Productivity gains from migration: An analysis of Cape Verdean return migrants

Are return migrants more productive than non-migrants? If so, is it a causal effect or simply self-selection? Existing literature has not reached a consensus on the role of return migration for origin countries. To answer these research questions, an empirical analysis was performed based on household data collected in Cape Verde. One of the most common identification problems in the migration literature is the presence of migrant self-selection. In order to disentangle potential selection bias, we use instrumental variable estimation using variation provided by unemployment rates in migrant destination countries, which is compared with OLS and Nearest Neighbor Matching (NNM) methods. The results using the instrumental variable approach provide evidence of labour income gains due to return migration, while OLS underestimates the coefficient of interest. This bias points towards negative self-selection of return migrants on unobserved characteristics, although the different estimates cannot be distinguished statistically. Interestingly, migration duration and occupational changes after migration do not seem to influence post-migration income. There is weak evidence that return migrants from the United States have higher income gains caused by migration than the ones who returned from Portugal.

E-loyalty in e-commerce: A study at GIRISSIMA.COM

Few studies have been conducted on causal antecedents for electronic loyalty regarding the online fashion industry. In Portugal there is no systematic empirical research in this area. This study aims to examine e-satisfaction and e-trust that potentially impact eloyalty. It also examines the impact of price, website design and selection of brands. A research study was performed at GIRISSIMA.COM and survey responses were 77. The findings show that e-satisfaction is the main driver of e-loyalty. E-trust, website design and price affect positively e-loyalty. Additionally, selection of brands was proved to impact e-loyalty through e-satisfaction and e-trust.

Conectividade efectiva em epilepsia

A epilepsia é uma das mais comuns patologias que afectam o cérebro humano e caracteriza-se por uma actividade cerebral oscilatória desordenada e excessiva que prejudica gravemente a qualidade de vida do doente. Com o objectivo de detectar o percurso da actividade cerebral anormal a ressonância magnética, em conjunto com a técnica de electroencefalografia (EEG) têm evoluído no sentido de tornar a identificação do foco epiléptico e respectivas vias de propagação mais clara e fácil para o neurocirurgião. Esta detecção pode recorrer ao efeito BOLD (do inglês “Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent”) para, de forma indirecta, obter um mapa de activação neuronal da zona em estudo contribuindo para uma possível intervenção cirúrgica à área epiléptica. No entanto, para chegar a uma conclusão definitiva sobre este mapa neuronal é necessário ter em conta que diferentes regiões podem apresentar HRFs (do inglês “Hemodynamic Response Functions”) diferentes, influenciando o resultado de qualquer análise se este facto não for tido em conta. Na presente dissertação foi aplicado um método de cálculo de influência causal entre regiões do cérebro humano a dados de epilepsia obtidos através da técnica EEG+fMRI. Foram utilizadas técnicas de conectividade efectiva (causalidade de Granger) usando um pacote de software (PyHRF) para estimar com precisão a HRF da região em estudo e permitir a desconvolução do sinal antes do cálculo de conectividade. Foi demonstrada a utilidade desta contribuição metodológica para a caracterização topográfica e dinâmica de uma crise epiléptica.

Contraexemplos e raciocínio dedutivo

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Impact of oral health on health-related quality of life : A cross-sectional study

Background: Despite the consensus regarding the existence of a relationship between “impacts on oral health” and “health-related quality of life”, this relationship, considering the latent nature of these variables, is still poorly investigated. Thus, we performed this study in order to determine the magnitude of the impacts of oral health, demographic and symptom/clinical variables on the health-related quality of life in a Brazilian sample of dental patients. Methods: A total of 1,007 adult subjects enrolled in the School of Dentistry of São Paulo State University (UNESP) - Araraquara Campus for dentistry care between September/2012 and April/2013, participated. 72.4 % were female. The mean age was 45.7 (SD = 12.5) years. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used. The demographic and symptom/clinical variables collected were gender, age, economic status, presence of pain and chronic disease. The impact of studied variables on health-related quality of life were evaluated with a structural equation model, considering the factor “Health” as the central construct. The fit of the model was first analyzed by the evaluation of the goodness of fit indices (χ 2 /df ≤ 2.0, CFI and TLI ≥ 0.90 and RMSEA < 0.10) and the evaluation of the variables’ impact over health-related quality of life was based on the statistical significance of causal paths (β), evaluated by z tests, for a significance level of 5 %. Results: We observed adequate fit of the model to the data (χ 2 /df = 3.55; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.05). The impacts on oral health explained 28.0 % of the variability of the health-related quality of life construct, while the total variance explained of the model was 39.0 %. For the demographic and symptom/clinical variables, only age, presence of pain and chronic disease showed significant impacts (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The oral health, age, presence of pain and chronic disease of individuals had significant influence on health-related quality of life.

Interaction of an opportunistic fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum with human macrophages and dendritic cells

IntroductionPurpureocillium lilacinum is emerging as a causal agent of hyalohyphomycosis that is refractory to antifungal drugs; however, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying P. lilacinum infection are not understood. In this study, we investigated the interaction of P. lilacinum conidia with human macrophages and dendritic cells in vitro.MethodsSpores of a P. lilacinum clinical isolate were obtained by chill-heat shock. Mononuclear cells were isolated from eight healthy individuals. Monocytes were separated by cold aggregation and differentiated into macrophages by incubation for 7 to 10 days at 37°C or into dendritic cells by the addition of the cytokines human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4. Conidial suspension was added to the human cells at 1:1, 2:1, and 5:1 (conidia:cells) ratios for 1h, 6h, and 24h, and the infection was evaluated by Giemsa staining and light microscopy.ResultsAfter 1h interaction, P. lilacinum conidia were internalized by human cells and after 6h contact, some conidia became inflated. After 24h interaction, the conidia produced germ tubes and hyphae, leading to the disruption of macrophage and dendritic cell membranes. The infection rate analyzed after 6h incubation of P. lilacinumconidia with cells at 2:1 and 1:1 ratios was 76.5% and 25.5%, respectively, for macrophages and 54.3% and 19.5%, respectively, for cultured dendritic cells.ConclusionsP. lilacinum conidia are capable of infecting and destroying both macrophages and dendritic cells, clearly demonstrating the ability of this pathogenic fungus to invade human phagocytic cells.

O tempo da ruptura do mundo: "Antropoceno" e capital

A emergência do conceito Antropoceno, uma nova proposta de periodização geológica que coloca o “humano” enquanto referente causal do aquecimento global, suscita múltiplos campos de problematização. No centro da hipótese estão entendimentos particulares do “humano” e da “natureza” que são dispostos enquanto pressupostos de uma estrutura de medidas e considerações económicas, sociais e políticas. O processo de validação científica do termo assenta numa argumentação que, de modo paralelo, estabelece uma ontologia dos elementos em jogo e separa dela as questões do impacto transformativo do capital, identificando os seus modos, processos e elementos com a própria “natureza humana”. A par da emergência do conceito Antropoceno surgiram também perspectivas críticas que referem explicitamente as limitações dos pressupostos históricos, económicos e políticos que lhe servem de base: o capitaloceno, o aceleracionismo e a comunização. Procuramos ver de que modo estes campos críticos e teóricos interrogam não apenas as problemáticas da periodização geológica e ambiental mas também as aporias do seu tempo. A pesquisa é concluída com a sugestão de que questões políticas, subjectivas e técnicas saem reformuladas pelas problemáticas abordadas.

Specification of a partial replication protocol with TLA+

Nowadays, data available and used by companies is growing very fast creating the need to use and manage this data in the most efficient way. To this end, data is replicated overmultiple datacenters and use different replication protocols, according to their needs, like more availability or stronger consistency level. The costs associated with full data replication can be very high, and most of the times, full replication is not needed since information can be logically partitioned. Another problem, is that by using datacenters to store and process information clients become heavily dependent on them. We propose a partial replication protocol called ParTree, which replicates data to clients, and organizes clients in a hierarchy, using communication between them to propagate information. This solution addresses some of these problems, namely by supporting partial data replication and offline execution mode. Given the complexity of the protocol, the use of formal verification is crucial to ensure the protocol two correctness properties: causal consistency and preservation of data. The use of TLA+ language and tools to formally specificity and verify the proposed protocol are also described.

The importance of the ligation of the inferior thyroid artery in parathyroid function after subtotal thyroidectomy

We prospectively studied the effects of the ligation of the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) on postoperative hypoparathyroidism in 48 patients who underwent functional subtotal thyroidectomy. Patients were randomized into two groups: A, with bilateral ligation of the ITA and B, without ligation of the ITA. Parathyroid function was checked preoperatively and after surgery by clinical examination and measurement of total calcium, intact PTH, urinary calcium, and AMPc. RESULTS: A significant incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia occurred: 17% in group A and 13% in B on the 4th postoperative day. Six months later, the incidence was 5% in Group A and 0% in Group B. These differences were not statistically significant between the two groups, and neither were any of the other clinical and laboratory observations. CONCLUSION: The ligation of the ITA was not an important causal factor for the occurrence of postoperative hypocalcemia after subtotal thyroidectomy.

Necrotizing fasciitis in a newborn infant: a case report

We report the case of a one-day-old newborn infant, female, birth weight 1900 g, gestational age 36 weeks presenting with necrotizing fasciitis caused by E. coli and Morganella morganii. The newborn was allowed to fall into the toilet bowl during a domestic delivery. The initial lesion was observed at 24 hours of life on the left leg at the site of the venipuncture for the administration of hypertonic glucose solution. Despite early treatment, a rapid progression occurred resulting in a fatal outcome. We call attention to the risk presented by this serious complication in newborns with a contaminated delivery, and highlight the site of the lesion and causal agents.

Analysis of a controversial decision process: the case of the pumped hydro storage power plant Atdorf in Germany

Based on the report for the unit “Métodos Interactivos de Participação e Decisão A” (Interactive methods of participation and decision A), coordinated by Prof. Lia Maldonado Teles de Vasconcelos and Prof. Nuno Miguel Ribeiro Videira Costa. This unit was provided for the PhD Program in Technology Assessment in 2015/2016.

"A reserva ecológica nacional e a sua importância para o ordenamento do território"

This work primarily aims to investigate the ambiguity between the right to build and the need to preserve nature through one of its instruments: the National Ecological Reserve. In both national and international political effort, forced by increasing ecological awareness of the society were being created regulations for environmental problemsolving frameworks. This significant increase in provisions, that regulated the environment and spatial territory, are directly related to the objectives of the European community. In a year when the soil policy has changed, it is important to review the priorities of regional planning in the face of environmental policies. REN is a restriction of public utility that, among other things, aims to define and integrate diverse areas of our territory which by their structure are essential to the ecological stability of the environment. Going through a historical study of the various regimes that regulated REN, the present work aims to inform the understanding of the concept REN, exposing its objectives and form of delimitation of integrated areas, in order to answer questions about the nature of this institute. It were related to all regulations governing the ecological reserves and land, namely Scheme for Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity; Natura 2000, the National Agricultural Reserve, the Law of the ownership of water resources and water, and the RJIGT RJUE, checking to its compatibility with REN. Through a literature review regarding the jurisprudence of national courts applying the doctrine, analysis of legal regimes, analysis of maps depicting the REN, we carried out a qualitative assessment of the trend and legal effect of REN in protecting populations and environment. Therefore we will work with this reflect on the existing environment awareness in our society and its problems in the management of natural resources.

Voice and presence

De que forma pode a voz ser considerada enquanto tema de investigação filosófica? Utilizando principalmente aproximações fenomenológicas, esta tese é uma tentativa de mapear uma constelação transdisciplinar de pontos-­‐chave temáticos, onde a voz surge como uma manifestação expressa de presença e de processos vitais. Simultaneamente situada, corpórea e transgressora no contexto da noção de território acústico, a ambiguidade da voz e o seu potencial enquanto fenómeno, conceito e ressonância tangível de subjetividade, são explorados através do recurso a análise de fontes pertencentes à Filosofia Antiga, aos Estudos Sonoros, à Ciência Acústica, à Fenomenologia e à Pesquisa Artística.

Crowdfunding campaigns: Perceived quality and success

Research in Crowdfunding is an emerging priority within the field of Entrepreneurship. Hundreds of platforms provide nowadays multiple Crowdfunding schemes which are intended to make it easier for entrepreneurs and others to collect money from the crowd. However, only a few campaigns become successful as others don’t reach the pre-established funding goal. It is thus necessary to keep on understanding the dynamics of these platforms and the factors which justify success. The asymmetry of information has been shown to be a delicate issue as people perceive quality in different manners. As so, this research aims to understand which components of perceived quality mostly influence investments decisions. Mainly Entrepreneurship and Marketing theories were explored along the way. This is research follows a causal approach where nineteen hypotheses are tested. An experimental survey was conducted and data was collected from 127 people who were asked to evaluate one of the most important pieces of any Crowdfunding campaign – the pitch video – and consequently invest on the presented products.

A prestação de contas e o regime especial da invalidade das deliberações

The obligation of accountability, or the need to make known the economic and financial state of the companies, ceased to be a purely internal activity, becoming a necessity of a general nature. The knowledge of the financial state of the companies, wich is provided by accountability documents, reveals more and more elementary for all interested in the results obtained, whether in terms of profitability, either with a view to assessing the economic and financial health of the companies. This essay aims to a deeper analysis to matters of accountability, in particular, to the special invalidity scheme of corporate resolutions, wich is enshrined in art. 69º of Portuguese Companies Code. We chose to reference the accrual basis accounts approval, through the analysis of financial statements, laying down a set of principles and criteria applicable to different entities. After consideration of the special scheme versed in art. 69º, we conclude there is a certain ambiguity in the adoption of the criteria do delimit each of the hypotheses of the precept, since the legislator uses indeterminate concepts. Nevertheless, if there is a rule, this will be the annulment, and only exceptionally will apply the nullity scheme, where there is injury to the public interest and the interests of the creditors.