Study of the one dimensional and transient bioheat transfer equation: Multi-layer solution development and applications

: In this work we derive an analytical solution given by Bessel series to the transient and one-dimensional (1D) bioheat transfer equation in a multi-layer region with spatially dependent heat sources. Each region represents an independent biological tissue characterized by temperature-invariant physiological parameters and a linearly temperature dependent metabolic heat generation. Moreover, 1D Cartesian, cylindrical or spherical coordinates are used to define the geometry and temperature boundary conditions of first, second and third kinds are assumed at the inner and outer surfaces. We present two examples of clinical applications for the developed solution. In the first one, we investigate two different heat source terms to simulate the heating in a tumor and its surrounding tissue, induced during a magnetic fluid hyperthermia technique used for cancer treatment. To obtain an accurate analytical solution, we determine the error associated with the truncated Bessel series that defines the transient solution. In the second application, we explore the potential of this model to study the effect of different environmental conditions in a multi-layered human head model (brain, bone and scalp). The convective heat transfer effect of a large blood vessel located inside the brain is also investigated. The results are further compared with a numerical solution obtained by the Finite Element Method and computed with COMSOL Multi-physics v4.1 (c). (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Salt content in bread and dough from northern Portugal: method development and comparison

In the initial stage of this work, two potentiometric methods were used to determine the salt (sodium chloride) content in bread and dough samples from several cities in the north of Portugal. A reference method (potentiometric precipitation titration) and a newly developed ion-selective chloride electrode (ISE) were applied. Both methods determine the sodium chloride content through the quantification of chloride. To evaluate the accuracy of the ISE, bread and respective dough samples were analyzed by both methods. Statistical analysis (0.05 significance level) indicated that the results of these methods did not differ significantly. Therefore the ISE is an adequate alternative for the determination of chloride in the analyzed samples. To compare the results of these chloride-based methods with a sodium-based method, sodium was quantified in the same samples by a reference method (atomic absorption spectrometry). Significant differences between the results were verified. In several cases the sodium chloride content exceeded the legal limit when the chloride-based methods were used, but when the sodium-based method was applied this was not the case. This could lead to the erroneous application of fines and therefore the authorities should supply additional information regarding the analytical procedure for this particular control.

Early literacy development in Catalan: characteristics and instructional influence

Resumo: Este artigo analisa a relação entre o nível de consciência fonológica, conhecimento das letra e as estratégias utilizadas para ler e escrever, em crianças de cinco anos, ensinadas em catalão. Participaram 69 crianças de três classes diferentes. Cada um dos seus professores utilizava um método diferente de ensino: analítico, sintético ou analítico-sintético. As crianças foram avaliadas no início e no final do ano letivo em: Reconhecimento de letras, segmentação palavra oral, leitura de palavras, leitura de um texto curto e um ditado. Foram realizadas análises de granulação fina em nas respostas das crianças, para identificar estratégias e padrões específicos. A análise qualitativa indica que a capacidade de segmentar uma palavra em sílabas por via oral parece ser suficiente para as crianças começarem a ler de uma forma convencional. Além disso, a consciência fonológica e o conhecimento das letras são usados em formas relativamente diferentes, dependendo do tipo de texto a ser lido. As abordagens de ensino dos professores parecem ter uma influência nos resultados das crianças.

Invasion success and development of benthic assemblages: effect of timing, duration of submersion and substrate type

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: Development and confirmatory factor analysis of the impulse, self-harm and sucidal ideation questionnaire for adolescents (ISSIQ-A)

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and an important clinical phenomenon. Rates of NSSI appear to be disproportionately high in adolescents and young adults, and is a risk factor for suicidal ideation and behavior. The present study reports the psychometric properties of the Impulse, Self-harm and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire for Adolescents (ISSIQ-A), a measure designed to comprehensively assess the impulsivity, NSSI behaviors and suicide ideation. An additional module of this questionnaire assesses the functions of NSSI. Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the scale on 1722 youths showed items' suitability and confirmed a model of four different dimensions (Impulse, Self-harm, Risk-behavior and Suicide ideation) with good fit and validity. Further analysis showed that youth׳s engagement in self-harm may exert two different functions: to create or alleviate emotional states, and to influence social relationships. Our findings contribute to research and assessment on non-suicidal self-injury, suggesting that the ISSIQ-A is a valid and reliable measure to assess impulse, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, in adolescence.

Development of triplet repeat primed PCR (TP-PCR) technique as a support of molecular test in Machado-Joseph disease

Dissertação de Mestrado, Ciências Biomédicas, 3 de Fevereiro de 2016, Universidade dos Açores.

