Ubiquitous computing and natural interfaces for environmental information

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil Gestão e Sistemas Ambientais

QED and relativistic corrections in superheavy elements

In this paper we review the different relativistic and QED contributions to energies, ionic radii, transition probabilities and Landé g-factors in super-heavy elements, with the help of the MultiConfiguration Dirac-Fock method (MCDF). The effects of taking into account the Breit interaction to all orders by including it in the self-consistent field process are demonstrated. State of the art radiative corrections are included in the calculation and discussed. We also study the non-relativistic limit of MCDF calculation and find that the non-relativistic offset can be unexpectedly large.

The simple economics of risk-sharing agreements between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry

The Janssen-Cilag proposal for a risk-sharing agreement regarding bortezomib received a welcome signal from NICE. The Office of Fair Trading report included risk-sharing agreements as an available tool for the National Health Service. Nonetheless, recent discussions have somewhat neglected the economic fundamentals underlying risk-sharing agreements. We argue here that risk-sharing agreements, although attractive due to the principle of paying by results, also entail risks. Too many patients may be put under treatment even with a low success probability. Prices are likely to be adjusted upward, in anticipation of future risk-sharing agreements between the pharmaceutical company and the third-party payer. An available instrument is a verification cost per patient treated, which allows obtaining the first-best allocation of patients to the new treatment, under the risk sharing agreement. Overall, the welfare effects of risk-sharing agreements are ambiguous, and care must be taken with their use.

Derivation methods for hybrid knowledge bases with rules and ontologies

Trabalho apresentado no âmbito do Mestrado em Engenharia Informática, como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Aprendizagem autónoma (self-directed learning): relatório de um atelier pedagógico

Educação Médica. 1994, 5(3):178-181.

Talk on water ecological economics and participatory watershed governance

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Emotion-oriented interventions for environment and the facilitation of pro-environmental behavior

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Culture boundaries in semantic web

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

O acesso ao tratamento em saúde Mental na microregião de Itajubá/MG-Brasil

RESUMO: A integração da saúde mental à atenção básica é a recomendação feita para facilitar o acesso ao tratamento. A pesquisa teve por objetivo mapear e analisar os facilitadores e as barreiras ao acesso ao tratamento em saúde mental da Microrregião de Itajubá, estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, composta por 15 municípios. A metodologia pautou-se na triangulação dos métodos, combinando a abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa de pesquisa. Para tal foi feito o mapeamento da capacidade instalada dos recursos existentes e identificação das principais lacunas com base nos parâmetros da saúde pública, a partir de roteiros de entrevistas e grupos focais com os principais atores sociais implicados. Constatou-se que o maior facilitador ao acesso ao tratamento tem sido a atuação das equipes de PSF (Programa Saúde da Família), que atuam diretamente nas comunidades. Outros facilitadores foram: a atuação dos CRAS (Centro de Referência de Assistência Social); a existência de um CAPS (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial), embora não credenciado ao SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde); Colegiados de Saúde Mental que promovem discussões, informação, educação, e pressionam os municípios para a implantação de serviços de saúde mental. A falta de “vontade política”, isto é, uma intervenção mais clara da gestão pública da saúde, com estabelecimento de prioridades para prover a ampliação do acesso, foi identificada como a maior barreira a ser enfrentada na microrregião, especialmente por falta de organização e planejamento das ações em saúde mental. Serviços que trabalham de forma isolada, sem a construção de uma rede; pouca participação política dos usuários dos serviços de saúde mental; e falta de recursos humanos, e profissionais pouco preparados para a função compõem as outras barreiras de acesso. Vê-se que diante dos facilitadores e barreiras expostos é preciso que os municípios realizem um levantamento sistemático, a fim de criar um plano de ação em saúde mental para compartilhar informações, recursos, serviços, disponibilidade, disposição e ações em rede.-------------- ABSTRACT: Integrating mental health care in primary-care services is recommended in order to improve access to treatment. Access to mental health treatment has been a worldwide debated theme. In Brazil, with the Psychiatric Reform, there has been a change of paradigm in the way of treating persons with mental disorders. Various health devices were created, building a net of treatment and care that replaces the asylum system and where human rights are respected and defended and the offered treatment is the closest possible to their social space. The research aims to map and analyse the barriers and the facilitators to mental health treatment in the micro-region of Itajubá, state of Minas Gerais/Brazil, made up of 15 counties. The methodology was based on the triangulation of methods, combining quantitative and qualitative research. For that, a mapping of the installed capacity of the existent resource was carried out; identification of the main voids based on the parameters of public health through scripts of interviews and focus groups with the social actors involved. It was found that the main facilitator to treatment has been the performance of PSF, who act directly in the communities. Other facilitators also stand out: the work of CRAS; the existence of CAPS, although not accredited to SUS; Mental Health Collegiate, promoting discussions, information, education, and forcing pressure on the counties for the implantation of mental health services. The lack of political will was identified as the major barrier to be faced in the micro-region, especially due to lack of organization and planning in the actions towards mental health. The services working isolatedly, without a communication net, and the lack of human resources as well as poorly prepared professional, are the main difficulties faced by access to mental health treatment. Becomes clear that the counties need to undertake a systematic survey towards creating a plan of action in mental health, in order to share information, resources, services, availability, disposition and networking.

The new mobility paradigm: transformation of value chain and business models

We would like to thank Philipp Schwarz and Julia Gückel for their dedicated support in preparing this paper and our colleagues and students of the School of Engineering and the Business School for our fruitful discussions.

English Language Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom in Portugal

This study investigates the way of learning the English language in Portugal. First-year students of the faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of New University of Lisbon were selected as participants in the case study. As data collection tools a questionnaire and focus-groups were used. 115 students completed the designed questionnaire and after that 12 students were selected for the more detailed focus-group discussions. Results of the research show that most part of the students´ English knowledge is received from outside the classroom by means of movies, songs, computer games, the Internet, communication with friends and other sources. Also, the results show that motivation is very important in language learning process and motivated students acquire the language faster and easier.

Perspectives of Identity in Julio Cortázar’s Rayuela

My aim was to produce a dissertation, based on Rayuela, which focuses on Cortázar’s questioning of identity. With this objective in mind, I have studied some of the salient elements in the novel that relate to this topic and the subsequent, interrelated, areas of study that arose in doing so. The cities of Paris and Buenos Aires are placed in contrast within the novel and reflect a dichotomy that reflects Oliveira’s condition as a “foreigner,” (more specifically as a South American in Europe). This duality is further reflected in Cortázar’s use of gender, and the development of the notions of active and passive, and an investigation into the traditional modes of thought, symbols, and stereotypes, and an open-ended questioning of their validity. These topics are framed by a notion of Judeo-Christian History that is in many ways flawed and, as such, contrasts with a more intuitive (or “oriental”) perception of reality, which is centred in figures such as la Maga. I found many explicit references to Zen philosophy, and related oriental references, that led me to believe that this area was worthy of further investigation. Rayuela is considered a classic novel within the canon of Spanish language literature. It’s famous “tabla,” like the rules for a game between the writer and the receptor that produce alternative readings, has led to many discussions regarding the novel’s structure and form, and also created a certain amount of polemic with the use of concepts such as the “lector hembra.” Many consider Cortázar a greater short story writer than a novelist, but nevertheless this novel had a profound effect on young readers upon its publication, much to Cortázar’s surprise, and continues to attract readers, dealing as it does with issues that continue to be relevant to many people.

A afirmação do direito de águas

This thesis aims at demonstrating the dogmatic autonomy of Water Law. It also intends to clarify that this branch of law must not be confused with other similar subjects of law. To accomplish this task, the thesis justifies the dogmatic autonomy of Water Law beginning by discussing the emergence of this branch of law both at international and regional levels. The thesis analyses the emergence of International Water Law, discussing the reasons of its existence, its subject and importance. It also explains the relationship between international watercourses and the need to regulate them, considering that rules related to the use and management of such resources, although created at international level, are meant to be applied at regional and local levels. The thesis demonstrates that the fact that some waters are international, because they cross different states or serve as border between two or more states, justifies the existence of international water law rules aplicable to the region and to the watercourse they are supposed to regulate. For this reason, this thesis considers not only international water law in relation with the aplicable regional water law, but also the regional law in relation with the rules aplicable to the water basins and particularly with the concerned water basin states. This relationship between rules leads us to discuss how these three spectrums of rules are conciliated, namely international or universal, regional and water basin rules. To demonstrate how all this works we chose SADC for our case study. The thesis also studies the States who benefit from rules of international water law, and all other subjects who directly use water from international watercourses, and the conclusion we reach is that who really benefits are the population of such states whose rights of access, use and management are regulated by international, regional and basin rules As we can imagine, it is not easy to concile so many different rules, applicable to a scarce resource to which many subjects in many states compete for. And the interaction of the different interests, which is done under different spectrum of rules, is what guided our study, in which we analyse how all this process functions. And the main reason of all the discussion is to conclude that there is, in fact, a dogmatic autonomy of water law. To reach such a conclusion, the thesis begins by studying how international water law is applied at local level. Considering that international watercourses usually have different regimes adopted by the basin states, which difference may cause conflicts, the thesis discusses how water law may contribute to solve possible conflicts. To do this, the thesis studies and compares rules of international water law with rules of water law applicable to SADC states, and figures out the level of interaction between such rules. Considering that basin states have to obey to local rules, first of all, and after that to international and basin level rules, the thesis studies how the differents interests at stake are managed by riparian states, who act on behalf of their population. SADC appeared to provide an excellent case study to reach this goal. And the thesis discusses all these matters, the rules and principles applicable, and provides solutions where applicable, always considering water as subject of our study. Accordingly, we discuss the right to water, its nature and how it functions, considering the facts mentioned previously. And, as we conclude, all these legal discussions over water are a clear sign of the dogmatic autonomy of water

Online consumer behavior: The tablet shopper – A new kind of customer?

Tablet computers are on the rise and are increasingly superseding stationary computers in terms of modern online shopping. This paper therefore aims on understanding how tablet and website characteristics might impact online consumer behavior. The collected data resulted from focus groups and in-depth interviews conducted with a technology affine audience. It has shown that tablets indeed may have shifted shopping behavior from utilitarian towards rather recreational attributes. Discussions also revealed high customer expectations towards visited shopping websites and prevailing deficits. Thus, harnessing the concept of experiential flow is crucial. Compelling experiences are required to increase the duration of stay and consequently the likelihood of increased purchases.

Barriers preventing the successful integration of mental health services into Primary Health Care in Nigeria : a mixed methods approach

RESUMO: A Nigéria tem uma população estimada em cerca de 170 milhões de pessoas. O número de profissionais de saúde mental é muito diminuto, contando apenas com 150 psiquiatras o que perfaz aproximadamente um rácio de psiquiatra: população de mais de 1:1 milhão de pessoas. O Plano Nacional de Saúde Mental de 1991 reconheceu esta insuficiência e recomendou a integração dos serviços de saúde mental nos cuidados de saúde primários (CSP). Depois de mais de duas décadas, essa política não foi ainda implementada. Este estudo teve como objetivos mapear a estrutura organizacional dos serviços de saúde mental da Nigéria, e explorar os desafios e barreiras que impedem a integração bem-sucedida dos serviços de saúde mental nos cuidados de saúde primários, isto segundo a perspectiva dos profissionais dos cuidados de saúde primários. Com este objetivo, desenvolveu-se um estudo exploratório sequencial e utilizou-se um modelo misto para a recolha de dados. A aplicação em simultâneo de abordagens qualitativas e quantitativas permitiram compreender os problemas relacionados com a integração dos serviços de saúde mental nos CSP na Nigéria. No estudo qualitativo inicial, foram realizadas entrevistas com listagens abertas a 30 profissionais dos CSP, seguidas de dois grupos focais com profissionais dos CSP de duas zonas governamentais do estado de Oyo de forma a obter uma visão global das perspectivas destes profissionais locais sobre os desafios e barreiras que impedem uma integração bem-sucedida dos serviços de saúde mental nos CSP. Subsequentemente, foram realizadas entrevistas com quatro pessoas-chave, especificamente coordenadores e especialistas em saúde mental. Os resultados do estudo qualitativo foram utilizados para desenvolver um questionário para análise quantitativa das opiniões de uma amostra maior e mais representativa dos profissionais dos CSP do Estado de Oyo, bem como de duas zonas governamentais locais do Estado de Osun. As barreiras mais comummente identificadas a partir deste estudo incluem o estigma e os preconceitos sobre a doença mental, a formação inadequada dos profissionais dos CPS sobre saúde mental, a perceção pela equipa dos CSP de baixa prioridade de ação do Governo, o medo da agressão e violência pela equipa dos CSP, bem como a falta de disponibilidade de fármacos. As recomendações para superar estes desafios incluem a melhoria sustentada dos esforços da advocacia à saúde mental que vise uma maior valorização e apoio governamental, a formação e treino organizados dos profissionais dos cuidados primários, a criação de redes de referência e de apoio com instituições terciárias adjacentes, e o engajamento da comunidade para melhorar o acesso aos serviços e à reabilitação, pelas pessoas com doença mental. Estes resultados fornecem indicações úteis sobre a perceção das barreiras para a integração bem sucedida dos serviços de saúde mental nos CSP, enquanto se recomenda uma abordagem holística e abrangente. Esta informação pode orientar as futuras tentativas de implementação da integração dos serviços de saúde mental nos cuidados primários na Nigéria.------------ABSTRACT: Nigeria has an estimated population of about 170 million people but the number of mental health professionals is very small, with about 150 psychiatrists. This roughly translates to a psychiatrist:population ratio of more than 1:1 million people. The National Mental Health Policy of 1991 recognized this deficiency and recommended the integration of mental health into primary health care (PHC) delivery system. After more than two decades, this policy has yet to be implemented. This study aimed to map out the organizational structure of the mental health systems in Nigeria, and to explore the challenges and barriers preventing the successful integration of mental health into primary health care, from the perspective of the primary health care workers. A mixed methods exploratory sequential study design was employed, which entails the use of sequential timing in the combined methods of data collection. A combination of qualitative and uantitative approaches in sequence, were utilized to understand the problems of mental health services integration into PHC in Nigeria. The initial qualitative phase utilized free listing interviews with 30 PHC workers, followed by two focus group discussions with primary care workers from two Local Government Areas (LGA) of Oyo State to gain useful insight into the local perspectives of PHC workers about the challenges and barriers preventing successful integration of mental health care services into PHC. Subsequently, 4 key informant interviews with PHC co-ordinators and mental health experts were carried out. The findings from the qualitative study were utilized to develop a quantitative study questionnaire to understand the opinions of a larger and more representative sample of PHC staff in two more LGAs of Oyo State, as well as 2 LGAs from Osun State. The common barriers identified from this study include stigma and misconceptions about mental illness, inadequate training of PHC staff about mental health, low government priority, fear of aggression and violence by the PHC staff, as well as non-availability of medications. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges include improved and sustained efforts at mental health advocacy to gain governmental attention and support, organized training and retraining for primary care staff, establishment of referral and supportive networks with neighbouring tertiary facilities and community engagement to improve service utilization and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons. These findings provide useful insight into the barriers to the successful integration of mental health into PHC, while recommending a holistic and comprehensive approach. This information can guide future attempts to implement the integration of mental health into primary care in Nigeria.