Analysis of portuguese residential buildings’ needs and proposed solutions

The Portuguese housing sector experienced a significant growth throughout the 20th century, particularly in the last quarter, after the democratic revolution in 1974. In fact, the number of buildings built between 1970 and 1990 is more than one third of the buildings actually existing in Portugal. Therefore most of them were built before the publication of the first regulation concerning the energy efficiency in buildings. Regarding this scenario, it would be expected that rehabilitation activities would represent most of the current construction activities. However, given some remaining barriers from old social policies, this situation is not observed; actually building retrofitting is the least significant sector, accentuating the degradation level of major part of the Portuguese housing stock. Several studies show that the main problems are found in the buildings envelope elements, such as roofs and façades. Based on this context, the aim of this paper is to introduce some examples of building retrofitting systems that, adapted to the Portuguese main needs and requirements may represent sustainable solutions to overcome the identified needs of Portuguese buildings' envelope.

Free-standing multilayered membranes based on graphene and natural polymers for biomedical applications

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Biomédica (área de especialização em Biomateriais, Reabilitação e Biomecânica)

Bacterial vaginosis biofilms: challenges to current therapies and emerging solutions

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common genital tract infection in women during their reproductive years and it has been associated with serious health complications, such as preterm delivery and acquisition or transmission of several sexually transmitted agents. BV is characterized by a reduction of beneficial lactobacilli and a significant increase in number of anaerobic bacteria, including Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Mobiluncus spp., Bacteroides spp. and Prevotella spp.. Being polymicrobial in nature, BV etiology remains unclear. However, it is certain that BV involves the presence of a thick vaginal multi-species biofilm, where G. vaginalis is the predominant species. Similar to what happens in many other biofilm-related infections, standard antibiotics, like metronidazole, are unable to fully eradicate the vaginal biofilm, which can explain the high recurrence rates of BV. Furthermore, antibiotic therapy can also cause a negative impact on the healthy vaginal microflora. These issues sparked the interest in developing alternative therapeutic strategies. This review provides a quick synopsis of the currently approved and available antibiotics for BV treatment while presenting an overview of novel strategies that are being explored for the treatment of this disorder, with special focus on natural compounds that are able to overcome biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance.

Assessment of innovative solutions for non-load bearing masonry enclosures

This paper presents some of the results of the research project “Masonry Enclosures” developed in the framework of the transnational access (TA) to LNEC’s triaxial shake table within the FP7 project SERIES.

Implementação de um sistema de customer relationship management na broaden information solutions

Dissertação de mestrado em Sistemas de Informação

Sustainability assessment of envelope wall solutions using MAXergy methodology

Projeto de investigação integrado de International Master in Sustainable Built Environment

Pulse wave velocity distribution in a cohort study: from arterial stiffness to early vascular aging

BACKGROUND: By contrast with other southern European people, north Portuguese population registers an especially high prevalence of hypertension and stroke incidence. We designed a cohort study to identify individuals presenting accelerated and premature arterial aging in the Portuguese population. METHOD: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in randomly sampled population dwellers aged 18-96 years from northern Portugal, and used as a marker of early vascular aging (EVA). Of the 3038 individuals enrolled, 2542 completed the evaluation. RESULTS: Mean PWV value for the entire population was 8.4?m/s (men: 8.6?m/s; women: 8.2?m/s; P??10?m/s). Logistic regression models indicated gender differences concerning the risk of developing large artery damage, with women having the same odds of PWV above 10?m/s 10 years later than men. CONCLUSION: The population PWV values were higher than expected in a low cardiovascular risk area (Portugal). High prevalence rates of EVA and noteworthy large artery damage in young ages were found.

Listening to the public: enacting power : citizen access, Standing and influence in public participation discourses

Public participation in environmental governance is typically associated with citizen access to power despite many closures and limitations having been identified in participatory processes. This article proposes an analytical framework to analyse discursive practices involved in public consultation processes. Critical Discourse Analysis is used to examine and appraise citizens’ access, standing and influence. We apply that framework to a ‘notice and comment’ process on a hydroelectric power plan in Portugal and show that it was discursively managed to justify the decision of constructing 10 large dams and to reject critical or alternative views. Citizens’ access, standing and influence were constrained through diverse discursive practices which (re)produced very unequal power relationsbetween policy proponents and participating individuals. More generally, the article illustrates the potential of Critical Discourse Analysis to assess voice(s) in policy processes. Focusing on argumentative, interactional and rhetorical levels, and how they are interwoven in public consultation discourses, the proposed framework is conceivably applicable in other studies.

Relation between the behaviors of P-wave and QT dispersions in elderly patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between P-wave and QT dispersions in elderly patients with heart failure. METHODS: Forty-seven elderly patients (75.6±6 years) with stable heart failure in NYHA functional classes II or III and with ejection fractions of 37±6% underwent body surface mapping to analyze P-wave and QT dispersions. The degree of correlation between P-wave and QT dispersions was assessed, and P-wave dispersion values in patients with QT dispersion greater than and smaller than 100 ms were compared. RESULTS: The mean values of P-wave and QT dispersions were 54±14 ms and 68±27 ms, respectively. The correlation between the 2 variables was R=0.41 (p=0.04). In patients with QT dispersion values > 100 ms, P-wave dispersion was significantly greater than in those with QT dispersion values < 100 ms (58±16 vs 53±12 ms, p=0.04 ). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that, in elderly patients with heart failure, a correlation between the values of P-wave and QT dispersions exists. These findings may have etiopathogenic, pathophysiologic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications, which should be investigated in other studies.

T-wave alternans: desempenho clínico, limitações, metodologias de análise

Reconhecer com precisão indivíduos com maior risco imediato de morte súbita cardíaca (MSC) ainda é uma questão em aberto. A natureza fortuita dos eventos cardiovasculares agudos não parece se adequar ao conhecido modelo de indução de taquicardia/fibrilação ventricular por um gatilho em sincronia a um substrato arritmogênico estático. Quanto ao mecanismo da MSC, uma instabilidade elétrica dinâmica explicaria melhor a raridade da associação simultânea de um gatilho certo a um substrato cardíaco apropriado. Diversos estudos tentaram medir essa instabilidade elétrica cardíaca (ou um equivalente válido) em uma sequência de batimentos cardíacos no ECG. Dentre os mecanismos possíveis podemos citar o prolongamento do QT, dispersão do QT, potenciais tardios, alternância de onda T ou T-wave alternans (TWA), e turbulência da frequência cardíaca. Este artigo se atém em particular ao papel da TWA no panorama atual da estratificação de risco cardíaco. Os achados sobre TWA ainda são heterogêneos, variando de um desempenho prognóstico muito bom até um quase nulo, dependendo da população clínica observada e protocolo clínico usado. Para preencher as atuais lacunas no conhecimento sobre TWA, profissionais médicos e pesquisadores devem explorar melhor as características técnicas das diversas tecnologias disponíveis para a avaliação de TWA e atentar ao fato de que os valores de TWA respondem a diversos outros fatores, além de medicamentos. Informações sobre mecanismos celulares e subcelulares da TWA estão fora do escopo deste artigo, mas são referenciados alguns dos principais trabalhos sobre este tópico, com o intuito de auxiliar no entendimento dos conceitos e fatos cobertos neste artigo.

Ray-wave correspondence and extended ray dynamics in optical microcavities

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2011

Debranching Solutions in Endografting for Complex Thoracic Aortic Dissections

Background: Conventional surgical repair of thoracic aortic dissections is a challenge due to mortality and morbidity risks. Objectives: We analyzed our experience in hybrid aortic arch repair for complex dissections of the aortic arch. Methods: Between 2009 and 2013, 18 patients (the mean age of 67 ± 8 years-old) underwent hybrid aortic arch repair. The procedural strategy was determined on the individual patient. Results: Thirteen patients had type I repair using trifurcation and another patient with bifurcation graft. Two patients had type II repair with replacement of the ascending aorta. Two patients received extra-anatomic bypass grafting to left carotid artery allowing covering of zone 1. Stent graft deployment rate was 100%. No patients experienced stroke. One patient with total debranching of the aortic arch following an acute dissection of the proximal arch expired 3 months after TEVAR due to heart failure. There were no early to midterm endoleaks. The median follow-up was 20 ± 8 months with patency rate of 100%. Conclusion: Various debranching solutions for different complex scenarios of the aortic arch serve as less invasive procedures than conventional open surgery enabling safe and effective treatment of this highly selected subgroup of patients with complex aortic pathologies.

Full-wave field interactions of nonuniform transmission lines

Transmission-line supertheory, generalized transmission-line theory, radiation