Mecanismos de gestão de recursos humanos no setor público: as implicações da austeridade

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Politécnico do Porto para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão das Organizações – Ramo de Gestão de Empresas Orientador: Professor Doutor Pedro Nunes Orientador: Professor Henrique Curado

An overview of the higher level classification of Pucciniomycotina based on combined analyses of nuclear large and small subunit rDNA sequences

Mycologia, Vol. 98, nº6

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis a and b in two urban communities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hepatitis B markers were determined in 397 individuals from Niterói and 680 from Nova Iguaçu and prevalences of 9.1% (1.0% of HBsAg and 8.1% of anti HBs) and 11.1% (1.8% of HBsAg and 9.3% of antiHBs) were found, respectively. The comparative prevalence of both markers in relation to age showed a higher prevalence of HBsAg in the group 21-50 years old. Considering the antiHBs antibody, it was demostrated a gradual increase with age, reaching 14.9% in Niterói and 29.1% in Nova Iguaçu in individuals over 51 years old. For hepatitis A, in 259 samples from Niterói, equally distributed by age groups, an overall prevalence of 74.5% of anti-HAV antibodies was found. This prevalence increases gradually reaching 90.0% at age over thirty. In 254 samples from Nova Iguaçu analysed, a prevalence of 90.5% of antibodies was encountered when the same criteria of distribution of samples were used. This level of prevalence reached 90.0% already in the age over ten years old. The tests were performed by enzyme immunoassay with reagents prepared in our laboratory.

Passive haemagglutination test for human neurocysticercosis immunodiagnosis: II - Comparison of two standardized procedures for the passive haemagglutination reagent in the detection of anti-Cysticercus cellulosae antibodies in cerebrospinal fluids

A comparison of two different standardized reagent procedures for the passive haemagglutination test (PHA) in the detection of specific antibody to Cysticercus cellulosae in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was carried out. The formaldehyde-treated group O Rh-human red blood cells (HuRBC) and glutaraldehyde-treated sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were the supplies for the reagents preparation and, in the tests, they were designated as PHA-1 and PHA-2, respectively. For both reagents the cells were coated with the cysticerci total saline extract (TS) antigen. PHA-1 and PHA-2 were assessed in a total of 204 CSF from patients with neurocysticercosis, from non-related infections and from healthy individuals. The positivity and specificity indices obtained were respectively 81.7% and 94.4% for PHA-1 and for PHA-2, 88.7% and 96.6%. Since no significant differences were observed between the results provided by two reagents, at level of significance of 0.05, either processes of cell sensitization can alternatively be used according to the own laboratory convenience.

KM and politics at the highest level: an exploratory analysis

This paper analyzes Knowledge Management (KM) as a political activity, made by the great political leaders of the world. We try to inspect if at the macro political level KM is made, and how. The research is interesting because given that we live in a Knowledge society, in the Information Era, it is more or less obvious that the political leaders should also do KM. However we don’t know of any previous study on KM and world leaders and this paper wants to be a first step to fill that gap. As a methodology we use literature review: given this one is a first preliminary study we use data we found in the Internet and other databases like EBSCO. We divide the analysis in two main parts: theoretical ideas first, and an application second. The second part is it self divided in two segments: the past and the present times. We find that rather not surprisingly, KM always was and is pervasive in the activity of the world leaders, and has become more and more diverse has power itself became to be more and more disseminated in the world. The study has the limitation of relying on insights and texts and not on interviews. But we believe it is very interesting to make this kind of analysis and such studies may help improving the democracies in the world.

The ecology of Triatoma sordida in natural environments in two different regions of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

A study was undertaken about T. sordida in the natural environment in two different regions of the state of Minas Gerais: Itapagipe (Triângulo), an area of cerrado modified by the formation of fields of pasture and agriculture, and Mato Verde (north) an area of transition between caatinga and cerrado with profound deforestation in the last years due to the expansion of cotton cultivation. In both regions the principal ecotopes identified were hollow trees and the bark of live or dead trees, where the occurrence of a food source is not frequent. In this environment, the triatomines utilize various food sources; opposums appear to represent an important source of infection. In the north of Minas, a greater concentration of reservoirs and vectors was observed than in the Triángulo which could explain the higher level of infection of the triatomines in the north. Close attention to the process of domiciliation of T. sordida in the north of Minas is recommended where an extensive intervention by man in the natural environment has occurred and where a rise in the population of triatomines in the peridomestic environment has been observed in recent years.

Otimização estocástica para a exploração de centrais de concentração solar considerando incerteza e risco

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Eletrotécnica

Multiobjective optimization of cold-formed steel columns

The optimal design of cold-formed steel columns is addressed in this paper, with two objectives: maximize the local-global buckling strength and maximize the distortional buckling strength. The design variables of the problem are the angles of orientation of cross-section wall elements the thickness and width of the steel sheet that forms the cross-section are fixed. The elastic local, distortional and global buckling loads are determined using Finite Strip Method (CUFSM) and the strength of cold-formed steel columns (with given length) is calculated using the Direct Strength Method (DSM). The bi-objective optimization problem is solved using the Direct MultiSearch (DMS) method, which does not use any derivatives of the objective functions. Trade-off Pareto optimal fronts are obtained separately for symmetric and anti-symmetric cross-section shapes. The results are analyzed and further discussed, and some interesting conclusions about the individual strengths (local-global and distortional) are found.

Optimization of cruciform specimens for biaxial fatigue loading with direct multi search

In order to correctly assess the biaxial fatigue material properties one must experimentally test different load conditions and stress levels. With the rise of new in-plane biaxial fatigue testing machines, using smaller and more efficient electrical motors, instead of the conventional hydraulic machines, it is necessary to reduce the specimen size and to ensure that the specimen geometry is appropriate for the load capacity installed. At the present time there are no standard specimen's geometries and the indications on literature how to design an efficient test specimen are insufficient. The main goal of this paper is to present the methodology on how to obtain an optimal cruciform specimen geometry, with thickness reduction in the gauge area, appropriate for fatigue crack initiation, as a function of the base material sheet thickness used to build the specimen. The geometry is optimized for maximum stress using several parameters, ensuring that in the gauge area the stress distributions on the loading directions are uniform and maximum with two limit phase shift loading conditions (delta = 0 degrees and (delta = 180 degrees). Therefore the fatigue damage will always initiate on the center of the specimen, avoiding failure outside this region. Using the Renard Series of preferred numbers for the base material sheet thickness as a reference, the reaming geometry parameters are optimized using a derivative-free methodology, called direct multi search (DMS) method. The final optimal geometry as a function of the base material sheet thickness is proposed, as a guide line for cruciform specimens design, and as a possible contribution for a future standard on in-plane biaxial fatigue tests

Preserving the validity of the two-Higgs-doublet model up to the Planck scale

We examine the constraints on the two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) due to the stability of the scalar potential and absence of Landau poles at energy scales below the Planck scale. We employ the most general 2HDM that incorporates an approximately Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson with a flavor aligned Yukawa sector to eliminate potential tree-level Higgs-mediated flavor changing neutral currents. Using basis independent techniques, we exhibit robust regimes of the 2HDM parameter space with a 125 GeV SM-like Higgs boson that is stable and perturbative up to the Planck scale. Implications for the heavy scalar spectrum are exhibited.

Estudo da importância do transporte ferroviário de mercadorias no Eixo Leixões- Salamanca

