Polytechnic Institute of Porto

The field of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences is currently undergoing a profound transformation [...]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how behavioural (employee knowledge, attitudes and secure practices) and structural (technical safeguards and external IS integration) cybersecurity factors affect the quality of accounting information systems (QAIS) and, in turn, accounting information quality (QAI) in small and medium-sized enterprises. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of Portuguese certified accountants and financial managers (n = 60) was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test a mediated model linking cybersecurity practices to QAIS and QAI. Findings Behavioural cybersecurity dimensions significantly enhance QAIS, whereas structural controls show no direct effect, reflecting SMEs’ resource constraints. QAIS strongly predicts QAI, confirming its mediating role between cybersecurity practices and financial data quality. Research limitations/implications The small, single-country sample and self-reported measures limit generalisability and raise potential common method bias; future studies should adopt longitudinal or multi-method designs and explore emerging technologies (e.g. AI and blockchain) in SMEs. Practical implications Low-cost, behaviour-focused interventions (training, awareness and reinforcement of secure routines) can meaningfully improve QAIS and QAI when sophisticated cybersecurity infrastructure is unattainable; policy support (subsidies, shared services) can mitigate structural gaps. Social implications Strengthening SME cybersecurity behaviour and system quality enhances the reliability of financial reporting, supporting stakeholder trust, compliance and sustainable economic resilience. Originality/value This study extends behavioural cybersecurity models (e.g. HAIS-Q) into an accounting context and empirically validates QAIS as a strategic mediator connecting cybersecurity behaviours with financial reporting integrity in resource-constrained SMEs, a setting underrepresented in prior research.

This study investigates how pandemic-induced digitalisation, understood as the transition to remote work combined with the enforced use of digital tools and the reconfiguration of tasks and digital skills at the job level, has affected job security and job quality in Portugal. In 2022, a nationwide survey was administered to employees in companies registered in the country, yielding 2001 valid responses through a stratified random sampling strategy that ensured representation across different firm sizes. Structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the relationships between digitalisation (independent construct) and perceived job quality and job security (dependent constructs), while controlling for demographic, organisational, and work-regime characteristics. Digitalisation had a significant positive effect on perceived job quality but no systematic effect on perceived job security. The results also revealed more positive perceptions of job security among women, employees in smaller firms, and those working on-site, whereas directors and workers in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area reported greater negative effects. These findings underscore the importance of contextual factors in shaping how workers experience digitalisation and provide evidence to inform public policies aimed at promoting job security and job quality in a post-COVID-19 labour market.

Soil electrical conductivity (EC) and aggregate-size distribution are critical indicators of soil salinity risk, structural integrity, and overall soil health. We assessed the status of these properties in 188 wheat plots across nine European pedoclimatic zones to quantify the influence of climate and agricultural management. Most soils (~88%) were non-saline, 9% slightly saline, and 3% moderately saline, with the highest salinity in Mediterranean regions. EC was generally lower under organic management, reflecting higher soil organic carbon, improved porosity, and enhanced cation retention. Soils were dominated by small macroaggregates (250–2000 µm) and large microaggregates (53–250 µm), together accounting for an average of 73% of total aggregates. Climate was the primary determinant of both EC and aggregate distribution, with drier and warmer conditions promoting salinization and smaller aggregate sizes, whereas wetter conditions favored macroaggregate formation. Agricultural management had a secondary but context-dependent effect, particularly on soil aggregation, with organic farming, integrated organomineral fertilization, crop residue incorporation, and legume rotations enhancing macroaggregate formation, especially in low-SOC soils. These results indicate that pedoclimatic conditions largely shape soil salinity and structure, but adopting targeted, site-specific management practices can sustain soil health and mitigate risks related to salinity and structure, particularly under projected climate change.

The widespread integration of entrepreneurial education (EE) in higher education programs is often underpinned by assumptions of positive effects on students' entrepreneurial competences (EC) and entrepreneurial intentions (EI). Nevertheless, there is missing empirical evidence on such impact and methodologically robust approaches that combine output metrics with an exploration of the dynamics involved in the processes derived from EE. The objectives of this study are: (1) to analyze the impact of EE on the EC and EI of university students; and (2) to test the occurrence of a polarizing effect on EI. The theoretical framework combines Competency-Based Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). We adopted a quasi-experimental longitudinal design with a single-group pretest-posttest approach, involving 84 students from six Portuguese universities. We used validated measurement scales to assess EC and EI. Findings support a statistically significant effect on the development of EC, with a large pre/post effect (Cohen's d = 0.80), both at the global construct level and across all its dimensions. Although no significant effect was found on EI, there was some evidence suggesting positive, asymmetric polarization, reinforcing initially positive intentions more strongly than negative ones. • Entrepreneurial education significantly boosts entrepreneurial competencies, especially in women and undergraduates. • No overall intentions increase after entrepreneurial education, but evidence of asymmetric positive polarization. • Entrepreneurial education reshapes entrepreneurial perceptions (profile, difficulty, process), clarifying cognitive barriers.

Introdução: A dor lombar é uma queixa frequente em profissionais de saúde, nomeadamente em profissionais de enfermagem, com impacto multidimensional no desempenho e na participação, e comprometimento da qualidade de vida. Objetivos: analisar a relação da dor lombar não específica com a qualidade de vida em enfermeiras. Material e Métodos: Estudo observacional analítico transversal, através de questionário online contendo o Questionário Nórdico Músculo-esquelético e a versão breve do World Health Organization Quality of Life. Análise estatística incluiu: Correlação de Pearson, Teste Mann-Whitney e Modelo de regressão linear múltipla. Resultados: Amostra (n=62), maioritariamente feminina (87,1%), com idades compreendidas entre os 22 e os 57 anos. Existem diferenças significativas no domínio global da QV entre enfermeiras praticantes e não praticantes de atividade física (p=0,042), e entre enfermeiras fumadoras e não fumadoras (p=0,004) mas não se verificou associação da intensidade da dor lombar com a qualidade de vida (p=0,080). Os hábitos tabágicos (p=0,007) e a prática de atividade física (p=0,016) podem predizer o domínio global da QV. Conclusões: Este estudo sugere uma influência significativa do tabagismo e da atividade física na qualidade de vida de enfermeiros, e ainda sugere que não existe uma associação significativa da intensidade da dor lombar com a qualidade de vida. Estes resultados parecem reforçar a importância de estratégias de promoção da saúde no ambiente de trabalho, com foco na cessação do tabagismo e no incentivo à atividade física, além de apontarem para a necessidade de mais estudos longitudinais que explorem essas relações ao longo do tempo.

Os antibióticos desempenham um papel essencial na medicina humana e na pecuária, sendo o metronidazol (MTZ), um derivado 5-nitroimidazólico, amplamente utilizado no tratamento de infeções anaeróbicas e doenças parasitárias. Apesar da sua eficácia clínica, o MTZ e os seus metabolitos persistem no ambiente devido a efluentes domésticos e hospitalares, à utilização ilícita em animais e à aplicação de resíduos como fertilizante, levantando preocupações significativas sobre os riscos para espécies não-alvo (Majidi et al., 2024). Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática tendo como objetivo reunir e analisar a literatura científica disponível sobre os efeitos da exposição de plantas ao MTZ, avaliando impactos fisiológicos, bioquímicos e morfológicos, de forma a fornecer uma compreensão dos riscos ambientais associados à presença deste fármaco em ecossistemas agrícolas e naturais. A pesquisa foi conduzida nas bases de dados PubMed, Web of Science e Science-Direct, seguindo a metodologia PRISMA (Page et al., 2024) e incluiu exclusivamente estudos experimentais com plantas expostas ao MTZ. A qualidade dos estudos foi avaliada com base numa checklist adaptada do instrumento de avaliação crítica do Joanna Briggs Institute (Barker et al., 2024). Observou-se absorção do MTZ em todas as espécies, embora os efeitos tenham sido heterogéneos. Chrysopogon zizanioides, Colocasia esculenta, Allium cepa e Glycine max evidenciaram inibição do crescimento e aumento do stress oxidativo, enquanto Lemna minor e Zea mays apresentaram alterações mínimas. Entre os principais indicadores de stress registaram-se o aumento de espécies reativas de oxigénio, a redução do teor de clorofila, a diminuição da atividade fotossintética, o aumento da peroxidação lipídica e da atividade das enzimas antioxidantes e o comprometimento da síntese de ácidos gordos. A intensidade dos efeitos revelou-se dependente da espécie, da concentração de MTZ e da duração da exposição. De forma geral, os resultados sublinham a necessidade de um maior escrutínio sobre o destino ambiental e os efeitos não intencionais do MTZ. Esta revisão evidencia a escassez de estudos de longo prazo em condições ambientais, reforçando a importância de investigações futuras que permitam avaliar de forma robusta os riscos ecotoxicológicos deste composto.

A política comum em matéria de asilo desenvolvida pela União Europeia alicerça-se no respeito pelos direitos fundamentais. Nesta medida, o direito de um requerente de proteção internacional permanecer ou residir num Estado deve ser acompanhado pelo reconhecimento de um estatuto migratório que lhe garanta o acesso a um conjunto de direitos que lhe permita viver condignamente. Acresce que o princípio da igualdade é estruturante da ordem jurídica da União e, tal como resulta do artigo 21.° da CDFUE, deve interpretado em conformidade com o artigo 14.° da CEDH, impondo a não discriminação dos beneficiários de proteção internacional. Serão, neste trabalho, apresentados os contornos gerais da política de asilo europeia, a importância do princípio da equiparação no quadro do seu funcionamento, e, tendo em conta as necessidades de inclusão destas pessoas, procurar-se-á saber se o cooperativismo – também aqui - poderá ser uma resposta para a eliminação da pobreza e da pressão migratória a que os Estados-membros têm estado sujeitos.

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Introduction:</bold> Unilateral pontine stroke can impair upper limb motor function due to damage in brainstem motor pathways. An emerging intervention approach proposes the combination of neuroplasticity-inducing techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with task-specific training exercises like robot-assisted therapy. <bold>Objective:</bold> To examine the effects of primary motor cortex dual-tDCS (excitatory ipsilesional and inhibitory contralesional) combined with collaborative robot-assisted therapy on hand/upper limb motor function and fatigue of a patient with unilateral chronic pontine stroke. <bold>Methodology:</bold> A 10-session protocol combining dual-tDCS with a collaborative robot-assisted upper limb exercises was employed. Outcome measures (assessed pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up) included hand/upper limb motor function (manual dexterity, hand grip strength, motor reaction time, shoulder flexion range of motion) and perceived physical and mental fatigue. A structured interview was conducted to capture the participant’s subjective perception of improvement. <bold>Results:</bold> The patient showed significant post-intervention improvements in manual dexterity, shoulder flexion range of motion, and hand grip strength, while also displaying reduction in physical fatigue. These results were largely retained after the 1-month follow-up period. The structured interview indicated that the patient reported greater participation in daily activities, with less perceived fatigue. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The combination of dual-tDCS with robot-assisted therapy in a patient with unilateral chronic pontine stroke demonstrated positive effects on hand/upper limb motor function as well as on physical fatigue. This intervention protocol may be a useful and engaging complementary rehabilitation approach for several stroke subtypes.