Fouling of a drinking water system in relation to hydraulic circumstances and customer complaints

In a “perfect” drinking water system, the water quality for the consumers should be the same as the quality of the water leaving the treatment plant. However, some variability along the system can lead to a decrease in water quality (such as discolouration) which is usually reflected in the number of the customer complaints. This change may be related to the amount of sediment in the distribution network, leading to an increase in turbidity at the water supply. Since there is no such thing as a perfect drinking water system, the behaviour of particles in a drinking water network needs a suitable approach in order to understand how it works. Moreover, the combination of measurements, such as turbidity patterns and the Resuspension Potential Method (RPM) aid in the prevention of discoloured water complaints and intervention in the treatment upgrade or the network cleaning. Besides sediments there is also bacterial regrowth in the network, which is related to the water quality and distribution network characteristics. In a theoretical drinking water system higher velocities, temperature and shorter residences times lead to wider bacterial growth. In this study we observe velocity and residence steady-states and bacterial does not seem to be related to either. It can be concluded that adequate measurements of RPM, customer complaints and bacterial concentrations allow a wider knowledge on particle behaviour in drinking water systems.

Web-based application programming interface to solve nonlinear optimization problems

Nonlinear Optimization Problems are usual in many engineering fields. Due to its characteristics the objective function of some problems might not be differentiable or its derivatives have complex expressions. There are even cases where an analytical expression of the objective function might not be possible to determine either due to its complexity or its cost (monetary, computational, time, ...). In these cases Nonlinear Optimization methods must be used. An API, including several methods and algorithms to solve constrained and unconstrained optimization problems was implemented. This API can be accessed not only as traditionally, by installing it on the developer and/or user computer, but it can also be accessed remotely using Web Services. As long as there is a network connection to the server where the API is installed, applications always access to the latest API version. Also an Web-based application, using the proposed API, was developed. This application is to be used by users that do not want to integrate methods in applications, and simply want to have a tool to solve Nonlinear Optimization Problems.

Problems in the regulatory policy of the drug market

OBJECTIVE Analyze the implementation of drug price regulation policy by the Drug Market Regulation Chamber.METHODS This is an interview-based study, which was undertaken in 2012, using semi-structured questionnaires with social actors from the pharmaceutical market, the pharmaceuticals industry, consumers and the regulatory agency. In addition, drug prices were compiled based on surveys conducted in the state of Sao Paulo, at the point of sale, between February 2009 and May 2012.RESULTS The mean drug prices charged at the point of sale (pharmacies) were well below the maximum price to the consumer, compared with many drugs sold in Brazil. Between 2009 and 2012, 44 of the 129 prices, corresponding to 99 drugs listed in the database of compiled prices, showed a variation of more than 20.0% in the mean prices at the point of sale and the maximum price to the consumer. In addition, many laboratories have refused to apply the price adequacy coefficient in their sales to government agencies.CONCLUSIONS The regulation implemented by the pharmaceutical market regulator was unable to significantly control prices of marketed drugs, without succeeding to push them to levels lower than those determined by the pharmaceutical industry and failing, therefore, in its objective to promote pharmaceutical support for the public. It is necessary reconstruct the regulatory law to allow market prices to be reduced by the regulator as well as institutional strengthen this government body.

Phex: a computational tool for plate heat exchanges design problems

This paper presents a computational tool (PHEx) developed in Excel VBA for solving sizing and rating design problems involving Chevron type plate heat exchangers (PHE) with 1-pass-1-pass configuration. The rating methodology procedure used in the program is outlined, and a case study is presented with the purpose to show how the program can be used to develop sensitivity analysis to several dimensional parameters of PHE and to observe their effect on transferred heat and pressure drop.

On the HHT, its problems, and some solutions

Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol.22, Number 6

Factorization by invariant embedding of elliptic problems: circular and star-shaped domains

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Matemática na especialidade de Equações Diferenciais, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa,Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Probability and statistics: selected problems

Probability and Statistics—Selected Problems is a unique book for senior undergraduate and graduate students to fast review basic materials in Probability and Statistics. Descriptive statistics are presented first, and probability is reviewed secondly. Discrete and continuous distributions are presented. Sample and estimation with hypothesis testing are presented in the last two chapters. The solutions for proposed excises are listed for readers to references.

Linear algebra: selected problems

Linear Algebra—Selected Problems is a unique book for senior undergraduate and graduate students to fast review basic materials in Linear Algebra. Vector spaces are presented first, and linear transformations are reviewed secondly. Matrices and Linear systems are presented. Determinants and Basic geometry are presented in the last two chapters. The solutions for proposed excises are listed for readers to references.

Extending the learning object definition to represent programming problems

The present generation of eLearning platforms values the interchange of learning objects standards. Nevertheless, for specialized domains these standards are insufficient to fully describe all the assets, especially when they are used as input for other eLearning services. To address this issue we extended an existing learning objects standard to the particular requirements of a specialized domain, namely the automatic evaluation of programming problems. The focus of this paper is the definition of programming problems as learning objects. We introduce a new schema to represent metadata related to automatic evaluation that cannot be conveniently represented using existing standards, such as: the type of automatic evaluation; the requirements of the evaluation engine; or the roles of different assets - tests cases, program solutions, etc. This new schema is being used in an interoperable repository of learning objects, called crimsonHex.

Defining programming problems as learning objects

Standards for learning objects focus primarily on content presentation. They were already extended to support automatic evaluation but it is limited to exercises with a predefined set of answers. The existing standards lack the metadata required by specialized evaluators to handle types of exercises with an indefinite set of solutions. To address this issue we extended existing learning object standards to the particular requirements of a specialized domain. We present a definition of programming problems as learning objects that is compatible both with Learning Management Systems and with systems performing automatic evaluation of programs. The proposed definition includes metadata that cannot be conveniently represented using existing standards, such as: the type of automatic evaluation; the requirements of the valuation engine; and the roles of different assets - tests cases, program solutions, etc. We present also the EduJudge project and its main services as a case study on the use of the proposed definition of programming problems as learning objects.

Estudo sobre Reabilitação Interior de Reservatórios para Água Potável

No presente relatório é apresentado um estudo, realizado na forma de estágio curricular, na empresa Águas do Douro e Paiva, S.A., doravante AdDP, entre 31 de Janeiro e 31 de Julho de 2014, sobre reabilitação interior de reservatórios para água potável. Inicialmente é feito um enquadramento ao tema, com uma abordagem às características genéricas dos reservatórios de água potável e às principais patologias que se verificam no interior desses reservatórios. De seguida, são detalhadas as principais técnicas de reabilitação interior existentes, de acordo com o tipo de patologias encontradas. Como complemento a esse estudo, são apresentados os principais fornecedores e os produtos mais utilizados em cada fase da reabilitação, de acordo com a pesquisa realizada e com as reuniões presenciadas. Por fim, são ainda apresentadas, as principais considerações a ter em conta na lavagem e desinfeção de reservatórios. Atendendo à problemática em causa, foi desenvolvida uma ficha técnica para cada reservatório que, além da sistematização das características principais, tem o objetivo de registar todas as intervenções de reabilitação ou de conservação que possam ocorrer no mesmo. Para tal, foi feito um acompanhamento dos problemas e intervenções verificadas, e surgiu, ainda, a oportunidade de acompanhar o processo de lançamento a concurso das obras de reabilitação que surgiram dessa caracterização. Por fim, foi explorada a componente de gestão patrimonial de infraestruturas, com o desenvolvimento de uma matriz de risco qualitativa, específica para aplicação aos reservatórios da AdDP, com o objetivo de constituir uma ferramenta de apoio à decisão e planeamento das intervenções de reabilitação interior. Embora fora do contexto da reabilitação interior de reservatórios, é de assinalar a importante experiência proporcionada no acompanhamento da obra de alargamento do sistema multimunicipal de abastecimento de água ao concelho de Amarante, que incluiu a instalação de conduta e construção de duas estações elevatórias.

Freshwater arsenic detoxification through selenium-enriched food supplements. A proteomic approach

Dissertação apresentada para a obtenção do grau de doutor em Bioquímica pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia