Globalisation and the technology gap: Regional and time evidence

This chapter examines the relationship between globalisation and technological progress. It computes an annual and country specific measure of technological gap, the technology ratio (TGR), using a recently proposed method known as metafrontiers. The TGR is measured as the distance from a group frontier to the global (or meta) frontier. The TGRs provide a measure to compare technological capability across countries. The ranking obtained from the metafrontiers method is first compared to other methods based on the direct measure of patents, science articles, schooling etc. The TGRs are then related to levels of trade openness and inbound and outbound foreign direct investment within regions and overtime in an effort to identify the relationship between technological gap and outward orientation.

Indicadores de Ciência, Tecnologia & Inovação : análise da produção científica e tecnológica da área de conhecimento em Engenharia Civil na Base de Dados da Web of Science

Esta dissertação trata da análise da produção científica e tecnológica internacional e brasileira na área de conhecimento Engenharia Civil, por meio de indicadores bibliométricos. A área Engenharia Civil foi escolhida em razão da sua relevância para o desenvolvimento econômico do país. No entanto, em termos absolutos e relativos, está entre os setores tecnologicamente mais atrasados da economia. A bibliometria é uma disciplina com alcance multidisciplinar que estuda o uso e os aspectos quantitativos da produção científica registrada. Os indicadores de produção científica são objeto de análise de várias áreas do conhecimento, tanto para o planejamento e a execução de políticas públicas de vários setores quanto para maior conhecimento da comunidade científica sobre o sistema em que está inserida. A metodologia utilizada para a elaboração deste estudo descritivo de caráter exploratório foi a análise documental e bibliométrica, baseada em dados das publicações científicas, no período de 1970 a 2012, e tecnológicas, no período de 2001 a 2012, da área Engenharia Civil, indexadas nas bases de dados Science Citattion Index Expanded (SCI); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI); Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI) e da Derwent Innovations Index (DII), que compõem a base de dados multidisciplinar da Web of Sicence (WoS). As informações foram qualificadas e quantificadas com o auxílio do software bibliométrico VantagePoint®. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram o baixo número de publicações científicas e tecnológicas na área de conhecimento Engenharia Civil de autores filiados a instituições de ensino e pesquisa brasileiras quando comparados aos dos países industrializados. Existe um conjunto de fortes condicionantes que ultrapassam o poder de decisão e de influência da academia, dificultando e limitando a disseminação das pesquisas e patentes brasileiras relacionadas a fatores de caráter sistêmico e cultural. A possibilidade de análise de indicadores de produção científica e tecnológica na Engenharia Civil contribui para criar políticas que, se utilizadas por agências de fomento, podem subsidiar investimentos mais fundamentados por parte dos governos e da iniciativa privada, a exemplo do que é feito por outros setores industriais.

James W. Carey as critical theorist of the information age

This paper suggests that the thought of the North-American critical theorist James W. Carey provides a relevant perspective on communication and technology. Having as background American social pragmatism and progressive thinkers of the beginning of the 20th century (as Dewey, Mead, Cooley, and Park), Carey built a perspective that brought together the political economy of Harold A. Innis, the social criticism of David Riesman and Charles W. Mills and incorporated Marxist topics such as commodification and sociocultural domination. The main goal of this paper is to explore the connection established by Carey between modern technological communication and what he called the “transmissive model”, a model which not only reduces the symbolic process of communication to instrumentalization and to information delivery, but also politically converges with capitalism as well as power, control and expansionist goals. Conceiving communication as a process that creates symbolic and cultural systems, in which and through which social life takes place, Carey gives equal emphasis to the incorporation processes of communication.If symbolic forms and culture are ways of conditioning action, they are also influenced by technological and economic materializations of symbolic systems, and by other conditioning structures. In Carey’s view, communication is never a disembodied force; rather, it is a set of practices in which co-exist conceptions, techniques and social relations. These practices configure reality or, alternatively, can refute, transform and celebrate it. Exhibiting sensitiveness favourable to the historical understanding of communication, media and information technologies, one of the issues Carey explored most was the history of the telegraph as an harbinger of the Internet, of its problems and contradictions. For Carey, Internet was seen as the contemporary heir of the communications revolution triggered by the prototype of transmission technologies, namely the telegraph in the 19th century. In the telegraph Carey saw the prototype of many subsequent commercial empires based on science and technology, a pioneer model for complex business management; an example of conflict of interest for the control over patents; an inducer of changes both in language and in structures of knowledge; and a promoter of a futurist and utopian thought of information technologies. After a brief approach to Carey’s communication theory, this paper focuses on his seminal essay "Technology and ideology. The case of the telegraph", bearing in mind the prospect of the communication revolution introduced by Internet. We maintain that this essay has seminal relevance for critically studying the information society. Our reading of it highlights the reach, as well as the problems, of an approach which conceives the innovation of the telegraph as a metaphor for all innovations, announcing the modern stage of history and determining to this day the major lines of development in modern communication systems.

The telegraph as an omen of the future in James W. Carey's vision

In the history of modern communication, after the development of the printing press, the telegraph unleashed a revolution in communications. Today, Internet is in many ways its heir. Reflections on the telegraph may open up perspectives concerning tendencies, possibilities and pitfalls of the Internet. The telegraph has been well explored in important literature on communication and media which tends to emphasize the history of this technology, its social context and institutional meaning [e.g. Robert L. Thompson, 1947, Tom Standage, 2007 [1998]. James W. Carey, the North- American critical cultural studies' mentor, in his essay "Technology and Ideology. The Case of the Telegraph" (2009 [1983]), suggests a distinctive approach. In the telegraph, Carey sees the prototype of many subsequent commercial empires based on science and technology, a pioneer model for complex business management; an example of interest struggle for the patents control; an inductor of changes both in language and in structures of knowledge; and a promoter of a futurist and utopian thought of information technologies. Having in mind a revolution in communications promoted by the Internet, this paper revisits this seminal essay to explore its great attainment, as well as the problems of this kind of approach which conceives the innovation of the telegraph as a metaphor for all the innovations announcing the modern stage of history and determining still today the major lines of development in modern communication systems.

A profissão de contabilista em Portugal : evidência empírica em alunos e profissionais

Doutoramento em Contabilidade

Characteristics of IEF, SDS and SAR-PAGE of Cuba EPO biosimilar

EPO is a glycoprotein produced in the kidney, which stimulates the division and differentiation of red cells in the bone marrow. Erythropoietin is available as a therapeutic agent produced by recombinant DNA technology in mammalian cell culture into which the human EPO gene has been transfected. Biosimilar Epoetins are mostly erythropoietins of the Epoetin alfa, beta or omega type, which are being produced at much lower cost due to expired patents. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) contains the identical amino acid sequence of natural EPO: 165 amino acids, with a molecular weight of 30,400 Da. Since glycosylation is not only dependent on the cell-line used for the expression of Epoetins but also on the entire biotechnological process the glycosylation patterns of biosimilars do not necessarily reflect the patterns of the originator compounds. Today biosimilar Epoetins are manufactured and distributed worldwide and under many different names. The use of recombinant EPOs for doping is prohibited because of its performance enhancing effect. The aim of the present study was to investigated whether biosimilar alpha r-HuEPO – ior®-EPOCIM, produced in Cuba and also available in other countries in all continents, could be differentiated from endogenous one by iso-electro-focusing plus double blotting, SDS-PAGE and SAR-PAGE for antidoping analysis.

Crystallographic studies on two hyperthermophilic enzymes

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biochemistry

Cournot duopoly with competition in the R&D expenditures

We present a new R&D investment in a Cournot Duopoly model and we analyze the different possible types of Nash R&D investments. We observe that the new production costs region can be decomposed in three economical regions, depending on the Nash R&D investment, showing the relevance of the use of patents in new technologies.

When Does Quality of Life Improve After Liver Transplantation? A Longitudinal Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the improvement in quality of life (mental and physical components) at 1 and 6 months after liver transplantation. METHODS: A sample of liver transplant candidates (n = 60), comprising consecutive patients attending outpatient clinics of a liver transplantation central unit (25% of the patients had familial amyloid polyneuropathy [FAP] and the remaining patents had chronic liver diseases), was assessed by means of the Short Form (SF)-36, Portuguese-validated version, a self-rating questionnaire developed by the Medical Outcome Trust, to investigate certain primary aspects of quality of life, at 3 times: before, and at 1 and 6 months after transplantation. RESULTS: We observed a significant improvement in quality of life (both mental and physical components) by 1 month after transplantation. Between the first month and the sixth month after transplantation, there also was an improvement in the quality of life (both mental and physical components), although only the physical components of quality of life was significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that quality of life improved early after liver transplantation (1 month). Between the first and the sixth months, there only was a significant improvement in the physical quality of life.

IWP strategy: TechFrame

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Tech Frame: Integrative work project in strategy

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

TechFrame's internationalization plan: Next stop UK

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Caraterização estatística dos valores percentuais de sangue do grupo AB0 colhido pelo Centro Regional de Sangue de Lisboa e respetivo emparelhamento com a distribuição a nível hospitalar

RESUMO: A Medicina Transfusional está a mudar rapidamente em resposta a um número de diferentes catástrofes, patologias e novas técnicas da ciência. Por detrás de uma transfusão de sangue existe todo um conjunto de procedimentos, técnicas e atuações que salvaguardam o rigor e segurança científicas resultando numa maior eficiência na diminuição da morbilidade/mortalidade humana. Todo o processo de colheita, análise, processamento e distribuição de concentrados de eritrócitos comporta um capital elevado em termos da economia para a saúde e os requisitos básicos de uma gestão de qualidade, na área da saúde em geral e da hemoterapia em particular, tem de compreender, com rigor, estas condições de gestão parceria de forma a evitar um aumento nos custos da saúde. Para identificar as discrepâncias nos pedidos efetuados pelos Hospitais Públicos e Privados ao Centro de Sangue e Transplantação de Lisboa, no que diz respeito ao Sistema AB0 dos concentrados de Eritrócitos, foi feito um estudo quantitativo, com fins descritivos simples, aos 95 984 concentrados de eritrócitos enviados às 32 Instituições de Saúde da abrangência do CST de Lisboa. Tendo em conta o Sistema AB0 RhD, confirma-se que o grupo sanguíneo prevalente, tanto na população portuguesa como nos dadores de sangue que efetuaram a sua dádiva de sangue em 2011, é o grupo A Rh+. Observou-se no entanto que o grupo sanguíneo mais pedido e enviado pertence ao grupo 0 Rh positivo. Assim, apurou-se que existe uma disparidade, mesmo que pouco acentuada, nos pedidos efetuados pelos Hospitais Públicos e Privados ao Centro de Sangue e Transplantação de Lisboa no que configura ao Sistema AB0 dos concentrados de eritrócitos. Os Hospitais Públicos Sem Serviço de Colheita de Sangue e os Hospitais Privados são responsáveis por este desencontro de valores. No que se refere às inutilizações por prazo de validade ressalva-se que os desaproveitamentos de CE’s não são tão acentuados como se esperaria numa primeira fase de estudo. No entanto, e em termos económicos, se existem inutilizações por prazo de validade, existe igualmente despojo financeiro. Por detrás de cada unidade inutilizada existe um alto investimento que será desperdiçado por carência de solicitação. De forma a minimizar gastos e a salvaguardar um Banco de Sangue capaz de suportar qualquer eventualidade de rutura de stock estão patentes propostas de estratégias capazes de impedir constrangimentos diários e futuros no que diz respeito à disponibilidade de sangue e componentes sanguíneos.--------------ABSTRACT: The Transfusion Medicine it is changing fast in response to a number of different catastrophes, disease and new techniques of science. From behind a blood transfusion there is a whole set of procedures, techniques and actions that safeguard the safety and scientific rigor resulting in greater efficiency in reducing morbidity / mortality human. The entire process of procurement, testing, processing and distribution of concentrated erythrocytes involves a high capital in terms of the economy to health and the basic requirements of a quality management in healthcare in general and hemotherapy in particular has to understand with rigor, this partnership in order to avoid an increase in health costs. In order to identify discrepancies in the orders placed by the Government and Private Hospitals Center Blood and Transplant Lisbon regarding the AB0 system of concentrated erythrocytes was made a quantitative study with simple descriptive purposes to 95,984 erythrocytes concentrates sent to 32 Health Institutions of the scope of CST Lisbon. Having regard to the system AB0 blood group RhD prevalent both in the Portuguese population as blood donors, who made his blood donation in 2011, confirms that belong to group A Rh +. It was found that blood group most requested and sent belongs to group 0 Rh positive. Thus, it was found that there is a disparity, even a little sharp, requests made by the Government and Private Hospitals Blood Center and Transplantation in Lisbon that configures the system AB0 erythrocyte concentrates. The Public Hospitals without Blood Harvest and Private Hospitals are responsible for this clash of values. With regard the expiry date by disables proviso that the wastes of CE's are not as sharp as one would expect in a first phase of the study. However, in economic terms, if there is disables by expiry date, there is also financial squandering. Behind every unused unit is a high investment to be wasted by shortage of request. To minimize costs and safeguarding a Blood Bank can support any event of rupture of stock patents are proposed strategies to prevent future and diaries constraints with regard to the availability of blood and blood components.

Gold nanoparticulate systems for new anticancer compounds delivery

My master studies have resulted in the following publication: Martins P, Rosa D, Fernandes AR, Baptista PV. 2014. Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Patents and Applications in Nanomedicine. Recent Patents in Nanomedicine. 3(2):105-118.