Electrical ageing studies of polymeric insulation for power cables (estudo do envelhecimento eléctrico do isolante polimérico de cabos eléctricos

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Física - Física Aplicada pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Was ageing a cause for the increase in hospitalization costs, in the Portuguese public hospitals, between 1994 and 2010?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Active ageing index and quality of life

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Social entrepreneurship as a solution provider for ageing societies in Europe

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Perfil sociodemográfico e saúde mental em cuidadores informais de idosos no município de São Paulo-Brasil: desafios para as políticas públicas

RESUMO: INTRODUÇÃO: O rápido envelhecimento populacional, o aumento da prevalência de transtornos neuropsiquiátricos, o aumento das taxas de morbilidade clínica e incapacidade entre idosos de países em desenvolvimento têm trazido preocupações sobre a saúde mental e sobrecarga de cuidadores informais. Está bem estabelecida a elevada prevalência de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC) associada à adversidade socioeconômica, baixo nível educacional, estresse e gênero. Idosos e cuidadores vivendo em comunidade compartilham fatores de risco para morbilidade física e psiquiátrica. Adicionalmente, os cuidadores tem uma tripla carga, sendo simultaneamente familiares, trabalhadores leigos em saúde sem suporte dos serviços de saúde e assistência social e um paciente com necessidades não atendidas. O cuidador informal é o principal provedor de cuidado em todos os países. OBJETIVOS: Acessar perfil sociodemográfico, níveis de transtorno mental comum (TMC) e sobrecarga em cuidadores, características do cuidado e prevalência de demência e depressão no idosos, numa área carente da região oeste de São Paulo –Brasil. MÉTODO: Esta pesquisa transversal deriva do São Paulo Ageing and Health Study (SPAH) que incluiu idosos com 65 anos ou mais e seus respectivos cuidadores. Os participantes foram identificados por arrolamento domiciliar e entrevistadas em suas casas com protocolo padronizado de pesquisa. O instrumento utilizado para acessar os transtornos mentais comuns, foi o Self Rating Questionnaire SRQ-20.A sobrecarga foi quantificada pelo Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. Diagnósticos psicogeriátricos foram mensurados através do SRQ-20 e critérios do CID-10 e do DSM-IV. 8 RESULTADOS: 588 cuidadores e respectivos idosos foram incluídos. Nos idosos, a prevalência de demência foi 15,9%, de depressão pelo CiD-10 9.9% e de TMC 39,25% Nos cuidadores, a prevalência de TMC foi de 55,1% e 32,8% dos cuidadores apresentaram sobrecarga elevada. O perfil do cuidador foi filha,com idade em torno dos 49 anos, casada e com baixo nível educacional.------------------ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: With the fast population aging, growing prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders, clinical morbidity and disability among the elderly particularly in low income countries (LAMIC), has brought concerns about informal caregiver Mental Health and Burden. It is well established the high prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) associated to socioeconomic adversity, low educational attainment, stress and gender. Community-dwelling elders and caregivers share risk factors for physical and psychiatric morbidity. In addition, caregivers have a triple strain, being simultaneously, family members, lay health workers with lack of support from health and social work services and a hidden patient with unmet needs. The world main source of caregiving relies on informal caregiver. AIMS: To assess 1) the sociodemographic profile, levels of CMD and burden among caregivers, and 2) the characteristics of care and prevalence of dementia and depression in elderly in a socioeconomic underprivileged area in western region of Sao Paulo – Brazil. METHOD: The present investigation is a cross-sectional part of Sao Paulo Ageing and Health Study (SPAH) which included participants aged 65 or older and their respective caregivers. Participants were identified by household enrollment and interviewed in their homes using a standardized research protocol. The assessment of common mental disorders was performed with the Self Rating Questionnaire – 20 (SRQ-20), used to establish psychiatric caseness. The assessment of burden was performed with Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. Dementia and psychogeriatric diagnosis were reached through ICD-10, SRQ-20 and DSM-IV criteria. 10 RESULTS: 588 caregivers and respective elderly relatives were included. Prevalence of dementia was 15.9%, ICD-10 depression 9.9% and CMD 39.3% among the elderlys. Common mental disorder prevalence in caregivers was 55.1% and high burden was reached in 32.8% of the caregiver sample. Most of the caregivers were married and co-resident daughters with a mean age of 49 years (CI 95% - 48.7 to 51).

Ageing on commercial automotive catalysts, a structure reactivity study

Increasingly stringed regulations for diesel engine emissions have a significant impact on the required efficiency of DOC. Lowered DOC oxidation efficiency due to thermal aging effects influences the efficiency of the exhaust aftertreatment systems downstream of the DOC. In this work carried out in the Jean Le Rond d’Alembert Institute the effect of hydrothermal aging on the reactivity and structure of a commercial DOC was investigated. The characterization of the catalytic performance was carried out on a synthetic gas bench using carrots catalyst under conditions close to the realistic conditions i.e. using a synthetic gas mixture, representative of the exhaust gases from diesel engines. Different structural characterization techniques were performed: textural and morphological proprieties were analyzed by BET and TEM, the characterization of the presented crystallographic phases was performed by DRX and the determination of the number of reducible species was possible by TPR. TEM results shown, an increase of the metal particle size with the aging caused by the agglomeration of metal particles, revealing the presence of metal sintering. DRX results also suggest the presence of support sintering. Furthermore, DRX and BET results unexpectedly reveal that the most drastic aging conditions used actually activated the catalyst surface. As expected, the aging affected negatively the catalyst performance on the oxidation of methane and CO, however an improvement of the NO oxidation performance with the aging was observed. Nevertheless, for the aging conditions used, catalytic activity results show that the influence of aging in DOC performance was not significant, and therefore, more drastic aging conditions must be used.

Marketing plan: How to benefit from the European population ageing and attract the affluent senior segment to choose Lisbon as a tourism destination?

NSBE - UNL