Development and validation of a psychometric scale for assessing PA chest image quality: a pilot study

Purpose - To develop and validate a psychometric scale for assessing image quality perception for chest X-ray images. Methods - Bandura's theory was used to guide scale development. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify items/factors which could be used to evaluate image quality using a perceptual approach. A draft scale was then created (22 items) and presented to a focus group (student and qualified radiographers). Within the focus group the draft scale was discussed and modified. A series of seven postero-anterior chest images were generated using a phantom with a range of image qualities. Image quality perception was confirmed for the seven images using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR 17.2–36.5). Participants (student and qualified radiographers and radiology trainees) were then invited to independently score each of the seven images using the draft image quality perception scale. Cronbach alpha was used to test interval reliability. Results - Fifty three participants used the scale to grade image quality perception on each of the seven images. Aggregated mean scale score increased with increasing SNR from 42.1 to 87.7 (r = 0.98, P < 0.001). For each of the 22 individual scale items there was clear differentiation of low, mid and high quality images. A Cronbach alpha coefficient of >0.7 was obtained across each of the seven images. Conclusion - This study represents the first development of a chest image quality perception scale based on Bandura's theory. There was excellent correlation between the image quality perception scores derived using the scale and the SNR. Further research will involve a more detailed item and factor analysis.

Development of electrochemical methods for determination of tramadol - analytical application to pharmaceutical dosage forms

A square-wave voltammetric (SWV) method and a flow injection analysis system with amperometric detection were developed for the determination of tramadol hydrochloride. The SWV method enables the determination of tramadol over the concentration range of 15-75 µM with a detection limit of 2.2 µM. Tramadol could be determined in concentrations between 9 and 50 µM at a sampling rate of 90 h-1, with a detection limit of 1.7 µM using the flow injection system. The electrochemical methods developed were successfully applied to the determination of tramadol in pharmaceutical dosage forms, without any pre-treatment of the samples. Recovery trials were performed to assess the accuracy of the results; the values were between 97 and 102% for both methods.

Development of an FIA system with amperometric detection for determination of bentazone in estuarine waters

On the basis of its electrochemical behaviour a new flow-injection analysis (FIA) method with amperometric detection has been developed for quantification of the herbicide bentazone (BTZ) in estuarine waters. Standard solutions and samples (200 µL) were injected into a water carrier stream and both pH and ionic strength were automatically adjusted inside the manifold. Optimization of critical FIA conditions indicated that the best analytical results were obtained at an oxidation potential of 1.10 V, pH 4.5, and an overall flow-rate of 2.4 mL min–1. Analysis of real samples was performed by means of calibration curves over the concentration range 2.5x10–6 to 5.0x10–5 mol L–1, and results were compared with those obtained by use of an independent method (HPLC). The accuracy of the amperometric determinations was ascertained; errors relative to the comparison method were below 4% and sampling rates were approximately 100 samples h–1. The repeatability of the proposed method was calculated by assessing the relative standard deviation (%) of ten consecutive determinations of one sample; the value obtained was 2.1%.

Epidemiologic transition in northern Angola: discussion of cumulative results from CISA (Health Research Centre of Angola)

The 41 years of armed conflict (1961 to 2002) resulted in a poor development of the health care and education infrastructures, and forced the relocation of people to safer places, namely major urban cities like Luanda. This phase was characterized by typical demographic, nutritional and epidemiological profiles. With the end of this period Angola has been repeatedly ranked as one of the three fastest growing economies in the world, and along with the social stabilization and globalization, the country is facing the introduction of new medical technologies, improvement of health sys-tems and services, better access to them, and overall better quality of life. These changes could also be translating into socio-cultural, demographic and nutritional changes which in turn may leading to changes in the epidemiological profile of the country. Thus, the emergence of non-communicable diseases are likely to become an increasingly im-portant public health problem in Angola. Also, considering that several infectious diseases persist, our weakened health system will have to face a double burden. Thus, disease surveillance data on non-communicable diseases to determine their prevalence and impact, along with the major behavioural risk factors like consumption of tobacco, alcohol, diets and physical inactivity are urgently needed.

Explicit discrimination and health: development and psychometric properties of an assessment instrument

OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to assess discrimination effects on health outcomes and behaviors, capable of distinguishing harmful differential treatment effects from their interpretation as discriminatory events. METHODS: Successive versions of an instrument were developed based on a systematic review of instruments assessing racial discrimination, focus groups and review by a panel comprising seven experts. The instrument was refined using cognitive interviews and pilot-testing. The final version of the instrument was administered to 424 undergraduate college students in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2010. Structural dimensionality, two types of reliability and construct validity were analyzed. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis corroborated the hypothesis of the instrument's unidimensionality, and seven experts verified its face and content validity. The internal consistency was 0.8, and test-retest reliability was higher than 0.5 for 14 out of 18 items. The overall score was higher among socially disadvantaged individuals and correlated with adverse health behaviors/conditions, particularly when differential treatments were attributed to discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the validity and reliability of the instrument developed. The proposed instrument enables the investigation of novel aspects of the relationship between discrimination and health.

