Um modelo de planeamento económico aplicado ao sector agro-alimentar em Portugal: utilização da análise multi-objectivos.

Doutoramento em Economia.

Modelado multi-dominio de máquinas eléctricas. Multi-domain modeling of electric machines

El objetivo general de este proyecto es desarrollar nuevos modelos multi-dominio de máquinas eléctricas para aplicaciones al control y al diagnóstico de fallas. Se propone comenzar con el modelo electromagnético del motor de inducción en base a circuitos magnéticos equivalentes (MEC) validándolo por medio de simulación y de resultados experimentales. Como segundo paso se pretende desarrollas modelos térmicos y mecánicos con el objetivo que puedan ser acoplados al modelo electromagnético y de esta estudiar la interacción de los dominios y se validará mediante resultados de simulación y experimentales el modelo completo. Finalmente se pretende utilizar el modelo multi-dominio como una herramienta para la prueba de nuevas estrategias de control y diagnóstico de fallas. The main objective of this project is the development of new multi-domain models of electric machines for control and fault diagnosis applications. The electromagnetic modeling of the induction motor (IM) will be done using the magnetic equivalent circuits approach. This model will be validated by simulation and by experimental results. As a second step of this project, new mechanical and thermal models for the IM will be developed, with the objective of coupling these models with the electromagnetic one. With this multi-domain model it will be possible to study the interaction between each others. After that, the complete model will be validated by simulation and experimental results. Finally, the model will be used as a tool for testing new control and fault diagnosis strategies.

Síndrome Metabólica, Strain e Redução da Função Miocárdica: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Fundamento: A doença cardiovascular subclínica é prevalente em pacientes com síndrome metabólica (SM). O strain circunferencial (εCC) e o strain longitudinal (εLL) do ventriculo esquerdo (VE), avaliados pelo ecocardiograma com speckle tracking (STE), são índices de função sistólica: o encurtamento das fibras circunferenciais e longitudinais do VE é indicado por um valor negativo do strain. Portanto, quanto mais negativo o strain, melhor a função sistólica do VE. O εCC e o εLL têm sido usados para demonstrar disfunção ventricular subclínica em vários distúrbios clínicos. Objetivo: Levantamos a hipótese de que a SM está associada com comprometimento da função miocárdica, quando avaliada pelo STE. Métodos: Este estudo analisou participantes do Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) que realizaram o STE e foram avaliados para todos os componentes da SM. Resultados: Entre os 133 participantes incluídos (mulheres: 63%; idade: 65 ± 9 anos), a prevalência de SM foi de 31% (41/133). Indivíduos com SM apresentaram valores menores do εCC e do εLL que aqueles sem SM (-16,3% ± 3,5% vs. -18,4% ± 3,7%, p < 0,01; e -12,1% ± 2,5% vs. -13,9% ± 2,3%, p < 0,01, respectivamente). A fração de ejeção do VE (FEVE) foi semelhante nos dois grupos (p = 0,09). Na análise multivariada, a SM associou-se a um valor mais baixo do strain circunferencial (B = 2,1%, IC 95%: 0,6-3,5; p < 0,01), mesmo após ajuste para idade, etnia, massa VE e FEVE. De maneira semelhante, a presença de SM (B = 1,3%, IC 95%: 0,3-2,2; p < 0,01) e a massa do VE (B = 0,02%, IC 95%: 0,01 0,03; p = 0,02) associaram-se a um valor menor do strain longitudinal após ajuste para etnia, FEVE e creatinina. Conclusão: O εCC e o εLL do VE, marcadores de doença cardiovascular subclínica, estão comprometidos em indivíduos assintomáticos com SM e sem história prévia de infarto miocárdico, insuficiência cardíaca e/ou de FEVE < 50%.

Reverse Cardiac Remodeling: A Marker of Better Prognosis in Heart Failure

In heart failure syndrome, myocardial dysfunction causes an increase in neurohormonal activity, which is an adaptive and compensatory mechanism in response to the reduction in cardiac output. Neurohormonal activity is initially stimulated in an attempt to maintain compensation; however, when it remains increased, it contributes to the intensification of clinical manifestations and myocardial damage. Cardiac remodeling comprises changes in ventricular volume as well as the thickness and shape of the myocardial wall. With optimized treatment, such remodeling can be reversed, causing gradual improvement in cardiac function and consequently improved prognosis.

Reverse Auction: A Potential Strategy for Reduction of Pharmacological Therapy Cost

Background:Polypharmacy is a significant economic burden.Objective:We tested whether using reverse auction (RA) as compared with commercial pharmacy (CP) to purchase medicine results in lower pharmaceutical costs for heart failure (HF) and heart transplantation (HT) outpatients.Methods:We compared the costs via RA versus CP in 808 HF and 147 HT patients followed from 2009 through 2011, and evaluated the influence of clinical and demographic variables on cost.Results:The monthly cost per patient for HF drugs acquired via RA was $10.15 (IQ 3.51-40.22) versus $161.76 (IQ 86.05‑340.15) via CP; for HT, those costs were $393.08 (IQ 124.74-774.76) and $1,207.70 (IQ 604.48-2,499.97), respectively.Conclusion:RA may reduce the cost of prescription drugs for HF and HT, potentially making HF treatment more accessible. Clinical characteristics can influence the cost and benefits of RA. RA may be a new health policy strategy to reduce costs of prescribed medications for HF and HT patients, reducing the economic burden of treatment.

Attitudes toward corporate sustainability : a multi-item scale and a multi-country empirical analysis

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Wirtschaftswiss., Diss., 2013

Implementation of Multi-Core Processor Based on PLASMA (Most MIPS I) IP Core

Multi-core processors is a design philosophy that has become mainstream in scientific and engineering applications. Increasing performance and gate capacity of recent FPGA devices has permitted complex logic systems to be implemented on a single programmable device. By using VHDL here we present an implementation of one multi-core processor by using the PLASMA IP core based on the (most) MIPS I ISA and give an overview of the processor architecture and share theexecution results.

Micro-macro analysis of creep behavior in a multi-pass weld

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Maschinenbau, Diss., 2014

Multi-echo radial FLASH techniques for real-time MRI

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2015

Vertical competition and multi-period interaction : a theoretical and behavioral analysis on the impact of strategic inventories in supply chain management

Otto-von-Guericke-Universtität Magdeburg, Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Univ., Dissertation, 2015

A Multi-state model for the analysis of functional decline and mortality of frail elderly patients

L’objectiu d’aquest estudi, que correspon a un projecte de recerca sobre la pèrdua funcional i la mortalitat de persones grans fràgils, és construir un procés de supervivència predictiu que tingui en compte l’evolució funcional i nutricional dels pacients al llarg del temps. En aquest estudi ens enfrontem a l’anàlisi de dades de supervivència i mesures repetides però els mètodes estadístics habituals per al tractament conjunt d’aquest tipus de dades no són apropiats en aquest cas. Com a alternativa utilitzem els models de supervivència multi-estats per avaluar l’associació entre mortalitat i recuperació, o no, dels nivells funcionals i nutricionals considerats normals. Després d’estimar el model i d’identificar els factors pronòstics de mortalitat és possible obtenir un procés predictiu que permet fer prediccions de la supervivència dels pacients en funció de la seva història concreta fins a un determinat moment. Això permet realitzar un pronòstic més precís de cada grup de pacients, la qual cosa pot ser molt útil per als professionals sanitaris a l’hora de prendre decisions clíniques.

Energy policies for rural electrification: a social multi-criteria evaluation approach

In this article, a real-world case- study is presented with two general objectives: to give a clear and simple illustrative example of application of social multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) in the field of rural renewable energy policies, and to help in understanding to what extent and under which circumstances solar energy is suitable for electrifying isolated farmhouses. In this sense, this study might offer public decision- makers some insight on the conditions that favour the diffusion of renewable energy, in order to help them to design more effective energy policies for rural communities.

Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE)

The main argument developed here is the proposal of the concept of “Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation” (SMCE) as a possible useful framework for the application of social choice to the difficult policy problems of our Millennium, where, as stated by Funtowicz and Ravetz, “facts are uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high and decisions urgent”. This paper starts from the following main questions: 1. Why “Social” Multi-criteria Evaluation? 2. How such an approach should be developed? The foundations of SMCE are set up by referring to concepts coming from complex system theory and philosophy, such as reflexive complexity, post-normal science and incommensurability. To give some operational guidelines on the application of SMCE basic questions to be answered are: 1. How is it possible to deal with technical incommensurability? 2. How can we deal with the issue of social incommensurability? To answer these questions, by using theoretical considerations and lessons learned from realworld case studies, is the main objective of the present article.

Tacit collusion and capacity withholding in repeated uniform price auctions

This paper contributes to the study of tacit collusion by analyzing infinitely repeated multiunit uniform price auctions in a symmetric oligopoly with capacity constrained firms. Under both the Market Clearing and Maximum Accepted Price rules of determining the uniform price, we show that when each firm sets a price-quantity pair specifying the firm's minimum acceptable price and the maximum quantity the firm is willing to sell at this price, there exists a range of discount factors for which the monopoly outcome with equal sharing is sustainable in the uniform price auction, but not in the corresponding discriminatory auction. Moreover, capacity withholding may be necessary to sustain this out-come. We extend these results to the case where firms may set bids that are arbitrary step functions of price-quantity pairs with any finite number of price steps. Surprisingly, under the Maximum Accepted Price rule, firms need employ no more than two price steps to minimize the value of the discount factor

Elicited bid functions in (a)symmetric first-price auctions

We report on a series of experiments that examine bidding behavior in first-price sealed bid auctions with symmetric and asymmetric bidders. To study the extent of strategic behavior, we use an experimental design that elicits bidders' complete bid functions in each round (auction) of the experiment. In the aggregate, behavior is consistent with the basic equilibrium predictions for risk neutral or homogenous risk averse bidders (extent of bid shading, average seller's revenues and deviations from equilibrium). However, when we look at the extent of best reply behavior and the shape of bid functions, we find that individual behavior is not in line with the received equilibrium models, although it exhibits strategic sophistication.