Molecular analysis of anterior endoderm during Xenopus development: a funtional and genomic approach

Tese de doutoramento em Biologia (Biologia do Desenvolvimento), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2008Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), (SFHR/BD/10035/2002

Application of a Costing Methodology to Estimate Capital Costs of Solar Thermal Systems in Residential Portuguese Context

The concerns regarding the environmental damage require changes not only on how the energy is consumed but also how it is produced. The close relationship between energy use and the economic growth exposes the need for continuous monitoring of energy consumption, which cannot be achieved without assessing capital and operational costs from its conversion to end-use. Solar thermal systems offer few advantages over other renewable resources to meet the energy demand in the small-scale building sector. Solar-thermal technologies can play a leading role in meeting the decarbonisation targets set in Europe. The reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that solar heating has the potential to cover more than 16% of the low-temperature heat use in energy mix scenario. In Europe, this share might translate into 45% growth of the installed solar thermal capacity by 2020, setting a challenging target of 1 m2 of collector area installed per capita by 2020 and of 1.3 m2 by 2050. The main objective of the present work is to define a costing methodology able to estimate the capital cost of solar-thermal systems according to the system size and energy requirements of a specific residential building. The costing methodology consists of the derivation of a cost expression for each component by integrating thermodynamic and cost coefficients, adjusted for this kind of technology, and also taking into account real market data. The model was validated for a reference dwelling in Lisbon, with an occupation of 4 people with an estimated energy need of 2 037 kWh/year in terms of DHW. Results of the reference scenario show that is required at least 4 m2 of solar collector and the system cost ranges from 703.2€ per m2 to 763.2€ per m2, depending on the acceptable storage tank capacity

Triangulating Birmingham, Blackpool, Bombay: Gurinder Chadha’s "Bhaji on the Beach"

"Bhaji on the Beach" is a 1994 road film, directed by Gurinder Chadha, centred on female characters who struggle in conflicts of gender, ethnicity and generational differences. Appropriating themselves of the public space of the English seaside resort Blackpool, each of these women reaches some sort of crossroads. Through the acknowledgment that identity is the outcome of negotiating difference, the film clearly illustrates a collusion of divided loyalties, weaving together the lives of this group of women from different backgrounds and generations. At Blackpool, the characters’ multiple inscribed identities, at the intersection of ethnic and gendered lines, place them in a position where they are forced to reconcile conflicting aspects of the British and Indian spheres they inhabit. It is at this juncture of transnational cultural flows that hybridised subjectivities-in-between coexist and are held in suspension.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Desenvolvimento de um modelo estatístico de prognóstico no âmbito da Sepsis, utilizando o conceito PIRO

Relatório de estágio curricular de mestrado em Estatística de SistemasA Sepsis é uma infecção geral grave, caracterizada por uma resposta in amatória sistémica (designada por Síndrome de Resposta In amatória Sistémica), geralmente causada pela presença de um agente infeccioso na corrente sanguínea. A Sepsis tem sido identi cada em diversos estudos epidemiológicos como sendo a principal causa de morte nos doentes críticos, internados nas Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos. A Sepsis pode sistematizar-se através do conceito PIRO (Predisposição, Infecção, Resposta e disfunção do Órgão). Existem factores susceptíveis de serem importantes em cada um dos componentes PIRO. Neste trabalho foram estudados os factores P de Predisposição, tais como o sexo, idade, doenças crónicas, comorbilidades, e os factores R de Resposta, tais como a temperatura, frequência cardíaca, respiratória, número de leucócitos, neutró los, PCR. O objectivo é encontrar os factores que mais contribuem para a mortalidade hospitalar. Relativamente aos factores de Predisposição foi efectuada a regressão logística com os métodos stepwise e o método de selecção de variáveis LASSO. Este último método é particularmente importante quando estamos perante um grande número de variáveis explicativas, pois tem a vantagem de reduzir algumas das variáveis a zero, dependendo do valor do parâmetro que faz essa redução. O problema da selecção de variáveis permite decidir quais as variáveis a incluir no modelo de modo a obter um bom tradeo entre viés e variância. Isto leva-nos a um conjunto de variáveis mais parcimonioso e que esteja associado com a mortalidade hospitalar. Quanto às variáveis R, após análise estatística univariada e bivariada podemos chegar à conclusão de quais as variáveis que são signi cativamente diferentes entre os indivíduos que faleceram e que tiveram alta e de como variaram durante os dias de internamento na Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI). Dado que estamos perante dados longitudinais, esta primeira análise permitir-nos-á decidir qual a melhor metodologia a implementar. Conhecendo bem o comportamento das variáveis estamos em condições de, mais tarde desenvolver um modelo que nos permita construir um score PIRO.Sepsis a serious general infection, characterized by a systemic in ammatory response (referred to as Systemic In ammatory Response Syndrome), usually caused by the presence of an infectious agent in the bloodstream. The Sepsis has been identi ed in several epidemiological studies as being the leading cause of death in critically ill patients hospitalized in intensive care units. Sepsis can be systematized through the PIRO concept (predisposition, infection, response and organ dysfunction). There are factors likely to be important in each of the components PIRO. In this work we studied the factors P of predisposition, such as gender, age, chronic illness, comorbidities, and R factors of response, such as temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, leukocyte count, CRP. The aim is to nd the factors that most contribute to hospital mortality. As regards predisposing factors, logistic regression was performed with stepwise methods and variable selection method LASSO. The latter method is particularly important when we are dealing with a large number of explanatory variables; it has the advantage of shrink some of the variables to zero, depending on the value of the parameter that causes this shrinkage. The problem of variable selection allows you to decide which variables to include in the model to obtain a good tradeo between bias and variance. This leads us to a more parsimonious set of variables and is association with hospital mortality. As for the R variables, after univariate and bivariate statistical analysis we reach the conclusion which variables are signi cantly di erent between the patients who died and who went discharged and how was the variation of variables along the days of stay in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Since we are dealing with longitudinal data, this initial analysis will allow us to decide on the best methodology to implement. Knowing well the behavior of the variables we are able to later develop a model that allows us to build a PIRO score

