Development of procedures for the design, optimization and manufacturing of customized orthopaedic and trauma implants: Geometrical/anatomical modelling from 3D medical imaging

Tese de Doutoramento (Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Biomédica)

Examining mindfulness and its relation to self-differentiation and alexithymia

Published online first in 10 July 2013

Análisis mecánico de albañilería arqueológica de adobe bajo cargas de compresión uniaxial: El caso de Huaca de la Luna

This article presents an experimental and numerical study for the mechanical characterization under uniaxial compressive loading of the adobe masonry of one of the most emblematic archaeological complex in Peru, 'Huaca de la Luna' (100-650AD). Compression tests of prisms were carried out with original material brought to the laboratory. For measuring local deformations in the tests, displacement transducers were used which were complemented by a digital image correlation system which allowed a better understanding of the failure mechanism. The tests were then numerically simulated by modelling the masonry as a continuum media. Several approaches were considered concerning the geometrical modelling, namely 2D and 3D simplified models, and 3D refined models based on a photogrammetric reconstruction. The results showed a good approximation between the numerical prediction and the experimental response in all cases. However, the 3D models with irregular geometries seem to reproduce better the cracking pattern observed in the tests.

A FEM-based model to study the behaviour of corroded RC beams shear repaired by NSM CFRP rods technique

This paper presents the main features of finite element FE numerical model developed using the computer code FEMIX to predict the near-surface mounted NSM carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer CFRP rods shear repair contribution to corroded reinforced concrete RC beams. In the RC beams shear repaired with NSM technique, the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) rods are placed inside pre-cut grooves onto the concrete cover of the RC beam’s lateral faces and are bonded to the concrete with high epoxy adhesive. Experimental and 3D numerical modelling results are presented in this paper in terms of load-deflection curves, and failure modes for 4 short corroded beams: two corroded beams (A1CL3-B and A1CL3-SB) and two control beams (A1T-B and A1T-SB), the beams noted with B were let repaired in bending only with NSM CFRP rods while the ones noted with SB were repaired in both bending and shear with NSM technique. The corrosion of the tensile steel bars and its effect on the shear capacity of the RC beams was discussed. Results showed that the FE model was able to capture the main aspects of the experimental load-deflection curves of the RC beams, moreover it has presented the experimental failure modes and FE numerical modelling crack patterns and both gave similar results for non-shear repaired beams which failed in diagonal tension mode of failure and for shear-repaired beams which failed due to large flexural crack at the middle of the beams along with the concrete crushing, three dimensional crack patterns were produced for shear-repaired beams in order to investigate the splitting cracks occurred at the middle of the beams and near the support.

A FEM-based model to study the behaviour of corroded RC beams shear repaired by NSM CFRP rods technique

This paper presents the main features of finite element FE numerical model developed using the computer code FEMIX to predict the near-surface mounted NSM carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer CFRP rods shear repair contribution to corroded reinforced concrete RC beams. In the RC beams shear repaired with NSM technique, the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) rods are placed inside pre-cut grooves onto the concrete cover of the RC beam’s lateral faces and are bonded to the concrete with high epoxy adhesive. Experimental and 3D numerical modelling results are presented in this paper in terms of load-deflection curves, failure modes and slip information of the tensile steel bars for 4 short corroded beams: two corroded beams (A1CL3-B and A1CL3-SB) and two control beams (A1T-B and A1T-SB), the beams noted with B were let repaired in bending only with NSM CFRP rods while the ones noted with SB were repaired in both bending and shear with NSM technique. The corrosion of the tensile steel bars and its effect on the shear capacity of the RC beams was discussed. Results showed that the FE model was able to capture the main aspects of the experimental load-deflection curves of the RC beams, moreover it has presented the experimental failure modes and FE numerical modelling crack patterns and both gave similar results for non-shear repaired beams which failed in diagonal tension mode of failure and for shear-repaired beams which failed due to large flexural crack at the middle of the beams along with the concrete crushing, three dimensional crack patterns were produced for shear-repaired beams in order to investigate the splitting cracks occurred at the middle of the beams and near the support.

Tecnologias da informação e comunicação na formação continuada de professores: estudode caso em escolas do Brasil e Portugal com recursos e aplicação do Google+

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (área de especialização em Tecnologia Educativa)

Learning Robotics for youngsters - the RoboParty experience

Series: "Advances in intelligent systems and computing , ISSN 2194-5357, vol. 417"

Média digitais e lusofonia

É meu propósito, neste texto, discutir a Lusofonia através de um conjunto de conceitos ligados aos média digitais interativos, rompendo os limites da ligação entre produtores e recetores de conteúdos nas relações multi, inter e transculturais. Vou insistir na ideia de que os média digitais interativos significam novas práticas nas relações interculturais: por um lado, formas digitais interativas de comunicação intercultural e, por outro, textualidades multimodais (“hipertextualidades”) na produção do sentido lusófono. O percurso que proponho tem um cariz preponderantemente epistemológico. Tomando a Lusofonia como figura de interesse geoestratégico e cultural e os média digitais como objeto de análise, é minha preocupação fundamental interrogar a inovação, a hibridez e a interatividade digitais e verificar de que modo se articulam com as relações multi, inter e transculturais. Palavras-chave: Lusofonia, comunicação intercultural, média digitais interativos, comunicação multimodal, tecnologia da comunicação, Museu da Língua Portuguesa em São Paulo, Museu Virtual da Lusofonia.

Three-dimensional technology facilitates surgical performance of novice laparoscopy surgeons: a quantitative assessment on a porcine kidney model

Objective To determine whether the use of 3-dimensional (3D) imaging translates into a better surgical performance of naïve urologic laparoscopic surgeons during pyeloplasty (PY) and partial nephrectomy (PN) procedures. Materials and Methods Eighteen surgeons without any previous laparoscopic experience were randomly assigned to perform PY and PN in a porcine model using initially 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D laparoscopy. A surgical performance score was rated by an "expert" tutor through a modified 5-item global rating scale contemplating operative field view, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, and autonomy. Overall surgical time, complications, subjective perception of participating surgeons, and inconveniences related to the 3D vision were recorded. Results No difference in terms if operative time was found between 2D or 3D laparoscopy for both the PY (P =.51) and the PN (P =.28) procedures. A better rate in terms of surgical performance score was noted by the tutors when the study participants were using 3D vs 2D, for both PY (3.6 [0.8] vs 3.0 [0.4]; P =.034) and PN (3.6 [0.51] vs 3.15 [0.63]; P =.001). No complications occurred in any of the procedures. Most (77.2%) of the participating na??ve laparoscopic surgeons had the perception that 3D laparoscopy was overall easier than 2D. Headache (18.1%), nausea (18.1%), and visual disturbance (18.1%) were the most common issues reported by the surgeons during 3D procedures. Conclusion Despite the absence of translation in a shorter operative time, the use of 3D technology seems to facilitate the surgical performance of naive surgeons during laparoscopic kidney procedures on a porcine model.

A comunicação online: a página Web como o BIO Empresarial: estratégias de comunicação visual e web design

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Comunicação (área de especialização em Audiovisuais e Multimédia)