Earth mortars constructive use on Neolithic domestic structures. Some case studies in Alentejo.

HMC08 - 1st Historical Mortars Conference: Characterization, Diagnosis, Conservation, Repair and Compatibility, LNEC, Lisbon, 24-26 September 2008

Avatar modeling: a telepresence study with natural user interface

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Foresight exercises as a tool for decision-making: the example of two case studies in health

Based on the report for the unit “Foresight Methods Analysis” of the PhD programme on Technology Assessment at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. António B. Moniz

Local Rainfall Variability - A Potential Bias for Bioecological Studies in the Central Amazon

Rainfall data registered betwe en 1910 and 1979 at Manaus confirm the existence of a dry season between June and November (monthly rainfall: 42-162mm) and a rainy season from December until May (monthly rainfall: 211-300mm). Annual precipitation amounted to 2105mm with about 75% of the rainfall recorded during the rainy season. Rainfall data collected over 12 months at eigth stations in the vicinity of and at Manaus are compared. Annual precipitation was lower in Inundation Regions (1150-2150mm) compared with Dryland Regions (2400-2550mm). Considerable differences are found in rainfall patterns (intensity, frequency and time of rainfall). This is also truefor neighbouring stations, even if data of a 11-year record period are compared. Thus, it is highly recommended that preciptation data for bioecological studies be collected at the study site.

Ferroelectric phase transitions studies in 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8) O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 ceramics

The ferroelectric phase transitions in 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT 50/50) ceramics,fabricatedbyasolidstatereaction,werestudiedbyusing X-Ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and measuring electric polarization, dielectric permittivity and pyroelectric current. Xraydiffraction(XRD)confirmsthecoexistenceoftetragonal(T) andrhombohedral(R)phasesatroomtemperature.Thetemperature dependence of the Raman modes frequency reveals the existenceoftwophasetransitionscorrespondingtotherhombohedral – tetragonal, and tetragonal - cubic close to 30 and 100 °C, respectively. The temperature dependence of electric polarization,pyroelectriccurrent,anddielectricpermittivityfurther supports theferroelectric (tetragonal) toparaelectric (cubic) phasetransition.Moreover,thedielectricpermittivityrevealsthe diffuseness of the phase transition and is attributed to the compositional fluctuations of different polar micro-regions.

Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and bioaccessibility studies in phenolic extracts of two Hericium wild edible species

Mushrooms are rich sources of bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids. When ingested, these molecules have to be released from the matrix to be transformed/absorbed by the organism, so that they can exert their bioactivity. Several in vitro methodologies have been developed in order to evaluate the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Herein, two Hericium species were analyzed for their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, an in vitro digestion of the mushrooms and mushroom phenolic extracts was performed, and the digested samples were also submitted to antioxidant activity evaluation in order to evaluate the bioaccessibility of the phenolic acids identified in the samples. Hericium species showed similar chemical profiles (except for tocopherols), varying only in the concentration of the compounds. The phenolic extracts revealed higher antioxidant activity than the in vitro digested samples, meaning that this process decrease the antioxidant properties of the extract/mushroom. Nevertheless, phenolic acids were found in the digested samples, meaning that those molecules are bioaccessible.

Studies in general physiology, by Jacques Loeb.

pt. 1

Studies in general physiology, by Jacques Loeb.

pt. 2

Power quality studies in distribution systems involving spectral decomposition

Distribution systems, eigenvalue analysis, nodal admittance matrix, power quality, spectral decomposition

Neurochemical consequences of juvenile separation stress: studies in the limbic structures of trumpet-tailed rat (Octodon degus)

Serotonin, dopamine, parental separation, microdialysis, methylphenidate