The influence of fibre orientation on the post-cracking tensile behaviour of steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete

Adding fibres to concrete provides several advantages, especially in terms of controlling the crack opening width and propagation after the cracking onset. However, distribution and orientation of the fibres toward the active crack plane are significantly important in order to maximize its benefits. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the fibre distribution and orientation on the post-cracking tensile behaviour of the steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) specimens is investigated. For this purpose, several cores were extracted from distinct locations of a panel and were subjected to indirect (splitting) and direct tensile tests. The local stress-crack opening relationship (σ-w) was obtained by modelling the splitting tensile test under the finite element framework and by performing an Inverse Analysis (IA) procedure. Afterwards the σ-w law obtained from IA is then compared with the one ascertained directly from the uniaxial tensile tests. Finally, the fibre distribution/orientation parameters were determined adopting an image analysis technique.

The role of temporary accommodation buildings for post-disaster housing reconstruction

The number of houses damaged or destroyed after disasters is frequently large, and re-housing of homeless people is one of the most important tasks of reconstruction programmes. Reconstruction works often last long and during that time, it is essential to provide victims with the minimum conditions to live with dignity, privacy, and protection. This research intends to demonstrate the crucial role of temporary accommodation buildings to provide spaces where people can live and gradually resume their life until they have a permanent house. The study also aims to identify the main problems of temporary accommodation strategies and to discuss some principles and guidelines in order to reach better design solutions. It is found that temporary accommodation is an issue that goes beyond the simple provision of buildings, since the whole space for temporary settlement is important. Likewise, temporary accommodation is a process that should start before a disaster occurs, as a preventive pre-planning. In spite of being temporary constructions, these housing buildings are one of the most important elements to provide in emergency scenarios, contributing for better recovery and reconstruction actions.

Earnings management and stock price crashes post-crossdelisting

We test whether cross-delisted firms from the major U.S. stock exchanges experience an increase in crash risk associated with earnings management. Consistent with our prediction, we find that earnings management have a greater positive impact on stock price crash risk post-cross-delisting when compared to a sample of still cross-listed firms. Moreover, our results suggest that this effect is more pronounced for crossdelisted firms from countries with weaker investor protection and poorer quality of their information environment. We further examine whether managers’ ability to manipulate earnings increases post-cross-delisting around seasoned equity offerings. Our evidence shows that cross-delisted firms that engage in earnings management to inflate reported earnings prior to a seasoned equity offering are more likely to observe a subsequent stock price crash.

Post-operating performance of cross-delisted firms from U.S. stock exchanges

We investigate the long-term performance of cross-delisted firms from U.S. stock markets. Using a sample of foreign firms listed and delisted from U.S. stock exchange markets over 2000-2012, we examine the operating performance and the long-run stock returns performance of firms post-cross-delisting. Our results suggest that cross-delisted firms have less growth opportunities than matched cross-listed firms in the long run. Moreover, firms that cross-delist after the passage of Rule 12h-6 of 2007 exhibit a significant decline in operating performance. In contrast, before the adoption of the Rule 12h-6, cross-delisted firms seem to be affected by the cost of a U.S. listing in the precross -delisting period. In addition, we provide evidence that cross-delisted firms underperform their cross-listed peers; cross-delisted firms experience negative average abnormal returns, especially in the post-delisting period.

Engineering modular viral scaffolds for targeted bacterial population editing

Bacteria are central to human health and disease, but existing tools to edit microbial consortia are limited. For example, broad-spectrum antibiotics are unable to precisely manipulate bacterial communities. Bacteriophages can provide highly specific targeting of bacteria, but assembling well-defined phage cocktails solely with natural phages can be a time-, labor- and cost-intensive process. Here, we present a synthetic biology strategy to modulate phage host ranges by engineering phage genomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We used this technology to redirect Escherichia coli phage scaffolds to target pathogenic Yersinia and Klebsiella bacteria, and conversely, Klebsiella phage scaffolds to target E. coli by modular swapping of phage tail components. The synthetic phages achieved efficient killing of their new target bacteria and were used to selectively remove bacteria from multi-species bacterial communities with cocktails based on common viral scaffolds. We envision this approach accelerating phage biology studies and enabling new technologies for bacterial population editing.

A new page on the road book of inorganic mercury in fish body - tissue distribution and elimination following waterborne exposure and post-exposure periods

prova tipográfica / uncorrected proof

Differential predictors of acute post-surgical pain intensity after abdominal hysterectomy and major joint arthroplasty

Author's personal copy

A estética audiovisual: o caso do Canal 180

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Ciências da Comunicação (área de especialização em Audiovisual e Multimédia)

Da procriação medicamente assistida (aspetos gerais) aos efeitos sucessórios: inseminação homóloga Post Mortem

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito das Crianças, Família e Sucessões

Typologies of post-divorce coparenting and parental well-being, parenting quality and children’s psychological adjustment

First published online: 30 October 2015

Post-divorce representations of marital negotiation during marriage predict parenting alliance in newly divorced parents

Literature demonstrates that marital and co-parenting subsystems are intercorrelated and have autonomous functions in the family system. This study explored representations of marital negotiation strategies for conflict resolution during marriage and parenting alliance relationship after divorce, using data from Portuguese newly divorced parents. In multiple regression analysis, representations of marital negotiation strategies for conflict resolution during marriage used by ex-spouses predict positive parenting alliance relationship after divorce. These results suggest that representations of pre-divorce marital relationship influence positively current interparental relationship regarding child rearing after marital dissolution. Implications for clinical interventions are also discussed.

The real economic effects of cross-delistingfrom the united states: evidence on post-operating performance, financial constraints and stock crash risk

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Empresariais.