Implementation of a pilot project for the treatment and prevention of substance abuse in children and adolescents : strengthening families for parents and youths 12-16

RESUMO: Antecendentes: Uma avalia����o dos servi��os de abuso de subst��ncias em Barbados identificou a necessidade de programas e servi��os que s��o projetados especificamente para crian��as e adolescentes. Objetivo: Realizar programa com base em evid��ncias para reduzir a incid��ncia de abuso de drogas entre crian��as e adolescentes por meio do fortalecimento da unidade familiar atrav��s de parentalidade positiva, de maior funcionamento familiar e de resist��ncia dos jovens. M��todo: Dois projetos-piloto foram realizadas com base no programa "Fortalecer as Fam��lias para Pais e Jovens de 12 a 16 anos (SFPY). O programa de nove semanas foi empregado como uma interven����o para criar la��os familiares mais fortes, aumentar a resist��ncia dos jovens e reduzir o abuso de drogas entre crian��as e adolescentes de idades de 11 a 16 anos. A decis��o foi tomada para incluir participantes de 11 anos desde que as crian��as possam estar no primeiro ano da escola secund��ria nessa idade. IMPLEMENTATION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE PILOT PROJECT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS 5 Resultados: Quinze fam��lias participaram em dois projetos-piloto e a avalia����o final mostrou que os jovens ap��s o programa, geralmente tornaram-se mais positivos sobre o seu lugar na unidade familiar e sentiram que sua participa����o no programa foi ben��fica. Os pais, da mesma forma, relataram que eles conquistaram, com o programa uma rela����o mais positiva, uma melhor compreens��o das necessidades, e consci��ncia das mudan��as de desenvolvimento de seus jovens. Desta forma, considera-se que o programa atingiu o resultado desejado de criar unidades familiares mais fortes. Conclus��o: O Projeto Piloto ���SFPY��� foi bem sucedido em fazer pais e jovens mais conscientes de suas necessidades individuais e de responsabilidades dentro da unidade familiar. Como resultado, o relacionamentos das respectivas fam��lias melhorou. Estudos baseados em evid��ncias t��m demonstrado que um rela����o familiar mais forte diminui a incid��ncia de uso e abuso de drogas na popula����o adolescente, aumentando os fatores de prote����o e diminuindo os fatores de risco. A implementa����o do programa, que foi desenvolvido e testado no ambiente norte-americano, demonstrou que era transfer��vel para a sociedade de Barbados. No entanto, seu impacto total s�� pode ser determinado atrav��s de um estudo comparativo envolvendo um grupo de controle e / ou uma interven����o alternativa ao abuso de subst��ncias. Portanto, �� recomend��vel que um estudo comparativo da interven����o SFPY deve envolver uma amostra representativa de adolescentes que est��o em est��gio de desenvolvimento anterior mais cedo. Evid��ncias j�� demonstram que o programa �� mais eficaz, com impacto mais longo sobre os jovens que participam em uma idade maisABSTRACT:Background: An evaluation of substance abuse services in Barbados has identified the need for programmes and services that are specifically designed for children and adolescents. Aim: To conduct an evidence-based programme to reduce the incidence of substance abuse among children and adolescents by strengthening the family unit through positive parenting, enhanced family functioning and youth resilience. Method: Two pilot projects were conducted based on the ���Strengthening Families for Parents and Youths 12��� 16��� (SFPY) programme. The nine-week programme was employed as an intervention to create stronger family connections, increase youth resiliency and reduce drug abuse among children and adolescents between the ages of 11 to 16. The decision was made to include participants from age 11 since children may be in the first year of secondary school at this age. IMPLEMENTATION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE PILOT PROJECT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS 3 Results: Fifteen families participated in two pilot projects and an evaluation conducted at the conclusion showed that the youth were generally more positive about their perceived place in the family unit and felt that the being in the programme was generally beneficial. The parents similarly reported they had a more positive relationship with their youths and also had a better understanding of their needs, and an awareness of their developmental changes. This affirmed that the programme had achieved its desired outcome to create stronger family units. Conclusion: The SFPY Pilot Project was successful in making parents and youths more aware of their individual needs and responsibilities within the family unit. As a result relationships within their respective families were strengthened. Evidence-based studies have shown that enhanced family functioning decreases the incidence of substance use and abuse in the adolescent population by increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors. The implementation of the programme, which was developed and tested in the North American environment, demonstrated that it was transferable to the Barbadian society. However, its full impact can only be determined through a comparative study involving a control group and/or an alternative substance abuse intervention. It is therefore recommended that a comparative study of the SFPY intervention should be delivered to a representative sample of adolescents who are at an earlier developmental stage. Evidence has shown that the programme is more effective, with longer impact on youths who participate at a younger age.

Study and characterization of the ZnPc:C60/MoOx interface in organic solar cells by means of photoelectron spectroscopy

Dissertation to obtain the academic degree of Master in materials engineering submitted to the Faculty of science and engineering of Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Archaeological Remains Accounting for the Presence and Exploitation of the North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis on the Portuguese Coast (Peniche, West Iberia), 16th to 17th Century

The former occurrence of the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis on the Portuguese coast may be inferred from the historical range of that species in Europe and in NW Africa. It is generally accepted that it was the main prey of coastal whaling in the Middle Ages and in the pre-modern period, but this assumption still needs firming up based on biological and archaeological evidence. We describe the skeletal remains of right whales excavated at Peniche in 2001-2002, in association with archaeological artefacts. The whale bones were covered by sandy sediments on the old seashore and they have been tentatively dated around the 16th to 17th centuries. This study contributes material evidence to the former occurrence of E. glacialis in Portugal (West Iberia). Some whale bones show unequivocal man-made scars. These are associated to wounds from instruments with a sharp-cutting blade. This evidence for past human interaction may suggest that whaling for that species was active at Peniche around the early 17th century.

Analysis and Treatment of a male portrait in oil and a study of the size layer with reconstructions from Vibert���s recipe (1892)

This thesis project concentrated on both the study and treatment of an early 20th century male portrait in oil from Colec����o Caixa Geral de Dep��sitos, Lisbon, Portugal. The portrait of Janu��rio Correia de Almeida, exhibits a tear (approximately 4.0 cm by 2.3 cm) associated with paint loss on the right upper side, where it is possible to observe an unusually thick size layer (approximately 50 microns) and an open weave mesh canvas. Size layers made from animal glue remain subject to severe dimensional changes due to changes in relative humidity (RH), thereby affecting the stability of the painting. In this case, the response to moisture of the size layer is minimal and the painting is largely uncracked with very little active flaking. This suggests that the size layer has undergone pre-treatment to render it unresponsive to moisture or water. Reconstructions based on late nineteenth century recipes using historically appropriate materials are used to explore various options for modifying the characteristics of gelatine, some of which may relate to the Portrait���s size layer. The thesis is separated into two parts: Part 1: Describes the history, condition, materials and techniques of the painting. It also details the treatment of Janu��rio Correia de Almeida as well as the choices made and problems encountered during the treatment. Part 2: Discusses the history of commercial gelatine production, the choice of the appropriate animal source to extract the collagen to produce reconstructions of the portrait���s size layer as well as the characterization of selected reconstructions. The execution of a shallow textured infill led to one publication and one presentation: Abstract accepted for presentation and publication, International Meeting on Retouching of Cultural Heritage (RECH3), Francisco Brites, Leslie Carlyle and Raquel Marques, ������Hand building a Low Profile Textured Fill for a Large Loss������.

Metal ions modulate the folding and stability of the tumor suppressor protein S100A2

Febs Journal (2009)276:1776-1786

Influence of commercially available polyimide and formation conditions on the performance and structure of asymmetric polyimide organic solvent nanofiltration membranes

Disserta����o apresentada na Faculdade de Ci��ncias e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obten����o do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Qu��mica e Bioqu��mica

The design and use of annual budgets to cope with uncertainty

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

Predicting the impacts of climate change on the distribution and conservation of endemic forest land snails of Madeira Island

Climate change is emerging as one of the major threats to natural communities of the world���s ecosystems; and biodiversity hotspots, such as Madeira Island, might face a challenging future in the conservation of endangered land snails��� species. With this thesis, progresses have been made in order to properly understand the impact of climate on these vulnerable taxa; and species distribution models coupled with GIS and climate change scenarios have become crucial to understand the relations between species distribution and environmental conditions, identifying threats and determining biodiversity vulnerability. With the use of MaxEnt, important changes in the species suitable areas were obtained. Laurel forest species, highly dependent on precipitation and relative humidity, may face major losses on their future suitable areas, leading to the possible extinction of several endangered species, such as Leiostyla heterodon. Despite the complexity of the biological systems, the intrinsic uncertainty of species distribution models and the lack of information about land snails��� functional traits, this analysis contributed to a pioneer study on the impacts of climate change on endemic species of Madeira Island. The future inclusion of predictions of the effect of climate change on species distribution as part of IUCN assessments could contribute to species prioritizing, promoting specific management actions and maximizing conservation investment.

The origin and diversification of an evolutionary novelty: lessons from Drosophila oogenesis

In any area of study, it is necessary to define the subject of investigation. In the case of evolutionary novelty this is a particularly difficult task, as a clear definition of the concept that is suitable across di���erent levels of biological organization has yet to emerge. We proceed with a definition for morphological novelty proposed by M��uller and Wagner (1991), and introduce the dorsal appendages on eggs of Drosophilidae as such a novelty. These structures are part of the eggshell, and help supply oxygen to the embryo. A wide variety of phenotypes can be found, which is thought to have a single origin in the common ancestor of Drosophilidae.(...)

The brushstroke and materials of Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso combined in an authentication tool

Nowadays, authentication studies for paintings require a multidisciplinary approach, based on the contribution of visual features analysis but also on characterizations of materials and techniques. Moreover, it is important that the assessment of the authorship of a painting is supported by technical studies of a selected number of original artworks that cover the entire career of an artist. This dissertation is concerned about the work of modernist painter Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso. It is divided in three parts. In the first part, we propose a tool based on image processing that combines information obtained by brushstroke and materials analysis. The resulting tool provides qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the authorship of the paintings; the quantitative element is particularly relevant, as it could be crucial in solving authorship controversies, such as judicial disputes. The brushstroke analysis was performed by combining two algorithms for feature detection, namely Gabor filter and Scale Invariant Feature Transform. Thanks to this combination (and to the use of the Bag-of-Features model), the proposed method shows an accuracy higher than 90% in distinguishing between images of Amadeo���s paintings and images of artworks by other contemporary artists. For the molecular analysis, we implemented a semi-automatic system that uses hyperspectral imaging and elemental analysis. The system provides as output an image that depicts the mapping of the pigments present, together with the areas made using materials not coherent with Amadeo���s palette, if any. This visual output is a simple and effective way of assessing the results of the system. The tool proposed based on the combination of brushstroke and molecular information was tested in twelve paintings obtaining promising results. The second part of the thesis presents a systematic study of four selected paintings made by Amadeo in 1917. Although untitled, three of these paintings are commonly known as BRUT, Entrada and Coty; they are considered as his most successful and genuine works. The materials and techniques of these artworks have never been studied before. The paintings were studied with a multi-analytical approach using micro-Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy, micro-Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy, micro-Spectrofluorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The characterization of Amadeo���s materials and techniques used on his last paintings, as well as the investigation of some of the conservation problems that affect these paintings, is essential to enrich the knowledge on this artist. Moreover, the study of the materials in the four paintings reveals commonalities between the paintings BRUT and Entrada. This observation is supported also by the analysis of the elements present in a photograph of a collage (conserved at the Art Library of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), the only remaining evidence of a supposed maquete of these paintings. The final part of the thesis describes the application of the image processing tools developed in the first part of the thesis on a set of case studies; this experience demonstrates the potential of the tool to support painting analysis and authentication studies. The brushstroke analysis was used as additional analysis on the evaluation process of four paintings attributed to Amadeo, and the system based on hyperspectral analysis was applied on the painting dated 1917. The case studies therefore serve as a bridge between the first two parts of the dissertation.

The good, the bad and the ugly: The fall and resolution of Banco Esp��rito Santo

This case study ��� and accompanying teaching note ��� briefly describes the history of the Esp��rito Santo family, a banking dynasty who led one of Portugal���s leading economic and financial groups, along with its ���crown jewel���, Banco Esp��rito Santo. It chronicles how the corporate governance issues at BES allowed the family to exploit the bank, its shareholders and its customers, so as to support its unprofitable non-financial businesses. This left the bank in a poor financial situation, which deteriorated beyond control, leaving regulators ��� whose actions are also analysed here ��� with no alternative, amidst a severe liquidity crisis, but to apply a resolution measure, pinning large losses on junior bondholders and shareholders before recapitalising the bank.