Rapid automated method for on-site determination of sulfadiazine in fish farming: a stainless steel veterinary syringe coated with a selective membrane of PVC serving as a potentiometric detector in a flow-injection-analysis system

Sulfadiazine is an antibiotic of the sulfonamide group and is used as a veterinary drug in fish farming. Monitoring it in the tanks is fundamental to control the applied doses and avoid environmental dissemination. Pursuing this goal, we included a novel potentiometric design in a flow-injection assembly. The electrode body was a stainless steel needle veterinary syringe of 0.8-mm inner diameter. A selective membrane of PVC acted as a sensory surface. Its composition, the length of the electrode, and other flow variables were optimized. The best performance was obtained for sensors of 1.5-cm length and a membrane composition of 33% PVC, 66% onitrophenyloctyl ether, 1% ion exchanger, and a small amount of a cationic additive. It exhibited Nernstian slopes of 61.0 mV decade-1 down to 1.0×10-5 mol L-1, with a limit of detection of 3.1×10-6 mol L-1 in flowing media. All necessary pH/ionic strength adjustments were performed online by merging the sample plug with a buffer carrier of 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid, pH 4.9. The sensor exhibited the advantages of a fast response time (less than 15 s), long operational lifetime (60 days), and good selectivity for chloride, nitrite, acetate, tartrate, citrate, and ascorbate. The flow setup was successfully applied to the analysis of aquaculture waters. The analytical results were validated against those obtained with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry procedures. The sampling rate was about 84 samples per hour and recoveries ranged from 95.9 to 106.9%.

Electrical Skin Phenomena: A Fractional Calculus Analysis

The internal impedance of a wire is the function of the frequency. In a conductor, where the conductivity is sufficiently high, the displacement current density can be neglected. In this case, the conduction current density is given by the product of the electric field and the conductance. One of the aspects the high-frequency effects is the skin effect (SE). The fundamental problem with SE is it attenuates the higher frequency components of a signal. The SE was first verified by Kelvin in 1887. Since then many researchers developed work on the subject and presently a comprehensive physical model, based on the Maxwell equations, is well established. The Maxwell formalism plays a fundamental role in the electromagnetic theory. These equations lead to the derivation of mathematical descriptions useful in many applications in physics and engineering. Maxwell is generally regarded as the 19th century scientist who had the greatest influence on 20th century physics, making contributions to the fundamental models of nature. The Maxwell equations involve only the integer-order calculus and, therefore, it is natural that the resulting classical models adopted in electrical engineering reflect this perspective. Recently, a closer look of some phenomas present in electrical systems and the motivation towards the development of precise models, seem to point out the requirement for a fractional calculus approach. Bearing these ideas in mind, in this study we address the SE and we re-evaluate the results demonstrating its fractional-order nature.

Obama's law : analysis of a breakthrough law on healthcare access and lessons for the Portuguese health system management

ABSTRACT - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act shook the foundations of the US health system, offering all Americans access to health care by changing the way the health insurance industry works. As President Obama signed the Act on 23 March 2010, he said that it stood for “the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care”. Unlike the U.S., the Article 64 of the Portuguese Constitution provides, since 1976, the right to universal access to health care. However, facing a severe economic crisis, Portugal has, under the supervision of the Troika, a tight schedule to implement measures to improve the efficiency of the National Health Service. Both countries are therefore despite their different situation, in a conjuncture of reform and the use of new health management measures. The present work, using a qualitative research methodology examines the Affordable Care Act in order to describe its principles and enforcement mechanisms. In order to describe the reality in Portugal, the Portuguese health system and the measures imposed by Troika are also analyzed. The intention of this entire analysis is not only to disclose the innovative U.S. law, but to find some innovative measures that could serve health management in Portugal. Essentially we identified the Exchanges and Wellness Programs, described throughout this work, leaving also the idea of the possibility of using them in the Portuguese national health system.

