Gestão integrada de resíduos de construção e demolição: análise de estudo

A actividade de construção civil é responsável por grande parte dos resíduos produzidos, nomeadamente em obras de construção, demolições de edifícios ou derrocadas, operações de manutenção, restauro, remodelação e reabilitação de construções. A gestão dos resíduos deste sector, abreviadamente designada por resíduos de construção e demolição (RCD), passou a estar regulada, através de regime de operações de gestão de RCD. Este diploma, define entre outras, a responsabilidade dos vários intervenientes no processo de gestão de resíduos, fase de projecto, execução, transporte e recepção. Com a evolução das preocupações ambientais da população e maior envolvência das empresas na contribuição para uma gestão integrada de resíduos, existe um crescente desenvolvimento de estudos no âmbito de caracterização de quantidades e tipos de resíduos produzidos pelo sector. Neste contexto, e por ser importante uma economia integrada com a gestão de resíduos, os principais desafios passam pelo planeamento e preparação de Obra desde da fase de projecto à fase de execução, com vista à prevenção, redução, reutilização e valorização dos RCD. O presente trabalho pretende contribuir para este desenvolvimento do sector, mais concretamente na obtenção de indicadores de resíduos de construção (RC), resíduos de demolição (RD) e caracterização da tipologia destes. Para tanto, foi feita uma avaliação dos estudos desenvolvidos no âmbito de caracterização dos tipos de resíduos e indicadores de RC e RD, como método comparativo. Os indicadores deste estudo foram obtidos com base na análise de dados de casos de estudo, no caso concreto RC, de obras de estruturas, e RD de edifícios com execução de demolição selectiva. Na parte final deste estudo apresentam-se algumas conclusões e recomendações.

A comparative benchmarking analysis of main Iberian container terminals: a DEA approach

Benchmarking is an important tool to organisations to improve their productivity, product quality, process efficiency or services. From Benchmarking the organisations could compare their performance with competitors and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This study intends to do a benchmarking analysis on the main Iberian Sea ports with a special focus on their container terminals efficiency. To attain this, the DEA (data envelopment analysis) is used since it is considered by several researchers as the most effective method to quantify a set of key performance indicators. In order to reach a more reliable diagnosis tool the DEA is used together with the data mining in comparing the sea ports operational data of container terminals during 2007.Taking into account that sea ports are global logistics networks the performance evaluation is essential to an effective decision making in order to improve their efficiency and, therefore, their competitiveness.

Evaluation of exposure parameters in plain radiography: a comparative study with european guidelines

Typical distribution of exposure parameters in plain radiography is unknown in Portugal. This study aims to identify exposure parameters that are being used in plain radiography in the Lisbon area and to compare the collected data with European references [Commission of European Communities (CEC) guidelines]. The results show that in four examinations (skull, chest, lumbar spine and pelvis), there is a strong tendency of using exposure times above the European recommendation. The X-ray tube potential values (in kV) are below the recommended values from CEC guidelines. This study shows that at a local level (Lisbon region), radiographic practice does not comply with CEC guidelines concerning exposure techniques. Further national/local studies are recommended with the objective to improve exposure optimisation and technical procedures in plain radiography. This study also suggests the need to establish national/local diagnostic reference levels and to proceed to effective measurements for exposure optimisation.

Nonlinear optimization method for short-term hydro scheduling considering head-dependency

This paper is on the problem of short-term hydro scheduling, particularly concerning head-dependent reservoirs under competitive environment. We propose a new nonlinear optimization method to consider hydroelectric power generation as a function of water discharge and also of the head. Head-dependency is considered on short-term hydro scheduling in order to obtain more realistic and feasible results. The proposed method has been applied successfully to solve a case study based on one of the main Portuguese cascaded hydro systems, providing a higher profit at a negligible additional computation time in comparison with a linear optimization method that ignores head-dependency.

A method to analyse the alignment of core values in collaborative networked organisations

Since collaborative networked organisations are usually formed by independent and heterogeneous entities, it is natural that each member holds his own set of values, and that conflicts among partners might emerge because of some misalignment of values. In contrast, it is often stated in literature that the alignment between the value systems of members involved in collaborative processes is a prerequisite for successful co-working. As a result, the issue of core value alignment in collaborative networks started to attract attention. However, methods to analyse such alignment are lacking mainly because the concept of 'alignment' in this context is still ill defined and shows a multifaceted nature. As a contribution to the area, this article introduces an approach based on causal models and graph theory for the analysis of core value alignment in collaborative networks. The potential application of the approach is then discussed in the virtual organisations' breeding environment context.

Extreme Value Theory versus traditional GARCH approaches applied to financial data: a comparative evaluation

Although stock prices fluctuate, the variations are relatively small and are frequently assumed to be normal distributed on a large time scale. But sometimes these fluctuations can become determinant, especially when unforeseen large drops in asset prices are observed that could result in huge losses or even in market crashes. The evidence shows that these events happen far more often than would be expected under the generalized assumption of normal distributed financial returns. Thus it is crucial to properly model the distribution tails so as to be able to predict the frequency and magnitude of extreme stock price returns. In this paper we follow the approach suggested by McNeil and Frey (2000) and combine the GARCH-type models with the Extreme Value Theory (EVT) to estimate the tails of three financial index returns DJI,FTSE 100 and NIKKEI 225 representing three important financial areas in the world. Our results indicate that EVT-based conditional quantile estimates are much more accurate than those from conventional AR-GARCH models assuming normal or Student’s t-distribution innovations when doing out-of-sample estimation (within the insample estimation, this is so for the right tail of the distribution of returns).

