Combining open and closed world reasoning for the semantic web

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Inform��tica

Knowledge and practices of general practitioners of district Peshawar about schizophrenia

ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia with its disabling features has been placed in the top ten of global burden of disease and is associated with long-term decline in functional ability. General Practitioners not only have an important role in treating patients with an established diagnosis of schizophrenia but they can also contribute significantly by identifying people in early stages of psychosis as they are the first hand medical help available and the duration of untreated psychosis is a good indicator of patient���s prognosis. This cross sectional survey, conducted at the clinics of General Practitioners, was designed to assess the knowledge and practices of general practitioners in Peshawar on diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia. A semi structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge and practices regarding schizophrenia. The Knowledge/Practice was then categorized as good or poor based on their responses to the questions of the administered questionnaire. Overall, the results showed that the knowledge and practices of general practitioners of district Peshawar were poor regarding schizophrenia and may be responsible for delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment and poor prognosis.

Energy-efficient diversity combining for different access schemes in a multi-path dispersive channel

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Electrot��cnica e Computadores

Into a new phase of the research on restructuring of work in the knowledge society: the Third WORKS General Assembly in Sofia (Bulgaria)

The WORKS Project started two years ago (2005), involving the efforts of research institutes of 13 European countries with the main purpose of improving the understanding of the major changes in work in the knowledge-based society, taking account both of global forces and the regional diversity within Europe. This research meeting in Sofia (Bulgaria) aimed to present synthetically the massive amount of data collected in the case studies (occupational and organisational) and with the quantitative research during last year.

Automatic learning for the classification of chemical reactions and in statistical thermodynamics

This Thesis describes the application of automatic learning methods for a) the classification of organic and metabolic reactions, and b) the mapping of Potential Energy Surfaces(PES). The classification of reactions was approached with two distinct methodologies: a representation of chemical reactions based on NMR data, and a representation of chemical reactions from the reaction equation based on the physico-chemical and topological features of chemical bonds. NMR-based classification of photochemical and enzymatic reactions. Photochemical and metabolic reactions were classified by Kohonen Self-Organizing Maps (Kohonen SOMs) and Random Forests (RFs) taking as input the difference between the 1H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. The development of such a representation can be applied in automatic analysis of changes in the 1H NMR spectrum of a mixture and their interpretation in terms of the chemical reactions taking place. Examples of possible applications are the monitoring of reaction processes, evaluation of the stability of chemicals, or even the interpretation of metabonomic data. A Kohonen SOM trained with a data set of metabolic reactions catalysed by transferases was able to correctly classify 75% of an independent test set in terms of the EC number subclass. Random Forests improved the correct predictions to 79%. With photochemical reactions classified into 7 groups, an independent test set was classified with 86-93% accuracy. The data set of photochemical reactions was also used to simulate mixtures with two reactions occurring simultaneously. Kohonen SOMs and Feed-Forward Neural Networks (FFNNs) were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture based on the 1H NMR spectra of the products and reactants. Kohonen SOMs allowed the correct assignment of 53-63% of the mixtures (in a test set). Counter-Propagation Neural Networks (CPNNs) gave origin to similar results. The use of supervised learning techniques allowed an improvement in the results. They were improved to 77% of correct assignments when an ensemble of ten FFNNs were used and to 80% when Random Forests were used. This study was performed with NMR data simulated from the molecular structure by the SPINUS program. In the design of one test set, simulated data was combined with experimental data. The results support the proposal of linking databases of chemical reactions to experimental or simulated NMR data for automatic classification of reactions and mixtures of reactions. Genome-scale classification of enzymatic reactions from their reaction equation. The MOLMAP descriptor relies on a Kohonen SOM that defines types of bonds on the basis of their physico-chemical and topological properties. The MOLMAP descriptor of a molecule represents the types of bonds available in that molecule. The MOLMAP descriptor of a reaction is defined as the difference between the MOLMAPs of the products and the reactants, and numerically encodes the pattern of bonds that are broken, changed, and made during a chemical reaction. The automatic perception of chemical similarities between metabolic reactions is required for a variety of applications ranging from the computer validation of classification systems, genome-scale reconstruction (or comparison) of metabolic pathways, to the classification of enzymatic mechanisms. Catalytic functions of proteins are generally described by the EC numbers that are simultaneously employed as identifiers of reactions, enzymes, and enzyme genes, thus linking metabolic and genomic information. Different methods should be available to automatically compare metabolic reactions and for the automatic assignment of EC numbers to reactions still not officially classified. In this study, the genome-scale data set of enzymatic reactions available in the KEGG database was encoded by the MOLMAP descriptors, and was submitted to Kohonen SOMs to compare the resulting map with the official EC number classification, to explore the possibility of predicting EC numbers from the reaction equation, and to assess the internal consistency of the EC classification at the class level. A general agreement with the EC classification was observed, i.e. a relationship between the similarity of MOLMAPs and the similarity of EC numbers. At the same time, MOLMAPs were able to discriminate between EC sub-subclasses. EC numbers could be assigned at the class, subclass, and sub-subclass levels with accuracies up to 92%, 80%, and 70% for independent test sets. The correspondence between chemical similarity of metabolic reactions and their MOLMAP descriptors was applied to the identification of a number of reactions mapped into the same neuron but belonging to different EC classes, which demonstrated the ability of the MOLMAP/SOM approach to verify the internal consistency of classifications in databases of metabolic reactions. RFs were also used to assign the four levels of the EC hierarchy from the reaction equation. EC numbers were correctly assigned in 95%, 90%, 85% and 86% of the cases (for independent test sets) at the class, subclass, sub-subclass and full EC number level,respectively. Experiments for the classification of reactions from the main reactants and products were performed with RFs - EC numbers were assigned at the class, subclass and sub-subclass level with accuracies of 78%, 74% and 63%, respectively. In the course of the experiments with metabolic reactions we suggested that the MOLMAP / SOM concept could be extended to the representation of other levels of metabolic information such as metabolic pathways. Following the MOLMAP idea, the pattern of neurons activated by the reactions of a metabolic pathway is a representation of the reactions involved in that pathway - a descriptor of the metabolic pathway. This reasoning enabled the comparison of different pathways, the automatic classification of pathways, and a classification of organisms based on their biochemical machinery. The three levels of classification (from bonds to metabolic pathways) allowed to map and perceive chemical similarities between metabolic pathways even for pathways of different types of metabolism and pathways that do not share similarities in terms of EC numbers. Mapping of PES by neural networks (NNs). In a first series of experiments, ensembles of Feed-Forward NNs (EnsFFNNs) and Associative Neural Networks (ASNNs) were trained to reproduce PES represented by the Lennard-Jones (LJ) analytical potential function. The accuracy of the method was assessed by comparing the results of molecular dynamics simulations (thermal, structural, and dynamic properties) obtained from the NNs-PES and from the LJ function. The results indicated that for LJ-type potentials, NNs can be trained to generate accurate PES to be used in molecular simulations. EnsFFNNs and ASNNs gave better results than single FFNNs. A remarkable ability of the NNs models to interpolate between distant curves and accurately reproduce potentials to be used in molecular simulations is shown. The purpose of the first study was to systematically analyse the accuracy of different NNs. Our main motivation, however, is reflected in the next study: the mapping of multidimensional PES by NNs to simulate, by Molecular Dynamics or Monte Carlo, the adsorption and self-assembly of solvated organic molecules on noble-metal electrodes. Indeed, for such complex and heterogeneous systems the development of suitable analytical functions that fit quantum mechanical interaction energies is a non-trivial or even impossible task. The data consisted of energy values, from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, at different distances, for several molecular orientations and three electrode adsorption sites. The results indicate that NNs require a data set large enough to cover well the diversity of possible interaction sites, distances, and orientations. NNs trained with such data sets can perform equally well or even better than analytical functions. Therefore, they can be used in molecular simulations, particularly for the ethanol/Au (111) interface which is the case studied in the present Thesis. Once properly trained, the networks are able to produce, as output, any required number of energy points for accurate interpolations.

