least some species of marine megafauna. In this paper, we review and compare the changes in the perception and use of three megafaunal groups, cetaceans, elasmobranchs and groupers, with a special focus on European cultures. We highlight the main drivers and the timing of these changes, compare different taxonomic groups and species, and highlight the implications for management and conservation. One of the main drivers of the shift in perception, shared by all the three groups of megafauna, has been a general increase in curiosity towards wildlife, stimulated inter alia by documentaries (from the early 1970s onwards), and also promoted by easy access to scuba diving. At the same time, environmental campaigns have been developed to raise public awareness regarding marine wildlife, especially cetaceans, a process greatly facilitated by the rise of Internet and the World Wide Web. Currently, all the three groups (cetaceans, elasmobranchs and groupers) may represent valuable resources for ecotourism. Strikingly, the economic value of live specimens may exceed their value for human consumption. A further change in perception involving all the three groups is related to a growing understanding and appreciation of their key ecological role. The shift from extractive to non-extractive use has the potential for promoting species conservation and local economic growth. However, the change in use may not benefit the original stakeholders (e.g. fishers or whalers) and there may therefore be a case for providing compensation for disadvantaged stakeholders. Moreover, it is increasingly clear that even non-extractive use may have a negative impact on marine megafauna, therefore regulations are needed.
- Mother knows best: occurrence and associations of resighted humpback whales suggest maternally derived fidelity to a southern hemisphere coastal feeding groundPublication . Barendse, Jaco; Best, Peter B.; Carvalho, Inês; Pomilla, CristinaSite fidelity is common among migratory cetaceans, including humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In the Northern Hemisphere it has been found that fidelity to humpback whale feeding grounds is transferred maternally but this has never been shown for the species in the Southern Hemisphere. We examined this in a unique feeding area off west South Africa using resighting data of 68 individually identified humpback whales by means of photographic (tail flukes and dorsal fins) and/or molecular methods (microsatellite genotyping) over an 18 year span. We found short-term association patterns and recurrent visits typical of other feeding grounds. Males and females had different seasonality of attendance. Significant female-dominated presence corresponded to timing of an expected influx of females on their southward migration from the breeding ground: firstly non-nursing (possibly pregnant) females in mid-spring, and mothers and calves in mid-to late summer. The potential benefit of this mid-latitude feeding area for females is illustrated by a record of a cow with known age of at least 23 years that produced calves in three consecutive years, each of which survived to at least six months of age: the first record of successful post-partum ovulation for this species in the Southern Hemisphere. We recorded association of a weaned calf with its mother, and a recurring association between a non-lactating female and male over more than two years. Moreover, three animals first identified as calves returned to the same area in subsequent years, sometimes on the same day as their mothers. This, together with numerous Parent-Offspring relations detected genetically among and between resighted and non-resighted whales is strongly suggestive of maternally derived site fidelity at a small spatial scale by a small sub-population of humpback whales.
- Population structure of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in west coast of AfricaPublication . Carvalho, Inês; Rosenbaum, Howard; Cancela, LeonorA baleia corcunda (Megaptera novaeangliae) é uma das espécies mais conhecidas e mais facilmente identificáveis das grandes baleias. Tal como os outros misticetos, as baleias corcunda têm um ciclo de vida marcadamente sazonal, passando o Inverno em águas costeiras quentes nos trópicos, onde acasalam e têm as crias, migrando depois para zonas frias de grande produtividade onde se alimentam. No hemisfério sul ocorrem várias populações de baleias corcunda. O presente trabalho contribui para um maior conhecimento da biologia e estrutura populacional das baleias corcunda que ocorrem na costa oeste africana (stock B - Comissão Baleeira Internacional) desde o Golfo da Guiné (região B1) até à Africa do Sul (região B2). Foi utilizada uma abordagem metodológica multidisciplinar, tendo por base estudos a nível local e regional, focando sobretudo aspectos ligados aos padrões temporais e espaciais desta população. Com base num extenso conjunto de dados de ADN mitocondrial e microssatélites, verificou-se a existência de uma estruturação tanto a nível temporal como espacial entre as duas regiões. Surgiram igualmente vi diferenças ao nível da fidelidade ao local e no sex ratio. Mais, os animais que estão presentes durante os meses de Verão na costa oeste da África do Sul são os que mais contribuem para esta diferenciação. Em conjunto, estas evidências sugerem que uma parte das baleias que se alimenta na África do Sul pertence a uma área de reprodução desconhecida. A importância da temperatura da superfície do mar na distribuição destes animais nesta área foi demonstrada a nível local e regional. Este estudo descreveu ainda, pela primeira vez, as características das baleias corcundas na ilha de São Tomé e descobriu que esta região é utilizada sobretudo por pares mães-cria, como zona de nascimento ou descanso, facto que sugere que esta pode ser uma zona importante do ponto de vista da conservação nesta região.
- Pre- and post-pandemic travel behaviour and intentions: Clustering Portuguese generationsPublication . Ramires, Ana; Carvalho, Inês; Correia, AntóniaThe paper examines generational travel behaviour and intentions of Portuguese tourists before and after the pandemic. The comparisons established a framework to understand what really has changed. The sample includes 490 Portuguese tourists. Our analysis revealed three clusters which are distinct in terms of generation belonging and distance travelled, among other variables. The results suggest that the willingness to travel is higher than previously, working as a kind of revenge to mitigate the isolation times. Strategical implications for practitioners are outlined.
- The waters of São Tomé: a calving ground for West African humpback whales?Publication . Carvalho, Inês; Brito, C.; dos Santos, M. E.; Rosenbaum, H. C.In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae feed in Antarctic waters during the austral summer and migrate to their breeding grounds in subtropical and tropical waters during the winter. Historical whaling records suggest that the Archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, serves as a possible breeding ground. In order to investigate the temporal occurrence and group composition of humpback whales around Sao Tome Island, annual surveys were conducted during the breeding season between 2002 and 2006. A total of 186 boat-based surveys took place during this period. Data collected during each sighting included geographical positions, group size, group composition and behavioural classifications. Of the 66 groups encountered, mother/calf pairs made up a large proportion (65.15%), followed by solitary individuals (15.15%). Mother/calf pairs were seen in the region into November and resightings of identified animals indicate periods of occupancy that extended over three weeks. Few behaviours typically associated with mating activity were observed. Given the high percentage of mother/calf pairs, sometimes with very young calves, and the low frequency of mating activity, the waters of Sao Tome may primarily serve as a calving and nursing or resting area for humpback whales.
- Tryptophan modulatory role in European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) immune response to acute inflammation under stressful conditionsPublication . Machado, Marina; Peixoto, Diogo; Santos, Paulo; Ricardo, Ana; Duarte, Inês; Carvalho, Inês; Raquel Cêa de Aragão Teixeira, Cláudia; Azeredo, Rita; Costas, BenjamínThe present work aimed to study the role of dietary tryptophan supplementation in modulating the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) immune condition during stressful rearing conditions (i.e., 15 days exposure to high density), as well as the immune response to acute inflammation after intraperitoneal injection of a bacterial pathogen. Stress alone did not compromise seabass health indicators. In contrast, a clear peripheral and local inflammatory response was observed in response to the inoculated bacteria. Moreover, exposure to a high stocking density seemed to exacerbate the inflammatory response at early sampling points, compared to fish stocked at a lower density. In contrast, stressed fish presented some immune-suppressing effects on the T-cell surface glycoprotein receptor expressions at a late sampling point following inflammation. Regarding the effects of dietary tryptophan, no changes were observed on seabass immune indicators prior to inflammation, while a small number of immunosuppressive effects were observed in response to inflammation, supporting tryptophan’s role in the promotion of immune-tolerance signals during inflammation. Nonetheless, tryptophan dietary supplementation improved the inflammatory response against a bacterial pathogen during stressful conditions, supported by a reduction of plasma cortisol levels, an up-regulation of several immune-related genes at 48 h, and an inversion of the previously observed, stress-induced T-cell suppression. Finally, the involvement of tryptophan catabolism in macrophages was confirmed by the up-regulation of genes involved in the kynurenine pathway. The present study brings new insights regarding the immune modulatory role of tryptophan during stressful conditions in fish, thus allowing for the development of novel prophylactic protocols during vaccination by intraperitoneal injection in the European seabass.