Biblioteca Digital do IPB
Repositório de Publicações do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
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Unveiling the power of culture: a catalyst for tourism growth in OECD countries
Publication . Abromaite, Sarune; Kuslys, Marius; Correia, Ricardo; Venciute, Dominyka
This study explores the relationship between the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and inbound tourism across 29 OECD countries from 1998 to 2022. By employing
econometric analyses of panel data, including pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects, and random effects (RE), the research addresses a notable gap in empirical evidence concerning the macroeconomic impact of CCIs. The findings reveal a statistically significant positive correlation: a 1% growth in the cultural sector is associated with an increase of more than 0.7% in international tourist arrivals. These results highlight the strategic importance of CCIs in enhancing tourism and emphasize the crucial role of public policy in fostering cultural development as a pathway to sustainable economic growth. This empirical validation deepens our theoretical understanding of culture-driven tourism growth and offers valuable guidance for destination managers and public institutions in crafting cohesive, cross-sectoral policies.
Navigating tomorrow’s wallet: unveiling the distinctive financial journeys across generations
Publication . Correia, Ricardo; Lima, Tássila; Meneses, Raquel
This study examines the distinctive consumer journeys of Generations X, Y, and Z in financial services, specifically the process of opening a bank account. We employed a qualitative approach and conducted six online focus groups with bank account holders. The findings weave a compelling narrative: Generation X, cautious in their digital approach; Generation Y, seamlessly navigating both digital and non-digital realms; and Generation Z, boldly embracing the entirety of their financial journey through digital channels. Breaking new ground, this research pioneers a fresh perspective by delving into the consumer journey within financial services from the customer’s lens, offering a nuanced understanding of the evolving consumer journey in the financial sector. Beyond the academic realm, our findings hold tangible implications for industry practitioners seeking to adapt to different generations’ diverse preferences and behaviors in their financial interactions.
Safe storage of medicines at home: a systematic review
Publication . Pereira, Olívia R.; Sousa, Ana Francisca da Silva; Monteiro, Ana Margarida Vieira; Teixeira, Sérgio Luís Carneiro; Taboada Costa, Xavier; Teixeira
Inadequate home storage of medicines compromises their stability and increases the risk of child access, storage of unused or expired medicines, and improper disposal [1–3].
to evaluate, through a systematic review, home medicines storage practices, focusing on safety and associated risks. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, and the search was performed in the PubMed database between February and May 2025.
The initial query retrieved 369,768 results for the keyword “safety”, which was reduced to 93 when combining “medicines” and “home storage.”
After screening, 87 articles were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria: cross-sectional design, focus on household storage, involvement of community-based populations, last 15-year publication window. Six studies included in the final review.
Frequent inappropriate medicines storage locations, such as kitchens and bathrooms, was reported. In many cases, were stored within reach of children and expired and unused medicines were found in more than half of the households, and improper disposal practices were common. Higher levels of education and training in health-related fields were associated with safer storage and disposal practices.
Conclusions: Improper storage and disposal of medicines are widespread among households. Educational interventions, public awareness campaigns, pharmacy-take back medicines programs, and greater involvement of healthcare professionals, are essential to promote safe use and proper disposal of medicines in household settings.
Keywords: safety, medicines, home storage.
References:
Samha, R., Wali, A., Kadri, S., Al-Assi, F., Al-Khalaf, A., Al-Deeb, A., et al. (2024).
Knowledge and practices on home medication storage and disposal in Syria: A population-based, cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 24(1).
Louhisalmi, M., Lavikainen, P., Linden, K., Martikainen, J., & Timonen, J. (2024).
Amount, type and storage of medicines in households: A survey for medicine users. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 134(1), 40–48.
Hendaus, M. A., Saleh, M., Darwish, S., Mostafa, O., Eltayeb, A., Al-Amri, M., et al. (2021).
Parental perception of medications safe storage in the State of Qatar. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 10(8), 2969–2973.
Population-specific phenotypic plasticity of endangered bivalves in response to extreme events
Publication . Gomes-dos-Santos, André; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Silva, Beatriz; Machado, André M.; Pinto, Rui; Österling, Martin; Wallerius, Magnus Lovén; Urbańska, Maria; Golski, Janusz; Runowski, Sławomir; Kaźmierczak, Sandra; Teixeira, Amilcar; Sousa, Ronaldo; Castro, L. Filipe C.; Castro, Paulo; Carvalho, Francisco; Fonseca, Elza; Froufe, Elsa
Freshwater mussels are among the most endangered animal groups, highly sensitive to climate change due to their strict dependence on freshwater habitats. While freshwater mussels are often considered ecologically strict, their distribution across broad environmental gradients raises the possibility of population-specific adaptations mediated by phenotypic plasticity.
This study investigates whether geographically and climatically distinct populations of two freshwater mussel species (Unio pictorum and Unio delphinus) exhibit different transcriptomic responses to prolonged heat stress and whether these responses reveal signs of local adaptation.
We exposed northern and southern populations of both species to gradually increasing temperatures in controlled laboratory conditions, simulating a prolonged thermal extreme event, and RNA-seq was used to quantify differential gene expression.
Results showed strong differences between northern and southern populations of the two species, both in the magnitude and functional composition of transcriptomic responses. Southern populations exhibited intense expression shifts involving classical stress pathways, heat shock proteins, detoxification (cytochrome P450s), apoptosis, and energy metabolism, while northern populations, particularly U. delphinus, showed a markedly subdued response. Notably, U. pictorum's northern population relied heavily on the cytochrome P450 family even at moderate temperatures, while the southern populations of both species activated broader proteostasis and immune responses at higher stress thresholds.
These findings demonstrate clear population-specific phenotypic plasticity, shaped by environmental conditions rather than phylogenetic proximity. They underscore the need for conservation strategies to move beyond species-level management, embracing intraspecific variation as a buffer against climate impacts. As climate change accelerates, safeguarding the evolutionary potential encoded within populations, not just species, is essential to preserving biodiversity resilience.
Experimental and dynamic modeling study of CO2/N2 separation on ion-exchanged binder-free LTA zeolites for post-combustion carbon capture
Publication . Karimi, Mohsen; Aly, Ezzeldin; Rodrigues, Alírio E.; Freitas, Francisco A. Da Silva; Silva, José A.C.
Ion-exchange modification of commercial binder-free zeolites offers a promising strategy to improve adsorption-based CO2 capture from post-combustion flue gases. In this study, the CO2/ N-2 separation performance of ion-exchanged binder-free Linde-Type A (LTA) zeolites-namely 4 A, 5 A, Sr(40)A, and Sr(80)A-was systematically evaluated under post-combustion capture (PCC) conditions. Adsorption isotherms were measured over the temperature range of 306-344 K and pressures up to 350 kPa. The CO2 uptake followed the order: 5 A > Sr(40)A > Sr(80)A > 4 A, with 5 A achieving the highest loading of 5.58 mol center dot kg(-1) at 120 kPa and 306 K, compared to 4.47 mol center dot kg(-1) for Sr(40)A, 4.45 mol center dot kg(-1) for Sr(80)A, and 3.73 mol center dot kg(-1) for 4 A. The presence of divalent cations (Ca2+ and Sr2+) strengthened the electrostatic interactions, thereby enhancing CO2 affinity relative to the Na-exchanged 4 A. Binary CO2/N-2 breakthrough experiments demonstrated that Sr(80)A exhibited the highest selectivity (75 at 10 kPa and 306 K), followed by 5 A (60), 4 A (51), and Sr(40)A (47). Which the developed mathematical model accurately captured the breakthrough behavior and dynamic performance of the fixed-bed system. Finally, a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to the statistical analysis of selectivity of different studied zeolites and getting the optimum operating conditions.