New strategies to detect and understand genotype-by-environment interactions and QTL-by-environment interactions

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Estat��stica e Gest��o do Risco, especialidade em Estat��stica

The transformation of work? A quantitative evaluation of changes in work in Portugal

This report is made for the Work Package 15 of WORKS project and tries to develop more information on the Portuguese situation in the work structures changes in the recent years. It starts with an analysis of socio- economical indicators (Macro economical indicators, Employment indicators, Consumption, Technology at the workplace, Productivity), and then approaches the situation in terms of work flexibility in its dimensions of time use and New forms of work organisation. It traces employment in business functions with a sectoral and occupational approach, and analyses the occupational change in South Europe with particular relevance to Portugal (skill utilisation and job satisfaction, occupational and industrial mobility, quantitative evaluation of the shape of employment in Europe. Finaly are analysed the globalisation indicators.

Component-based software engineering: a quantitative approach

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

Quantitative assessment of modularity of caesarJ components

Disserta����o apresentada no ��mbito do Mestrado em Engenharia Inform��tica para obten����o do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Inform��tica

Manifesto para uma nova qu��mica: o discurso preliminar do Trait�� El��mentaire de Chimie de Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

Em 2011, ano internacional da qu��mica, parece ser pertinente a publica����o de um dos textos que marcou o esfor��o de renova����o desta disciplina nos finais do s��culo xviii. O Discurso Preliminar do Tratado Elementar de Qu��mica (1789) de Antoine Laurent Lavoisier constituiu-se como um verdadeiro manifesto para uma nova forma de ensinar, entender e praticar esta disciplina. No ��mbito de um processo com cariz revolucion��rio era imperativo mobilizar as jovens gera����es de futuros qu��micos. Era ainda necess��ria a pr��pria refundi����o da linguagem qu��mica. S��o estes os principais prop��sitos que Lavoisier apresenta neste documento inaugural, num modo claro e met��dico caracter��stico do seu estilo.

Chromosomal structure: a selectable trait for evolution

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Evolutionary Biology

Quantitative easing

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

Lawyers, judges, and judicial reform: A conceptual framework and a quantitative exploration

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

The social stock exchange: A quantitative exploration

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

Comparative effects of sediments contaminated by carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic PAHs in Dicentrarchus labrax: a semi-quantitative histopathological approach

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente

Cohesion decay: quantitative analysis of partial sister chromatid cohesion

Cell division is a highly dynamic process where sister chromatids remain associated with each other from the moment of DNA replication until the later stages of mitosis, giving rise to two daughter cells with equal genomes. The ���molecular glue��� that links sister DNA molecules is called cohesin, a tripartite ring-like protein complex composed of two Structural Maintenance of Chromosome proteins (Smc1 and Smc3) bridged by a kleisin subunit Rad21/Scc1, that together prevent precocious sister chromatid separation. Accumulating evidence has suggested that cohesion decay may be the cause of segregation errors that underlie certain human pathologies. However it remains to be determined how much cohesin loss abolishes functional sister chromatid cohesion. To answer these questions, we have developed different experimental conditions aiming to titrate the levels of cohesin on mitotic chromosomes in a precise manner. Using these tools, we will determine the minimal amount of cohesin needed to confer functional cohesion. The approaches described here take advantage of a system in Drosophila melanogaster where the Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) protease can cleave the Rad21 subunit of cohesin leading to precocious sister chromatid separation. Firstly, we tried to express different levels of TEV protease to obtain partial loss of cohesion. However, this approach has failed to produce systematic different levels of sister chromatid separation. Most of the work was therefore focused on a second strategy, for which we established strains with different levels of cohesin sensitive/cohesin resistant to TEV protease. Strains containing different amounts of functional cohesin (TEV resistant) were tested by in vitro cleavage and by in vivo injections in embryos for their ability to promote sister chromatid cohesion. Our results reveal that removal of half of the cohesin complexes does not impair chromosome segregation, implying that chromosome cohesion is less sensitive to cohesin amounts than previously anticipated.

Automated quantitative analysis of MCC-IMS spectra

Ion Mobility Spectrometry coupled with Multi Capillary Columns (MCC -IMS) is a fast analytical technique working at atmospheric pressure with high sensitivity and selectivity making it suitable for the analysis of complex biological matrices. MCC-IMS analysis generates its information through a 3D spectrum with peaks, corresponding to each of the substances detected, providing quantitative and qualitative information. Sometimes peaks of different substances overlap, making the quantification of substances present in the biological matrices a difficult process. In the present work we use peaks of isoprene and acetone as a model for this problem. These two volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that when detected by MCC-IMS produce two overlapping peaks. In this work it���s proposed an algorithm to identify and quantify these two peaks. This algorithm uses image processing techniques to treat the spectra and to detect the position of the peaks, and then fits the data to a custom model in order to separate the peaks. Once the peaks are separated it calculates the contribution of each peak to the data.

Effects of quantitative easing on the USA economy: A test for policy effectiveness

The catastrophic disruption in the USA financial system in the wake of the financial crisis prompted the Federal Reserve to launch a Quantitative Easing (QE) programme in late 2008. In line with Pesaran and Smith (2014), I use a policy effectiveness test to assess whether this massive asset purchase programme was effective in stimulating the economic activity in the USA. Specifically, I employ an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL), in order to obtain a counterfactual for the USA real GDP growth rate. Using data from 1983Q1 to 2009Q4, the results show that the beneficial effects of QE appear to be weak and rather short-lived. The null hypothesis of policy ineffectiveness is not rejected, which suggests that QE did not have a meaningful impact on output growth.

Clinical practice guidelines in Portugal : quantitative and qualitative evaluation

RESUMO: Introdu����o As normas de orienta����o cl��nica s��o ferramentas ��teis na transla����o de conhecimentos desde a investiga����o para a pr��tica cl��nica di��ria. Estrat��gias ativas de implementa����o de normas de orienta����o cl��nica requerem elevado esfor��o organizacional e financeiro. Quando os recursos s��o escassos, as estrat��gias passivas podem ser a ��nica op����o de dissemina����o. Desde 2011 a Dire����o Geral da Sa��de publicou cento e cinquenta e nove normas de orienta����o cl��nica. Nesta Tese �� feita uma avalia����o do impacto que estrat��gias de dissemina����o de normas de orienta����o cl��nica t��m no padr��o de prescri����o dos m��dicos e uma avalia����o qualitativa do processo das normas de orienta����o cl��nica em Portugal. M��todos: O primeiro artigo �� um estudo quasi experimental usando uma s��rie de an��lises temporais interrompida para comparar os n��veis observados e esperados de prescri����o de inibidores da ciclooxigenasa-2, antes e depois da publica����o da norma de orienta����o cl��nica sobre a utiliza����o de anti-inflamat��rios n��o esteroides. O segundo estudo �� um artigo de opini��o e debate no qual numa primeira parte contextualiza o processo das normas da Direc����o Geral da Sa��de, na segunda parte aponta virtudes e defeitos no processo e a terceira parte constitui uma contribui����o com vista �� melhoria do processo. Discuss��o A produ����o de normas de orienta����o cl��nica requer metodologia rigorosa e complexa. A literatura m��dica revela que a transla����o de conhecimento �� uma tarefa ��rdua. Estrat��gias de implementa����o ativas requerem recursos financeiros e organizacionais s��lidos. Estrat��gias de implementa����o passivas podem representar uma solu����o aceit��vel se os recursos financeiros e organizacionais escasseiam. Pouco �� conhecido sobre a efic��cia destas estrat��gias fora do contexto de investiga����o. Com esta Tese pretendo contribuir para a clarifica����o desta resposta, outros pa��ses e institui����es podem ver utilidade nesta informa����o, bem como pretendo contribuir para a discuss��o e melhoria do processo das normas de orienta����o cl��nica em Portugal. ------------------ ABSTRACT: Introduction Clinical practice guidelines can help address the failure to translate research findings into clinical practice. Active clinical practice guidelines implementation strategies require active efforts from organizations and are resource and financially demanding. Passive implementation strategies may represent the only option if resources are scarce. Out of research environment, real world efficacy of passive implementation strategies is still undetermined. Since 2011 the Portuguese General Health Directorate published one hundred and fifty nine guidelines. In this Thesis I evaluate the impact of passive dissemination of clinical practice guideline in clinician���s prescription behavior and review, from a qualitative point of view, the Portuguese clinical practice guideline process. Methods The first study is a quasi-experimental study using a retrospective interrupted time-series analysis design to compare the observed and expected prescription of cyclooxygenase-2 before and after the non steroidal antiinflammatory guideline publication. The second study is an opinion and debate article in which I firstly review the General Health Directorate guideline process. The second part states positive and negative aspects in the process and the third part is a contribution aimed at improving the process in the future. Discussion Clinical practice guidelines production demands a rigorous and complex methodology. medical iterature reveals that knowledge translation is a difficult task. Active implementation strategies demand solid financial and organizational resources. Passive implementation strategies may represent an acceptable solution if financial and organizational resources are scarce. Little is known about the efficacy of these strategies out of the research context. With this Thesis I intend to contribute to clarify this question, other countries and institutions with similar conditions may find this information useful, and also to contribute for the discussion and general improvement of national clinical practice guidelines process.