Environmental sustainability in superior education: case study of Lisbon College of Health Technology

Over the centuries there has been a growing trend of societies and it is possible to verify their economic growth. This growth has provided an increased pressure on natural resources, often over-reaching the boundaries of each country, which has called into question the level of environmental sustainability in different countries. Sustainability is understood as a complex concept involving ecological, social, economic dimensions and temporal urban processes. Therefore, Firmino (2009) suggests that the ecological footprint (EF) allows people to establish dependency relations between human activities and the natural resources required for such activities and for the absorption of waste generated. According to Bergh & Verbruggen (1999) the EF is an objective, impartial and one-dimensional indicator that enables people to assess the sustainability. The Superior Schools have a crucial role in building the vision of a sustainable future as a reality, because in transmitting values and environmental principles to his students, are providing that they, in exercising his professional activity, make decisions weighing the environmental values. This ensures improved quality of life. The present study aims to determine the level of environmental sustainability of the Academic Community of Lisbon College of Health Technology (ESTeSL), by calculating the EF, and describe whether a relation between Footprint and various socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects.

Synthesis and structural characterization of iron complexes with 2,2,2-tris(1-pyrazolyl)ethanol ligands: Application in the peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane under mild conditions

The reactions of FeCl2 center dot 2H(2)O and 2,2,2-tris(1-pyrazolyl) ethanol HOCH2C(pz)(3) (1) (pz = pyrazolyl) afford [Fe{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}(2)][FeCl4]Cl (2), [Fe{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}(2)](2)[Fe2OCl6](Cl)(2)center dot 4H(2)O (3 center dot 4H(2)O), [Fe{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}(2)] [FeCl{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}(H2O)(2)](2)(Cl)(4) (4) or [Fe{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}(2)]Cl-2 (5), depending on the experimental conditions. Compounds 1-5 were isolated as air-stable crystalline solids and fully characterized, including (1-4) by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The latter technique revealed strong intermolecular H-bonds involving the OH group of the scorpionate 2 and 3 giving rise to 1D chains which, in 3, are further expanded to a 2D network with intercalated infinite and almost plane chains of H-interacting water molecules. In 4, intermolecular pi center dot center dot center dot pi interactions involving the pyrazolyl rings are relevant. Complexes 2-5 display a high solubility in water (S-25 degrees C ca. 10-12 mg mL(-1)), a favourable feature towards their application as catalysts (or catalyst precursors) for the peroxidative oxidation of cyclo-hexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, with aqueous H2O2/MeCN, at room temperature (TON values up to ca. 385). (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Pyrazole or tris(pyrazolyl)ethanol oxo-vanadium(IV) complexes as homogeneous or supported catalysts for oxidation of cyclohexane under mild conditions

The oxovanadium(IV) complexes [VO(acac)(2)(Hpz)].HC(pz)(3) 1.HC(pz)(3) (acac= acetylacetonate, Hpz = pyrazole, pz = pyrazoly1) and [VOCl2{HOCH2C(pz)(3)}] 2 were obtained from reaction of [VO(acac)(2)] with hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)methane or of VCl(3)with 2,2,2-tris(1-pyrazolyl)ethanol. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, Far-IR and EPR spectroscopies, FAB or ESI mass-spectrometry and, for 1, by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. 1 and 2 exhibit catalytic activity for the oxidation of cyclohexane to the cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone mixture in homogeneous system (TONS up to 1100) under mild conditions (NCMe, 24h, room temperature) using benzoyl peroxide (BPO), tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (mCPBA), hydrogen peroxide or the urea-hydrogen peroxide adduct (UHP) as oxidants. 1 and 2 were also immobilized on a polydimethylsiloxane membrane (1-PDMS or 2-PDMS) and the systems acted as supported catalysts for the cyclohexane oxidation using the above oxidants (TONs up to 620). The best results were obtained with mCPBA or BP0 as oxidant. The effects of various parameters, such as the amount of catalyst, nitric acid, reaction time, type of oxidant and oxidant-to-catalyst molar ratio, were investigated, for both homogeneous and supported systems. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Homogeneous and heterogenised new gold C-scorpionate complexes as catalysts for cyclohexane oxidation

Gold(III) complexes of type [AuCl2{eta(2)-RC(R'pz)(3)}]Cl [R = R' = H (1), R = CH2OH, R' = H (2) and R = H, R' = 3,5-Me-2(3), pz = pyrazol-1-yl] were supported on carbon materials (activated carbon, carbon xerogel and carbon nanotubes) and used for the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, with aqueous H2O2, under mild conditions.

Ecological footprint as an indicator of sustainability at Lisbon School of Health Technology, Portugal

Higher education institutions, has an active role in the development of a sustainable future and for this reason, it is essential that they became environmentally sustainable institutions, applying methods such as the Ecological Footprint analysis. This study intent is to strengthen the potential of the ecological footprint as an indicator of the sustainability of students of Lisbon School of Health Technology, and identify the relationship between the ecological footprint and the different socio-demographic variables.

Carbon footprint of the academic community of Lisbon School of Health Technology, Portugal

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average temperature of the Earth's surface has risen about 1º C in the last 100 years and will increase, depending on the scenario emissions of Greenhouse Gases. The rising temperatures could trigger environmental effects like rising sea levels, floods, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes. With growing concerns about different environmental issues and the need to address climate change, institutions of higher education should create knowledge and integrate sustainability into teaching programs and research programs, as well as promoting environmental issues for society. The aim of this study is to determine the carbon footprint of the academic community of Lisbon School of Health Technology (ESTeSL) in 2013, identifying possible links between the Carbon Footprint and the different socio-demographic variables.

Add/drop filters based on SiC technology for optical interconnects

In this paper we demonstrate an add/drop filter based on SiC technology. Tailoring of the channel bandwidth and wavelength is experimentally demonstrated. The concept is extended to implement a 1 by 4 wavelength division multiplexer with channel separation in the visible range. The device consists of a p-i'(a-SiC:H)-n/p-i(a-Si: H)-n heterostructure. Several monochromatic pulsed lights, separately or in a polychromatic mixture illuminated the device. Independent tuning of each channel is performed by steady state violet bias superimposed either from the front and back sides. Results show that, front background enhances the light-to-dark sensitivity of the long and medium wavelength channels and quench strongly the others. Back violet background has the opposite behaviour. This nonlinearity provides the possibility for selective removal or addition of wavelengths. An optoelectronic model is presented and explains the light filtering properties of the add/drop filter, under different optical bias conditions.

Smart environment technology as a possible enabler of smart cities

This paper discusses the technology of smart floors as a enabler of smart cities. The discussion will be based on technology that is embedded into the environment that enable location, navigation but also wireless power transmission for powering up elements siting on it, typically mobile devices. One of those examples is the smart floor, this implementation follows two paths, one where the floor is passive, and normally passive RFID's are embedded into the floor, they are used to provide intelligence into the surrounding space, this is normally complemented with a battery powered mobile unit that scans the floor for the sensors and communicates the information to a database which locates the mobile device in the environment. The other path for the smart city enabler is where the floor is active and delivers energy for the objects standing on top of it. In this paper these two approaches will be presented, by discussing the technology behind it. © 2014 IEEE.

Layered smart grid architecture approach and field tests by ZigBee technology

This paper presents a layered Smart Grid architecture enhancing security and reliability, having the ability to act in order to maintain and correct infrastructure components without affecting the client service. The architecture presented is based in the core of well design software engineering, standing upon standards developed over the years. The layered Smart Grid offers a base tool to ease new standards and energy policies implementation. The ZigBee technology implementation test methodology for the Smart Grid is presented, and provides field tests using ZigBee technology to control the new Smart Grid architecture approach. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trits(Pyrazol-1-YL)methane metal complexes for catalytic mild oxidative functionalizations of alkanes, alkanes and ketones

This work concerns recent advances (since 2005) in the oxidative functionalization of alkanes, alkenes and ketones, under mild conditions, catalyzed by homoscorpionate tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methane metal complexes. The main types of such homogeneous or supported catalysts are classified, and the critical analysis of the most efficient catalytic systems in the different reactions is presented. These reactions include the mild oxidation of alkanes (typically cyclohexane as a model substrate) with hydrogen peroxide (into alkyl hydroperoxides, alcohols, and ketones), the hydrocarboxylation of gaseous alkanes (with carbon monoxide and potassium peroxodisulfate) into the corresponding Cn+1 carboxylic acids, as well as the epoxidation of alkenes and the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of linear and cyclic ketones with hydrogen peroxide into the corresponding esters and lactones. Effects of various reaction parameters are highlighted and the preferable requirements for a prospective homogeneous or supported C-scorpionate-M-based catalyst in oxidative transformations of those substrates are identified. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avaliação da Usabilidade de um Projeto de eHealth, enquadrado na visão europeia de Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Trabalho de projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia.

Error control on spectral data of four-wave mixing based on a-SiC technology

In this paper we exploit the nonlinear property of the SiC multilayer devices to design an optical processor for error detection that enables reliable delivery of spectral data of four-wave mixing over unreliable communication channels. The SiC optical processor is realized by using double pin/pin a-SiC:H photodetector with front and back biased optical gating elements. Visible pulsed signals are transmitted together at different bit sequences. The combined optical signal is analyzed. Data show that the background acts as selector that picks one or more states by splitting portions of the input multi optical signals across the front and back photodiodes. Boolean operations such as EXOR and three bit addition are demonstrated optically, showing that when one or all of the inputs are present, the system will behave as an XOR gate representing the SUM. When two or three inputs are on, the system acts as AND gate indicating the present of the CARRY bit. Additional parity logic operations are performed using four incoming pulsed communication channels that are transmitted and checked for errors together. As a simple example of this approach, we describe an all-optical processor for error detection and then provide an experimental demonstration of this idea. (C) 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optical processor based on a-SiC technology for spectral data error control

The SiC optical processor for error detection and correction is realized by using double pin/pin a-SiC:H photodetector with front and back biased optical gating elements. Data shows that the background act as selector that pick one or more states by splitting portions of the input multi optical signals across the front and back photodiodes. Boolean operations such as exclusive OR (EXOR) and three bit addition are demonstrated optically with a combination of such switching devices, showing that when one or all of the inputs are present the output will be amplified, the system will behave as an XOR gate representing the SUM. When two or three inputs are on, the system acts as AND gate indicating the present of the CARRY bit. Additional parity logic operations are performed by use of the four incoming pulsed communication channels that are transmitted and checked for errors together. As a simple example of this approach, we describe an all optical processor for error detection and correction and then, provide an experimental demonstration of this fault tolerant reversible system, in emerging nanotechnology.