Preliminary study of the acoustic behavior concerning an innovative prototype for indoor modular partitioning

This paper presents a preliminary acoustic study concerning the development of the first prototype of a patented removable module for interior partitioning. It is a prefabricated, vertical element for division of interior spaces that does not require the use of gutters or technical support. A set of such modules, linearly disposed, will create a division, allowing the personalization of any indoor area, including open office spaces, rooms, among others. The main characteristic that distinguishes this element from the existing solutions available on the market is that its mobility relies exclusively on a set of integrated bearings at the base of each module. Through an incorporated elevation system, the user can lower the module, move it to the desired position and re-elevate it until pressed against the ledge of the ceiling, making it stable. In this sense, and taking into account its acoustic behavior, several tests were made in the LNEC acoustics lab. Airborne sound insulation tests for different typologies of the prototype were conducted, according to the applicable standards EN ISO 354:2003, EN ISO 717-1:2013 and EN ISO 10140-2:2010. Some important conclusions and analysis of the prototype viability were extracted.

A qualitative approach to define the prototype of a Portuguese expatriate leader in Angola

This qualitative research analyzes the individual life experiences of Portuguese expatriate leaders who left their home country to work at organizations in Angola, a place that offers better job opportunities. Through interviews with those professionals and their followers, a prototype of a Portuguese expatriate leader in Angola has been developed. Even though Angola is a former Portuguese colony, it was at war for many years and so the economic situation and culture of the country are distant from what Portuguese workers are used too, which requires them to adapt and be open-minded to change.

MixAR mobile prototype: visualizing virtually reconstructed ancient structures in situ

Archeology and related areas have a special interest on cultural heritage sites since they provide valuable information about past civilizations. However, the ancient buildings present in these sites are commonly found in an advanced state of degradation which difficult the professional/expert analysis. Virtual reconstructions of such buildings aim to provide a digital insight of how these historical places could have been in ancient times. Moreover, the visualization of such models has been explored by some Augmented Reality (AR) systems capable of providing support to experts. Their compelling and appealing environments have also been applied to promote the social and cultural participation of general public. The existing AR solutions regarding this thematic rarely explore the potential of realism, due to the following lacks: the exploration of mixed environments is usually only supported for indoors or outdoors, not both in the same system; the adaptation of the illumination conditions to the reconstructed structures is rarely addressed causing a decrease of credibility. MixAR [1] is a system concerned with those challenges, aiming to provide the visualization of virtual buildings augmented upon real ruins, allowing soft transitions among its interiors and exteriors and using relighting techniques for a faithful interior illumination, while the user freely moves in a given cultural heritage site, carrying a mobile unit. Regarding the focus of this paper, we intend to report the current state of MixAR mobile unit prototype, which allows visualizing virtual buildings – properly aligned with real-world structures – based on user's location, during outdoor navigation. In order to evaluate the prototype performance, a set of tests were made using virtual models with different complexities.

Paroxetine and bupropion have no in vitro effects on lynphocyte proliferation and viability

OBJECTIVE: Initial studies with tricyclic antidepressants demonstrated that they jeopardize the immune system activity. Recent studies suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors would have stimulating immunological effects. Here, we explored the in vitro immunological effects of two antidepressants used in clinical practice, paroxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and bupropion (norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor). METHOD: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 16 healthy volunteers and the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured in vitro. We evaluated the effects of bupropion and paroxetine on cell viability as well as the ability to suppress phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte proliferation. RESULTS: Both antidepressants produced neither significant effect on cell viability nor on T-cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: This could be of valuable information for the clinical practice when these drugs are administered. These results indicate a more favorable effect of such psychopharmacological drugs when compared to reported immunological effects associated with tryciclic antidepressants.

Implementação de metodologias BIM na Direção de Engenharia de Barragens da EDP: casos de estudo de projeto de estruturas em obras hidroelétricas

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Mecanismos Celulares y Moleculares que regulan la Secreción, Proliferación y Muerte de Células Lactotropas. Cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate secretion, proliferation and death of lactotroph cells.

El presente proyecto está dirigido a estudiar los mecanismos celulares y moleculares involucrados en la regulación de la población de lactotropas, como resultado del balance entre los procesos de proliferación y muerte celular correlacionados con la secreción de prolactina. Dentro de las vías de transducción de señales involucradas se determinará la activación de las diferentes isoformas de PKC utilizando inhibidores específicos y la participación de la vía MAPK-ERK1/2 en cultivos primarios adenohipofisarios y en la línea tumoral GH3B6. Además, se completará la caracterización morfológica y bioquímica de los diferentes procesos de muerte celular inducidos por bromocriptina en modelos de regresión de prolactinomas. Se incorporan al presente proyecto nuevas líneas de investigación dirigidas a estudiar la participación de receptores estrogénicos nucleares y de membrana sobre la actividad secretoria y proliferativa de células lactotropas. Se fija como objetivo la identificación de los mismos y su translocación intracelular en respuesta a estímulos específicos. Estas investigaciones se realizarán en cultivo primario de adenohipófisis, a nivel de microscopía electrónica y confocal. La participación de las isoformas alfa y beta de receptores estrogénicos intracelulares y de membrana en los efectos del estradiol sobre la proliferación y secreción de PRL se determinará mediante el uso de agonistas y antagonistas específicos en cultivo primario de adenohipófisis y de la línea GH3B6. Un tema de actualidad es el estudio de vías de señalización involucradas en las acciones del estrógeno en interacción con neuropéptidos o factores de crecimiento, estableciendo la interacción entre los receptores de membrana, además de posibles "crosstalk" entre diferentes rutas de transducción de señales. Como aporte a este tópico se propone estudiar los efectos genómicos y no genómicos del estradiol en interacción con TRH o FGF-2, modulando la actividad secretoria y proliferativa de las células lactotropas. Los datos obtenidos podrán contribuir al conocimiento de nuevas estrategias utilizadas para disminuir el crecimiento de tumores, inhibiendo moléculas claves como receptores de estrógenos, factores de crecimiento y algunas involucradas en las vías de señalización.

Interacciones inmuno-endócrinas: participación de tlr-4 y citoquinas pro-inflamatorias en la regulación de la proliferación de células lactotropas. Immuno-endocrine interactions: Contribution of tlr-4 and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of lactotroph cell proliferation.

El presente proyecto tiene como objetivo estudiar, a nivel celular y molecular, los mecanismos inmuno-endócrinos que participan en la proliferación de células lactotropas normales y tumorales frente a procesos inflamatorios inducidos experimentalmente. Una particular atención se pondrá al evaluar la contribución de IL-6 como citoquina intrahipofisaria durante el desarrollo tumoral y su rol como señal paracrina/autocrina en la senescencia hipofisaria. Debido a que agentes inflamatorios y anti-inflamatorios pueden inducir alteraciones en el crecimiento y la función hipofisaria, no se descartaría que, en el curso de una inflamación, como la inducida por el lipopolisacárido bacteriano LPS, puedan ocurrir modificaciones en el índice proliferativo de las células lactotropas y/o en la secreción de su producto hormonal, la prolactina. Dado el auge en las investigaciones referidas al campo de la modulación inmuno-endócrina, es que planteamos investigar la participación de TLR4, componente crucial del complejo proteico que inicia la señal LPS, en hipófisis normales y tumorales inducidas por estrógeno así como también en la línea celular somatolactotrópica GH3B6. Dentro de las vías de transducción de señales involucradas se determinará la participación de MAPK-ERK1/2 y de PI3K asi como la contribución de NF-kB en la regulación del crecimiento celular inducido por IL-6/LPS mediante el uso de inhibidores específicos. La microscopía electrónica y confocal, resultarán de fundamental importancia para valorar los procesos de translocación nuclear de NF-kB como así también para definir la localización ultraestructural de los mediadores mencionados. Además, se valorará el mecanismo de senescencia celular hipofisaria mediante parámetros morfológicos, bioquímicos y ultraestructurales durante el desarrollo de prolactinomas inducidos experimentalmente. Finalmente dilucidar las posibles vías de transducción de señales que se desencadenan frente a estímulos inflamatorios/proliferativos podría explicar algunos aspectos moleculares sobre la función de control del ciclo celular y las limitaciones de crecimiento en adenomas hipofisarios que subyacen en la falta de progresión de estos tumores a la malignidad. The aim of the present project is to study the immuno-endocrine mechanisms involved in the proliferation of normal and tumoral lactotrophs experimentally induced by inflammatory factors. Also, the contribution of IL-6 as a paracrine / autocrine signal in the pituitary senescence will be assessed along tumor development induced by estrogen treatment. Considering that both, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory agents can modify the pituitary function, it is possible that in the course of inflammation, as induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide LPS, some alteration may occur in the proliferative index of lactotrophs and / or in the PRL secretion. Our main objective is to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved by the activation of TLR4, a crucial component of the protein complex initiated by LPS, in normal and pathological pituitaries induced by estrogen as well as in the GH3B6 cell line. The participation of MAPK-ERK1 / 2 and PI3K signaling pathway and the contribution of NF-kB in the proliferative responses triggered by IL-6/LPS will be analyzed by using specific inhibitors. Confocal microscopy analysis is essential to assess the process of nuclear translocation of NF-kB as well as the use of electron microscopy to define the ultrastructural localization of the above mentioned mediators. In addition, the mechanisms of pituitary cell senescence will be evaluated through morphological, biochemical and ultrastructural approaches during the development of experimental prolactinomas. Finally, the elucidation of possible signal transduction pathways which are triggered by inflammatory / proliferative stimuli, would explain some molecular aspects of cell cycle control and limitations in pituitary tumor growth that underlie the lack of progress in these pituitary tumors to malignancy.

Prototype-based classification and clustering

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Informatik, Habil.-Schr., 2006

Dynamics of proximal signaling events after TCR/CD8-mediated induction of proliferation or apoptosis in mature T-cells

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2009

Parallel Architecture Prototype for 60 GHz High Data Rate Wireless Single Carrier Receiver

Nowadays a huge attention of the academia and research teams is attracted to the potential of the usage of the 60 GHz frequency band in the wireless communications. The use of the 60GHz frequency band offers great possibilities for wide variety of applications that are yet to be implemented. These applications also imply huge implementation challenges. Such example is building a high data rate transceiver which at the same time would have very low power consumption. In this paper we present a prototype of Single Carrier -SC transceiver system, illustrating a brief overview of the baseband design, emphasizing the most important decisions that need to be done. A brief overview of the possible approaches when implementing the equalizer, as the most complex module in the SC transceiver, is also presented. The main focus of this paper is to suggest a parallel architecture for the receiver in a Single Carrier communication system. This would provide higher data rates that the communication system canachieve, for a price of higher power consumption. The suggested architecture of such receiver is illustrated in this paper,giving the results of its implementation in comparison with its corresponding serial implementation.

Prototype based clustering in high-dimensional feature spaces

...In dieser Arbeit untersuche ich den ”Fluch der Dimensionen” mittels dem Begriff der Distanzkonzentration. Ich zeige, dass dieser Effekt im Datenmodell mittels der paarweisen Kovarianzkoeffizienten der Randverteilungen beschrieben werden kann. Zusätzlich vergleiche ich 10 prototypbasierte Clusteralgorithmen mittels 800.000 Clusterergebnissen von künstlich erzeugten Datensätzen. Ich erforsche, wie und warum Clusteralgorithmen von der Anzahl der Merkmale beeinflusst werden. Mit den Clusterergebnissen untersuche ich außerdem, wie gut 5 der populärsten Clusterqualitätsmaße die tatsächliche Clusterqualität schätzen.

The EU as a security provider in its neighbourhood: the case of non-proliferation of WMD in the Mediterranean area

As a consequence of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the US-led war against Iraq, WMD and their proliferation have become a central element of the EU security agenda. In December 2003, the European Council adopted even a EU Strategy against Proliferation of WMD. The approach adopted in this Strategy can be largely described as a ‘cooperative security provider’ approach and is based on effective multilateralism, the promotion of a stable international and regional environment and the cooperation with key partners. The principal objective of this paper is to examine in how far the EU has actually implemented the ‘cooperative security provider’ approach in the area which the Non-proliferation Strategy identifies as one of its priorities – the Mediterranean. Focusing on the concept of security interdependence, the paper analyses first the various WMD dangers with which the EU is confronted in the Mediterranean area. Afterwards, it examines how the EU has responded to these hazards in the framework of the Barcelona process and, in particular, the new European Neighbourhood Policy. It is argued that despite its relatively powerful rhetoric, the EU has largely failed, for a wide range of reasons, to apply effectively its non-proliferation approach in the Mediterranean area and, thus, to become a successful security provider.

The role of the TRAF-interacting protein in proliferation and differentiation.

Ubiquitination of proteins is a post-translational modification, which decides on the cellular fate of the protein. Addition of ubiquitin moieties to proteins is carried out by the sequential action of three enzymes: E1, ubiquitin-activating enzyme; E2, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme; and E3, ubiquitin ligase. The TRAF-interacting protein (TRAIP, TRIP, RNF206) functions as Really Interesting New Gene (RING)-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, but its physiological substrates are not yet known. TRAIP was reported to interact with TRAF [tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factors] and the two tumor suppressors CYLD and Syk (spleen tyrosine kinase). Ectopically expressed TRAIP was shown to inhibit nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling. However, recent results suggested a role for TRAIP in biological processes other than NF-κB regulation. Knock-down of TRAIP in human epidermal keratinocytes repressed cellular proliferation and induced a block in the G1/S phase of the cell cycle without affecting NF-κB signalling. TRAIP is necessary for embryonal development as mutations affecting the Drosophila homologue of TRAIP are maternal effect-lethal mutants, and TRAIP knock-out mice die in utero because of aberrant regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. These findings underline the tight link between TRAIP and cell proliferation. In this review, we summarize the data on TRAIP and put them into a larger perspective regarding the role of TRAIP in the control of tissue homeostasis.