Numerical and experimental analysis of full scale arches reinforced with GFRP materials

In this contribution, original limit analysis numerical results are presented dealing with some reinforced masonry arches tested at the University of Minho-UMinho, PT. Twelve in-scale circular masonry arches were considered, reinforced in various ways at the intrados or at the extrados. GFRP reinforcements were applied either on undamaged or on previously damaged elements, in order to assess the role of external reinforcements even in repairing interventions. The experimental results were critically discussed at the light of limit analysis predictions, based on a 3D FE heterogeneous upper bound approach. Satisfactory agreement was found between experimental evidences and the numerical results, in terms of failure mechanisms and peak load.

Hot-dip galvanized steel dip-coatedwith ureasilicate hybrid in simulated concrete pore solution: Assessment of coating morphology and corrosion protection efficiency

The barrier effect and the performance of an organic–inorganic hybrid (OIH) sol–gel coating are highlydependent on the coating deposition method as well as processing conditions. In this work, studies onthe influence of experimental parameters using the dip coating method were performed. Factors suchas residence time (Rt), a curing step between each dip step and the number of layers of sol–gel OIHfilms deposited on HDGS to prevent corrosion in highly alkaline environments were studied. These OIHcoatings were obtained using a functionalized siloxane, 3-isociantepropyltriethoxysilane that reactedwith a diamino-functionalized oligopolymer (Jeffamine®D-230). The barrier efficiency of OIH coatings insimulated concrete pore solutions (SCPS) was assessed in the first moments of contact, by electrochemicalimpedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic methods. The durability and stability of the OIH coatings inSCPS was monitored during eight days by macrocell current density. The morphological characterizationof the surface was performed by scanning electronic microscopy before and after exposure to SCPS.Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy was used to obtain quantitative composition profiles toinvestigate the thickness of the OIH coatings as a function of the number of layers deposited and theinfluence of the Rt in the coating thickness.

Ureasilicate hybrid coatings for corrosion protection of galvanized steel in chloride-contaminated simulated concrete pore solution

Organic-inorganic hybrid (OIH) sol-gel coatings based on ureasilicates (U(X)) have promising properties for use as eco-friendly coatings on hot dip galvanized steel (HDGS) and may be considered potential substitutes for pre-treatment systems containing Cr(VI). These OIH coatings reduce corrosion activity during the initial stages of contact of the HDGS samples with highly alkaline environments (cementitious media) and allow the mitigation of harmful effects of an initial excessive reaction between cement pastes and the zinc layer. However, the behavior of HDGS coated with U(X) in the presence of chloride ions has never been reported. In this paper, the performance of HDGS coated with five different U(X) coatings was assessed by electrochemical measurements in chloride-contaminated simulated concrete pore solution (SCPS). U(X) sol-gel coatings were produced and deposited on HDGS by a dip coating method. The coatings performance was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization curves measurements, macrocell current density and polarization resistance in contact with chloride-contaminated SCPS. The SEM/EDS analyses of the coatings before and after the tests were also performed. The results showed that the HDGS samples coated with the OIH coatings exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance to chloride ions when compared to uncoated galvanized steel.

Influence of the hip joint modeling approaches on the kinematics of human gait

The influence of the hip joint formulation on the kinematic response of the model of human gait is investigated throughout this work. To accomplish this goal, the fundamental issues of the modeling process of a planar hip joint under the framework of multibody systems are revisited. In particular, the formulations for the ideal, dry, and lubricated revolute joints are described and utilized for the interaction of femur head inside acetabulum or the hip bone. In this process, the main kinematic and dynamic aspects of hip joints are analyzed. In a simple manner, the forces that are generated during human gait, for both dry and lubricated hip joint models, are computed in terms of the system’s state variables and subsequently introduced into the dynamics equations of motion of the multibody system as external generalized forces. Moreover, a human multibody model is considered, which incorporates the different approaches for the hip articulation, namely ideal joint, dry, and lubricated models. Finally, several computational simulations based on different approaches are performed, and the main results presented and compared to identify differences among the methodologies and procedures adopted in this work. The input conditions to the models correspond to the experimental data capture from an adult male during normal gait. In general, the obtained results in terms of positions do not differ significantly when the different hip joint models are considered. In sharp contrast, the velocity and acceleration plotted vary significantly. The effect of the hip joint modeling approach is clearly measurable and visible in terms of peaks and oscillations of the velocities and accelerations. In general, with the dry hip model, intra-joint force peaks can be observed, which can be associated with the multiple impacts between the femur head and the cup. In turn, when the lubricant is present, the system’s response tends to be smoother due to the damping effects of the synovial fluid.

