The World Health Organization Multi-Professional Patient Safety Curriculum : implementation of key modules and its impact on patient safety knowledge, skills, and attitudes of medical students at the University of Algarve

ABSTRACT - Objectives: We attempted to show how the implementation of the key elements of the World Health Organization Patient Safety Curriculum Guide Multi-professional Edition in an undergraduate curriculum affected the knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards patient safety in a graduate entry Portuguese Medical School. Methods: After receiving formal recognition by the WHO as a Complementary Test Site and approval of the organizational ethics committee , the validated pre-course questionnaires measuring the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to patient safety were administered to the 2nd and3rd year students pursuing a four-year course (N = 46). The key modules of the curriculum were implemented over the academic year by employing a variety of learning strategies including expert lecturers, small group problem-based teaching sessions, and Simulation Laboratory sessions. The identical questionnaires were then administered and the impact was measured. The Curriculum Guide was evaluated as a health education tool in this context. Results: A significant number of the respondents, 47 % (n = 22), reported having received some form of prior patient safety training. The effect on Patient Safety Knowledge was assessed by using the percentage of correct pre- and post-course answers to construct 2 × 2 contingency tables and by applying Fishers’ test (two-tailed). No significant differences were detected (p < 0.05). To assess the effect of the intervention on Patient Safety skills and attitudes, the mean and standard deviation were calculated for the pre and post-course responses, and independent samples were subjected to Mann-Whitney’s test. The attitudinal survey indicated a very high baseline incidence of desirable attitudes and skills toward patient safety. Significant changes were detected (p < 0.05) regarding what should happen if an error is made (p = 0.016), the role of healthcare organizations in error reporting (p = 0.006), and the extent of medical error (p = 0.005). Conclusions: The implementation of selected modules of the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum was associated with a number of positive changes regarding patient safety skills and attitudes, with a baseline incidence of highly desirable patient safety attitudes, but no measureable change on the patient safety knowledge, at the University of Algarve Medical School. The significance of these results is discussed along with implications and suggestions for future research.

Geopolymers as infill material for conservation of azulejos

The restoration materials currently used to fill gaps in architectural historical azulejos (e.g. lime or organic resin pastes) usually show serious drawbacks in terms of compatibility, effectiveness and durability. The existing solutions do not fully protect azulejos in outdoor conditions and frequently result in further deterioration. Geopolymers can be a potential solution for azulejo lacunae infill given the chemical-mineralogical similitude to the ceramic body, and also the durability and versatile range of physical properties that can be obtained through the manipulation of their formulation and curing conditions. This work presents and discusses the viability of the use of geopolymeric pastes to fill lacunae in azulejos or to act as “cold” cast ceramic tile surrogates reproducing missing azulejo fragments. The formulation of geopolymers, namely the type of activators, the aluminosilicate source, the amount of water (to meet adequate workability requirements) and curing conditions were studied. The need for post-curing desalination was also considered envisaging their application in the restoration of outdoor architectural historical azulejos frequently exposed to adverse environmental conditions. The possible advantages and disadvantages of the use of geopolymers in the conservation of azulejos are also discussed. Several techniques were used to study the chemical and physical behavior of geopolymers, namely FT-IR, XRD, MIP, SEM-EDS, WDXRF, electrical conductivity, open porosity, bending strength, adhesion strength, water vapour permeability, thermal expansion and hydric expansion. The results indicate that geopolymers are a promising material for restoration of azulejos, exhibiting some properties, such as adhesion to the ceramic substrate, higher than inorganic materials used nowadays, such as aerial lime based pastes.

The early metallurgy in Southwestern Iberia: metals from the Chalcolithic Settlement of São Pedro (Redondo)

Archaeological excavations carried out in the archaeological site of São Pedro (Southern Portugal) revealed a Chalcolithic settlement occupied in different moments of the 3rd millennium BC. The material culture recovered includes different types of materials, such as ceramics, lithics and metals. The later comprises about 30 artefacts with different typologies such as tools (e.g. awls, chisels and a saw) and weapons (e.g. daggers and arrowheads) mostly belonging to the 2nd and 3rd quarter of the 3rd millennium BC. In the present work the collection of chalcolithic metallic artefacts recovered in São Pedro was characterized. Analytical studies involved micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (micro-EDXRF) to determine elemental composition, together with optical microscopy and Vickers microhardness testing for microstructural characterisation and hardness determination. Main results show copper with variable amounts of arsenic and very low content of other impurities, such as iron. Moreover, nearly half of the collection is composed by arsenical copper alloys (As > 2 wt.%) and an association was found between arsenic content and typology since the weapons group (mostly daggers) present higher values than tools (mostly awls). These results suggest some criteria in the selection of arsenic-rich copper ores or smelting products. Furthermore, after casting an artefact would have been hammered, annealed and sometimes, finished with a hammering operation. Additionally, microstructural variations in this collection reveal somewhat different operational conditions during casting, annealing and forging, as expected in such a primitive metallurgy. Moreover the operational sequence seems to be used to achieve the required shape to the object, rather than to intentionally make the alloy harder. Overall, this study suggests that Chalcolithic metallurgists might have a poor control of the addition of arsenic and/or were unable to use this element to increase the hardness of tools and weapons. Finally, the compositions, manufacturing processes and hardness were compared to those from neighbouring regions and different chronological periods.

Al-doped ZnO ceramic sputtering targets based on nanocrystalline powders produced by emulsion detonation synthesis – deposition and application as a transparent conductive oxide material

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have been largely used in the optoelectronic industry due to their singular combination of low electrical resistivity and high optical transmittance. They are usually deposited by magnetron sputtering systems being applied in several devices, specifically thin film solar cells (TFSCs). Sputtering targets are crucial components of the sputtering process, with many of the sputtered films properties dependent on the targets characteristics. The present thesis focuses on the development of high quality conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) ceramic sputtering targets based on nanostructured powders produced by emulsion detonation synthesis method (EDSM), and their application as a TCO. In this sense, the influence of several processing parameters was investigated from the targets raw-materials synthesis to the application of sputtered films in optoelectronic devices. The optimized manufactured AZO targets present a final density above 99 % with controlled grain size, an homogeneous microstructure with a well dispersed ZnAl2O4 spinel phase, and electrical resistivities of ~4 × 10-4 Ωcm independently on the Al-doping level among 0.5 and 2.0 wt. % Al2O3. Sintering conditions proved to have a great influence on the properties of the targets and their performance as a sputtering target. It was demonstrated that both deposition process and final properties of the films are related with the targets characteristics, which in turn depends on the initial powder properties. In parallel, the influence of several deposition parameters in the film´s properties sputtered from these targets was investigated. The sputtered AZO TCOs showed electrical properties at room temperature that are superior to simple oxides and comparable to a reference TCO – indium tin oxide (ITO), namely low electrical resistivity of 5.45 × 10-4 Ωcm, high carrier mobility (29.4 cm2V-1s-1), and high charge carrier concentration (3.97 × 1020 cm-3), and also average transmittance in the visible region > 80 %. These superior properties allowed their successful application in different optoelectronic devices.

Segurança no nível físico em sistemas multi-antena com diretividade na informação

Os sistemas de comunicação sem fios são sistemas de difusão por natureza. Devido a essa sua natureza, um dos problemas inerentes à mesma deve-se à segurança e ao secretismo, pois se o canal é partilhado a informação facilmente é obtida por um utilizador não autorizado, ao contrário dos sistemas de comunicação com fios. Tradicionalmente, a introdução de segurança em sistemas de comunicação, resulta na encriptação da informação, resultante de protocolos de encriptação. No entanto, a segurança através da criptografia baseia-se na premissa de que o utilizador não autorizado tem uma capacidade de processamento limitada, pois senão poderia simplesmente tentar todas as combinações possíveis e obter a chave de encriptação. Como a capacidade de processamento tem crescido exponencialmente, este tipo de sistemas tem se tornado cada vez mais complexos para não se tornarem obsoletos. A introdução de segurança na camada física torna-se então uma opção apelativa pois pode servir como um complemento, visto que os sistemas de criptografia funcionam em camadas superiores independentes da camada fisica, apresentando assim uma abordagem multi-camada em termos de segurança. Tipicamente as técnicas de segurança no nível físico podem se agrupar em 2 tipos: técnicas que se baseiam em códigos, ou técnicas que exploram variações temporais e espaciais do canal. As primeiras diminuem a eficiência espectral do sistema, e as segundas apresentam bons resultados em ambientes dinâmicos, mas em ambientes estáticos não são muito promissores. Há também a necessidade de aumentar as taxas de transmissão nos próximos sistemas de comunicação. Devido a estes requisitos, uma das tecnologias propostas para a nova geração de comunicações, é uma tecnologia baseada numa arquitectura Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output(MIMO). Esta tecnologia é promissora e consegue atingir taxas de transferências que correspondem aos requisitos propostos. Apresenta-se assim uma nova técnica de segurança no nível físico, que explora as caracteristicas físicas do sistema, como um complemento a outras medidas de segurança em camadas mais altas. Esta técnica não provoca diminuição da eficiência espectral e é independente do canal, o que tenta solucionar os problemas das restantes técnicas já existentes.

Torrefação de biomassa de Arundo donax L. e de Phoenix canariensis com vista à sua valorização energética ou material

A torrefação é vista como um pré-tratamento térmico que introduz modificações na biomassa, ou em resíduos de biomassa, que facilitam o seu processamento mecânico e aumentam a sua estabilidade e densidade energética, potenciando, assim, uma valorização posterior. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o impacte da torrefação na gama de 200 a 350 ºC e tempos de residência entre 15 e 90 min nas propriedades da biomassa proveniente da herbácea Arundo donax L. e das palmeiras Phoenix canariensis, espécies muito abundantes em vários locais do país, tendo em vista a sua posterior valorização. A proliferação descontrolada do arundo e a praga do escaravelho das palmeiras leva a que estas espécies sejam alvo de frequentes operações de remoção. A sua estrutura altamente fibrosa dificulta e encarece estas operações, que acarretam custos significativos para as câmaras municipais, e não se conhecem medidas para a sua valorização material ou energética. A torrefação foi também aplicada a peletes de resíduos de pinheiro, na gama de 200 a 250 ºC e com tempos de residência de 30 e 60 min, para averiguar o seu impacte na qualidade desse biocombustível sólido. A torrefação permitiu obter peletes mais resistentes à biodegradação, devido à redução do teor de humidade para valores residuais, sem aumentar significativamente o seu teor de cinzas e sem afetar de forma relevante a sua durabilidade, o teor de finos ou a densidade aparente. Com a biomassa de arundo e de palmeira obtiveram-se produtos com maior poder calorífico e com melhor moabilidade. No entanto, a acentuada diminuição dos rendimentos mássico e energético e o elevado teor de cinzas constrangem a sua utilização como biocombustíveis sólidos. Desta forma, optou-se por testar a sua valorização como adsorventes do corante azul de metileno, bastante comum, por exemplo, na indústria têxtil, nos curtumes ou nas industrias do papel. Os estudos de adsorção revelaram maior afinidade pelo corante por parte da biomassa sujeita a torrefação mais ligeira, com eficiências de remoção muito próximas das do carvão ativado comercial, para concentrações iniciais de corante até 200 mg/L. As isotérmicas foram melhor ajustadas ao modelo de Langmuir, que revelou capacidades máximas de adsorção na monocamada entre 59,92 e 92,68 mg/g, tendo as curvas de cinética sido melhor descritas pelo modelo de pseudo-segunda ordem. A adsorção é bastante rápida nos primeiros minutos, essencialmente devido a atrações eletrostáticas, sendo inicialmente controlada pela difusão no filme e depois pela difusão nos poros. Os adsorventes revelaram seletividade por um corante catiónico e permitiram dessorção de corante, ao contrário do verificado com o carvão ativado comercial, o que é um aspeto da maior relevância tendo em mente a regeneração do adsorvente e a recuperação do corante.

