Creep behaviour of cracked steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete laminar structures

Tese de Doutoramento - Civil Engineering

Maternal attachment representations in relation to emotional availability and discipline behaviour

"Published online: 15 Sep 2015."

Thermal���mechanical behaviour of chitosan���cellulose derivative thermoreversible hydrogel films

CH, Chitosan; HPMC, (Hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose; FT, Freeze-thaw; SC, Solvent casting; CH:HPMC (X:Y), pH Z, FT/SC, Chitosan and (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose hydrogel, at X and Y proportion (0-100), at Z pH (3.0-4.0) and prepared by freeze-thaw or solvent casting techniques; DSC, Differential scanning calorimetry; MDSC, Temperature modulated Differential scanning calorimetry; Tg, glass transition temperature; ��H, enthalpy change; TGA, Thermogravimetric Analysis; TG, Thermogravimetry; DTG, Derivative or Differential thermogravimetry; ��, Tensile strength; ��, elongation at break; DMA, Dynamic mechanical analysis; X-Ray, X-radiation, FTIR-ATR, Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; SEM, Scanning electron microscopy.

Erratum to: Thermal���mechanical behaviour of chitosan���cellulose derivative thermoreversible hydrogel films

CH, Chitosan; HPMC, (Hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose; FT, Freeze-thaw; SC, Solvent casting; CH:HPMC (X:Y), pH Z, FT/SC, Chitosan and (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose hydrogel, at X and Y proportion (0-100), at Z pH (3.0-4.0) and prepared by freeze-thaw or solvent casting techniques; DSC, Differential scanning calorimetry; MDSC, Temperature modulated Differential scanning calorimetry; Tg, glass transition temperature; ��H, enthalpy change; TGA, Thermogravimetric Analysis; TG, Thermogravimetry; DTG, Derivative or Differential thermogravimetry; ��, Tensile strength; ��, elongation at break; DMA, Dynamic mechanical analysis; X-Ray, X-radiation, FTIR-ATR, Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; SEM, Scanning electron microscopy.

Automatic eye blink detection using consumer web cameras

This research aims to advance blinking detection in the context of work activity. Rather than patients having to attend a clinic, blinking videos can be acquired in a work environment, and further automatically analyzed. Therefore, this paper presents a methodology to perform the automatic detection of eye blink using consumer videos acquired with low-cost web cameras. This methodology includes the detection of the face and eyes of the recorded person, and then it analyzes the low-level features of the eye region to create a quantitative vector. Finally, this vector is classified into one of the two categories considered ���open and closed eyes��� by using machine learning algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology was demonstrated since it provides unbiased results with classification errors under 5%

Biological behaviour of thin films consisting of Au nanoparticles dispersed in a TiO2 dielectric matrix

In this work it was studied the possible use of thin films, composed of Au nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a TiO2 matrix, in biological applications, by evaluating their interaction with a well-known protein, Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), as well as with microbial cells (Candida albicans). The films were produced by one-step reactive DC magnetron sputtering followed by heat-treatment. The samples revealed a composition of 8.3 at.% of Au and a stoichiometric TiO2 matrix. The annealing promoted grain size increase of the Au NPs from 3 nm (at 300 ��C) to 7 nm (at 500 ��C) and a progressive crystallization of the TiO2 matrix to anatase. A broad localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption band (�� = 580���720 nm) was clearly observed in the sample annealed at 500 ��C, being less intense at 300 ��C. The biological tests indicated that the BSA adhesion is dependent on surface nanostructure morphology, which in turn depends on the annealing temperature that changed the roughness and wettability of the films. The Au:TiO2 thin films also induced a significant change of the microbial cell membrane integrity, and ultimately the cell viability, which in turn affected the adhesion on its surface. The microstructural changes (structure, grain size and surface morphology) of the Au:TiO2 films promoted by heat-treatment shaped the amount of BSA adhered and affected cell viability.

Investor sentiment and the cross-section of stock returns in the French stock market

Disserta����o de mestrado em Finan��as

Experimental and numerical studies of hybrid PCM embedded in plastering mortar for enhanced thermal behaviour of buildings

This paper proposes a methodology for improvement of energy efficiency in buildings through the��innovative simultaneous incorporation of three distinct phase change materials (here termed as hybrid��PCM) in plastering mortars for fa��ade walls. The thermal performance of a hybrid PCM mortar was��experimentally evaluated by comparing the behaviour of a prototype test cell (including hybrid PCM��plastering mortar) subjected to realistic daily temperature profiles, with the behaviour of a similar��prototype test cell, in which no PCM was added. A numerical simulation model was employed (using��ANSYS-FLUENT) to validate the capacity of simulating temperature evolution within the prototype��containing hybrid PCM, as well as to understand the contribution of hybrid PCM to energy efficiency.��Incorporation of hybrid PCM into plastering mortars was found to have the potential to significantly��reduce heating/cooling temperature demands for maintaining the interior temperature within comfort��levels when compared to normal mortars (without PCM), or even mortars comprising a single type of��PCM.

���PhenoWorld���: a new multidimensional strategy for studying behaviour in rodents

Tese de Doutoramento em Ci��ncias da Sa��de

Effective stiffness behaviour of sandwich beams under uncoupled bending and torsion loadings

Sandwich geometries, mainly in the form of panels and beams, are commonly applied in various transportation industries, such as aerospace, aeronautic and automotive. Sandwich geometries represent important advantages in structural applications, namely high specific stiffness, low weight, and possibility of design optimization prior to manufacturing. The aim of this paper is to uncover the influence of the number of reinforcements (ribs), and of the thickness on the mechanical behavior of all-metal sandwich panels subjected to uncoupled bending and torsion loadings. In this study, four geometries are compared. The orientation of the reinforcements and the effect of transversal ribs are also considered in this study. It is shown that the all the relations are non-linear, despite the elastic nature of the analysis in the Finite Element software ANSYS MECHANICAL APDL.

Contribution to an efficient transmission of information to the textile fashion consumer and the influence in sustainable attitudes

The concepts involved in sustainable textile fashion, demanding good knowledge about raw materials, processes, end use properties and circuits amongst others, are able to determine the way the textile product is designed and the behavior of the consumer, regarding life style and buying decisions. The textile product`s life integrates raw materials, their processing, distribution, use by the consumer and destination of the product after useful lifetime, this is, his complete life cycle. It is very important to recognize the power of the consumer to influence parameters related to sustainability, namely when he decides how, when and why he buys and afterwards by the attitudes taken during and after use. The conscious act of consumption involves ethical, ecological and technical knowledge in which the concern is overall lifecycle of the fashion product and not exclusively aesthetic and symbolic values strongly related with its ephemeral nature. The present work proposes the classification of textile products by means of an innovative label aiming to establish a rating related to the Life of Fashion Products, by using parameters considered with especial impact in lifecycle, as textile fibers, processing conditions, generated wastes, commercialization circuits, durability and cleaning procedures. This label for sustainable fashion products aims to assist the stakeholders with informed attitudes and correct decisions in order to promote the objectives of sustainable fashion near designers, consumers and industrial experts.