A evolução dos transportes de mercadorias, em Portugal e na União Europeia, assume uma enorme repercussão na economia global, de modo que a combinação dos vários modos de transporte, com vista à obtenção de ganhos ao nível da eficiência, adquire extrema importância. Os programas europeus de apoio aos transportes, enquadrados na rede transeuropeia de transportes e plataformas logísticas, também contribuem para a otimização do transporte de mercadorias. A importância do transporte ferroviário de mercadorias no eixo Leixões- Salamanca, nomeadamente para as empresas exportadoras e importadoras da região norte e centro, que utilizam meios alternativos ao ferroviário, constitui o principal objetivo desta dissertação. A revisão bibliográfica inclui uma abordagem aos transportes de mercadorias em geral e de forma mais aprofundada aos modos ferroviário e rodoviário na península ibérica, passando pela logística, bem como pela integração de modos: intermodalidade e multimodalidade na rede europeia de transportes e ainda a referência aos portos secos e às plataformas logísticas. Isto permite caraterizar as diferentes empresas operadoras do setor dos transportes de mercadorias e os produtos transacionados, assim como enumerar vantagens e/ou desvantagens do meio de transporte ferroviário face a outros meios, mais concretamente no eixo alvo deste estudo. A metodologia utilizada consiste na análise de informação proveniente de fontes secundárias havendo lugar a uma referência mais detalhada sobre as plataformas logísticas de Leixões e Salamanca, o eixo E-80, o corredor ferroviário nº4 e os programas europeus promotores da eficiência no transporte ferroviário de mercadorias: Marathon, Ferremed e Marco Polo. Para a recolha de informação primária o instrumento adotado foi a entrevista semiestruturada, efetuada a dois representantes da empresa CP-Carga e a um representante da empresa KLog, ambas as empresas ligadas ao setor dos transportes e logística. A análise e tratamento de toda a informação recolhida possibilitam, desde logo, evidenciar as potencialidades do eixo Leixões-Salamanca no que se refere ao transporte ferroviário de mercadorias, delinear recomendações para a sua otimização, bem como efetuar uma análise SWOT. As considerações finais revelam que é imperativo adotar medidas, de forma integrada, para que o seu efeito na potenciação do transporte ferroviário de mercadorias, não só no eixo Leixões-Salamanca, mas também a nível europeu, se afirme como uma verdadeira alternativa a outros modos, particularmente ao domínio rodoviário.

Projeto de uma ponte atirantada rodoferroviária sobre o rio Lima, Viana do Castelo

Trabalho académico com o objetivo do autor desenvolver um estudo prévio e um projeto de uma travessia sobre o rio Lima, na cidade de Viana do Castelo constituída por uma ponte de tirantes rodoferroviária. O projeto académico visa, também, desenvolver e compreender: os conceitos básicos, as metodologias de conceção, e o funcionamento de estruturas desse género. O motivo principal da escolha do tema é a necessidade de uma alternativa à ponte Eiffel em Viana do Castelo, e juntando o facto de em Portugal não existir nenhuma obra de arte de tirantes rodoferroviária até ao presente, seria interessante estudar e projetar uma estrutura rodoferroviária de tirantes. Das diversas possibilidades de sistemas estruturais estudados, adotou-se uma ponte que acomodará 4 vias rodoviárias e 2 vias ferroviárias, com um desenvolvimento total de 660 metros, constituída por dois vãos laterais com 165 metros cada um, e com um vão central de 330 metros. A obra de arte será em semi-leque com dois planos de tirantes, ancorados a duas torres de betão em Y invertido de altura aproximadamente de 110 metros. O tabuleiro será duplo misto aço-betão, constituído por duas vigas trianguladas do tipo Warren, e por carlingas, afastadas entre si de 15 metros com secções tubulares metálicas de espessura variável. As carlingas ao nível superior suportam a laje de betão, que constitui a rodovia, e inferiormente, suportam outra laje de betão para a parte ferroviária. O trabalho inicia-se com o enquadramento conceptual geral da envolvente da obra de arte, seguidamente com apresentação da evolução histórica ao longo do tempo das pontes de tirantes, e à apresentação de algumas pontes rodoferroviárias de tirantes. É realizada uma análise preliminar, onde se estudam as restrições, as condicionantes, o local de implantação, e o sistema da configuração geométrica a adotar na conceção estrutural. São descritos todos os tipos de materiais, equipamentos a utilizar, bem como as suas características mecânicas necessárias para o cálculo estrutural. A quantificação das ações e das combinações de cálculo efetuaram-se de acordo com as normas em vigor nacionais e europeias, designadamente os Eurocódigos das várias especialidades e o Regulamento de Segurança e Ações para Estruturas de Edifícios e Pontes. Efetuou-se um pré-dimensionamento e uma otimização de vários sistemas estruturais possíveis de todos os elementos estruturais, tendo em conta variáveis de estudo como a economia e a resistência estrutural das secções, por forma a chegar à solução final. A estrutura foi discretizada e analisada num modelo estático tridimensional num programa de cálculo automático. A análise de resultados foi efetuada longitudinalmente para a verificação dos Estados Limites Últimos e Estados Limites de Utilização dos elementos estruturais que constituem a ponte. Foi ainda efetuada uma estimativa orçamental da ponte no rio Lima na cidade de Viana do Castelo.

Dispatch of distributed Energy Resources to Provide Energy and Reserve in Smart Grids using a Particle Swarm Optimization Approach

The smart grid concept is a key issue in the future power systems, namely at the distribution level, with deep concerns in the operation and planning of these systems. Several advantages and benefits for both technical and economic operation of the power system and of the electricity markets are recognized. The increasing integration of demand response and distributed generation resources, all of them mostly with small scale distributed characteristics, leads to the need of aggregating entities such as Virtual Power Players. The operation business models become more complex in the context of smart grid operation. Computational intelligence methods can be used to give a suitable solution for the resources scheduling problem considering the time constraints. This paper proposes a methodology for a joint dispatch of demand response and distributed generation to provide energy and reserve by a virtual power player that operates a distribution network. The optimal schedule minimizes the operation costs and it is obtained using a particle swarm optimization approach, which is compared with a deterministic approach used as reference methodology. The proposed method is applied to a 33-bus distribution network with 32 medium voltage consumers and 66 distributed generation units.

Prospective study of enteropathogens in two communities of Misiones, Argentina

Children under five years of age, from two communities of different socio-economic strata (97 from Zaiman and 55 from Las Dolores) were examined epidemiologically during 2 years, by means of quarterly visits of the working team, who carried out the collection of faecal samples. During the study, one or more enteropathogens were identified in 73.9% of samples in children from Zaiman and in 58.3% of the samples from Las Dolores, being associated to diarrhoea in 70.5% and to asymptomatic infections in 65.7%. The number of diarrheic episodes was higher in Zaiman (15.45%) than in Las Dolores (12.35%), being more frequent in the spring-summer seasons. In Zaiman, the bacterial enteropathogen proportion was relevantly higher (p< 0.005) in children with diarrhoea, whereas the presence of parasites was more frequent in asymptomatic children (p< 0.01). Rotavirus had an even distribution within diarrheic and asymptomatic children. In Las Dolores, no relevant differences were found in the detection of enteroparasites between diarrheic and asymptomatic children. Mixed infections were detected; enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-rotavirus and ETEC-parasites being the most frequent ones. ETEC was involved in 85% of these infections. These data, together with the high enteropathogen carriage, suggest an elevated level of environmental contamination. The latter plays an important role in diarrheic diseases, and added to the most extreme poverty, it affects children's lives.

Application-Specific Modified Particle Swarm Optimization for energy resource scheduling considering vehicle-to-grid

This paper presents a modified Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) methodology to solve the problem of energy resources management with high penetration of distributed generation and Electric Vehicles (EVs) with gridable capability (V2G). The objective of the day-ahead scheduling problem in this work is to minimize operation costs, namely energy costs, regarding the management of these resources in the smart grid context. The modifications applied to the PSO aimed to improve its adequacy to solve the mentioned problem. The proposed Application Specific Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (ASMPSO) includes an intelligent mechanism to adjust velocity limits during the search process, as well as self-parameterization of PSO parameters making it more user-independent. It presents better robustness and convergence characteristics compared with the tested PSO variants as well as better constraint handling. This enables its use for addressing real world large-scale problems in much shorter times than the deterministic methods, providing system operators with adequate decision support and achieving efficient resource scheduling, even when a significant number of alternative scenarios should be considered. The paper includes two realistic case studies with different penetration of gridable vehicles (1000 and 2000). The proposed methodology is about 2600 times faster than Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) reference technique, reducing the time required from 25 h to 36 s for the scenario with 2000 vehicles, with about one percent of difference in the objective function cost value.