Objects that move: Japanese Namban screens in the realm of the senses

This paper identifies and critiques the value of stillness as a necessary condition for the display and appreciation of art objects like the 16th century Japanese Namban screens, whose history and function is characterised by forms of movement. Drawing on multi-sited fieldwork in museum galleries that display these screens in Japan, Portugal and North America I will detail how the art-historical interpretation of the physical passage of these objects and their value as cultural heritage is based upon the fixed point perspectivism of networks and a visualist paradigm. Museum focused processes of conservation and display can be understood as extending this paradigm. By means of environmental controls, directed towards the location of perceptible meaning in what is available to vision and the necessary attenuation of the other senses the material movements of the object and movements of constituent materials in the object are stilled. The argument is for a sensory approach to museums and the objects within them, which in this case takes account of the material movements of the screens by engaging the senses through the ‘touch of sound’ as well as vision.

Understanding multi-asset factor models: Factor exposure interpretation

Field lab: Business project

Material Zoológico depositado nas coleções sistemáticas de entomologia do INPA, resultante do "Projeto INPA/MAX-PLANK" (Convênio CNPq/MGP)

As coleções de Entomolologia Sistemática do Instituto nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) em Manaus, Brasil, no momento, contém aproximadamente 16.350 exemplares de invertebrados e vertebrados identificados, representando 330a espécies e incluindo 692 tipos que foram depositados entre 1940 e 1982 por pesquisadores e associados do Instituto Max-Planck de Limnologia em Plön, Alemanha Ocidental.

O âmbito de aplicação material da legislação de proteção de dados pessoais e o tratamento de imagem por pessoa singular

Images have gained a never before seen importance. Technological changes have given the Information Society extraordinary means to capture, treat and transmit images, wheter your own or those of others, with or without a commercial purpose, with no boundaries of time or country, without “any kind of eraser”. From the several different ways natural persons may engage in image processing with no commercial purpose, the cases of sharing pictures through social networks and video surveillance assume particular relevance. Consequently there are growing legitimate concerns with the protection of one's image, since its processing may sometimes generate situations of privacy invasion or put at risk other fundamental rights. With this in mind, the present thesis arises from the question: what are the existent legal instruments in Portuguese Law that enable citizens to protect themselves from the abusive usage of their own pictures, whether because that image have been captured by a smartphone or some video surveillance camera, whether because it was massively shared through a blog or some social network? There is no question the one's right to not having his or her image used in an abusive way is protected by the Portuguese constitution, through the article 26th CRP, as well as personally right, under the article 79th of the Civil Code, and finally through criminal law, articles 192nd and 193rd of the Criminal Code. The question arises in the personal data protection context, considering that one's picture, given certain conditions, is personal data. Both the Directive 95/46/CE dated from 1995 as well as the LPD from 1998 are applicable to the processing of personal data, but both exclude situations of natural persons doing so in the pursuit of activities strictly personal or family-related. These laws demand complex procedures to natural persons, such as the preemptive formal authorisation request to the Data Protection National Commission. Failing to do so a natural person may result in the application of fines as high as €2.500,00 or even criminal charges. Consequently, the present thesis aims to study if the image processing with no commercial purposes by a natural person in the context of social networks or through video surveillance belongs to the domain of the existent personal data protection law. To that effect, it was made general considerations regarding the concept of video surveillance, what is its regimen, in a way that it may be distinguishable from Steve Mann's definition of sousveillance, and what are the associated obligations in order to better understand the concept's essence. The application of the existent laws on personal data protection to images processing by natural persons has been analysed taking into account the Directive 95/46/CE, the LPD and the General Regulation. From this analysis it is concluded that the regimen from 1995 to 1998 is out of touch with reality creating an absence of legal shielding in the personal data protection law, a flaw that doesn't exist because compensated by the right to image as a right to personality, that anyway reveals the inability of the Portuguese legislator to face the new technological challenges. It is urgent to legislate. A contrary interpretation will evidence the unconstitutionality of several rules on the LPD due to the obligations natural persons are bound to that violate the right to the freedom of speech and information, which would be inadequate and disproportionate. Considering the recently approved General Regulation and in the case it becomes the final version, the use for natural person of video surveillance of private spaces, Google Glass (in public and private places) and other similar gadgets used to recreational purposes, as well as social networks are subject to its regulation only if the images are shared without limits or existing commercial purposes. Video surveillance of public spaces in all situations is subject to General Regulation provisions.

Enraizamento de estacas de material juvenil de Pau-rosa (Aniba rosaeodora Ducke - Lauraceae)

RESUMOO presente, trabalho teve como objetivo o enraizamento de estacas de material juvenil ramos laterais e terminais) de pau-rosa, através do uso das concentrações de 2000 ppm, 4000 ppm e 6000 ppm de ácido indol-3-butírico (AIB) na forma líquida. Αs condições do enraizamento αs estacas foram oferecidas mediante o uso de ncbulização intermitente, regulada em 20 segundos para espécies com intervalos de 20 minutos. O substrato utilizado foi terriço + areia, na proporção de 4:1. Semanalmente foram feitas aplicações de fertilizante foliar. Aos 210 dias do plantio, as estacas foram retiradas, do substrato e avaliados os seguintes parâmetros: porcentagem de enraizamento, porcentagem de sobrevivência, tamanho das raízes e Peso da matéria fresca das raízes. Os resultados obtidos mostram que a emissão de raízes das estacas de material juvenil, possivelmente independe do uso do ácido indol-3-butírico (AIB).

Sources to study Antiquity: Between texts and material culture. Abstract Book

FCT

Bolachas de maçã biofortificadas em cálcio: formulação e análise nutricional

A epiderme da maçã biofortificada, rica em compostos antioxidantes, fibra dietética e cálcio proveniente do processo de biofortificação, é um subproduto da indústria de polpas e néctares com um elevado valor tecnológico e nutricional e com potencial para ser usado de um modo sustentável no desenvolvimento de novos produtos. Este subproduto foi utilizado para a produção de uma farinha e posterior utilização como ingrediente substituinte da farinha de trigo em preparados para elaboração de bolachas de maçã biofortificadas em cálcio. As análises físico-químicas e sensoriais realizadas demostraram que um preparado de bolachas contendo 25% de farinha de maçã apresenta um teor de fibra dietética de 4 g /100 g de produto, enquanto no preparado controlo, não contendo este novo ingrediente, não foi detetada a presença de fibra dietética. O teor de compostos fenólicos é também superior em quase 80% nos preparados contendo farinha de maçã (110 mg EAG/100 g de produto) comparativamente com o teor determinado no preparado controlo (24 mg EAG/100 g de produto). Comprovou-se ainda que os preparados de bolacha contendo farinha de maçã biofortificada em cálcio têm um teor deste mineral superior, em cerca de 15% a 25%, aos preparados contendo farinha de maçã não biofortificada e ao controlo. A análise sensorial realizada indicou que, para além das mais-valias nutricionais, a presença da farinha de maçã representa também uma melhoria substancial das características organolépticas do produto. Conclui-se que a substituição parcial da farinha de trigo e milho, normalmente utilizada neste tipo de produtos alimentares, pela farinha de maçã biofortificada em cálcio representa uma adição de valor quer nutricional, com efeitos benéficos para a saúde, quer sensorial ao preparado de bolachas dando origem a um novo produto alimentar.

A multi-criteria decision support system for a routing problem in waste collection

Autor proof

Estratégias pedagógicas na aprendizagem da emissão de som no clarinete: respiração, material e metodologias de estudo

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Ensino de Música