Unlimited or disrupted communication? How does the development of the mobile phone effect our ability of social action?

The aim of this essay is to discuss the thesis of the German Sociologist G��nter Burkhart that in modern societies a phenomenon appeared which he calls ���handymania���, an excessive and nearly addictive use of the mobile phones especially from adolescents. After a short overview about the history of the cell phone, I will relate this development to J��rgen Habermas ���theory of communicative action���, more precisely to his diagnosis of a pathological society (���lifeworld���) to find out if the ���handymania��� could be one expression of it. Adjacent I will present social-psychological theories from E.H.Erikson and Tilmann Habermas to ascertain whether juveniles could really be a high-risk group for this kind of addiction. I will focus on the ability to communicate in an Habermasian way that could be seriously harmed by the unregulated usage of cell phones.

Pol��tica(s) de sa��de no trabalho : um inqu��rito sociol��gico ��s empresas portuguesas

Resumo Pol��tica(s) de sa��de no trabalho: um inqu��rito sociol��gico ��s empresas portuguesas A literatura portuguesa sobre pol��ticas, programas e actividades de Seguran��a, Higiene e Sa��de no Trabalho (abreviadamente, SH&ST) �� ainda escassa. Com este projecto de investiga����o pretende-se (i) colmatar essa lacuna, (ii) melhorar o conhecimento dos sistemas de gest��o da sa��de e seguran��a no trabalho e (iii) contribuir para a protec����o e a promo����o da sa��de dos trabalhadores. Foi constru��da uma tipologia com cinco grupos principais de pol��ticas, programas e actividades: A (Higiene & Seguran��a no Trabalho / Melhoria do ambiente f��sico de trabalho); B (Avalia����o de sa��de / Vigil��ncia m��dica / Presta����o de cuidados de sa��de); C (Preven����o de comportamentos de risco/ Promo����o de estilos de vida saud��veis); D (Interven����es a n��vel organizacional / Melhoria do ambiente psicossocial de trabalho); E (Actividades e programas sociais e de bem-estar). Havia uma lista de mais de 60 actividades poss��veis, correspondendo a um ��ndice de realiza����o de 100%. Foi concebido e desenhado, para ser auto-administrado, um question��rio sobre Pol��tica de Sa��de no Local de Trabalho. Foram efectuados dois mailings, e um follow-up telef��nico. O trabalho de campo decorreu entre a primavera de 1997 e o ver��o de 1998. A amostra (n=259) �� considerada representativa das duas mil maiores empresas do pa��s. Uma em cada quatro �� uma multinacional. A taxa de sindicaliza����o rondava os 30% da popula����o trabalhadora, mas apenas 16% dos respondentes assinalou a exist��ncia de representantes dos trabalhadores eleitos para a SH&ST. A hip��tese de investiga����o principal era a de que as empresas com um sistema integrado de gest��o da SH&ST seriam tamb��m as empresas com um (i) maior n��mero de pol��ticas, programas e actividades de sa��de; (ii) maior ��ndice de sa��de; (iii) maior ��ndice de realiza����o; e (iv) maior percentagem dos encargos com a SH&ST no total da massa salarial. As actividades de tipo A e B, tradicionalmente associadas �� SH&ST, representavam, s�� por si, mais de 57% do total. Os resultados, correspondentes ��s respostas da Sec����o C do question��rio, apontam, para (i) a hipervaloriza����o dos exames de medicina do trabalho; e por outro para (ii) o subaproveitamento de um vasto conjunto de actividades (nomeadamente as de tipo D e E), que s��o correntemente levadas a cabo pelas empresas e que nunca ou raramente s��o pensadas em termos de protec����o e promo����o da sa��de dos trabalhadores. As actividades e os programas de tipo C (Preven����o de comportamentos de risco/Promo����o de estilos de vida saud��veis), ainda eram as menos frequentes entre n��s, a seguir aos Programas sociais e de bem-estar (E). �� a exist��ncia de sistemas de gest��o integrados de SH&ST, e n��o o tamanho da empresa ou outra caracter��stica sociodemogr��fica ou t��cnico-organizacional, que permite predizer a frequ��ncia de pol��ticas de sa��de mais activas e mais inovadores. Os tr��s principais motivos ou raz��es que levam as empresas portuguesas a investir na protec����o e promo����o da sa��de dos seus trabalhadores eram, por ordem de frequ��ncia, (i) o absentismo em geral; (ii) a produtividade, qualidade e/ou competitividade, e (iii) a filosofia de gest��o ou cultura organizacional. Quanto aos tr��s principais benef��cios que s��o reportados, surge em primeiro lugar (i) a melhoria da sa��de dos trabalhadores, seguida da (ii) melhoria do ambiente do ambiente de trabalho e, por fim, (iii) a melhoria da produtividade, qualidade e/ou competitividade.Quanto aos tr��s principais obst��culos que se p��em, em geral, ao desenvolvimento das iniciativas de sa��de, eles seriam os seguintes, na percep����o dos respondentes: (i) a falta de empenho dos trabalhadores; (ii) a falta de tempo; e (iii) os problemas de articula����o/ comunica����o a n��vel interno. Por fim, (i) o empenho das estruturas hier��rquicas; (ii) a cultura organizacional prop��cia; e (iii) o sentido de responsabilidade social surgem, destacadamente, como os tr��s principais factores facilitadores do desenvolvimento da pol��tica de sa��de no trabalho. Tantos estes factores como os obst��culos s��o de natureza end��gena, suscept��veis portanto de controlo por parte dos gestores. Na sua generalidade, os resultados deste trabalho p��em em evid��ncia a fraqueza te��ricometodol��gica de grande parte das iniciativas de sa��de, realizadas na d��cada de 1990. Muitas delas seriam medidas avulsas, que se inserem na gest��o corrente das nossas empresas, e que dificilmente poder��o ser tomadas como express��o de uma pol��tica de sa��de no local de trabalho, (i) definida e assumida pela gest��o de topo, (ii) socialmente concertada, (iii) coerente, (iv) baseada na avalia����o de necessidades e expectativas de sa��de dos trabalhadores, (v) divulgada, conhecida e partilhada por todos, (vi) contingencial, flex��vel e integrada, e, por fim, (vii) orientada por custos e resultados. Segundo a Declara����o do Luxemburgo (1997), a promo����o da sa��de engloba o esfor��o conjunto dos empregadores, dos trabalhadores, do Estado e da sociedade civil para melhorar a seguran��a, a sa��de e o bem-estar no trabalho, objectivo isso que pode ser conseguido atrav��s da (i) melhoria da organiza����o e das demais condi����es de trabalho, da (ii) participa����o efectiva e concreta dos trabalhadores bem como do seu (iii) desenvolvimento pessoal. Abstract Health at work policies: a sociological inquiry into Portuguese corporations Portuguese literature on workplace health policies, programs and activities is still scarce. With this research project the author intends (i) to improve knowledge on the Occupational Health and Safety (shortly thereafter, OSH) management systems and (ii) contribute to the development of health promotion initiatives at a corporate level. Five categories of workplace health initiatives have been identified: (i) Occupational Hygiene and Safety / Improvement of Physical Working Environment (type A programs); (ii) Health Screening, Medical Surveillance and Other Occupational Health Care Provision (type B programs); (iii) Preventing Risk Behaviours / Promoting Healthy Life Styles (type C programs); (iv) Organisational Change / Improvement of Psycho-Social Working Environment (type D programs); and (v) Industrial and Social Welfare (type E programs). A mail questionnaire was sent to the Chief Executive Officer of the 1500 largest Portuguese companies, operating in the primary and secondary sectors (��� 100 employees) or tertiary sector (��� 75 employees). Response rate has reached about 20% (259 respondents, representing about 300 companies). Carried out between Spring 1997 and Summer 1998, the fieldwork has encompassed two direct mailings and one phone follow-up. Sample is considered to be representative of the two thousand largest companies. One in four is a multinational. Union membership rate is about 30%, but only 16% has reported the existence of a workers��� health and safety representative. The most frequent workplace health initiatives were those under the traditional scope of the OSH field (type A and B programs) (57% of total) (e.g., Periodical Medical Examinations; Individual Protective Equipment; Assessment of Working Ability). In SMEs (< 250) it was less likely to find out some time-consuming and expensive activities (e.g., Training on OSH knowledge and skills, Improvement of environmental parameters as ventilation, lighting, heating).There were significant differences in SMEs, when compared with the larger ones (��� 250) concerning type B programs such as Periodical medical examinations, GP consultation, Nursing care, Other medical and non-medical specialities (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist, ergonomist, physiotherapist, occupational social worker). With regard to type C programs, there were a greater percentage of programs centred on Substance abuse (tobacco, alcohol, and drug) than on Other health risk behaviours. SMEs representatives reported very few prevention- oriented programs in the field of Drug abuse, Nutrition, Physical activity, Off- job accidents, Blood pressure or Weight control. Frequency of type D programs included Training on Human Resources Management, Training on Organisational Behaviour, Total Quality Management, Job Design/Ergonomics, and Workplace rehabilitation. In general, implementation of this type of programs (Organisational Change / Improvement of Psychosocial Working Environment) is not largely driven by health considerations. Concerning Industrial and Social Welfare (Type E programs), the larger employers are in a better position than SMEs to offer to their employees a large spectrum of health resources and facilities (e.g., Restaurant, Canteen, Resting room, Transport, Infra-structures for physical activity, Surgery, Complementary social protection, Support to recreational and cultural activities, Magazine or newsletter, Intranet). Other workplace health promotion programs like Training on Stress Management, Employee Assistance Programs, or Self-help groups are uncommon in the Portuguese worksites. The existence of integrated OSH management systems, not the company size, is the main variable explaining the implementation of more active and innovative workplace health policies in Portugal. The three main prompting factors reported by employers for health protection and promotion initiatives are: (i) Employee absenteeism; (ii) Productivity, quality and/or competitiveness; and (iii) Corporate culture/management philosophy. On the other hand, (i) Improved staff���s health, (ii) Improved working environment and (iii) Improved productivity, quality and/or competitiveness were the three main benefits reported by companies��� representatives, as a result of successful implementation of workplace health initiatives. (i) Lack of staff commitment; (ii) Lack of time; and (iii) Problems of co-operation and communication within company or establishment (iii) are perceived to be the main barriers companies must cope with. Asked about the main facilitating factors, these companies have pointed out the following ones: (i) Top management commitment; (ii) Corporate culture; and (iii) Sense of social responsibility. This sociological research report shows the methodological weaknesses of workplace health initiatives, carried out by Portuguese companies during the last ���90s. In many cases, these programs and actions were not part of a corporate health strategy and policy, (i) based on the assessment of workers��� health needs and expectancies, (ii) advocated by the employer or the chief executive officer, (ii) planned and implemented with the staff consultation and participation or (iv) evaluated according to a cost-benefit analysis. In short, corporate health policy and action were still rather based on more