Earth-based repair mortars: experimental analysis with different binders and natural fibers

RESTAPIA 2012 - Int. Conf. on Rammed Earth Conservation, Valencia, 21-23 June 2012

Exploring profitability diversity through financial statement analysis

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

A new empirical system for rock slope stability analysis in exploitation stage

An empirical system was developed to obtain a quality index for rock slopes in road infrastructures, named Slope Quality Index (SQI), and it was applied to a set of real slopes.The SQI is supported in nine factors affecting slope stability that contemplate the evaluation of different parameters. Consequently, each factor is classified by the degree of importance and influence by assigned weights. These weights were established through a statistical analysis of replies to a survey that was distributed to several experienced professionals in the field. The proposed SQI varies between1 and 5, corresponding to slopes in very good and very bad condition state, respectively. Besides the advantage linked to a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of slopes, theSQI also allows identifying the most critical factors on the slope stability, which is a fundamental issue for an efficient management of the slope network in the road infrastructure, namely in the planning of conservation and maintenance operations.

RNA-seq analysis of the Quercus suber root response to drought

Dissertação de mestrado em Plant Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Bioentrepreneurship

Fundamental concepts in multibody dynamics

In this chapter, the fundamental ingredients related to formulation of the equations of motion for multibody systems are described. In particular, aspects such as degrees of freedom, types of coordinates, basic kinematics joints and types of analysis in multibody systems are briefly characterized. Illustrative examples of application are also presented to better clarify the fundamental issues for spatial rigid multibody systems, which are of crucial importance in the formulation development of mathematical models of mechanical systems, as well as its computational implementation.

Formação de professores no programa nacional para a alfabetização na idade certa com uso das TIC: um estudo de caso no ensino fundamental

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Educação (área de especialização em Tecnologia Educativa)

Morphometric analysis of Capitella capitata (Polychaeta, Capitellidae)

Accurate size measurements are fundamental in characterizing the population structure and secondary production of a species. The purpose of this study was to determine the best morphometric parameter to estimate the size of individuals of Capitella capitata (Fabricius, 1780). The morphometric analysis was applied to individuals collected in the intertidal zones of two beaches on the northern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil: São Francisco and Araçá. The following measurements were taken: the width and length (height) of the 4th, 5th and 7th setigers, and the length of the thoracic region (first nine setigers). The area and volume of these setigers were calculated and a linear regression analysis was applied to the data. The data were log-transformed to fit the allometric equation y = ax b into a straight line (log y = log a + b * log x). The measurements which best correlated with the thoracic length in individuals from both beaches were the length of setiger 5 (r² = 0.722; p<0.05 in São Francisco and r² = 0.795; p<0.05 in Araçá) and the area of setiger 7 (r² = 0.705; p<0.05 in São Francisco and r² = 0.634; p<0.05 in Araçá). According to these analyses, the length of setiger 5 and/or the area of setiger 7 are the best parameters to evaluate the growth of individuals of C. capitata.

Endemism analysis of Neotropical Pentatomidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

The definition of areas of endemism is central to studies of historical biogeography, and their interrelationships are fundamental questions. Consistent hypotheses for the evolution of Pentatomidae in the Neotropical region depend on the accuracy of the units employed in the analyses, which in the case of studies of historical biogeography, may be areas of endemism. In this study, the distribution patterns of 222 species, belonging to 14 Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) genera, predominantly neotropical, were studied with the Analysis of Endemicity (NDM) to identify possible areas of endemism and to correlate them to previously delimited areas. The search by areas of endemism was carried out using grid-cell units of 2.5° and 5° latitude-longitude. The analysis based on groupings of grid-cells of 2.5° of latitude-longitude allowed the identification of 51 areas of endemism, the consensus of these areas resulted in four clusters of grid-cells. The second analysis, with grid-cells units of 5° latitude-longitude, resulted in 109 areas of endemism. The flexible consensus employed resulted in 17 areas of endemism. The analyses were sensitive to the identification of areas of endemism in different scales in the Atlantic Forest. The Amazonian region was identified as a single area in the area of consensus, and its southeastern portion shares elements with the Chacoan and Paraná subregions. The distribution data of the taxa studied, with different units of analysis, did not allow the identification of individual areas of endemism for the Cerrado and Caatinga. The areas of endemism identified here should be seen as primary biogeographic hypotheses.

Political economics and normative analysis

The approaches and opinions of economists often dominate public policy discussion. Economists have gained this privileged position partly (or perhaps mainly) because of the obvious relevance of their subject matter, but also because of the unified methodology (neo-classical economics) that the vast majority of modern economists bring to their analysis of policy problems and proposed solutions. The idea of Pareto efficiency and its potential trade-off with equity is a central idea that is understood by all economists and this common language provides the economics profession with a powerful voice in public affairs. The purpose of this paper is to review and reflect upon the way in which economists find themselves analysing and providing suggestions for social improvements and how this role has changed over roughly the last 60 years. We focus on the fundamental split in the public economics tradition between those that adhere to public finance and those that adhere to public choice. A pure public finance perspective views failures in society as failures of the market. The solutions are technical, as might be enacted by a benevolent dictator. The pure public choice view accepts (sometimes grudgingly) that markets may fail, but so, it insists, does politics. This signals institutional reforms to constrain the potential for political failure. Certain policy recommendations may be viewed as compatible with both traditions, but other policy proposals will be the opposite of that proposed within the other tradition. In recent years a political economics synthesis emerged. This accepts that institutions are very important and governments require constraints, but that some degree of benevolence on the part of policy makers should not be assumed non-existent. The implications for public policy from this approach are, however, much less clear and perhaps more piecemeal. We also discuss analyses of systematic failure, not so much on the part of markets or politicians, but by voters. Most clearly this could lead to populism and relaxing the idea that voters necessarily choose their interests. The implications for public policy are addressed. Throughout the paper we will relate the discussion to the experience of UK government policy-making.

Toward partial reorientation of land management for sustainability in view of material circulation: biophysical and historical analysis

This paper explores two major issues, from biophysical and historical viewpoints. We examine land management, which we define as the long-term fertility maintenance of land in relation to agriculture, fishery and forestry. We also explore humans’ positive role as agents aiming to reinforce harmonious materials circulation within the land. Liebig’s view on nature, agriculture and land, emphasizes the maintenance of long-term land fertility based on his agronomical thought that the circulation of matter in agricultural fields must be maintained with manure as much as possible. The thoughts of several classical economists, on nature, agriculture and land are reassessed from Liebig’s view point. Then, the land management problem is discussed at a much more fundamental level, to understand the necessary conditions for life in relation to land management. This point is analyzed in terms of two mechanisms: entropy disposal on the earth, and material circulation against gravitational field. Finally from the historical example of the metropolis of Edo, it is shown that there is yet another necessary condition for the sustainable management of land based on the creation of harmonious material cycles among cities, farm land, forests and surrounding sea areas in which humans play a vital role as agent.

Leishmanial infection: analysis of its first steps. A review

The first steps in leishmaniasis are critical in determining the evolution of the disease. Major advances have recently been done in understanding this crucial moment. Fundamental research in parasite-vector interaction, parasite biology, insect saliva, and vertebrate host response have shed new light and uncovered a most fascinating and complex moment in leishmaniasis. We review here some of these aspects and we try to connect them in a logical framework.

Revisiting the compositional data. Some fundamental questions and new prospects in Archaeometry and Archaeology

In this paper we examine the problem of compositional data from a different startingpoint. Chemical compositional data, as used in provenance studies on archaeologicalmaterials, will be approached from the measurement theory. The results will show, in avery intuitive way that chemical data can only be treated by using the approachdeveloped for compositional data. It will be shown that compositional data analysis is aparticular case in projective geometry, when the projective coordinates are in thepositive orthant, and they have the properties of logarithmic interval metrics. Moreover,it will be shown that this approach can be extended to a very large number ofapplications, including shape analysis. This will be exemplified with a case study inarchitecture of Early Christian churches dated back to the 5th-7th centuries AD