Marketing plan for Snack Books

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

Gestão de infra-estruturas e avaliação de equipamentos laboratoriais

RESUMO: A confiabilidade e qualidade dos resultados clínicos de um laboratório, estão dependentes da qualidade do equipamento onde estes são processados. A qualidade de um equipamento consiste em apresentar resultados com uma confiabilidade metrológica de acordo com os processos de medição realizados. Desta forma, os equipamentos de medição devem conter características metrológicas de acordo com os requisitos dos processos que estão inseridos, tais como: erro máximo, incerteza, resolução… Todos os equipamentos por muito bons que sejam, apresentam perdas das suas características metrológicas ao longo do tempo, o que se torna importante a determinação periódica das suas calibrações, manutenções e o seu respectivo ajuste. A periodicidade das calibrações, devem ser baseadas, em critérios bem estabelecidos de modo a evitar a ocorrência da não conformidade, devido às medições com os equipamentos fora das suas especificações, garantindo-se assim, a confiabilidade metrológica e o aumento da produtividade devido ao controlo dos processos, evitando-se desta forma qualquer tipo de avaria por parte destes. Os normativos de Qualidade e Certificação estabelecem como requisito a calibração dos equipamentos de medição em intervalos adequados, mas não definem claramente qual o intervalo adequado. O importante é gerir as etapas de calibração e manutenção de acordo com os equipamentos de modo a garantir que os resultados emitidos por estes sejam mantidos em condições confiáveis, dentro do período entre calibrações e manutenções, de modo a que nãoocorra uma condição de falha, e por conseguinte, medições com grande quantidade de erros.------------ ABSTRACT: The reliability and quality of the results of a clinical laboratory, are dependent on the quality of the equipment where they are processed. The quality of a product is to present results with a metrological reliability according to the measuring processes carried out. Thus, measuring equipment must contain metrological characteristics according to the requirements of the processes that are included, such as: maximum error, uncertainty, resolution ... All equipment for very good they are, show losses of its metrological characteristics over time, it becomes important to determine its periodic calibrations, maintenance and its adjustment. The frequency of calibrations should be based on well-established criteria in order to avoid the occurrence of non-compliance due to the measurements with the equipment beyond its specifications, thus ensuring the metrological reliability and increased productivity due to the control of processes, thus avoiding any kind of damage on the part thereof. The normative and Quality Certification as a requirement to establish calibration of measuring equipment at appropriate intervals, but not clearly stipulate the proper range. It is important to manage the steps of calibration and maintenance equipment according to ensure that the results emitted by these conditions are maintained in trusted within the period between calibrations and maintenance, sothat there occurs a fault condition, and therefore, large amount of measurements with errors.

Validation of alternative additives for paste production

Dissertation presented to confer Master Degree in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Analysable software language translations

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Informática

Natural hydraulic lime mortars: influence of the aggregates

3rd Historic Mortars Conference, 11-14 September 2013, Glasgow, Scotland

Service-oriented architecture for device lifecycle support in industrial automation

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores Especialidade: Robótica e Manufactura Integrada

Optimization of ring oscillators

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

Oil price shocks and the Portuguese economy since the 1970s

This paper assesses empirically the effect of oil price shocks on Portuguese aggregate economic activity, industrial production and price level. We take the usual multivariate VAR methodology to investigate the magnitude and stability of this relationship. In doing so, we follow the approach presented in the recent literature and adopt different oil price specifications. We conclude that, as for most industrialized countries, the nature of this relationship changed in the mid-1980s. Furthermore, we show that the main Portuguese macroeconomic variables have become progressively less responsive to oil shocks and the adjustment towards equilibrium has become increasingly faster.

Amorphous silicon e 3D sensors applied to object detection

Nowadays, existing 3D scanning cameras and microscopes in the market use digital or discrete sensors, such as CCDs or CMOS for object detection applications. However, these combined systems are not fast enough for some application scenarios since they require large data processing resources and can be cumbersome. Thereby, there is a clear interest in exploring the possibilities and performances of analogue sensors such as arrays of position sensitive detectors with the final goal of integrating them in 3D scanning cameras or microscopes for object detection purposes. The work performed in this thesis deals with the implementation of prototype systems in order to explore the application of object detection using amorphous silicon position sensors of 32 and 128 lines which were produced in the clean room at CENIMAT-CEMOP. During the first phase of this work, the fabrication and the study of the static and dynamic specifications of the sensors as well as their conditioning in relation to the existing scientific and technological knowledge became a starting point. Subsequently, relevant data acquisition and suitable signal processing electronics were assembled. Various prototypes were developed for the 32 and 128 array PSD sensors. Appropriate optical solutions were integrated to work together with the constructed prototypes, allowing the required experiments to be carried out and allowing the achievement of the results presented in this thesis. All control, data acquisition and 3D rendering platform software was implemented for the existing systems. All these components were combined together to form several integrated systems for the 32 and 128 line PSD 3D sensors. The performance of the 32 PSD array sensor and system was evaluated for machine vision applications such as for example 3D object rendering as well as for microscopy applications such as for example micro object movement detection. Trials were also performed involving the 128 array PSD sensor systems. Sensor channel non-linearities of approximately 4 to 7% were obtained. Overall results obtained show the possibility of using a linear array of 32/128 1D line sensors based on the amorphous silicon technology to render 3D profiles of objects. The system and setup presented allows 3D rendering at high speeds and at high frame rates. The minimum detail or gap that can be detected by the sensor system is approximately 350 μm when using this current setup. It is also possible to render an object in 3D within a scanning angle range of 15º to 85º and identify its real height as a function of the scanning angle and the image displacement distance on the sensor. Simple and not so simple objects, such as a rubber and a plastic fork, can be rendered in 3D properly and accurately also at high resolution, using this sensor and system platform. The nip structure sensor system can detect primary and even derived colors of objects by a proper adjustment of the integration time of the system and by combining white, red, green and blue (RGB) light sources. A mean colorimetric error of 25.7 was obtained. It is also possible to detect the movement of micrometer objects using the 32 PSD sensor system. This kind of setup offers the possibility to detect if a micro object is moving, what are its dimensions and what is its position in two dimensions, even at high speeds. Results show a non-linearity of about 3% and a spatial resolution of < 2µm.

Contribuição para o estudo da anexina V na apoptose celular em concentrados de eritrócitos

A hemoterapia moderna baseia-se na utilização correcta dos diversos componentes sanguíneos, associados a um maior controle de qualidade do sangue, o que a torna mais segura e, actualmente, muitos doentes sao beneficiados pois, a transfusão de componentes sanguineos, em situaçoes várias, está na linha da frente na manutenção da vida e em casos extremos, o último recurso que salva vidas. A qualidade e a segurança nas transfusões de sangue são grandes preocupações da área médica, autoridades de saúde e doente1. O sangue obtido pelos Centros de Sangue provem de dadores voluntários, dotados de uma enorme sensibilidade social, que periodicamente assumem uma postura benevola e altruista e consequentemente mantêm os bancos de sangue providos de um produto imprescindivel no tratamento de diversas patologias. O produto final disponível – concentrado de eritrócitos (CE´s), plasma e concentrado plaquetário – tem de assumir um carácter seguro e viável de modo a que os riscos para o doente sejam diminutos2. O controlo de qualidade aplicado a todo o sangue doado realiza provas de conformidade nas unidades com especificações previamente definidas, sendo a hémolise um dos parâmetros importantes na avaliação da qualidade dos concentrados de eritrócitos, pois, pode ocasionar implicações clinicas para o receptor. Para além disso a avaliação da concentração de hemoglobina (Hg) no sangue doado mostra-se um controlo imprescindivel que salvaguarda a qualidade e segurança do componente a transfundir3;4.Até se obter um CE há todo um processo moroso e de responsabilidade vital. Todo o sangue obtido passa por várias etapas fundamentais até à obtenção do componente pretendido (analise, produção e armazenamento). Os CE’s obtidos quando armazenados, num ambiente de refrigeração, têm uma vida útil de 42 dias. Após este período, o sangue deve ser inutilizado por se verificar alterações bioquímicas, biomecânicas, e imunológicas nos CE’s e por consequência a sua instabilidade vital no que ao tratamento de patologias, para as quais este componente está indicado, diz respeito5. Foi realizado um estudo experimental com o objetivo de avaliar a contribuição da Anexina V na apoptose celular nos concentrados de eritrócitos, constatando a degradação dos mesmos ao longo de todo o período de armazenamento e validar o paradigma que a ciência preconiza: “Os CE’s após os 42 dias armazenados, em condições específicas (2 a 6º centígrados), são inviaveis para transfundir”6;7. A avaliação dos níveis de apoptose por citometria de fluxo é geralmente realizada por métodos que utilizam Anexina V como marcador vital, que se associa aos resíduos de fosfatidilserina, externalizados no início do processo apoptótico. A Anexina V é uma proteína humana endógena dependente do ião Ca+2, amplamente distribuída intracelularmente em altas concentrações na placenta e em concentrações mais baixas nos eritrócitos, plaquetas e monócitos. Apresenta como principal característica a capacidade de se ligar à fosfatidilserina, um fosfolipído presente na camada interna da bicamada lipídica, que durante a apoptose celular é translocada para a camada externa da membrana celular. A determinação da Anexina V é normalmente utilizada para verificar se as células são viáveis, apoptóticas ou necróticas por meio de diferenças na integridade da membrana plasmática. Assim, ao conjugar a Anexina V ao FITC (Isotiocianato de fluoresceína) é possível identificar e quantificar as células apoptóticas por citometria de fluxo7. Numa amostra de 15 CE’s, a qual foi induzida a hemólise, verificou-se, por citometria de fluxo, que a viabilidade deste componente se desvanesce ao longo do tempo, confirmando assim que o tratamento, manuseamento e armazenamento do sangue compromete a vitalidade terapeutica deste insubstituivel produto vital.

NHL 3.5 mortars with scrap tire rubber

The use of wastes and industrial by-products as building materials is an important issue in order to decrease costs with waste management and the embodied energy of building products. Scrap tire rubber has been studied as aggregate for cementitious materials. Natural hydraulic limes are natural binders with particular characteristics of both air and hydraulic binders. Their specifications became stricter with the last version of EN 459-1:2010. In this study scrap tire rubber was used as additional aggregate of mortars, based on NHL3.5 and natural sand. Different particle size fractions and proportions of scrap tire rubber were used: a mix obtained almost directly from industry (only after sieving for preparation of particle sizes similar to mortar aggregate) and separated fine, medium and coarse fractions; 0%, 18%, 36% and 54% weight of binder, corresponding to 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% weight of sand. The influence of the rubbers´ additions on the mortars´ fresh state, mechanical and physical performance is presented, namely by flow table consistency, water retention, fresh bulk density, dynamic elasticity modulus, flexural and compressive strength, open porosity and bulk density, capillary absorption, drying and thermal conductivity. The use of the rubber mix coming from the waste tire industry seems advantageous and may open possibilities for use as raw material by the mortars industry.

Optimal choice between even- and uneven-aged forestry: the case of non-industrial private forest owners

An infinite-horizon discrete time model with multiple size-class structures using a transition matrix is built to assess optimal harvesting schedules in the context of Non-Industrial Private Forest (NIPF) owners. Three model specifications accounting for forest income, financial return on an asset and amenity valuations are considered. Numerical simulations suggest uneven-aged forest management where a rational forest owner adapts her or his forest policy by influencing the regeneration of trees or adjusting consumption dynamics depending on subjective time preference and market return rate dynamics on the financial asset. Moreover she or he does not value significantly non-market benefits captured by amenity valuations relatively to forest income.

Do the psychological impacts of war cause poverty?: Evidence from Mozambique

This paper evaluates the extent to which war-related psychological distress causes poverty. The endogeneous nature of mental distress is addressed by using exposure to the civil war in Mozambique as an instrument. It is found that exposure to war has a significant and positive long-lasting impact on mental distress. Furthermore, the causal impact of war-related psychological distress on income and wealth is shown to be significant, negative, and nonnegligible. One standard deviation increase in mental distress decreases income by half a standard deviation. These findings are robust to alternative specifications, including the use of an alternative database on the incidence of PTSD in Mozambique.

Brazilian equity risk premium analysis: A macroeconomic approach

Double Degree Masters in Economics Program from Insper and NOVA School of Business and Economics

A harmonização fiscal europeia

With this dissertation we aim to analyze the most relevant aspects of the excise duties harmonized regime, considering Community origins, but having also in attention all legal specifications of its implementation in Portugal. The legal regime of excise duties is presented as an ambitious theme, considering the challenge of different branches of law that influence this subject, such as Tax, Economic and Community laws, the inescapable influence of customs procedures, or regarding environmental objectives. In the European context, the harmonization of excise duties was seen as a condition for the implementation of the internal market, contributing to undo secular tax barriers between Member States and, since so, ensure fair competition and free movement of services and goods. Along with VAT, the excise duties harmonization process could represent a potential European tax system, essential for a full and integrated single market. In this context, it is essential to pay special attention to specific characteristics of excise duties regime, such as ‘duty suspension arrangement’ applicable during the production phase, storage and movement in certain conditions. The growing importance of excise duties, as for revenue or extra-fiscal purposes, recommends new academic studies on this subject, seeking new opportunities and challenges.