Generalized Chaplygin gas with α=0\alpha = 0 and the ΛCDM\Lambda CDM cosmological model

The generalized Chaplygin gas model is characterized by the equation of state $p = - \frac{A}{\rho^\alpha}$. It is generally stated that the case $\alpha = 0$ is equivalent to a model with cosmological constant and dust ($\Lambda CDM$). In this work we show that, if this is true for the background equations, this is not true for the perturbation equations. Hence, the mass spectrum predicted for both models may differ.Comment: Latex file, 4 pages, 2 figures in eps forma

Goldenhar syndrome: a rare diagnosis with possible prenatal findings

Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital disease associated with hemifacial hypoplasia as well as ear and ocular defects. Sometimes it is also associated with vertebral and other bone defects, cardiac malformations and central nervous system anomalies. Its aetiology is not yet clarified in the literature. We present a case of multiple malformations detected in the morphology ultrasound (at 22 weeks of gestation), namely absent nasal bones, micrognathia and absent left radius, among other defects. Genetic counselling, fetal brain MRI and cardiac sonography, which showed ventricular septal defect, were performed. 11 syndromes with poor fetal or neonatal prognosis were identified as possible diagnosis, using a genetic database and the couple asked for a medical termination of pregnancy. Postmortem examination has shown features consistent with Goldenhar syndrome

Electrochemical treatment of effluent for the removal of contaminants of emergent concern and culturable microorganisms

project CEMOWAS2 (SOE2/P5/F0505) UIDB/04085/2020 CEECIND/04210/2017The present work aims to study the electrochemical (EC) process applied for the removal of contaminants of emergent concern (CECs) from wastewater after secondary treatment and the effect of the process on the total culturable microorganisms. The EC experiments were performed in a cylindrical open reactor with 500 mL of effluent, and a fixed current density of 8 mA/cm² was applied through mixed metal oxide electrodes. The experiments were conducted in different sets. In the first round (Set 1), the effluent sample was spiked with three CECs (200 ppb each): Caffeine (CAF), carbamazepine (CBZ), and oxybenzone (OXY). For the best treatment period, 6 h, electrodegradation rates ranged from 41 ± 7% for CAF to 95 ± 6% for OXY, with an 87% removal of total culturable microorganisms. In the second round (Set 2), aiming to assess EC process efficiency in a more complex CEC mixture, the effluent was spiked with six more CECs (200 ppb each): Diclofenac (DCF), triclosan (TCS), bisphenol A (BPA), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and ibuprofen (IBU), giving a total of nine CECs. In this case, the EC process allowed decreasing the CEC content by 19-100% (below the limit of detection), depending on the effluent samples, and the culturable microorganisms by 99.98% after a 6 h treatment. By contributing to CEC degradation and microorganism removal, the EC process proved to be a viable remediation and disinfection technology for secondary effluent from wastewater treatment plants.publishersversionpublishe

Therapeutic collaboration and resistance: describing the nature and quality of the therapeutic relationship within ambivalence events using the therapeutic collaboration coding system

We understand ambivalence as a cyclical movement between two opposing parts of the self. The emergence of a novel part produces an innovative moment, challenging the current maladaptive self-narrative. However, the novel part is subsequently attenuated by a return to the maladaptive self-narrative. This study focused on the analysis of the therapeutic collaboration in episodes in which a relatively poor-outcome client in narrative therapy expressed ambivalence. Method: For our analysis we used the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System, developed to assess whether and how the therapeutic dyad is working within the therapeutic zone of proximal development (TZPD). Results: Results showed that when the therapist challenged the client after the emergence of ambivalence, the client tended to invalidate (reject or ignore) the therapist’s intervention. Conclusions: This suggests that in such ambivalence episodes the therapist did not match the client’s developmental level, and by working outside the TZPD unintentionally contributed to the maintaining the client’s ambivalence

Design of a learning environment for embedded system

Embedded systems have an everyday presence and direct impact in our lives. Therefore, Universities are continuously improving their courses in microprocessor and embedded programming. Although the diversity of curriculums, the availability of learning tools, where the student can practice and improve their skills, is a key factor to the success of the learning process. The platform developed and presented in this paper results from author’s experience in teaching embedded systems. From the analysis of teaching/learning needs, a learning environment based on the MSP430 family was designed. This tool can be expanded by modules and adjusted, at a specific time, to student's real needs. All modules can be interconnected by an I2C bus, allowing to expand the capabilities of the platform. The developed modules allow the practice of subjects related with digital IO, analog interface, user interface, wireless communications, and energy management and conservation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ambivalence in emotion-focused therapy for depression: the maintenance of problematically dominant self-narratives

Objective: Ambivalence can be understood as a cyclical movement between an emerging narrative novelty—an Innovative Moment (IM)—and a return to a problematically dominant self-narrative. The return implies that the IM, with its potential for change is devalued right after its emergence. Our goal is to test the hypothesis that the probability of the client expressing such form of ambivalence decreases across treatment in good-outcome cases but not in poor-outcome cases. Method: Return-to-the-Problem Markers (RPMs) signaling moments of devaluation of IMs were coded in passages containing IMs in six clients with major depression treated with emotion-focused therapy: three good-outcome cases and three poor-outcome cases. Results: The percentage of IMs with RPMs decreased across therapy in good-outcome cases, whereas it remained unchanged and high in the poor-outcome cases. Conclusions: These results were consistent with the theoretical suggestion that therapeutic failure may be associated with this form of ambivalence.Obiettivo: L'ambivalenza può essere considerata come un movimento ciclico tra un nuovo elemento narrativo emergente - Innovative Moment (IM) - e il ritorno ad una auto-narrazione problematica dominante. Il ritorno implica che il IM perde il proprio potenziale di favorire un cambiamento nel momento in cui emerge. Il nostro obiettivo è quello di verificare l'ipotesi che la probabilità che il paziente possa esprimere tale forma di ambivalenza diminuisce nel corso di un trattamento che ha un buon esito, ma non nei casi con esito negativo. Metodo: in sei pazienti affetti da depressione maggiore trattati con terapia focalizzata sulle emozioni, sono stati codificati i passaggi contenenti IM utilizzando il Return-to-the-Problem Markers (RPMs) che segnala i passaggi in cui IM vengono svalutati: tre casi con buon esito e tre con esito negativo. Risultati: La percentuale di IM con gli RPM diminuiva nel corso delle terapie dei casi con buon esito, mentre è rimasto invariato ed elevato nei casi con scarso esito. Conclusioni: Questi risultati sono coerenti con il presupposto teorico che il fallimento terapeutico possa essere associato a questa forma di ambivalenza.Objetivo: A ambivalência pode ser entendida como um movimento cíclico entre uma novidade narrativa emergente – um Momento de Inovação (MI) – e um retorno à narrativa problemática dominante. O retorno implica que o MI, com o seu potencial para a mudança, seja desvalorizado logo após a sua emergência. O nosso objetivo é testar a hipótese de que a probabilidade do cliente expressar tal forma de ambivalência diminui ao longo do tratamento em casos de sucesso mas não em casos de insucesso terapêutico. Método: Marcadores de Retorno ao Problema (MRP) que assinalam momentos de desvalorização dos MIs foram codificados em passagens contendo MIs em seis casos de clientes com depressão major tratados com terapia focada nas emoções: três casos de sucesso e três casos de insucesso. Conclusões: Estes resultados foram consistentes com as sugestões teóricas de que o insucesso terapêutico poderá estar associado a esta forma de ambivalência.Ziel: Ambivalenz kann als zyklische Bewegung zwischen einer emergenten narrativen Neuheit – einem Innovative Moment (IM) – und einer Rückkehr zu einer problematischen dominanten Selbst-Erzählung verstanden werden. Diese Rückkehr impliziert, dass der IM mit seinem Potential für Veränderung direkt nach seinem Auftauchen abgewertet wird. Unser Ziel ist die Hypothese zu testen, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass der Klient eine solche Form der Ambivalenz zeigt, bei Fällen mit gutem Therapieergebnis über die Behandlung abnimmt, aber nicht in Fällen mit schlechtem Ergebnis. Methode: Rückkehr-zu-dem-Problem Marker (RPMs), die Momente signalisieren, in denen IMs abgewertet werden, wurden in Passagen, die IMs beinhalten, von sechs Klienten mit Major Depression, die mit emotionsfokussierter Therapie behandelt wurden, kodiert: 3 Fälle mit gutem und 3 Fälle mit schlechtem Therapieergebnis. Ergebnisse: Der Prozentsatz von IMs mit RPMs verringerte sich bei Fällen mit gutem Ergebnis über die Therapie hinweg, wohingegen er in den Fällen mit schlechtem Ergebnis unverändert und hoch blieb. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse waren mit dem theoretischen Vorschlag konsistent, dass therapeutischer Misserfolg mit dieser Form der Ambivalenz assoziiert ist.目標：矛盾可以視為是種擺盪在新產生的新穎敘說—創意時刻(IM)—和回復到一種有問題的支配性自我敘說之間的循環動作。回復意味著潛藏改變契機的IM，其價值在出現後即被摒棄。我們的目標是檢視以下假設的可能性：「在具良好成效的案例中，案主在治療歷程中表達這種形式的矛盾會降低；而在不良成效的案例中則否」。方法：在六位具有嚴重憂鬱症患者的IM段落中，找到顯示IM價值降低時刻的故態復萌標記（RPMs）並加以編碼。這六位患者均接受情緒焦點治療，其中三位為具良好成效案例，另外三位為不良成效案例。結果：在具良好成效案例中，IM當中具有RPM的比率降低；而在不良成效的案例中，RPM的比率維持不變或更高。結論：此結果與理論假設一致，即假設治療的失敗可能與這種形式的矛盾有關

The role of mutual in-feeding in maintaining problematic self-narratives: exploring one path to therapeutic failure

According to the author’s narrative model of change, clients may maintain a problematic self-stability across therapy, leading to therapeutic failure, by a mutual in-feeding process, which involves a cyclical movement between two opposing parts of the self. During innovative moments (IMs) in the therapy dialogue, clients’ dominant self-narrative is interrupted by exceptions to that self-narrative, but subsequently the dominant self-narrative returns. The authors identified return-to-the-problem markers (RPMs), which are empirical indicators of the mutual in-feeding process, in passages containing IMs in 10 cases of narrative therapy (five good-outcome cases and five poor-outcome cases) with females who were victims of intimate violence. The poor-outcome group had a significantly higher percentage of IMs with RPMs than the good-outcome group. The results suggest that therapeutic failures may reflect a systematic return to a dominant self-narrative after the emergence of novelties (IMs