Avaliação da Usabilidade de um Projeto de eHealth, enquadrado na visão europeia de Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Trabalho de projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia.

Project, modelling and simulation of air stripping columns for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds

Volatile organic compounds are a common source of groundwater contamination that can be easily removed by air stripping in columns with random packing and using a counter-current flow between the phases. This work proposes a new methodology for the column design for any particular type of packing and contaminant avoiding the necessity of a pre-defined diameter used in the classical approach. It also renders unnecessary the employment of the graphical Eckert generalized correlation for pressure drop estimates. The hydraulic features are previously chosen as a project criterion and only afterwards the mass transfer phenomena are incorporated, in opposition to conventional approach. The design procedure was translated into a convenient algorithm using C++ as programming language. A column was built in order to test the models used either in the design or in the simulation of the column performance. The experiments were fulfilled using a solution of chloroform in distilled water. Another model was built to simulate the operational performance of the column, both in steady state and in transient conditions. It consists in a system of two partial non linear differential equations (distributed parameters). Nevertheless, when flows are steady, the system became linear, although there is not an evident solution in analytical terms. In steady state the resulting system of ODE can be solved, allowing for the calculation of the concentration profile in both phases inside the column. In transient state the system of PDE was numerically solved by finite differences, after a previous linearization.

Surveillance technology and strategy for management of Portugal's EEZ

EEZ International, Summer 2003, p. 43-47

Error control on spectral data of four-wave mixing based on a-SiC technology

In this paper we exploit the nonlinear property of the SiC multilayer devices to design an optical processor for error detection that enables reliable delivery of spectral data of four-wave mixing over unreliable communication channels. The SiC optical processor is realized by using double pin/pin a-SiC:H photodetector with front and back biased optical gating elements. Visible pulsed signals are transmitted together at different bit sequences. The combined optical signal is analyzed. Data show that the background acts as selector that picks one or more states by splitting portions of the input multi optical signals across the front and back photodiodes. Boolean operations such as EXOR and three bit addition are demonstrated optically, showing that when one or all of the inputs are present, the system will behave as an XOR gate representing the SUM. When two or three inputs are on, the system acts as AND gate indicating the present of the CARRY bit. Additional parity logic operations are performed using four incoming pulsed communication channels that are transmitted and checked for errors together. As a simple example of this approach, we describe an all-optical processor for error detection and then provide an experimental demonstration of this idea. (C) 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optical processor based on a-SiC technology for spectral data error control

The SiC optical processor for error detection and correction is realized by using double pin/pin a-SiC:H photodetector with front and back biased optical gating elements. Data shows that the background act as selector that pick one or more states by splitting portions of the input multi optical signals across the front and back photodiodes. Boolean operations such as exclusive OR (EXOR) and three bit addition are demonstrated optically with a combination of such switching devices, showing that when one or all of the inputs are present the output will be amplified, the system will behave as an XOR gate representing the SUM. When two or three inputs are on, the system acts as AND gate indicating the present of the CARRY bit. Additional parity logic operations are performed by use of the four incoming pulsed communication channels that are transmitted and checked for errors together. As a simple example of this approach, we describe an all optical processor for error detection and correction and then, provide an experimental demonstration of this fault tolerant reversible system, in emerging nanotechnology.

A quest for the right word enhancing reflexivity and technology in terminology training

INTED2010, the 4th International Technology, Education and Development Conference was held in Valencia (Spain), on March 8, 9 and 10, 2010.

Integrated biomarker responses of an estuarine invertebrate to high abiotic stress and decreased metal contamination

An integrated chemical-biological effects monitoring was performed in 2010 and 2012 in two NW Iberian estuaries under different anthropogenic pressure. One is low impacted and the other is contaminated by metals. The aim was to verify the usefulness of a multibiomarker approach, using Carcinus maenas as bioindicator species, to reflect diminishing environmental contamination and improved health status under abiotic variation. Sampling sites were assessed for metal levels in sediments and C. maenas, water abiotic factors and biomarkers (neurotoxicity, energy metabolism, biotransformation, anti-oxidant defences, oxidative damage). High inter-annual and seasonal abiotic variation was observed. Metal levels in sediments and crab tissues were markedly higher in 2010 than in 2012 in the contaminated estuary. Biomarkers indicated differences between the study sites and seasons and an improvement of effects measured in C. maenas from the polluted estuary in 2012. Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) index depicted sites with higher stress levels whereas Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed associations between biomarker responses and environmental variables. The multibiomarker approach and integrated assessments proved to be useful to the early diagnosis of remediation measures in impacted sites.

Nanoparticles based Permeable Reactive Barriers as an Eco-efficient Technology for nitrate remediation in soil and groundwater

The need to increase agricultural yield led, among others, to an increase in the consumption of nitrogen based fertilizers. As a consequence, there are excessive concentrations of nitrates, the most abundant of the reactive nitrogen (Nr) species, in several areas of the world. The demographic changes and projected population growth for the next decades, and the economic shifts which are already shaping the near future are powerful drivers for a further intensification in the use of fertilizers, with a predicted increase of the nitrogen loads in soils. Nitrate easily diffuses in the subsurface environments, portraying high mobility in soils. Moreover, the presence of high nitrate loads in water has the potential to cause an array of health dysfunctions, such as methemoglobinemia and several cancers. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) placed strategically relatively to the nitrate source constitute an effective technology to tackle nitrate pollution. Ergo, PRB avoid various adverse impacts resulting from the displacement of reactive nitrogen downstream along water bodies. A four stages literature review was carried out in 34 databases. Initially, a set of pertinent key words were identified to perform the initial databases searches. Then, the synonyms of those initial key words were used to carry out a second set of databases searches. The third stage comprised the identification of other additional relevant terms from the research papers identified in the previous two stages. Again, databases searches were performed with this third set of key words. The final step consisted of the identification of relevant papers from the bibliography of the relevant papers identified in the previous three stages of the literature review process. The set of papers identified as relevant for in-depth analysis were assessed considering a set of relevant characterization variables.

In situ NIR spectroscopy monitoring of plasmid production processes effect of producing strain, medium composition and the cultivation strategy

BACKGROUNDWhile the pharmaceutical industry keeps an eye on plasmid DNA production for new generation gene therapies, real-time monitoring techniques for plasmid bioproduction are as yet unavailable. This work shows the possibility of in situ monitoring of plasmid production in Escherichia coli cultures using a near infrared (NIR) fiber optic probe. RESULTSPartial least squares (PLS) regression models based on the NIR spectra were developed for predicting bioprocess critical variables such as the concentrations of biomass, plasmid, carbon sources (glucose and glycerol) and acetate. In order to achieve robust models able to predict the performance of plasmid production processes, independently of the composition of the cultivation medium, cultivation strategy (batch versus fed-batch) and E. coli strain used, three strategies were adopted, using: (i) E. coliDH5 cultures conducted under different media compositions and culture strategies (batch and fed-batch); (ii) engineered E. coli strains, MG1655endArecApgi and MG1655endArecA, grown on the same medium and culture strategy; (iii) diverse E. coli strains, over batch and fed-batch cultivations and using different media compositions. PLS models showed high accuracy for predicting all variables in the three groups of cultures. CONCLUSIONNIR spectroscopy combined with PLS modeling provides a fast, inexpensive and contamination-free technique to accurately monitoring plasmid bioprocesses in real time, independently of the medium composition, cultivation strategy and the E. coli strain used.

Chicken as potential contamination source of Campylocacter lari in Iquitos, Peru

In order to know the importance of chicken as natural reservoir of Campylobacter lari in Iquitos, Peru; samples were obtained by cloacal swabs from 200 chickens and immediately placed into a semisolid enrichment medium; these were streaked on modified Skirrow Agar. The organism was isolated from 21 (10.5%) samples, corresponding 58.8% to biovar I and 41.2% to biovar II (Lior scheme). The results provide evidence that chicken appear to be prominent reservoirs of Campylobacter lari in Iquitos.

Microencapsulation technology: a powerful tool for human embryonic stem cells expansion and cryopreservation

Dissertation presented to obtain a Master degree in Biotechnology at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Designing a technology assessment post-graduation programme: experiences, limits and needs

The post-graduation in the field of Technology Assessment (TA) is recent and that are several and different ways to be organised. Most experiences are related with the Masters diplom level (2nd cycle of graduation in high education). Just one in PhD level is explicit in the field of TA, and some other PhD courses include also TA topics in their programme structure. In this chapter we will analyse the problems related with the design of a post-graduation (MA, MSc or PhD) programme in the field of TA using as reference some international experiences. Hereby, the main conclusion seems to address labour market needs in the specialised knowledge of TA, of technology management or technology innovation. In this sense TA should be included as “minor” into post-graduation courses which may range from engineering disciplines to social sciences. As a graduation programme it can fill an expertise gap between technicians, engineers, scientists and the strategic decision makers or policy makers.

Designing a technology assessment post-graduation programme: experiences, limits and needs

IET Working Papers Series No. WPS09/2010

Development of new methodologies in sample treatment for proteomics workflow based on enzymatic probe sonication technology and mass spectrometry

Thesis submitted to the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry