Determinantes económicos da corrupção na União Europeia dos 15

Projecto «Economics of Corruption in Contemporary Portugal» no Centro de Estudos da População, Economia e Sociedade (CEPESE)

Gold nanoparticle-DNA conjugates for oligonucleotide vectorization towards gene silencing

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Genética Molecular e Biomedicina

Protocolo de fisioterapia, com auxílio de biofeedback electromiográfico, em utentes com disfunções do ombro: efeitos na dor, funcionalidade e estabilidade dinâmica

RESUMO: Introdução: A dor e disfunções do movimento no complexo articular do ombro (CAO) são comuns e debilitantes. O uso de exercícios segundo os pressupostos de estabilidade dinâmica (ED), com auxílio de Biofeedback electromiográfico (BEMG) tem vindo a ser referido, como uma forma de aumentar a efectividade da intervenção nas disfunções do complexo articular do ombro (DCAO)Objectivo Principal: Estudar os efeitos de um protocolo de intervenção, com BEMG, cujas finalidades foram abolir a dor, aumentar a funcionalidade e a ED da omoplata, em utentes com DCAO. Objectivos secundários: Comparar os subgrupos e quanto às características, resultados, tempos de intervenção total e até atingir critérios de alta; Comparar os resultados nos momentos inicial e final. Métodos: Foi realizado um coorte clínico, longitudinal, retrospectivo, observacional, analítico. A amostra foi constituída por 82 sujeitos, divididos em dois subgrupos (n=53 SCSA e n=29 IGU). Os instrumentos de medida utilizados foram a EVA, o DASH, o SPADI e o BEMG. Foi seguido o protocolo de ED proposto por Santos e Matias (2007), de acordo com as 3 fases de intervenção por eles descritas, realizando uma sessão semanal, monitorizando exercícios que seguem estes princípios, com BEMG. Foram avaliadas as variáveis dor, postura, padrão de recrutamento, controlo motor, posição inicial da omoplata (PIO), amplitudes articulares (AA’s), força muscular (FM) e postura. Para analisar os dados, recorreu-se a estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados: A intervenção foi efectiva na abolição da dor no momento (0,43 para 0,00/10EVA no subgrupo SCSA e 0,66 para 0,00/10EVA no subgrupo IGU) na pior dor (5,47/10EVA para 0,06/10EVA no subgrupo SCSA e 5,28/10 para 0,14/10 no subgrupo IGU), no aumento da função (28,57 para 0,66/100DASH e 39,00 para 0,63/100SAPDI no subgrupo SCSA e 25,80 para 0,38/100DASH e 28,19 para 0,39/100 no subgrupo IGU) e no aumento da ED da omoplata com normalização do padrão de recrutamento, controlo motor, PIO dentro do espectro de normalidade e boa capacidade de controlar a sua posição, ao longo do movimento do membro superior (MS). A intervenção proporcionou, ainda a normalização das AA’s, FM e autocorrecção postural. O tempo médio de intervenção foi de 6,45semanas no subgrupo SCSA e 5,83sem no subgrupo IGU. Estes resultados são semelhantes comparativamente a estudos que utilizaram uma intervenção baseada nos mesmos princípios (Matias e Cruz, 2004; Cunha e Matias, 2006; Santos e Matias, 2007; Rodrigues e Matias, 2009). Conclusão: O protocolo de intervenção aplicado, com uso de exercícios baseados nos princípios da ED e uso de BEMG, permitiu o alcance dos objectivos, junto de utentes com DCAO (SCSA e IGU). Verificou-se que, independentemente da condição, os resultados foram idênticos em ambos subgrupos, não apresentando diferenças significativas entre as variáveis de medida final, o tempo total de intervenção e os tempos até atingir os critérios de alta, expecto para a Dor, sendo este superior no subgrupo SCSA.---------------------------------------- ABSTRACT:Introduction: Movement disorders and pain in the shoulder joint complex (SJC) are common and debilitating. The use of exercises under the premises of dynamic stability (DS), with the aid of electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) has been mentioned as a way to increase the effectiveness of the intervention in disorders of the shoulder joint complex (DSJC) Main Objective: To evaluate the results of an intervention protocol, with EMGBF whose aims were to abolish the pain, increase functionality and DS of the scapula in patients with DSJC. Objectives: To compare the subgroups and the characteristics, outcomes, and total intervention times to reach discharge criteria; to compare the results at the beginning and at the end. Methods: We conducted a clinical cohort, longitudinal, retrospective, observational analysis. The sample consisted of 82 subjects, divided into two subgroups (n = 53 shoulder impingement syndrome SIS n = 29 shoulder joint instability SJI). The measurement instruments used were the VAS, DASH, SPADI, and EMGBF. It was followed the DS protocol proposed by Santos and Matias (2007), according to the three phases of intervention, described by performing a weekly session, monitoring exercises that follow these principles, with EMGBF. The variables were pain, posture, recruitment pattern, motor control, the initial position of the scapula (IPS), range of motion (ROM), muscular strength (MS) and posture. To analyze the data, we used the descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The intervention was effective in abolishing the pain at the time (0.43 to 0.00/10 VAS in the SIS subgroup and 0.66 to 0.00/10 VAS in the SJI subgroup) in worst pain (5.47 to 0,06/10 VAS in the SIS subgroup and 5.28/ to 0.14/10 VAS in the SJI subgroup), increasing the function (28,57 to 0,66/100 DASH and 39,00 to 0,63/100 SAPDI in the SIS subgroup and 25,80 to 0,38/100 DASH and 28,19 to 0,39/100 SPADI in the SJI subgroup) and the increase in DS of the scapula with normalization of the pattern recruitment, motor control, IPS within the spectrum of normalcy and good ability to control its position along the movement of the upper limb (UL). The intervention provided, although the normalization of ROM, MS and self-correcting posture. The average length of intervention was 6.45 weeks in the SIS subgroup and 5.83 in the IS subgroup. These results are comparable with similar studies that used an intervention based on the same principles (Matias e Cruz, 2004; Cunha e Matias, 2006; Santos e Matias, 2007; Rodrigues e Matias, 2009). Conclusion: The intervention protocol implemented with the use of exercises based on the principles of DS and the use of EMGBF was effective, allowing the accomplishment of goals, in patients with DSJC (SIS and SJI). It was found that, regardless of condition, the results were identical in both groups, showing no significant differences between the variables of the final measure, the total time of intervention and the times to reach discharge criteria, except for pain, which was higher in the SIS subgroup.

Electricity markets modeling considering complex contracts and aggregators

All over the world, the liberalization of electricity markets, which follows different paradigms, has created new challenges for those involved in this sector. In order to respond to these challenges, electric power systems suffered a significant restructuring in its mode of operation and planning. This restructuring resulted in a considerable increase of the electric sector competitiveness. Particularly, the Ancillary Services (AS) market has been target of constant renovations in its operation mode as it is a targeted market for the trading of services, which have as main objective to ensure the operation of electric power systems with appropriate levels of stability, safety, quality, equity and competitiveness. In this way, with the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources including distributed generation, demand response, storage units and electric vehicles, it is essential to develop new smarter and hierarchical methods of operation of electric power systems. As these resources are mostly connected to the distribution network, it is important to consider the introduction of this kind of resources in AS delivery in order to achieve greater reliability and cost efficiency of electrical power systems operation. The main contribution of this work is the design and development of mechanisms and methodologies of AS market and for energy and AS joint market, considering different management entities of transmission and distribution networks. Several models developed in this work consider the most common AS in the liberalized market environment: Regulation Down; Regulation Up; Spinning Reserve and Non-Spinning Reserve. The presented models consider different rules and ways of operation, such as the division of market by network areas, which allows the congestion management of interconnections between areas; or the ancillary service cascading process, which allows the replacement of AS of superior quality by lower quality of AS, ensuring a better economic performance of the market. A major contribution of this work is the development an innovative methodology of market clearing process to be used in the energy and AS joint market, able to ensure viable and feasible solutions in markets, where there are technical constraints in the transmission network involving its division into areas or regions. The proposed method is based on the determination of Bialek topological factors and considers the contribution of the dispatch for all services of increase of generation (energy, Regulation Up, Spinning and Non-Spinning reserves) in network congestion. The use of Bialek factors in each iteration of the proposed methodology allows limiting the bids in the market while ensuring that the solution is feasible in any context of system operation. Another important contribution of this work is the model of the contribution of distributed energy resources in the ancillary services. In this way, a Virtual Power Player (VPP) is considered in order to aggregate, manage and interact with distributed energy resources. The VPP manages all the agents aggregated, being able to supply AS to the system operator, with the main purpose of participation in electricity market. In order to ensure their participation in the AS, the VPP should have a set of contracts with the agents that include a set of diversified and adapted rules to each kind of distributed resource. All methodologies developed and implemented in this work have been integrated into the MASCEM simulator, which is a simulator based on a multi-agent system that allows to study complex operation of electricity markets. In this way, the developed methodologies allow the simulator to cover more operation contexts of the present and future of the electricity market. In this way, this dissertation offers a huge contribution to the AS market simulation, based on models and mechanisms currently used in several real markets, as well as the introduction of innovative methodologies of market clearing process on the energy and AS joint market. This dissertation presents five case studies; each one consists of multiple scenarios. The first case study illustrates the application of AS market simulation considering several bids of market players. The energy and ancillary services joint market simulation is exposed in the second case study. In the third case study it is developed a comparison between the simulation of the joint market methodology, in which the player bids to the ancillary services is considered by network areas and a reference methodology. The fourth case study presents the simulation of joint market methodology based on Bialek topological distribution factors applied to transmission network with 7 buses managed by a TSO. The last case study presents a joint market model simulation which considers the aggregation of small players to a VPP, as well as complex contracts related to these entities. The case study comprises a distribution network with 33 buses managed by VPP, which comprises several kinds of distributed resources, such as photovoltaic, CHP, fuel cells, wind turbines, biomass, small hydro, municipal solid waste, demand response, and storage units.

Utilização da Nanotecnologia para o desenvolvimento sustentável na indústria agro-alimentar

O crescimento populacional esperado para os próximos anos conduzirá à necessidade de aumentar a produção agrícola de modo a satisfazer o aumento da procura. Nos últimos anos tem-se assistido a uma evolução tecnológica nos sistemas de produção que tem permitido aumentar a produtividade agrícola, por vezes à custa de elevados consumos de energia e com práticas nem sempre ambientalmente corretas. Os desafios que se colocam atualmente são no sentido de melhorar a conservação de recursos escassos, como o solo e a água, de aumentar a eficiência de uso de fatores de produção, de encontrar novas culturas, do desenvolvimento da biotecnologia, da diminuição dos consumos energéticos e de melhorar ainda mais as tecnologias associadas à produção. De maneira a responder aos desafios emergentes da procura por alimentos, da escassez de terrenos agrícolas aráveis bem como da existência de pragas de insetos e de ervas daninhas, os pesticidas tem vindo a ser usados com maior frequência, tendo-se assistido a uma contaminação dos solos e águas subterrâneas, causando deste modo um risco para a saúde dos seres vivos. Neste sentido, vários fabricantes de pesticidas estão a desenvolver novas formulações contendo pesticidas encapsulados em nanopartículas como modo de aumentar a sua solubilidade em água, biodisponibilidade, volatilidade, estabilidade e eficácia. tendo por objetivo um desenvolvimento sustentável. Neste trabalho, procedeu-se ao estudo do encapsulamento do herbicida Oxadiargil (5-terc-butil-3-[2,4-dicloro-5-(2-propiniloxi)fenil]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-ona) com a 2-hidroxipropil-β-ciclodextrina (HP-β-CD). O estudo da formação do complexo de inclusão Oxadiargil - HP-β-CD foi realizado em diferentes meios, água desionizada, tampão acetato pH = 3,46 e pH = 5,34 e tampão fosfato pH = 7,45, com o objetivo de determinar e comparar a sua constante de estabilidade. Verificou-se, em qualquer dos casos, a ocorrência de uma relação linear entre o aumento da solubilidade do Oxadiargil e o aumento da concentração de HP-β-CD, com um declive inferior a um, o que indicia a formação de um complexo na proporção estequiométrica de 1:1. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que o processo de complexação Oxadiargil - HP-β-CD não é muito influenciado pela constituição e pelo pH do meio. De facto, as constantes de estabilidade obtidas para a água desionizada e soluções-tampão pH = 3,46, pH = 5,34 e pH = 7,45 foram de 919 ± 25, 685 ± 13, 623 ± 17 e 753 ± 9, respetivamente. A solubilidade do complexo obtido nos estudos realizados, em diferentes meios, é cerca de 23 a 32 vezes superior à observada para o Oxadiargil livre. De forma a caracterizar o complexo Oxadiargil - HP-β-CD procedeu-se à sua síntese utilizando o método de “kneading”. O composto obtido foi caracterizado por Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RMN) tendo-se confirmado a formação de um complexo de inclusão na proporção estequiométrica de 1:1. O complexo obtido é mais solúvel e porventura mais estável quimicamente. O encapsulamento permite uma redução da aplicação dos pesticidas diminuindo assim os custos e o impacto negativo no ambiente. Com a nanotecnologia é possível a libertação controlada dos pesticidas, aumentando a sua eficácia e fornecendo os meios necessários para um desenvolvimento sustentável.

Trade-Off Performance Regions of Slotted ALOHA Protocol using Multi-Objective Optimization

10th Conference on Telecommunications (Conftele 2015), Aveiro, Portugal.

Multi-Objective and Financial Portfolio Optimization of Carrier-Sense Multiple Access Protocols with Cooperative Diversity

8th International Workshop on Multiple Access Communications (MACOM2015), Helsinki, Finland.

A multi-objective model for scheduling of short-term incentive-based demand response programs offered by electricity retailers

In this paper, we formulate the electricity retailers’ short-term decision-making problem in a liberalized retail market as a multi-objective optimization model. Retailers with light physical assets, such as generation and storage units in the distribution network, are considered. Following advances in smart grid technologies, electricity retailers are becoming able to employ incentive-based demand response (DR) programs in addition to their physical assets to effectively manage the risks of market price and load variations. In this model, the DR scheduling is performed simultaneously with the dispatch of generation and storage units. The ultimate goal is to find the optimal values of the hourly financial incentives offered to the end-users. The proposed model considers the capacity obligations imposed on retailers by the grid operator. The profit seeking retailer also has the objective to minimize the peak demand to avoid the high capacity charges in form of grid tariffs or penalties. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used to solve the multi-objective problem. It is a fast and elitist multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. A case study is solved to illustrate the efficient performance of the proposed methodology. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the model for designing the incentive-based DR programs and indicate the efficiency of NSGA-II in solving the retailers’ multi-objective problem.

Dynamic stability metrics for the container loading problem

The Container Loading Problem (CLP) literature has traditionally evaluated the dynamic stability of cargo by applying two metrics to box arrangements: the mean number of boxes supporting the items excluding those placed directly on the floor (M1) and the percentage of boxes with insufficient lateral support (M2). However, these metrics, that aim to be proxies for cargo stability during transportation, fail to translate real-world cargo conditions of dynamic stability. In this paper two new performance indicators are proposed to evaluate the dynamic stability of cargo arrangements: the number of fallen boxes (NFB) and the number of boxes within the Damage Boundary Curve fragility test (NB_DBC). Using 1500 solutions for well-known problem instances found in the literature, these new performance indicators are evaluated using a physics simulation tool (StableCargo), replacing the real-world transportation by a truck with a simulation of the dynamic behaviour of container loading arrangements. Two new dynamic stability metrics that can be integrated within any container loading algorithm are also proposed. The metrics are analytical models of the proposed stability performance indicators, computed by multiple linear regression. Pearson’s r correlation coefficient was used as an evaluation parameter for the performance of the models. The extensive computational results show that the proposed metrics are better proxies for dynamic stability in the CLP than the previous widely used metrics.

Characterization of an antioxidant surfactant-free topical formulation containing Castanea sativa leaf extract

Context: Inclusion of antioxidants in topical formulations can contribute to minimize oxidative stress in the skin, which has been associated with photoaging, several dermatosis and cancer. Objective: A Castanea sativa leaf extract with established antioxidant activity was incorporated into a semisolid surfactant-free formulation. The objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive characterization of this formulation. Materials and methods: Physical, microbiological and functional stability were evaluated during 6 months storage at 20 °C and 40 °C. Microstructure elucidation (cryo-SEM), in vitro release and in vivo moisturizing effect (Corneometer® CM 825) were also assessed. Results and discussion: Minor changes were observed in the textural and rheological properties of the formulation when stored at 20 °C for 6 months and the antioxidant activity of the plant extract remained constant throughout the storage period. Microbiological quality was confirmed at the end of the study. Under accelerated conditions, higher modifications of the evaluated parameters were observed. Cryo-SEM analysis revealed the presence of oil droplets dispersed into a gelified external phase. The release rate of the antioxidant compounds (610 ± 70 µgh−0.5) followed Higuchi model. A significant in vivo moisturizing effect was demonstrated, that lasted at least 4 h after product’s application. Conclusion: The physical, functional and microbiological stability of the antioxidant formulation was established. Specific storage conditions should be recommended considering the influence of temperature on the stability. A skin hydration effect and good skin tolerance were also found which suggests that this preparation can be useful in the prevention or treatment of oxidative stress-mediated dysfunctions.

Insights into human carboxylesterase 2 stability and activity in vivo and in vitro

Dissertation to obtain a Master Degree in Biotechnology

Active bionanoconjugates of laccase and gold nanoparticles: kinetic and structural studies

Thesis for the master degree in Structural and Functional Biochemistry

Projeto de estabilidade de internato masculino

O presente documento corresponde à realização de um projeto de estruturas em betão armado e estrutura metálica. A escolha deste tema teve como propósito aplicar os conhecimentos adquiridos ao longo do percurso académico, sobretudo em disciplinas do ramo de estruturas. O trabalho desenvolvido é um Projeto de Estabilidade de Betão Armado e Estrutura Metálica de um Internato Masculino para Padres em Onameva, Cunene – Angola. A elaboração deste projeto decorre da realização de um estágio formal de 8 meses na empresa CALCULUS, Miguel Barros – Engenharia, LDA, com o objetivo principal de reunir os requisitos necessários à admissão na Ordem dos Engenheiros. No contexto laboral de um gabinete de projetos de engenharia civil, foi feita a integração de forma gradual e sustentada das competências adquiridas ao longo da formação académica e vivenciadas situações reais de trabalho profissional. De entre as atividades desenvolvidas no estágio, foi escolhido o projeto de estabilidade acima referido pela oportunidade de realizar todas as etapas do seu desenvolvimento, desde a análise da arquitetura até à elaboração das peças escritas e desenhadas, dando assim resposta às exigências necessárias para a conclusão do Mestrado em Engenharia Civil, no ramo de Estruturas, pelo Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto.