A implementação do modelo de atendimento à diversidade como resposta eficaz ao apoio a alunos com necessidades especiais na região norte de Portugal

Tese de Doutoramento em Estudos da Criança (área de especialização em Educação Especial)

Para um (novo) modelo de intervenção penal na União Europeia: uma reflexão a partir do princípio de legalidade como limite material de atuação da Procuradoria Europeia

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Jurídicas (área de especialização em Ciências Jurídicas - Públicas)

Emergência de flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) em chão de floresta de terra firme na Amazônia Central do Brasil: uso de um modelo modificado de armadilha de emergência

Informações acerca de potenciais criadouros naturais de flebotomíneos sempre foram de fundamental interesse epidemiológico. Contudo, são poucas as informações advindas dos diversos estudos realizados até o momento. Isto se deve principalmente às dificuldades de localização e extração dos imaturos que se desenvolvem no solo e matéria orgânica do chão de florestas. No presente estudo o modelo modificado de armadilha de emergência foi testado na Vila do Pitinga, município de Presidente Figueiredo, Estado do Amazonas, a fim de localizar potenciais criadouros naturais. Vinte e sete indivíduos de nove espécies (Lutzomyia umbratilis,L. monstruosa,L. ayrozai,L. anduzei,L. trichopyga,L. davisi,L. geniculata,L. georgii e L. saulensis) foram coletados. Lutzomyia umbratilis foi a espécie com maior número de indivíduos, 10, representando 37,1% do total. A produção de flebotomíneos foi estimada em 2,2 flebotomíneos por 100 m² por dia. Em setembro, mês com maior número de indivíduos, esta produção foi de 5,8.

Soil mineral N dynamics beneath mixtures of leaves from legume and fruit trees in Central Amazonian multi-strata agroforests

Long term applications of leguminous green mulch could increase mineralizable nitrogen (N) beneath cupuaçu trees produced on the infertile acidic Ultisols and Oxisols of the Amazon Basin. However, low quality standing cupuaçu litter could interfere with green mulch N release and soil N mineralization. This study compared mineral N, total N, and microbial biomass N beneath cupuaçu trees grown in two different agroforestry systems, north of Manaus, Brazil, following seven years of different green mulch application rates. To test for net interactions between green mulch and cupuaçu litter, dried gliricidia and inga leaves were mixed with senescent cupuaçu leaves, surface applied to an Oxisol soil, and incubated in a greenhouse for 162 days. Leaf decomposition, N release and soil N mineralization were periodically measured in the mixed species litter treatments and compared to single species applications. The effect of legume biomass and cupuaçu litter on soil mineral N was additive implying that recommendations for green mulch applications to cupuaçu trees can be based on N dynamics of individual green mulch species. Results demonstrated that residue quality, not quantity, was the dominant factor affecting the rate of N release from leaves and soil N mineralization in a controlled environment. In the field, complex N cycling and other factors, including soil fauna, roots, and microclimatic effects, had a stronger influence on available soil N than residue quality.

Simulação de estratégias de manejo florestal na Amazônia com o uso do modelo SYMFOR

O modelo SYMFOR foi utilizado para simular os processos ecológicos de crescimento, mortalidade e recrutamento e o manejo de uma floresta de terra firme na Amazônia Oriental. Na simulação foram utilizadas todas as árvores com DAP ≥ 5 cm, medidas em 40 parcelas permanentes de 1,0 ha, sendo 36 exploradas e quatro não exploradas. As parcelas foram medidas em 1984, exploradas em 1985 e remedidas em 1986, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996 e 2004. Usaram-se dez grupos de espécies para descrever os processos naturais e o comportamento de cada árvore. Na avaliação do desempenho do modelo, os resultados da simulação foram comparados com os dados reais que descrevem a recuperação da floresta dezenove anos após a exploração. Os tratamentos, combinações de intensidades de exploração (15%, 25% e 35% do volume total das árvores com DAP > 60 cm) com intensidades de desbastes (0%, 30%, 50% e 70% da área basal original), foram analisados como estratégias de manejo. O modelo foi aplicado também para simular o manejo florestal atualmente praticado na Amazônia, com extração de 30 m³ ha-1 e com um ciclo de corte de 30 anos. Resultados mostram que a semelhança entre os dados observados e simulados pelo SYMFOR validou o modelo para representar a dinâmica da floresta não explorada. Na simulação das práticas atuais de manejos aplicados na floresta amazônica, sugere-se que os benefícios financeiros diminuem com as sucessivas colheitas e, conseqüentemente, o rendimento de volume de madeira não é sustentável.

A soft computing approach to kidney diseases evaluation

Kidney renal failure means that one’s kidney have unexpectedly stopped functioning, i.e., once chronic disease is exposed, the presence or degree of kidney dysfunction and its progression must be assessed, and the underlying syndrome has to be diagnosed. Although the patient’s history and physical examination may denote good practice, some key information has to be obtained from valuation of the glomerular filtration rate, and the analysis of serum biomarkers. Indeed, chronic kidney sickness depicts anomalous kidney function and/or its makeup, i.e., there is evidence that treatment may avoid or delay its progression, either by reducing and prevent the development of some associated complications, namely hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular complications. Acute kidney injury appears abruptly, with a rapid deterioration of the renal function, but is often reversible if it is recognized early and treated promptly. In both situations, i.e., acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, an early intervention can significantly improve the prognosis.The assessment of these pathologies is therefore mandatory, although it is hard to do it with traditional methodologies and existing tools for problem solving. Hence, in this work, we will focus on the development of a hybrid decision support system, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures based on Logic Programming, that will allow one to consider incomplete, unknown, and even contradictory information, complemented with an approach to computing centered on Artificial Neural Networks, in order to weigh the Degree-of-Confidence that one has on such a happening. The present study involved 558 patients with an age average of 51.7 years and the chronic kidney disease was observed in 175 cases. The dataset comprise twenty four variables, grouped into five main categories. The proposed model showed a good performance in the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, since the sensitivity and the specificity exhibited values range between 93.1 and 94.9 and 91.9–94.2 %, respectively.

Modelo de conhecimento para intermediários de inovação com Crowdsourcing

Tese de Doutoramento em Tecnologias e Sistemas de Informação.

Um modelo para a gestão do conhecimento organizacional no contexto dos serviços partilhados com recurso à utilização do e-Learning

Tese de Doutoramento em Tecnologias e Sistemas de Informação

Modelo de escoamento superficial em bacia experimental da Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke

Neste estudo, a experimentação e a modelagem hidrológica de eventos de precipitação transformada em escoamento superficial em sistemas naturais de floresta são investigadas, contemplando os seguintes tratamentos: construção de algoritmo computacional iterativo de otimização para a identificação do hidrograma unitário médio (função de transferência chuva-descarga) da bacia e para o cálculo das precipitações efetivas adequadas à cada evento chuva-escoamento; aplicação da metodologia à bacia hidrográfica do igarapé Bolívia, situada no interior da Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke; análise e interpretação do algoritmo criado, enfocando a sua convergência e o significado dos resultados desse processo de otimização; e comparação com outros estudos em pequenas bacias da Amazônia Central. O período de medidas de chuva e de vazões estende-se de julho de 2004 a setembro de 2006, incluindo a fase de preparação da curva-chave do igarapé Bolívia e a formação de um conjunto amplo e diversificado de eventos de chuva e de escoamento no curso d'água.

Which soft lens power is better for piggyback in keratoconus? Part II

Purpose: To evaluate how soft lens power affects rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lens power and visual acuity (VA) in piggyback fittings for keratoconus. Methods: Sixteen keratoconus subjects (30 eyes) were included in the study. Piggyback contact lens fittings combining Senofilcon-A soft lenses of −6.00, −3.00, +3.00 and +6.00 D with Rose K2 RGP contact lenses were performed. Corneal topography was taken on the naked eye and over each soft contact lens before fitting RGP lenses. Mean central keratometry, over-refraction, RGP back optic zone radius (BOZR) and estimated final power as well as VA were recorded and analyzed. Results: In comparison to the naked eye, the mean central keratometry flattened with both negative lens powers (p < 0.05 in all cases), did not change with the +3.00 soft lens power (p = 1.0); and steepened with the +6.00 soft lens power (p = 0.02). Rigid gas-permeable over-refraction did not change significantly between different soft lens powers (all p > 0.05). RGP’s BOZR decreased significantly with both positive in comparison with both negative soft lens powers (all p < 0.001), but no significant differences were found among negative- or positive-powers separately (both p > 0.05). Estimated RGP’s final power increased significantly with positive in comparison with negative lens powers (all p < 0.001), but no significant differences were found among negative or positive lens powers separately (both p > 0.05). Visual acuity did not change significantly between the different soft lens powers assessed (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: The use of negative-powered soft lenses in piggyback fitting reduces RGP lens power without impacting VA in keratoconus subjects.