traditional OSH approaches and should be reoriented towards Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) approach. According to the Luxembourg Declaration of Workplace Health Promotion in the European Union (1997), WHP is ���a combination of: (i) improving the work organisation and environment; (ii) promoting active participation; (iii) encouraging personal development���.R��sum��e Politique(s) de sant�� au travail: une enqu��te sociologique aux entreprises portugaises Au Portugal on ne sait presque rien des politiques de sant�� au travail, adopt��s par les entreprises. Avec ce projet de recherche, on veut (i) am��liorer la connaissance sur les syst��mes de gestion de la sant�� et de la s��curit�� au travail et, au m��me temps, (ii) contribuer au d��veloppement de la promotion de la sant�� des travailleurs. Une typologie a ��t�� us��e pour identifier les politiques, programmes et actions de sant�� au travail: A. Am��lioration des conditions de travail / S��curit�� au travail; B. M��decine du travail /Sant�� au travail; C. Pr��vention des comportements de risque / Promotion de styles de vie sains; D. Interventions organisationnelles / Am��lioration des facteurs psychosociaux au travail; E. Gestion de personnel et bien-��tre social. Un questionnaire postal a ��t�� envoy�� au repr��sentant maximum des grandes entreprises portugaises, industrielles (��� 100 employ��s) ou des services (��� 75 employ��s). Le taux de r��ponse a ��t�� environ 20% (259 r��pondants, concernant trois centaines d���entreprises et d�����tablissements). La recherche de champ, conduite du printemps 1997 �� l�����t�� 1998, a compris deux enqu��tes postales et un follow-up t��l��phonique. L����chantillon est repr��sentatif de la population des deux miles plus grandes entreprises. Un quart sont des multinationales. Le taux de syndicalisation est d���environ 30%. Toutefois, il y a seulement 16% de lieux de travail avec des repr��sentants du personnel pour la sant�� et s��curit�� au travail. Les initiatives de sant�� au travail les plus communes sont celles concernant le domaine plus traditionnel (types A et B) (57% du total): par exemple, les examens de m��decine du travail, l�����quipement de protection individuelle, les tests d���aptitude au travail. En ce qui concerne les programmes de type C, les plus fr��quents sont le contr��le et la pr��vention des addictions (tabac, alcool, drogue). Les interventions dans le domaine de du syst��me technique et organisationnelle du travail peuvent comprendre les courses de formation en gestion de ressources humaines ou en psychosociologie des organisations, l���ergonomie, le travail post�� ou la gestion de la qualit�� totale. En g��n��ral, la protection et la promotion de la sant�� des travailleurs ne sont pas prises en consid��ration dans l���impl��mentation des initiatives de type D. Il y a des diff��rences quand on compare les grandes entreprises et les moyennes en mati��re de politique de gestion du personnel e du bien-��tre (programmes de type E, y compris l���allocation de ressources humaines ou logistiques comme, par exemple, restaurant, journal d���entreprise, transports, installations et ��quipements sportifs). D���autres activit��s de promotion de la sant�� au travail comme la formation en gestion du stress, les programmes d��� assistance aux employ��s, ou les groupes de soutien et d���auto-aide sont encore tr��s peu fr��quents dans les entreprises portugaises. C���est le syst��me int��gr�� de gestion de la sant�� et de la s��curit�� au travail, et non pas la taille de l���entreprise, qui aide �� pr��dire l���existence de politiques actives et innovatrices dans ce domaine. Les trois facteurs principaux qui encouragent les actions de sant�� (prompting factors, en anglais) sont (i) l���absent��isme (y compris la maladie), (ii) les probl��mes li��s �� la productivit��, qualit�� et/ou la comp��titivit��, et aussi (iii) la culture de l���entreprise/philosophie de gestion. Du cot�� des b��n��fices, on a obtenu surtout l���am��lioration (i) de la sant�� du personnel, (ii) des conditions de travail, et (iii) de la productivit��, qualit�� et/ou comp��titivit��.Les facteurs qui facilitent les actions de sant�� au travail sont (i) l���engagement de la direction, (ii) la culture de l���entreprise, et (iii) le sens de responsabilit�� sociale. Par contre, les obstacles �� surmonter, selon les organisations qui ont r��pondu au questionnaire, seraient surtout (i) le manque d���engagement des travailleurs et de leur repr��sentants, (ii) le temps insuffisant, et (iii) les probl��mes de articulation/communication au niveau interne de l���entreprise/��tablissement. Ce travail de recherche sociologique montre la faiblesse m��thodologique des services et activit��s de sant�� et s��curit�� au travail, mis en place par les entreprises portugaises dans les ann��es de 1990, �� la suite des accords de concertation sociale de 1991. Dans beaucoup de cas, (i) ces politiques de sant�� ne font pas partie encore d���un syst��me int��gr�� de gestion, (ii) il n���a pas d�����valuation des besoins et des expectatives des travailleurs, (iii) c���est tr��s bas ou inexistant le niveau de participation du personnel, (iv) on ne fait pas d���analyse co��t-b��n��fice. On peut conclure que les politiques de sant�� au travail sont plus proches de la m��decine du travail et de la s��curit�� au travail que de la promotion de la sant�� des travailleurs. Selon la D��claration du Luxembourg sur la Promotion de la Sant�� au Lieu de Travail dans la Communaut�� Europ��enne (1997), celle-ci �� comprend toutes les mesures des employeurs, des employ��s et de la soci��t�� pour am��liorer l'��tat de sant�� et le bien ��tre des travailleurs �� e �� ceci peut ��tre obtenu par la concentration des efforts dans les domaines suivants: (i) am��lioration de l'organisation du travail et des conditions de travail ; (ii) promotion d'une participation active des collaborateurs ; (iii) renforcement des comp��tences personnelles ��.

Iberian peninsula ecosystem carbon fluxes: a model-data integration study

Disserta����o apresentada para obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia do Ambiente pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa,Faculdade de Ci��ncias e Tecnologia

A study on metallurgy and corrosion of ancient copper-based artefacts from the portuguese territory

Disserta����o apresentada para a obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Conserva����o e Restauro, especialidade Ci��ncias da Conserva����o, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ci��ncias e Tecnologia

Life-cycle performance of structures: combining expert judgment and results of inspection

Life-Cycle Civil Engineering ��� Biondini & Frangopol

Screening pentachlorophenol degradation ability by environmental fungal strains belonging to the phyla Ascomycota and Zygomycota

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) bioremediation by the fungal strains amongst the cork- colonising community has not yet been analysed. In this paper, the co- and direct metabolism of PCP by each of the 17 fungal species selected from this community were studied. Using hierarchical data analysis, the isolates were ranked by their PCP bioremediation potential. Fifteen isolates were able to degrade PCP under co-metabolic conditions, and surprisingly Chrysonilia sitophila, Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Mucor plumbeus, Penicillium janczewskii and P. glandicola were able to directly metabolise PCP, leading to its complete depletion from media. PCP degradation intermediates are preliminarily discussed. Data emphasise the signiWcance of these fungi to have an interesting potential to be used in PCP bioremediation processes.

Preval��ncia de obesidade infanto-juvenil : associa����o com os h��bitos alimentares, actividade f��sica e comportamentos sedent��rios dos adolescentes escolarizados de Portugal Conti

RESUMO Nos pa��ses industrializados observam-se elevadas preval��ncias de pr��- obesidade e obesidade em jovens e adolescentes, com consequ��ncias negativas para a sa��de. A obesidade �� apontada como o dist��rbio nutricional mais frequente em crian��as e adolescentes nos pa��ses desenvolvidos e �� resultado da acumula����o excessiva ou anormal de gordura no tecido adiposo. Segundo a I.O.T.F. considera- se que uma crian��a tem pr��-obesidade quando o seu percentil de I.M.C. est�� entre o p88 e p99 para as raparigas e entre o p90 e o p99 para os rapazes. Considerase que tem obesidade quando o percentil de I.M.C. �� superior ao p99, para ambos os sexos. A preval��ncia de pr��-obesidade e obesidade em crian��as e adolescentes tem vindo a aumentar a n��vel mundial a um ritmo alarmante, sobretudo nos pa��ses desenvolvidos e em alguns segmentos de pa��ses em desenvolvimento. Estudos demonstram que a obesidade em crian��as e adolescentes se encontra fortemente correlacionada com o aumento da morbilidade e mortalidade, reflectindo-se numa variedade de situa����es patol��gicas com risco de persist��ncia no adulto. Dada a sua extrema import��ncia em termos de Sa��de P��blica, as tend��ncias para a pr��- obesidade e obesidade em crian��as e adolescentes devem ser monitorizadas com especial aten����o. Os h��bitos alimentares e o gasto energ��tico s��o factores que influenciam a obesidade e o seu controlo. H�� estudos que concluem que existe uma associa����o directa entre estes factos e a presen��a de obesidade e outros apresentam conclus��es contr��rias. Pretendeu-se determinar a preval��ncia de excesso de peso (pr��-obesidade e obesidade) infantojuvenil em Portugal e associ��-la com os h��bitos alimentares, actividade f��sica e comportamentos sedent��rios dos adolescentes. A popula����o em estudo �� todos os adolescentes, de ambos os sexos, que frequentam o ensino b��sico (2�� e 3�� ciclos) e secund��rio oficial de Portugal Continental (n=5708). Todos os elementos em estudos foram avaliados antropometricamente (peso e altura) e responderam a um question��rio de h��bitos alimentares e frequ��ncia alimentar, actividade f��sica e comportamentos sedent��rios. Como resultados do estudo verificou-se que a preval��ncia de pr��- obesidade infanto-juvenil em Portugal �� de 22,6% e a preval��ncia de obesidade de 7,8%. Quer a obesidade quer a pr��-obesidade apresentam indicadores superiores nos rapazes (p=0,01) e nos adolescentes mais jovens (p=0,00). Em rela����o aos h��bitos alimentares estudados �� de referir que a frequ��ncia de consumo de refei����es fora de casa �� muito similar entre o grupo normoponderal e o grupo com excesso de peso sendo a refei����o da ceia consumida por um n��mero muito superior de adolescentes normoponderais comparativamente com os que apresentam excesso de peso (p=0,01). Em rela����o �� ingest��o de determinados alimentos ou grupos aliment��cios, verificou-se que, regra geral, o consumo de alimentos de caracter��sticas nutricionais de baixa qualidade (gordura saturada, sal e a��ucares simples) era superior no grupo normoponderal comparativamente ao grupo com excesso de peso (refrigerantes, snacks, fast-food, cereais a��ucarados, sobremesas doces) (p<0,05). Em rela����o �� actividade f��sica, o n��mero de horas semanais de actividade f��sica diminui do grupo normoponderal para o grupo com excesso de peso. Dentro do grupo com excesso de peso, os obesos apresentam ainda uma m��dia inferior em rela����o aos pr��-obesos. Poderemos afirmar que quanto maior o ��ndice de actividade f��sica menor o percentil de I.M.C., mostrando-se assim a actividade f��sica como um factor protector de um peso saud��vel (p<0,05). Quando solicitado que caracterizassem o estilo de vida e a habilidade desportiva, verificou-se que nos grupos com excesso de peso se caracterizavam em indicadores mais baixos do que os normoponderais (p<0,05). No que diz respeito aos comportamentos sedent��rios, verifica-se que s��o mais prevalentes nos grupos com excesso de peso do que no grupo normoponderal (p<0,05). Em conclus��o, os resultados da preval��ncia de obesidade obtidos assemelham-se aos resultados obtidos noutros estudos, constituindo um dado revelador de uma situa����o bastante preocupante em termos de Sa��de P��blica. Em rela����o aos h��bitos alimentares as diferen��as n��o s��o significativas entre os diferentes grupos (normoponderal, pr��-obesidade e obesidade). A actividade f��sica apresentou-se como um factor protector do aumento de peso com uma associa����o directa com o estado nutricional (I.M.C.). Verificou-se que os adolescentes em Portugal que apresentavam indicadores mais elevados de actividade f��sica eram aqueles que se encontravam com peso normal. Os comportamentos sedent��rios apresentaram-se como um factor prop��cio ao desenvolvimento do excesso de peso estando directamente relacionados com o percentil de I.M.C. Os comportamentos sedent��rios mais frequentes s��o o visionamento televisivo e o computador/internet. Assim, poder-se-�� fundamentar a necessidade de medidas interventivas a este n��vel com o intuito de controlar os indicadores encontrados. ABSTRACT In the industrialized countries high prevalences of pre-obesity and obesity are observed in youngsters and adolescents, with negative health consequences. Obesity is pointed as the most frequent nutritional disturbance in children and adolescents in developed countries and results from the excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat in the adipose tissue. According to the IOTF a child is pre-obese when the BMI percentile is between p88 and p99 for girls and between p90 and p99 for boys. Obesity is considered when the BMI percentile is above p99 for both sexes. The prevalence of pre-obesity and obesity in children and adolescents has been rising alarmingly worldwide, especially in developed countries and some segments of developing countries. Studies indicate that obesity in children and adolescents is strongly associated with increased morbidity and mortality resulting in a variety of pathological situations with risk of persistence in adulthood. Given its major Public Health importance, pre-obesity and obesity trends in children and adolescents should be monitored with special attention. Eating habits and energy expenditure are factors that influence obesity and its control. Some studies conclude that there is a direct association between these factors and the presence of obesity and others present opposite conclusions. It was intended to determine the prevalence of overweight (pre-obesity and obesity) in children and youth in Portugal and to associate it with eating habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviors of adolescents. The population in study is constituted by all adolescents of both sexes that attend basic (2nd and 3rd grade) and secondary official education of continental Portugal (n=5708). All participants in study were anthropometrically evaluated (weight and height) and answered a questionnaire of eating habits and food frequency, physical activity and sedentary behaviors. The study results indicate a prevalence of pre-obesity in children and youth in Portugal of 22.6% and a prevalence of obesity of 7.8%. Both obesity and pre-obesity present higher indicators in boys (p=0.01) and younger adolescents (p=0.00). In relation to the studied eating habits it should be noted that the frequency of consumption of meals away from home is very similar between the normal weight group and the overweight group. Moreover, the supper meal is consumed by a much larger number of normal weight adolescents as compared to the ones with overweight (p=0.01). Regarding the intake of certain foods or food groups, it was found that, in general, the consumption of foods with characteristics of low nutritional quality (saturated fat, salt and simple sugars) was higher in the normoponderal group compared with the overweight group (soft drinks, snacks, fast-food, sugary cereals, desserts) (p<0.05). In respect to physical activity, the number of weekly hours of physical activity decreases from the normoponderal group to the group with overweight. Within the group with overweight, obese subjects also present a lower average than pre-obese subjects. As we can affirm that the higher the physical activity index the lower the BMI percentile, physical activity appears as a protective factor for a healthy weight (p<0.05). When they were asked to characterize their lifestyle and sports ability, it was found that overweight groups characterized themselves with lower indicators than the normoponderal group (p<0.05). Regarding sedentary behaviors, it appears that they were more prevalent in groups with overweight than in the normoponderal group (p<0.05). In conclusion, the results of the obesity prevalence attained are similar to the results obtained in other studies, revealing a very worrying situation in terms of Public Health. In relation to the eating habits there were no significant differences between the groups (normoponderal, pre-obesity and obesity). Physical activity appears as a protective factor from weight gain with a direct association with nutritional status (BMI). It was found that young people in Portugal who had the highest indicators of physical activity were those who presented normal weight. The sedentary behaviors were presented as a factor conducive to the development of overweight being directly related to the BMI percentile. The most frequent sedentary behaviors were television viewing and computer/internet

Literacia em sa��de e alimenta����o saud��vel : os novos produtos e a escolha dos alime

Resumo Com o objectivo de contribuir para entender o n��vel de literacia em sa��de dos consumidores e verificar a rela����o entre esta e o comportamento no consumo de alimentos (consumerismo), foi efectuado um inqu��rito por question��rio que incluiu a tradu����o para Portugu��s do Newest Vital Sign,�� (2008) Pfizer Inc. Used with permission (NVS). Este instrumento foi aplicado a uma amostra estratificada, de 384 indiv��duos com mais de 15 anos de idade, da regi��o da Grande Lisboa, distribu��da de acordo com o Census 2001. A n��vel de literacia em sa��de foi avaliado atrav��s da vers��o Portuguesa do NVS que consiste numa ���ferramenta��� onde se fornece aos inquiridos uma s��rie de informa����es relacionadas com a sa��de, nomeadamente a informa����o nutricional constante de um r��tulo, devendo estes fazer a demonstra����o das suas capacidades de utiliza����o dessa informa����o respondendo a quest��es. Dos resultados recolhidos verifica-se que existe uma rela����o directa entre a literacia em sa��de e a escolaridade, constatou-se ainda uma associa����o entre a literacia em sa��de e o comportamento consumerista no consumo de alimentos assim como com um comportamento de consumo pautado pela consci��ncia ecol��gica. De salientar ainda a rela����o estatisticamente significativa entre a literacia em sa��de e a neofilia alimentar. No entanto os indiv��duos mais idosos, com menores habilita����es liter��rias e de menor rendimento s��o mais neof��bicos N��o existe rela����o entre o g��nero e a literacia em sa��de. O NVS, agora dispon��vel na l��ngua portuguesa, constitui num contexto de promo����o da sa��de, uma ajuda em termos de Sa��de P��blica. Abstract Aiming to contribute to the understanding of consumer���s health literacy, and to verify the relation between health literacy and consumerism in food consumption, a validation of an inquiry, that include the Portuguese version of the Newest Vital Sign, �� (2008) Pfizer Inc. Used with permission (NVS) was performed. Afterwards this epidemiologic instrument was applied to a convenience sample (384 individuals, over 15 years old) of the population of ���Grande Lisboa���, distributed accordingly to Census 2001. Health literacy was evaluated by the Portuguese version of NVS and consists in a tool by which a number of health-related information, in this case nutritional information written in a food label, is used to demonstrate one���s ability to use that information answering to questions. From the results it is possible to verify that there is a close relation between health literacy and general literacy (school years), it was also possible to observe an association among health literacy, consumer behaviour and ecological consumption of food products. It is of relevance the fact that an association between health literacy and food neophilia is statistically significant. Nevertheless older individuals, with lower health literacy and income are the most neophobic. There is no statistical association between gender and health literacy. The Portuguese version of NVS is an essential tool to evaluate the population health literacy in a hea

Development and validation of a risk model for prediction of hazardous alcohol consumption in general practice attendees : the PredictAL study

Background: Little is known about the risk of progression to hazardous alcohol use in people currently drinking at safe limits. We aimed to develop a prediction model (predictAL) for the development of hazardous drinking in safe drinkers. Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult general practice attendees in six European countries and Chile followed up over 6 months. We recruited 10,045 attendees between April 2003 to February 2005. 6193 European and 2462 Chilean attendees recorded AUDIT scores below 8 in men and 5 in women at recruitment and were used in modelling risk. 38 risk factors were measured to construct a risk model for the development of hazardous drinking using stepwise logistic regression. The model was corrected for over fitting and tested in an external population. The main outcome was hazardous drinking defined by an AUDIT score >= 8 in men and >= 5 in women. Results: 69.0% of attendees were recruited, of whom 89.5% participated again after six months. The risk factors in the final predictAL model were sex, age, country, baseline AUDIT score, panic syndrome and lifetime alcohol problem. The predictAL model's average c-index across all six European countries was 0.839 (95% CI 0.805, 0.873). The Hedge's g effect size for the difference in log odds of predicted probability between safe drinkers in Europe who subsequently developed hazardous alcohol use and those who did not was 1.38 (95% CI 1.25, 1.51). External validation of the algorithm in Chilean safe drinkers resulted in a c-index of 0.781 (95% CI 0.717, 0.846) and Hedge's g of 0.68 (95% CI 0.57, 0.78). Conclusions: The predictAL risk model for development of hazardous consumption in safe drinkers compares favourably with risk algorithms for disorders in other medical settings and can be a useful first step in prevention of alcohol misuse.

Attitudes towards mentally ill in professionals working in Ndera neuropsychiatric hospital in Rwanda��

ABSTRACT: This quantitative study investigated the attitudes toward the mentally ill in professionals working in Ndera neuropsychiatric hospital. The research questions explored were centered on the attitudes of directly involved and supportive professionals toward mentally ill clients and also on the difference between the attitudes of directly involved and supportive professionals toward mentally ill clients and demographic variables. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in attitude between direct care providers and supportive professionals toward the mentally ill clients. The Community Attitudes towards Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale (Dear & Taylor, 1982; Taylor, Dear & Hall, 1979; Taylor & Dear, 1981) was used. A total of 72 members of the staff, including 55 directly involved staff and 17 supportive staff members, participated in the survey. A summary interpretation of the main findings in this thesis reinforces the assumption that negative attitudes towards people with mental illness received in Ndera neuropsychiatric hospital are in existence, even though the majority have favorable attitudes towards the mentally ill. This suggests that persons with mental illness may encounter stigmatizing attitudes from mental health professionals. This study represents one of the first to explore professionals��� attitudes towards the mentally ill. It is hoped that this work will highlight the need to explore the influence of attitudes in the delivery of high quality healthcare. The provider���patient relationship is at the heart of effective treatment and the detrimental impact of prejudicial judgments on this relationship should not be ignored. This study also demonstrates that professionals with different roles report different attitudes and this suggest that they would behave differently towards patients with mental illness. The directly involved professionals have been found to have more positive attitudes than the supportive professional and this seems to show that as individuals improve their ability to interact with persons with mental illness, they become more tolerant. The present study demonstrates that the sociodemographic variables tested have no impact on the attitudes of the professionals working in Ndera neuropsychiatric hospital. The extent of mental health training (as part of general health training) and duration of experience of working in mental health settings did not influence attitudes. Finally, this study demonstrates that there is no correlation between the attitudes towards mentally ill patients and their inclusion in the process of decision-making.