Occupational exposure to poultry dust and effects on the respiratory system in workers

Farmers are occupationally exposed to many respiratory hazards at work and display higher rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms than other workers. Dust is one of the components present in poultry production that increases risk of adverse respiratory disease occurrence. Dust originates from poultry residues, molds, and feathers and is biologically active as it contains microorganisms. Exposure to dust is known to produce a variety of clinical responses, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic airways obstructive disease (COPD), allergic alveolitis, and organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). A study was developed to determine particle contamination in seven poultry farms and correlate this with prevalence rate of respiratory defects and record by means of a questionnaire the presence of clinical symptoms associated with asthma and other allergy diseases by European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Poultry farm dust contamination was found to contain higher concentrations of particulate matter (PM) PM5 and PM10. Prevalence rate of obstructive pulmonary disorders was higher in individuals with longer exposure regardless of smoking status. In addition, a high prevalence for asthmatic (42.5%) and nasal (51.1%) symptoms was noted in poultry workers. Data thus show that poultry farm workers are more prone to suffer from respiratory ailments and this may be attributed to higher concentrations of PM found in the dust. Intervention programs aimed at reducing exposure to dust will ameliorate occupational working conditions and enhance the health of workers.

The darmstadt challenge (the turing test revisited)

Significant work has been done in the areas of Pervcomp/Ubicomp Smart Environments with advances on making proactive systems, but those advances have not made these type of systems accurately proactive. On the other hand a great deal is needed to make systems more sensible/sensitive and trustable (both in terms of reliability and privacy). We put forward the thesis that a more integral and social-aware sort of intelligence is needed to effectively interact, decide and act on behalf of people’s interest and that a way to test how effective systems are achieving these desirable behaviour is needed as a consequence. We support our thesis by providing examples on how to measure effectiveness in variety of different environments.

ISEM: a multi-agent system that simulates competitive electronic marketplaces

With the increasing importance of large commerce across the Internet it is becoming increasingly evident that in a few years the Iternet will host a large number of interacting software agents. a vast number of them will be economically motivated, and will negociate a variety of goods and services. It is therefore important to consider the economic incentives and behaviours of economic software agents, and to use all available means to anticipate their collective interactions. This papers addresses this concern by presenting a multi-agent market simulator designed for analysing agent market strategies based on a complete understanding of buyer and seller behaviours, preference models and pricing algorithms, consideting risk preferences. The system includes agents that are capable of increasing their performance with their own experience, by adapting to the market conditions. The results of the negotiations between agents are analysed by data minig algorithms in order to extract rules that give agents feedback to imprive their strategies.

Synthesis, characterization and antiproliferative activity on cancer cell lines of new ionic liquids from ampicillin

Ionic Liquids (ILs) are ionic compounds that possess melting temperature below 100ºC and they have been a topic of great interest since the mid-1990s due to their unique properties. The range of IL uses has been broadened, due to a significant increase in the variety of physical, chemical and biological ILs properties. They are now used as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and recent interests are focused on their application as innovative solutions in new medical treatment and delivery options.1 In this work, our principal objective was the synthesis and investigation of physicochemical and medical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) and organic salts from ampicillin. This approach is of huge interest in pharmaceutical industry as cation and anion composition of ILs and organic salts can greatly alter their desired properties, namely the melting temperature and even synergistic effects can be obtained.2,3 For the synthesis of these compounds we used a recently developed method proposed by Ohno et al.4 for the preparation of quaternary ammonium and phosphonium hydroxides, that were neutralized by ampicillin. After purification we obtained pure ILs and salts in good yields. These ILs shows good antimicrobial and antifungal activities. As it is well known that some ionic liquids containing phosphonium and ammonium cation also shows anti-cancer activity1,5 we also decided to study these compounds against some cancer cell lines.

Acrescentar valor à organização com a auditoria interna

Dissertação de Mestrado Apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Auditoria, sob orientação de Doutora Alcina Portugal Dias

Planeamento espacial marinho das áreas marinhas protegidas: o caso de estudo da ára protegida de gestão de recursos: Caloura - ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo

Tese de Doutoramento, Ciências do Mar (Ecologia Marinha), 26 de Novembro de 2013, Universidade dos Açores.

Educação para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (EDS) no âmbito do Currículo Regional da Educação Básica da Região Autónoma dos Açores (CREB)

Mestrado, Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico, 26 de Junho de 2013, Universidade dos Açores (Relatório de Estágio).

Synthesis of new 1,8-dihydroxy-9h-xanthen-9-ones

XXVth European Colloquium on Heterocyclic Chemistry, Reading, UK, 13 – 17 Agosto de 2012.

A cellulose liquid crystal motor: a steam engine of the second kind

The salient feature of liquid crystal elastomers and networks is strong coupling between orientational order and mechanical strain. Orientational order can be changed by a wide variety of stimuli, including the presence of moisture. Changes in the orientation of constituents give rise to stresses and strains, which result in changes in sample shape. We have utilized this effect to build soft cellulose-based motor driven by humidity. The motor consists of a circular loop of cellulose film, which passes over two wheels. When humid air is present near one of the wheels on one side of the film, with drier air elsewhere, rotation of the wheels results. As the wheels rotate, the humid film dries. The motor runs so long as the difference in humidity is maintained. Our cellulose liquid crystal motor thus extracts mechanical work from a difference in humidity.

Momentos de pesquisas sobre relações raciais e relações de classe entre crianças no Brasil

Este artigo trata de dois estudos de caso da identidade social e étnico-racial de crianças e, especificamente, do seu processo de socialização racial. O primeiro caso se refere às crianças em estado de pauperização, internadas em instituições assistenciais nas cidades de São Paulo e de Marília, estado de São Paulo. De acordo com as informações, concluímos que a criança institucionalizada é submetida a um processo de “participação-exclusão”, agravado pela ausência da família e pelo preconceito social, por ser pobre e institucionalizada, e étnicoracial, por ser negra. A criança, de modo semelhante à criança da periferia de São Paulo, internaliza esse sentimento de baixa-estima, chamando umas às outras por termos raciais pejorativos. A segunda pesquisa trata de meninas e de adolescentes que trabalham como empregadas domésticas, na cidade de Marília. As informações mostram que elas são estigmatizadas por trabalharem como domésticas. A maior parte das meninas e jovens são negras e sofrem na escola, sendo chamadas de termos raciais derrogatórios. Elas se vêm a si próprias através de várias denominações de cor da pele, algumas desejando serem consideradas brancas, e somente algumas se identificando como negras.

Materiais para as aulas de PLE/PL2: proposta a partir de experiências didácticas

O objectivo deste trabalho é partilhar propostas de actividades a partir de diversas experiências didácticas desenvolvidas na Universidade de Extremadura (Espanha), em diferentes anos e com estudantes de PLE, mas que também podem ser adaptadas para o trabalho com estudantes de PL2. Após uma breve explicação dos presupostos teóricos e metodológicos que servem de base a todas elas - abordagem integral, interesse pelo percurso e não pelo resultado final, competência comunicativa intercultural -, apresentamos as actividades, fazemos uma descripção da sua estrutura, fornecemos materiais para as desenvolver e mostramos as produções dos estudantes.

Cultivo Intensivo de Microalgas na Região Autónoma dos Açores: uma Abordagem Biotecnológica Integrada

Jornadas "Ciência nos Açores – que futuro? Tema Ciências Naturais e Ambiente", Ponta Delgada, 7-8 de Junho de 2013.

Auto-regulação na gestão de conflitos em retalho

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática

Construção de um robô trepador com locomoção através de rodas e adesão através de meios magnéticos

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Potencial de cultivo intensivo de microalgas na região autónoma dos Açores: uma abordagem biotecnológica integrada

Jornadas "Ciência nos Açores – que futuro?", Ponta Delgada, 7-8 de Junho de 2013.