Open innovation and social network analysis

The present article is based on the report for the Doctoral Conference of the PhD programme in Technology Assessment, held at FCT-UNL Campus, Monte de Caparica, July 9th, 2012. The PhD thesis has the supervision of Prof. Cristina Sousa (ISCTE-IUL), and co-supervision of Prof. José Cardoso e Cunha (FCT-UNL).

A gestão do risco operacional em eventos desportivos - estudo de caso: Estoril Open

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação

Biodiversity open map (BiodOM) - SIGWeb colaborativos e Software Geoespacial Livre e Aberto numa abordagem da neogeografia aplicada ao conhecimento da biodiversidade

Trabalho de Projeto apresentado como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica

Leveraging facebook’s open graph to develop an environmental persuasive application

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Coherent structures in open channel flows with bed load transport over an hydraulically rough bed

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil – Perfil de Estruturas

An intermittent schedule is better than continuous regimen of antimonial therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This study reviews a series of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases diagnosed and treated in outpatient units in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, where the intermittent schedule of antimonial therapy was replaced by the continuous regimen. Both schedules were based on daily intramuscular injections of pentavalent antimonial. Forty-nine subjects received the intermittent regimen, consisting of three ten-day series alternated with ten-day rest intervals whereas seventy-one patients received the continuous regimen during 20 consecutive days. The study groups had similar composition regarding age, sex and clinical condition. The cure rate was significantly higher in the group receiving the intermittent schedule than in the group receiving continuous therapy (89.8% vs 63.3%). Moreover, loss to follow-up was significantly more frequent in the group receiving continuous therapy (19.7% vs 4.1% in the intermittent therapy). Under field conditions, the intermittent regimen provided higher effectiveness and adherence than the continuous schedule.

Implementação de uma solução open source de Business Intelligence com metodologia Ágil

A importância dos sistemas de data warehousing e business intelligence é cada vez mais pronunciada, no sentido de dotar as organizações com a capacidade de guardar, explorar e produzir informação de valor acrescido para os seus processos de tomada de decisão. Esta realidade é claramente aplicável aos sectores da administração pública portuguesa e, muito em particular, aos organismos com responsabilidades centrais no Ministério da Saúde. No caso dos Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde (SPMS), que tem como missão prover o SNS de sistemas centrais de business intelligence, o apelo dos seus clientes, para que possam contar com capacidades analíticas nos seus sistemas centrais, tem sido sentido de forma muito acentuada. Todavia, é notório que, tanto os custos, como a complexidade, de grande parte destes projetos têm representado uma séria ameaça à sua adoção e sucesso. Por um lado, a administração pública tem recebido um forte encorajamento para integrar e adotar soluções de natureza open source (modelo de licenciamento gratuito), para os seus projetos de sistemas de informação. Por outro lado, temos vindo a assistir a uma vaga de aceitação generalizada de novas metodologias de desenvolvimento de projetos informáticos, nomeadamente no que diz respeito às metodologias Agéis, que se assumem como mais flexíveis, menos formais e com maior grau de sucesso. No sentido de averiguar da aplicabilidade do open source e das metodologias Ágeis aos sistemas de business intelligence, este trabalho documenta a implementação de um projeto organizacional para a SPMS, com recurso a ferramentas open source de licenciamento gratuito e através de uma metodologia de desenvolvimento de natureza Ágil.

Colistin and anti-Gram-positive bacterial agents against Acinetobacter baumannii

Introduction Acinetobacter baumannii has attained an alarming level of resistance to antibacterial drugs. Clinicians are now considering the use of older agents or unorthodox combinations of licensed drugs against multidrug-resistant strains to bridge the current treatment gap. We investigated the in vitro activities of combination treatments that included colistin with vancomycin, norvancomycin or linezolid against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Methods The fractional inhibitory concentration index and time-kill assays were used to explore the combined effects of colistin with vancomycin, norvancomycin or linezolid against 40 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to evaluate the interactions in response to the combination of colistin and vancomycin. Results The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of vancomycin and norvancomycin for half of the isolates decreased below the susceptibility break point, and the MIC of linezolid for one isolate was decreased to the blood and epithelial lining fluid concentration using the current dosing regimen. When vancomycin or norvancomycin was combined with subinhibitory doses of colistin, the multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii test samples were eradicated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that subinhibitory doses of colistin were able to disrupt the outer membrane, facilitating a disruption of the cell wall and leading to cell lysis. Conclusions Subinhibitory doses of colistin significantly enhanced the antibacterial activity of vancomycin, norvancomycin, and linezolid against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Comuns: An Open-Data Provider, Explorer and Analytic Toolbox Based on FOSS

Contém resumo

Laparoscopic versus open splenectomy in the management of hematologic diseases

Splenectomy is the best available treatment for severe forms of hereditary spherocytosis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and other hematologic conditions when these prove refractory to conservative management. It has been employed for many decades with low mortality and favorable remission rates. The use of laparoscopic splenectomy in recent years has been rapidly and even enthusiastically adopted in this field. However, the exact role of laparoscopic versus open surgery for hematologic diseases is still debated. In this study of 58 adult patients, laparoscopic procedures were compared with conventional splenectomies for similar indications. METHODS: All patients were operated on within an 8-year period. Subjects underwent similar procedures under the supervision of the same surgical school and were compared regarding age, gender, body mass index, and diagnosis. Laparoscopically managed cases (Group I, n = 30) were prospectively followed according to a written protocol, whereas the same investigation was retrospectively done with regard to traditional laparotomy (Group II, n = 28). Methods included general and demographic findings, duration and technical steps of operation, blood loss, weight of spleen, need for conversion (in minimally invasive subjects), intraoperative and postoperative complications, time until realimentation, postoperative hospitalization, mortality, and late follow-up including recurrence rate. RESULTS: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was the surgical indication in over 50% of the patients in both groups, but familial spherocytosis, thalassemia, myelodysplasia, and lymphomas were also represented in this series. Laparoscopic procedures took more time to perform (P = 0.004), and postoperative hospitalization was 2 days shorter, but this difference was not statistically significant. Postoperative hematocrit and volume of blood transfusions was equivalent, although the laparoscopic cases had a somewhat lower preoperative hematocrit (NS) and displayed better recovery for this measurement (P = 0.03). More patients in Group I were able to accept oral food on the first day than subjects undergoing conventional operations (P < 0.05). Relatively few conversions were necessary during the minimally invasive surgeries (13.3%), and postoperative early and late complications as well as recurrences occurred in similar proportions. Also, the mean weight of the spleen was not statistically different between the groups, although there was a marked numerical tendency toward larger masses in conventional procedures. No spleen in Group I exceeded 2.0 kg, whereas in Group II values up to 4.0 kg occurred, and the mean weight was 50% higher in the latter group. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Minimally invasive splenectomy was essentially comparable to open surgery with regard to safety, efficacy, and late results; 2) Advantages concerning shorter postoperative hospitalization could not be shown, despite earlier food intake and a non-significant tendency toward earlier discharge; 3) This new modality should be considered an option in cases of hematologic conditions whenever the spleen is not hugely enlarged.

Plastic waste use as aggregate and binder modifier in open-graded asphalts

Road pavements are very important infrastructures for the Society, but they can cause serious environmental impacts during construction, operation and rehabilitation phases. Thus, it is essential to develop surface paving solutions that promote not only the durability but also a comfortable and safe use. In fact, this work aims to study the properties of new opengraded mixtures for surface layers produced with plastic wastes. First, HDPE and EVA wastes were used as bitumen modifiers, and then another plastic waste (PEX) replaced part of the aggregates. After studying the modified binders, the open-graded mixtures were designed, and then they were tested concerning their particle loss, rutting resistance, surface texture and damping effect. It was concluded that both ways of using the plastic wastes can improve the mechanical and functional properties of the open-graded mixtures related to the pavement performance.

State of the art and open questions on cathode preparation based on carbon coated lithium iron phosphate

One important component with particular relevance in battery performance is the cathode, being one of the main responsible elements for cell capacity and cycle life. Carbon coated lithium iron phosphate, C-LiFePO4, active material is one of the most promising cathode materials for the next generation of large scale lithium ion battery applications and strong research efforts are being devoted to it, due to its excellent characteristics, including high capacity, ~170 mAh/g, and safety. This review summarizes the main developments on C-LiFePO4 based cathode film preparation and performance. The effect of the binder, conductive additive, relationship between active material-binder-conductive additive and drying step, in the electrode film fabrication and performance is presented and discussed. Finally, after the presentation of the cell types fabricated with C-LiFePO4 active material and their performance, some conclusions and guidelines for further investigations are outlined.

Las reformas de las universidades ibéricas en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII

Bajo los auspicios reformadores del Marqués de Pombal, los nuevos estatutos de la Universidad de Coimbra, ratificados por el rey José I en junio de 1772, representaron una importante revisión de los principales estudios en Portugal. Hacia un largo tiempo que los Estatutos de la Universidad de Coimbra no fueron revisados, y la revisión de los Estatutos de 1559 (rey Sebastián), 1591 (el rey Felipe I de Portugal, II de Castilla) y 1653 (rey João IV), se observa que, en comparación con más de dos siglos de vigencia del mismo modelo con modificaciones más o menos limitados, los Estatutos de 1772 traen un nuevo pensamiento y un nuevo impulso mediante la promoción, en particular, de la educación y el desarrollo de las Ciencias exactas y naturales y la valoración del método experimental. Al mismo tiempo, en España, el rey Carlos III, renuncia a imponer un único modelo de estudios de todas las universidades. En ambos casos, el portugués y el español, la urgencia de las reformas es mas aguda pues que los jesuitas fueron expulsados de los territorios en 1759 y 1767, respectivamente; y tanto precursores como mentores quieren estas reformas para abrir las universidades a la ciencia moderna y el humanismo de la Ilustración. La renovación de los contenidos y métodos de enseñanza en Coimbra fue notoria, con la preocupación notable con la investigación, lo que no era muy común en la época. Había también una preocupación con las necesidades de la sociedad en una forma muy práctica (habiendo sido en la época construido el Observatorio Astronómico, el Laboratorio de Física, etc.). Al mismo tempo, la universidad de Coimbra tuvo como profesores dos matemáticos notables, José Anastácio da Cunha y José Monteiro da Rocha. En España también fueron importantes los ensayos de renovación de los métodos, de apertura a la ciencia de la época, de conexión con las realidades de la sociedad española, de coordinación de esfuerzos para conformar una «comunidad universitaria española». En esta comunicación se hace una discusión de comparación entre las dos reformas ibéricas.