Tradução e adaptação cultural da Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) para aplicação em adultos brasileiros

OBJETIVOS: Os objetivos deste estudo foram traduzir, adaptar culturalmente e verificar a equivalência literal, semântica e idiomática da Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), que avalia a presença de manifestações da impulsividade tendo como base o modelo teórico proposto por Ernst Barratt. MÉTODOS: Inicialmente, a versão original em inglês da BIS-11 foi traduzida para o português por seis pesquisadores bilíngues. Em seguida, foi realizada uma tradução reversa para o inglês por uma tradutora de origem norte-americana. As versões original, traduzida e retraduzida foram avaliadas por um comitê de juízes especialistas, os quais emitiram pareceres com as observações pertinentes, o que culminou em uma versão final traduzida da BIS-11. As versões original e traduzida foram aplicadas em duas amostras da população geral com proficiência na língua inglesa, a fim de investigar a equivalência literal, semântica e idiomática da versão traduzida por meio de análises de correlação. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados das análises quantitativas indicaram que a versão final do instrumento é satisfatória.

Validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the bipolar spectrum diagnostic scale

OBJECTIVE: Bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) are prevalent and frequently unrecognized and undertreated. This report describes the development and validation of the Brazilian version of the bipolar spectrum diagnostic scale (B-BSDS), a screening instrument for bipolar disorders, in an adult psychiatric population. METHOD: 114 consecutive patients attending an outpatient psychiatric clinic completed the B-BSDS. A research psychiatrist, blind to the B-BSDS scores, interviewed patients by means of a modified version of the mood module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV ("gold standard"). Subthreshold bipolar disorders were defined as recurrent hypomania without a major depressive episode or with fewer symptoms than those required for threshold hypomania. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the B-BSDS evaluated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.89 (95% CI; 0.86-0.91). On the basis of the modified SCID, 70 patients (61.4%) of the sample received a diagnosis of BSDs. A B-BSDS screening score of 16 or more items yielded: sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI; 0.72-0.85), specificity of 0.77 (95% CI; 0.70-0.83), a positive predictive value of 0.85 (95% CI; 0.78-0.91) and a negative predictive value of 0.70 (95% CI; 0.63-0.75). CONCLUSION: The present data demonstrate that the B-BSDS is a valid instrument for the screening of BSDs.

A integração de técnicas BIM (Building Information Modeling) no projeto e na construção de estruturas de madeira

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Modelação, simulação e implementação de agitação acústica para aplicações em microfluídica

Tese de Doutoramento (Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Biomédica)

Tradução e adaptação semântica da Compulsive Buying Scale para o português brasileiro

OBJETIVO: A Compulsive Buying Scale (Escala de Compras Compulsivas), instrumento breve e de fácil aplicação, apresenta como vantagem abarcar as principais dimensões do transtorno, sendo elas a compulsão pelas compras e o comportamento impulsivo. O presente estudo tem como objetivo a adaptação transcultural para o português do Brasil da Escala de Compras Compulsivas. MÉTODOS: Para a etapa de adaptação semântica, dois psicólogos bilíngues e um tradutor fluente em português e inglês traduziram a escala de seu idioma de origem, o inglês, para o português. Em um segundo momento, foi realizada a retrotradução da escala por dois tradutores e um psicólogo. Finalmente, a escala foi aplicada em 20 participantes, de modo que pudessem ser feitos ajustes semânticos no instrumento em questão. RESULTADOS: A colaboração entre profissionais especialistas em tradução bilíngue fluentes nos idiomas inglês e português brasileiro, e psicólogos clínicos capacitados à avaliação sobre o constructo a ser mensurado, possibilitou o ajuste dos termos utilizados na versão final da escala para o idioma português, assegurando adequação semântica do instrumento. Assim, todos os itens obtiveram aprovação superior a 90% em sua aplicação experimental. CONCLUSÃO: A versão da escala de compras compulsivas adaptada para o idioma português foi elaborada com êxito.

Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale for patients with schizophrenia: translation to Portuguese, cross-cultural adaptation and interrater reliability

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder associated with impairment in social functioning. The most widely used scale to measure social functioning is the GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning), but it has the disadvantage of measuring at the same time symptoms and functioning, as described in its anchors. OBJECTIVES:Translation and cultural adaptation of the PSP, proposing a final version in Portuguese for use in Brazil. METHODS: We performed five steps: 1) translation; 2) back translation; 3) formal assessment of semantic equivalence; 4) debriefing; 5) analysis by experts. Interrater reliability (Intraclass correlation, ICC) between two raters was also measured. RESULTS: The final version was applied by two independent investigators in 18 adults with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR). The interrater reliability (ICC) was 0.812 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The translation and adaptation of the PSP had an adequate level of semantic equivalence between the Portuguese version and the original English version. There were no difficulties related to understanding the content expressed in the translated texts and terms. Its application was easy and it showed a good interrater reliability. The PSP is a valid instrument for the measurement of personal and social functioning in schizophrenia.

Micro- and mesoporous structures as drug delivery carriers for salicylic acid

The potential of salicylic acid (SA) encapsulated in porous materials as drug delivery carriers for cancer treatment was studied. Different porous structures, the microporous zeolite NaY, and the mesoporous SBA-15 and MCM-41 were used as hosts for the anti-inflammatory drug. Characterization with different techniques (FTIR, UV/vis, TGA, 1H NMR, and 13C CPMAS NMR) demonstrated the successful loading of SA into the porous hosts. The mesoporous structures showed to be very efficient to encapsulate the SA molecule. The obtained drug delivery systems (DDS) accommodated 0.74 mmol (341 mg/gZEO) in NaY and 1.07 mmol (493 mg/gZEO) to 1.23 mmol (566 mg/gZEO) for SBA-15 and MCM-41, respectively. Interactions between SA molecules and pore structures were identified. A fast and unrestricted liberation of SA at 10 min of the dissolution assay was achieved with 29.3, 46.6, and 50.1 µg/mL of SA from NaY, SBA-15, and MCM-41, respectively, in the in vitro drug release studies (PBS buffer pH 7.4, 37 °C). Kinetic modeling was used to determine the release patterns of the DDS. The porous structures and DDS were evaluated on Hs578T and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell lines viability. The porous structures are nontoxic to cancer cells. Cell viability reduction was only observed after the release of SA from MCM- 41 followed by SBA-15 in both breast cancer cell lines.

Cross-cultural adaptation to Brazil of Medication Adherence Rating Scale for psychiatric patients

Objective The purpose of this research was to make a cross-cultural adaptation of the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) for psychiatric patients to the Brazilian context. Methods The procedure consisted of four phases: translation of the original scale, back-translation, review by an Expert Committee and Pre-test study with a patients’ sample. Results The Expert Committee corrected the items’ translation when necessary and modified the scale administration format and its instructions from self-report to face-to-face interview form in order to ensure easy understanding by the target population. During Pre-test, the instructions and most of the items were properly understood by patients, with the exception of three of them which had to be changed in order to ensure better understanding. The Pre-test sample was composed by 30 psychiatric patients, with severe and persistent disorders mainly single (46.7%), female (60.0%), with a mean age of 43.8 years old and an average of five years of education. Conclusion The Brazilian version of MARS scale is now adapted to the Brazilian Portuguese language and culture and is easily understood by the psychiatric target population. It is necessary to do further research to evaluate the scale psychometric qualities of validity and reliability in order to use it in Brazil.

Avaliação da equivalência semântica e consistência interna da Game Addiction Scale (GAS): versão em português

Objetivo Avaliar a equivalência semântica e a consistência interna da Game Addiction Scale (GAS): versão em português. Métodos O procedimento constituiu-se das seguintes etapas: a) revisão da literatura; b) tradução do instrumento original; c) retrotradução; d) revisão técnica e avaliação da compreensão verbal, realizada por profissionais da área da saúde; e) avaliação da compreensão verbal do instrumento, por uma amostra de estudantes; f) análise da consistência interna (alfa de Cronbach). Os participantes, com exceção dos especialistas, foram selecionados por conveniência. A participação dos sujeitos foi diferente em cada fase: tradutores (n = 2), retrotradução (n = 1), revisão técnica (n = 2), especialistas (n = 12), pré-teste com estudantes universitários (n = 40) e mensuração com estudantes universitários (n = 100). Resultados Poucas alterações semânticas de expressões e termos foram realizadas para adaptar-se à cultura-alvo. O nível de compreensão verbal dos participantes (especialistas e estudantes) foi superior a 90% e a análise do alfa de Cronbach correspondeu a 0,92 para todo o instrumento. Conclusão A Escala de Dependência de Jogos Eletrônicos (ESDEJE) foi submetida a tradução e adaptação para o idioma português (do Brasil), apresentando consistência interna adequada. Ademais, sugere-se a realização do processo de validação referente à equivalência de mensuração e reprodutibilidade do instrumento.

Equivalência semântica e confiabilidade da versão em português da Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale

Objetivo Avaliar a equivalência semântica e a confiabilidade da Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale para o português (Brasil). Métodos O processo consistiu em cinco passos: tradução; retradução; revisão técnica e avaliação da equivalência semântica por profissionais; avaliação do instrumento por compreensão verbal por uma amostra de profissionais (n = 10) e de estudantes (n = 37); análise de consistência interna e estabilidade por meio do coeficiente de Cronbach e coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI) respectivamente, em uma amostra de 359 estudantes de graduação. Resultados O instrumento apresentou no fim um excelente nível de compreensão verbal pela população-alvo, alfa de Cronbach de 0,92 e CCI de 0,81. Conclusão A versão adaptada do instrumento para o uso em nosso ambiente resultou em um instrumento equivalente do ponto de visão de equivalência semântica, assegurando a transferência do significado geral e referencial, mantendo níveis satisfatórios de confiabilidade.

Development of computational and experimental methods for biomass composition and evaluation of its impact in genome-scale models prediction

The use of genome-scale metabolic models has been rapidly increasing in fields such as metabolic engineering. An important part of a metabolic model is the biomass equation since this reaction will ultimately determine the predictive capacity of the model in terms of essentiality and flux distributions. Thus, in order to obtain a reliable metabolic model the biomass precursors and their coefficients must be as precise as possible. Ideally, determination of the biomass composition would be performed experimentally, but when no experimental data are available this is established by approximation to closely related organisms. Computational methods however, can extract some information from the genome such as amino acid and nucleotide compositions. The main objectives of this study were to compare the biomass composition of several organisms and to evaluate how biomass precursor coefficients affected the predictability of several genome-scale metabolic models by comparing predictions with experimental data in literature. For that, the biomass macromolecular composition was experimentally determined and the amino acid composition was both experimentally and computationally estimated for several organisms. Sensitivity analysis studies were also performed with the Escherichia coli iAF1260 metabolic model concerning specific growth rates and flux distributions. The results obtained suggest that the macromolecular composition is conserved among related organisms. Contrasting, experimental data for amino acid composition seem to have no similarities for related organisms. It was also observed that the impact of macromolecular composition on specific growth rates and flux distributions is larger than the impact of amino acid composition, even when data from closely related organisms are used.