A comparative study of alternative approaches for common factors identification

Preliminary version

Introdução ao estudo de durabilidade do betão auto-compactável

O âmbito desta dissertação centra-se na temática de estudos de durabilidade do betão auto-compactavel (BAC), cujo cálculo dos constituintes foi feito pelo método de Nepomuceno. Sobre amostras de 40, 55 e 70 MPa, produzidas segundo o método atrás identificado, foram feitos estudos químicos e morfológicos, de propriedades de transporte de mecanismos de degradação e de propriedades indirectas. Os três provetes em estudo de 40, 55 e 70 MPa, apresentam características satisfatórias a nível da microestrutura, propriedades de transporte, carbonatação, penetração de cloretos e análise de ultra-sons. Numa análise comparativa entre as três resistências mecânicas em estudo, verifica-se que as propriedades de durabilidade vão melhorando a medida que a resistência mecânica também aumenta, ou seja, os provete com 70 MPa apresentam as melhores características a nível de durabilidade e os de 40 as piores; os de 55 apresentam propriedades intermédias.

Actors in foreign television news: a comparative analysis

Foreign News about events that takes place in other country Actors are defined as people who appear in the item (as individuals or as representing some entity) speaking or being quoted (directly or indirectly)

Comparative study of power converter topologies and control strategies for the harmonic performance of variable-speed wind turbine generator systems

Power converters play a vital role in the integration of wind power into the electrical grid. Variable-speed wind turbine generator systems have a considerable interest of application for grid connection at constant frequency. In this paper, comprehensive simulation studies are carried out with three power converter topologies: matrix, two-level and multilevel. A fractional-order control strategy is studied for the variable-speed operation of wind turbine generator systems. The studies are in order to compare power converter topologies and control strategies. The studies reveal that the multilevel converter and the proposed fractional-order control strategy enable an improvement in the power quality, in comparison with the other power converters using a classical integer-order control strategy. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Matrix Converter-Based Unified Power-Flow Controllers: Advanced Direct Power Control Method

This paper presents a direct power control (DPC) for three-phase matrix converters operating as unified power flow controllers (UPFCs). Matrix converters (MCs) allow the direct ac/ac power conversion without dc energy storage links; therefore, the MC-based UPFC (MC-UPFC) has reduced volume and cost, reduced capacitor power losses, together with higher reliability. Theoretical principles of direct power control (DPC) based on sliding mode control techniques are established for an MC-UPFC dynamic model including the input filter. As a result, line active and reactive power, together with ac supply reactive power, can be directly controlled by selecting an appropriate matrix converter switching state guaranteeing good steady-state and dynamic responses. Experimental results of DPC controllers for MC-UPFC show decoupled active and reactive power control, zero steady-state tracking error, and fast response times. Compared to an MC-UPFC using active and reactive power linear controllers based on a modified Venturini high-frequency PWM modulator, the experimental results of the advanced DPC-MC guarantee faster responses without overshoot and no steady-state error, presenting no cross-coupling in dynamic and steady-state responses.

Deformação miocárdica analisada por 2D strain em indivíduos com lúpus eritematoso sistémico

Mestrado em Tecnologia de Diagnóstico e Intervenção Cardiovascular. Área de especialização: Ultrassonografia Cardiovascular.

Synthesis of optimization of [11C] Pittsburgh compound B by the captive solvent method

Mestrado em Medicina Nuclear.

Determination of chitin content in fungal cell wall: an alternative flow cytometric method

The conventional methods used to evaluate chitin content in fungi, such as biochemical assessment of glucosamine release after acid hydrolysis or epifluorescence microscopy, are low throughput, laborious, time-consuming, and cannot evaluate a large number of cells. We developed a flow cytometric assay, efficient, and fast, based on Calcofluor White staining to measure chitin content in yeast cells. A staining index was defined, its value was directly related to chitin amount and taking into consideration the different levels of autofluorecence. Twenty-two Candida spp. and four Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates with distinct susceptibility profiles to caspofungin were evaluated. Candida albicans clinical isolate SC5314, and isogenic strains with deletions in chitin synthase 3 (chs3Δ/chs3Δ) and genes encoding predicted Glycosyl Phosphatidyl Inositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (pga31Δ/Δ and pga62Δ/Δ), were used as controls. As expected, the wild-type strain displayed a significant higher chitin content (P < 0.001) than chs3Δ/chs3Δ and pga31Δ/Δ especially in the presence of caspofungin. Ca. parapsilosis, Ca. tropicalis, and Ca. albicans showed higher cell wall chitin content. Although no relationship between chitin content and antifungal drug susceptibility phenotype was found, an association was established between the paradoxical growth effect in the presence of high caspofungin concentrations and the chitin content. This novel flow cytometry protocol revealed to be a simple and reliable assay to estimate cell wall chitin content of fungi.

Novel method using a laser scanning cytometer for detection of Mycobacteria in clinical samples

In order to evaluate the capacity of laser scanning cytometry (LSC) to detect acid-fast bacilli directly on clinical samples, a comparison between Kinyoun-stained smears analyzed under light microscopy and propidium iodide-auramine-stained smears analyzed by LSC was performed. The results were compared with those for culture on BACTEC MGIT 960. LSC is a new, reliable methodology to detect Mycobacteria.