Sustainable production of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Mediterranean region to support the European Green Deal

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) cultivation is an important economic activity in the Mediterranean region. Sporocarps from ECMF species such as Terfezia claveryi, Tuber melanosporum, Tuber aestivum and Lactarius delicious have been successfully culti- vated. Due to biotechnological advances, a considerable evolution in ECMF cultiva- tion techniques was observed in the last decade. New technologies and intensified Research and Development allow for a better understanding of the physiology of the plant-fungi symbioses and how climate change affects them. Studying forest manage- ment practices is also essential to optimise the natural production of ectomycorrhizal sporocarps and help develop sustainable production practices. This knowledge rev- ealed the importance of ECMF and their role in the rural bioeconomy and highlighted the need to establish sustainable cultivation practices. A successful example of ECMF cultivation is the production of Terfezia species, namely, Terfezia claveryi and Terfezia boudieri. Terfezia truffles are traditional delicacies with high socioeconomic relevance and numerous biotechnological applications. Furthermore, these Mediterranean native species are an important tool to develop the bioeconomy in rural areas by cre- ating new production strategies. Furthermore, exploiting these and other native Mediterranean species can promote sustainable practices in line with new European Green Deal strategies, such as the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the Climate Law. This work reviews ECMF cultivation practices and for- est management studies, presenting the case of Terfezia cultivation and how the sustainable production of wild and planted ECMF may contribute to achieving the European Green Deal objectives and to a more resilient Europe.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mathematics self-efficacy in the education of youngsters and adults: Vanda’s case

Literature has pointed out, for at least two decades, that the perceptions about one’s own competency influence the motivation to learn and the school achievement. However, in the case of the Education for Youngsters and Adults (EJA), the beliefs and emotions related to the students’ own self-perceptions as learners, especially as Mathematics learners, have not been given proper attention. In this article, we present a case study whose purpose was to investigate possible mobilizations of the Mathematics self-efficacy beliefs by an EJA student throughout the development of Mathematics tasks, which were created based on a theoretical framework. The research – from the development of the activities through the analysis – was based on Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, in particular, on the concept of self-efficacy. For seven months, we collected data through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, the researchers’ field journal, and video recordings of a few Mathematics class of a high school class at a public school, in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The results showed strong evidence of mobilization of the self-efficacy beliefs on Vanda’s behalf. However, albeit there has been observed more persistence by the student when carrying out her activities, her more active and autonomous participation, as well as her self-confidence and emotional well-being, it was also verified that the student’s behaviour, feelings, and perceptions under evaluative situations evinced a slight change with regards to controlling negative emotions in those situations. In spite of being a single case, this work contributes to shed light on the Mathematics self-efficacy beliefs held by EJA students, as well as on the teacher’s role in the process

"Mens sana in corpore sano" : the concept of health and illness in colorectal cancer patients

"Colorectal cancer is the most frequent cancer in Portugal. As such, the present research project studied colostomies patients, with temporary or definitive stoma so as to examine the internalized imago of ‘healthy person’ and ‘sick person’. A descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative methodological strategy was carried out. Our sample comprised 46 ostomy individuals of both sexes, aged between 36 and 91 years. All participants answered to a brief socio-demographic and clinic survey and to a protocol that involved producing a pictorial representation of a healthy and sick person and provide a written answer on these concepts. The results shown that patients resort to a projective identification mechanism and attest to a connection between being healthy and being young, whereas the ‘sick person’ is often represented in rigid postures. Ostomies and related prosthetics were but rarely depicted, which may point towards an unconscious and concealed denial of the body amputation experienced by the participants. Our findings can be used as indicators for post medical treatment care, and further lead to the implementation of strategies that can better prepare colorectal cancer survivors for the meaning of the changes – physic and symbolic losses – that they experience."info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio