Analysis of the detection coefficient for the association between leprosy and pregnancy in the integration region of Carajas, State of Para, Brazil

Introduction The association between leprosy and pregnancy is currently poorly understood and has been linked to serious clinical consequences. Methods A retrospective study between 2007 and 2009 was performed in the integration region of Carajás, Brazil on a population of pregnant lepers, with non-lepers of ages 12-49 years serving as the reference population. Results Twenty-nine pregnant lepers were studied during the study period. The detection rates (DRs) for the studied association were 4.7 in 2007, 9.4 in 2008, and 4.3 in 2009. Conclusions The Carajás region presented a medium pattern of endemicity during most of the study period, with a high DR found in 2008.

A função continente como capacidade de transformação para uma melhor expressão da criatividade

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Da sobrevivência física à sobrevivência mental : aspectos do funcionamento psíquico em ex-combatentes da guerra colonial portuguesa

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Nestle's dynamic forecasting process: Anticipating risks and opportunities

Nestlé’s Dynamic Forecasting Process: Anticipating Risks and Opportunities This Work Project discusses the Nestlé’s Dynamic Forecasting Process, implemented within the organization as a way of reengineering its performance management concept and processes, so as to make it more flexible and capable to react to volatile business conditions. When stressing the importance of demand planning to reallocate resources and enhance performance, Nescafé Dolce Gusto comes as way of seeking improvements on this forecasts’ accuracy and it is thus, by providing a more accurate model on its capsules’ sales, as well as recommending adequate implementations that positively contribute to the referred Planning Process, that value is brought to the Project

The integration of online advertising into social media

This study examined user-generated (UG) advertising in the context of social media networks. The focus was on how people, whether an expert in the area, a non-expert or a friend, influence the reader of the advertisement. Furthermore, the study analyzed how the certainty level of the UG advertisement influences the person viewing the ad. The study showed that for the friend source a high certainty message was more persuasive. However, regarding the certainty no significant results were found for the expert and non-expert. Further, the type of the source had a considerable impact on persuasion. Someone that we personally know (e.g., a friend) was rated most positive for all analyzes variables. This shows that with the rising usage of social media there are great opportunities for new effective advertising strategies that could include a new type of an endorser – friends.

Antioxidant extraction process for Andean Oca by a photodiode array detector using response surface methodology

Application of Experimental Design techniques has proven to be essential in various research fields, due to its statistical capability of processing the effect of interactions among independent variables, known as factors, in a system’s response. Advantages of this methodology can be summarized in more resource and time efficient experimentations while providing more accurate results. This research emphasizes the quantification of 4 antioxidants extraction, at two different concentration, prepared according to an experimental procedure and measured by a Photodiode Array Detector. Experimental planning was made following a Central Composite Design, which is a type of DoE that allows to consider the quadratic component in Response Surfaces, a component that includes pure curvature studies on the model produced. This work was executed with the intention of analyzing responses, peak areas obtained from chromatograms plotted by the Detector’s system, and comprehending if the factors considered – acquired from an extensive literary review – produced the expected effect in response. Completion of this work will allow to take conclusions regarding what factors should be considered for the optimization studies of antioxidants extraction in a Oca (Oxalis tuberosa) matrix.

Analysis of chromium behaviour and speciation during the electrodialytic process

The interest in chromium (Cr) arises from the widespread use of this heavy metal in various industrial processes that cause its release as liquid, solid and gaseous waste into the environment. The impact of Cr on the environment and living organisms primarily depends on its chemical form, since Cr(III) is an essential micronutrient for humans, other animals and plants, and Cr(VI) is highly toxic and a known human carcinogen. This study aimed to evaluate if the electrodialytic process (ED) is an appropriate treatment for Cr removal, through a critical overview of Cr speciation, before and after the ED experiments, to assess possible Cr(III)-Cr(VI) interconversions during the treatment. ED was the treatment technique applied to two types of matrices containing Cr: chromate copper arsenate (CCA) contaminated soil and municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash. In order to study Cr remediation, three EDR set-ups were used: a new set-up, the combined cell (2/3C or 3/2C), with three compartments, alternating current between two anodes and different initial experimental conditions, one set-up with three compartments (3C cell) and the other set-up with two compartments (2C cell). The Cr removal rates obtained in this study were between 10-36% for the soil, and 1-13% for the fly ash. The highest Cr removal rates were achieved in the 26 days experiments: 36% for the soil, 13% for the fly ash. Regarding the 13 days experiments, the highest Cr removal rates were attained with the 2/3C set-up: 24% for the soil, 5% for the fly ash. The analysis of Cr(VI) was performed before and after ED experiments to evaluate eventual changes in Cr speciation during the treatment. This analysis was conducted by two methods: USEPA Method 3060A, for the extraction of Cr(VI); and Hach Company Method 8023, for the detection of Cr(VI). Despite the differences in Cr total concentration, both matrices presented a similar speciation, with Cr(III) being the main species found and Cr(VI) less than 3% of Cr total, before and after the treatment. For fly ash, Cr(VI) was initially below the detection limit of the method and remained that way after the treatment. For soil, Cr(VI) decreased after the treatment. Oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) did not occur during the ED process since there was no increase in Cr(VI) in the matrices after the treatment. Hence, the results of this study indicate that ED is an appropriate technique to remediate matrices containing Cr because it contributes to Cr removal, without causing Cr(III)-Cr(VI) interconversions.

Development of process control strategies exploiting knowledge from systems biology: application to MDCK suspension cells

Madine Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell lines have been extensively evaluated for their potential as host cells for influenza vaccine production. Recent studies allowed the cultivation of these cells in a fully defined medium and in suspension. However, reaching high cell densities in animal cell cultures still remains a challenge. To address this shortcoming, a combined methodology allied with knowledge from systems biology was reported to study the impact of the cell environment on the flux distribution. An optimization of the medium composition was proposed for both a batch and a continuous system in order to reach higher cell densities. To obtain insight into the metabolic activity of these cells, a detailed metabolic model previously developed by Wahl A. et. al was used. The experimental data of four cultivations of MDCK suspension cells, grown under different conditions and used in this work came from the Max Planck Institute, Magdeburg, Germany. Classical metabolic flux analysis (MFA) was used to estimate the intracellular flux distribution of each cultivation and then combined with partial least squares (PLS) method to establish a link between the estimated metabolic state and the cell environment. The validation of the MFA model was made and its consistency checked. The resulted PLS model explained almost 70% of the variance present in the flux distribution. The medium optimization for the continuous system and for the batch system resulted in higher biomass growth rates than the ones obtained experimentally, 0.034 h-1 and 0.030 h-1, respectively, thus reducing in almost 10 hours the duplication time. Additionally, the optimal medium obtained for the continuous system almost did not consider pyruvate. Overall the proposed methodology seems to be effective and both proposed medium optimizations seem to be promising to reach high cell densities.

Electro-Optical/Infrared sensor turret integration on an aircraft - structural im-pact on LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130H and design methodology

The growing need to patrol and survey large maritime and terrestrial areas increased the need to integrate external sensors on aircraft in order to accomplish those patrols at increasingly higher altitudes, longer range and not depending upon vehicle type. The main focus of this work is to elaborate a practical, simple, effective and efficient methodology for the aircraft modification procedure resulting from the integration of an Elec-tro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) turret through a support structure. The importance of the devel-opment of a good methodology relies on the correct management of project variables as time, available resources and project complexity. The key is to deliver a proper tool for a project de-sign team that will be used to create a solution that fulfils all technical, non-technical and certi-fication requirements present in this field of transportation. The created methodology is inde-pendent of two main inputs: sensor model and aircraft model definition, and therefore it is in-tended to deliver the results for different projects besides the one that was presented in this work as a case study. This particular case study presents the development of a structure support for FLIR STAR SAPHIRE III turret integration on the front lower fuselage bulkhead (radome) of the LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130 H. Development of the case study focuses on the study of local structural analysis through the use of Finite Element Method (FEM). Development of this Dissertation resulted in a cooperation between Faculty of Science and Technology - Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the company OGMA - Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal

On the labor share the long-run equilibrium and its adjustment process

This research computes an Equilibrium Labor Share using a VECM for a panel of 19 countries, analyzes what determines the speed at which the labor share adjusts towards that equilibrium and decomposes this adjustment in terms of real wages and employment. Results suggest that the speed at which a country adjusts decreases with employment protection legislation and labor taxes. Most countries’ labor shares adjustment is made through real wages changes instead of changing employment, suggesting that wage moderation policies may play an important role on the adjustment process without harming employment. Keywords: Equilibrium

A+ grandparents at school

Facing an aging society, where there is a large gap between generations and where the elderly are neglected, the Portuguese Red Cross – Delegation of Vila Nova de Gaia – created the project A+: grandparents at school, which encourages intergenerational work. After observing the positive results of the pilot project, the A+ team decided that the project has the potential to be scaled at a national level to enable it to contribute to the integration of the older people in the society, as well as for positive changes of individuals with regard to the elderly. This work project proposes a method to determine whether A+ can be scaled and what is the most efficient way to do it, establishing a process of scale that can be used by every non-profit organization

Sexing the human skull through the mastoid process

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance for sex determination of the measurement of the area formed by the xerographic projection of 3 craniometric points related to the mastoid process: the porion, asterion, and mastoidale points. METHOD: Sixty skulls, 30 male and 30 female, were analyzed. A xerographic copy of each side of the skull was obtained. On each xerographic copy, the craniometric points were marked to demarcate a triangle. The area (mm²) of the demarcated triangle for each side of the skull (right (D) and left (E) sides) was determined, and the total value of these measures (T) was calculated. RESULTS: Concerning the right area of the male and female skulls, 60% of the values overlapped; for the left area, 51.67% overlapped, and for the total area, 36.67% overlapped. The analysis of the differences between the sexes in the areas studied was significant for the 3 areas. Regarding the total area, which is the preferred measurement because of the asymmetry between the sides of the skull, the value of the mean was 1505.32 mm² for male skulls, which was greater than the maximum value obtained in the female skulls. The value of the mean for female skulls was 1221.24 mm², less than the minimum value obtained for the male skulls. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significant result in the 3 studied areas, (D), (E), and (T). The total area values show less overlapping of values between the sexes, and therefore can be used for sexing human skulls. For the population studied, values of the total area that were greater than or equal to 1447.40 mm² belonged to male crania (95% confidence). Values for this area that were less than or equal to 1260.36 mm² belonged to female crania (95% confidence).

On the labor share the long-run equilibrium and its adjustment process

This research computes an Equilibrium Labor Share using a VECM for a panel of 19 countries, analyzes what determines the speed at which the labor share adjusts towards that equilibrium and decomposes this adjustment in terms of real wages and employment. Results suggest that the speed at which a country adjusts decreases with employment protection legislation and labor taxes. Most countries’ labor shares adjustment is made through real wages changes instead of changing employment, suggesting that wage moderation policies may play an important role on the adjustment process without harming employment.