Myopia control with a novel peripheral gradient soft lens and orthokeratology: a 2-year clinical trial

Objective. To evaluate the degree of axial elongation with soft radial refractive gradient (SRRG) contact lenses, orthokeratology (OK), and single vision (SV) spectacle lenses (control) during a period of 1 year before treatment and 2 years after treatment. Methods. This was a prospective, longitudinal, nonrandomized study. The study groups consisted of 30, 29, and 41 children, respectively. The axial length (AL) was measured during 2 years after recruitment and lens fitting. Results. The baseline refractive sphere was correlated significantly (r 2 = 0.542; P < 0.0001) with the amount of myopia progression before baseline. After 2 years, the mean myopia progression values for the SRRG, OK, and SV groups were −0.56 ± 0.51, −0.32 ± 0.53, and −0.98 ± 0.58 diopter, respectively. The results represent reductions in myopic progression of 43% and 67% for the SRRG and OK groups, respectively, compared to the SV group. The AL increased more in the SV group compared to the SRRG and OK groups, with 27% and 38% lower axial elongation, respectively, compared to the SV group at the 2-year visit (P < 0.05). SRRG and OK showed no differences (P = 0.430). Conclusion. The SRRG lens significantly decreased AL elongation compared to the SV control group. The SRRG lens was similarly effective to OK in preventing myopia progression in myopic children and adolescent.

Avaliação dos prognósticos de precipitação simulada pelo modelo BRAMS na Amazônia Ocidental na estação chuvosa

O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar o modelo de previsão numérica do tempo BRAMS (Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modelling System), a partir da comparação entre os valores preditos e os observados (dados do NCEP/NOAA (National Centers of Environmental Predictions/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) e do satélite TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission)). O modelo foi assimilado com dados do modelo global do NCEP/NOAA e do CPTEC/INPE. Foram realizadas comparações entre os valores preditos e os observados através da raiz do erro quadrático médio (RMSE) e do erro médio (ME) para os prognósticos de precipitação para os horizontes de 24, 48, 72 e 96 horas, do período de novembro de 2008 a março de 2009. Os resultados mostraram que o modelo BRAMS teve uma performance melhor quando assimilado com dados do modelo global do NCEP/NOAA comparado com as saídas a partir das assimilações do modelo global do CPTEC/INPE.

Um modelo de programação inteira para a otimização da distribuição do serviço docente

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Industrial

Soil CO2 efflux in central Amazonia: environmental and methodological effects

Soil respiration plays a significant role in the carbon cycle of Amazonian rainforests. Measurements of soil respiration have only been carried out in few places in the Amazon. This study investigated the effects of the method of ring insertion in the soil as well as of rainfall and spatial distribution on CO2 emission in the central Amazon region. The ring insertion effect increased the soil emission about 13-20% for sandy and loamy soils during the firsts 4-7 hours, respectively. After rainfall events below 2 mm, the soil respiration did not change, but for rainfall greater than 3 mm, after 2 hours there was a decrease in soil temperature and respiration of about 10-34% for the loamy and sand soils, with emissions returning to normal after around 15-18 hours. The size of the measurement areas and the spatial distribution of soil respiration were better estimated using the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data. The Campina reserve is a mosaic of bare soil, stunted heath forest-SHF and tall heath forest-THF. The estimated total average CO2 emissions from the area was 3.08±0.8 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1. The Cuieiras reserve is another mosaic of plateau, slope, Campinarana and riparian forests and the total average emission from the area was 3.82±0.76 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1. We also found that the main control factor of the soil respiration was soil temperature, with 90% explained by regression analysis. Automated soil respiration datasets are a good tool to improve the technique and increase the reliability of measurements to allow a better understanding of all possible factors driven by soil respiration processes.

Desenvolvimento de um modelo de rotatividade numa indútria do setor Metalomecânico

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Humana