Practices and trends of telework in the Portuguese industry: the results of surveys in the textile, metal and software sectors

The aim of the TeleRisk Project on labour relations and professional risks within the context of teleworking in Portugal – supported by IDICT – Institute for Development and Inspection of Working Conditions (Ministry of Labour), is to study the practices and forms of teleworking in the manufacturing sectors in Portugal. The project chose also the software industry as a reference sector, even though it does not intend to exclude from the study any other sector of activity or the so-called “hybrid” forms of work. However, the latter must have some of the characteristics of telework. The project thus takes into account the so-called “traditional” sectors of activity, namely textile and machinery and metal engineering (machinery and equipment), not usually associated to this type of work. However, telework could include, in the so-called “traditional” sectors, other variations that are not found in technologically based sectors. One of the evaluation methods for the dynamics associated to telework consisted in carrying out surveys by means of questionnaires, aimed at employers in the sectors analysed. This paper presents some of the results of those surveys. It is important to mention that, being a preliminary analysis, it means that it does not pretend to have exhausted all the issues in the survey, but has meant that it shows the bigger tendencies, in terms of teleworking practices, of the Portuguese industry.

Futures of automobile industry and challenges on sustainable development and mobility

Portugal had only very few foresight exercises on the automobile sector, and the most recent one was a survey held in a project on work organisation systems in the automobile industry, its recent historical paths and the special strategies of location of companies (the WorTiS project). This involved several teams with different disciplinary backgrounds and from two Portuguese universities. The provisional main results of the first round of a Delphi survey held in Portugal on the automotive sector were already published, but a further analysis was not yet done. This foresight survey was done under the WorTiS project, developed in 2004 by IET – Research Centre on Enterprise and Work Innovation (at FCT-UNL), and financed by the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Technology. Some of this experience on foresight analysis is also been transferred to other projects, namely the WORKS project on work organisation restructuring in the knowledge society that received the support from EC and still is running. The majority of experts considered having an average of less knowledge in almost all the scenario topics presented. This means that information on the automotive industry is not spread enough among academics or experts in related fields (regional scientists, innovation economists, engineers, sociologists). Some have a good knowledge but in very specialised fields. Others have expertise on foresight, or macroeconomics, or management sciences, but feel insecure on issues related with futures of automobile sector. Nevertheless, we considered specially the topics where the experts considered themselves to have some knowledge. There were no “irrelevant” topics considered as such by the expert panel. There are also no topics that are not considered a need for co-operation. The lack of technological infrastructures was not considered as a hindered factor for the accomplishment of any scenario. The experts’ panel considered no other international competence besides US, Japan or Germany in these topics. Special focus will be made in this paper on the topic 2. Public policy and automobile industries, and more specifically on the technological and/or research policies issues, where one can specify the automobile’s role in transport policies with further implications like environment, safety, energy, mobility.

Development of a platform for lean manufacturing simulation games

More than ever, the economic globalization is creating the need to increase business competitiveness. Lean manufacturing is a management philosophy oriented to the elimination of activities that do not create any type of value and are thus considered a waste. One of the main differences from other management philosophies is the shop-floor focus and the operators' involvement. Therefore, the training of all organization levels is crucial for the success of lean manufacturing. Universities should also participate actively in this process by developing students' lean management skills and promoting a better and faster integration of students into their future organizations. This paper proposes a single realistic manufacturing platform, involving production and assembly operations, to learn by playing many of the lean tools such as VSM, 5S, SMED, poke-yoke, line balance, TPM, Mizusumashi, plant layout, and JIT/kanban. This simulation game was built in tight cooperation with experienced lean companies under the international program “Lean Learning Academy,”http://www.leanlearningacademy.eu/ and its main aim is to make bachelor and master courses in applied sciences more attractive by integrating classic lectures with a simulated production environment that could result in more motivated students and higher study yields. The simulation game results show that our approach is efficient in providing a realistic platform for the effective learning of lean principles, tools, and mindset, which can be easily included in course classes of less than two hours.

Development of biocompatible and “smart” porous structures using CO2-assisted processes

Dissertação apresentada para a obtenção do grau de Doutor em Engenharia Química, especialidade Engenharia da Reacção Química, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia