Parametrical design tool and the production of technical data for superadobe domes

O interesse em construir domos de superadobe (também conhecido como sacos de terra compactada) tem aumentado desde que se tem desenvolvido uma consciência mundial em prol de uma sobrevivência sustentável para o equilíbrio do planeta. O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é desenvolver uma ferramenta paramétrica que ajude os arquitetos a criar modelos virtuais de domos de superadobe, na fase de estudos de criação e construção. Este desafio foi abordado pela adoção de uma metodologia experimental que explora o desenho gerativo paramétrico, com o uso de uma linguagem de programação visual (VPL). Neste artigo apresentamos o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta para a fase de idealização que é capaz de antecipar os quantitativos da obra. Embora a ferramenta não funcione em ambiente BIM, o modelo gerativo produz informações técnicas de saída destinadas a informar a obra relativamente a condições técnicas e quantidades de material. A usabilidade da ferramenta foi validada com uma amostra aleatória internacional de especialistas.The interest in earthbag dome construction (also known as earthbag or superadobe) has been increasing as world consciousness develops to achieve the planet’s equilibrium for sustainable living. The main objective of this research is to develop a parametric tool to help architects modeling virtual earthbag domes from ideation to construction phase. This challenge has been addressed by adopting an experimental methodology that explores parametric generative design with the use of a visual programming language (VPL). In this paper we present the development of a tool for the ideation level including features that allow for the calculation of material quantification. Even thought, the tool does not work in a Building Information Modeling environment, the generative model outputs technical information to support construction, namely material quantities. The usability of the tool was validated by a random international sample of experts

Aplicação da norma ISO 55000 na gestão de ativos de um empreendimento de ecoturismo

Este trabalho surge no âmbito da dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Eletrotécnica e de Computadores - Sistemas e Automação, procurando explorar a viabilidade económica e técnica do conceito Solar & Aqua Resort – Ecoturismo, em Portugal. O principal objetivo é investigar os potenciais de implementação da análise e avaliação de gestão de ativos num caso de resorts autossuficientes em áreas rurais, utilizando recursos naturais renováveis. Inclui também um olhar para as potencialidades relacionadas com a gestão de ativos como uma filosofia de gestão nomeadamente considerando os seguintes aspetos: 1) conduzir uma revisão da literatura sobre gestão de ativos e o padrão ISO relacionado; 2) analisar se a gestão de ativos é adequada à indústria de painéis solares e ao ecoturismo; 3) avaliar se uma política de operações integradas poderia melhorar ainda mais a abordagem integrada de gestão de ativos; 4) analisar se a ISO 55001:2014 oferece perspetivas que não estão bem desenvolvidas pelos vários stakeholders num ambiente empresarial português de ecoturismo; 5) realizar uma análise estratégica SWOT de estudo de requisitos em relação à aplicação da norma ISO 55001:2014; 6) apresentar recomendações para o desenvolvimento de boas práticas na gestão de ativos em resorts e empreendimentos visando a sustentabilidade. A força da norma ISO 55001:2014 é que ela amplia a perspetiva de gerir, pois há um grande foco na gestão dos ativos que fornecem como único foco a renda real, em vez de apenas gerir a qualidade do produto final. Ao longo do trabalho desta tese, tornou-se evidente que as organizações que operam na indústria da energia limpa e ecoturismo, realmente, precisam de considerar a adoção da disciplina de gerir ativos de uma forma integrada, baseada numa gestão de riscos sustentada. Além disso, reconhece-se que o conceito de Operações Integradas certamente oferece a oportunidade de uma gestão melhorada na administração de ativos em qualquer organização. Esta tese contribuiu para a melhor compreensão da gestão de ativos de acordo com as normas ISO 55001:2014 na indústria das energias renováveis, em especial, com aplicação no sector ecoturístico em Portugal. Simultaneamente, visa ajudar a criar uma base para os gestores na tarefa de implementação de um sistema de gestão de ativos a partir dos requisitos encontrados no normativo da ISO 55001:2014. Permite assim ao gestor, ter uma visão dos desafios internos e das principais áreas de melhoria para uma organização do setor turístico. Em acréscimo é apresentada uma proposta de planeamento energético em conformidade com a legislação energética nacional em vigor.This work is part of the Master 's thesis on Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems and Automation, seeking to explore the economic and technical viability of the Solar & Aqua Resort - Ecotourism concept in Portugal. The main objective is to investigate the potential for the implementation of asset management analysis and assessment in a case of selfsufficient resorts in rural areas using renewable natural resources. It also includes a look at the potentialities related to asset management as a management philosophy namely considering the following aspects: 1) a literature review on asset management and related ISO standard; 2) analysis whether asset management is suitable for the solar panel industry and ecotourism; 3) assessment of an integrated operations policy´s ability to improve the integrated approach to asset management; 4) analysis as to whether ISO 55001:2014 provides perspectives that are not well met by the various stakeholders in an environment; 5) presentation of a strategic SWOT analysis of requirements to the application of ISO 55001:2014; 6) and to state recommendations for the development of good practices in the management of assets in resorts and enterprises aiming at sustainability. The strength of the ISO 55001:2014 standard is that it broadens the management perspective, as there is a strong focus on asset management that provides the sole focus on real income, rather than just managing the quality of the product. Throughout the work of this thesis, it has become clear that organizations operating in the clean energy and ecotourism industry really need to consider adopting the discipline of managing assets in an integrated manner, based on sustained risk management. In addition, it is recognized that the Integrated Operations concept certainly offers the opportunity for improved asset management in any organization. This thesis will contribute to a better understanding of asset management in accordance with ISO 55001:2014 standards in the renewable energy industry, especially with application in the ecotourism sector in Portugal. At the same time, it aims to help create a basis for managers who are implementing an asset management system based on the requirements found in ISO 55001:2014. It allows the manager to have a view of the internal challenges and the main areas of improvement for an organization of the tourist sector. In addition, a proposal for energy planning is presented in accordance with the national energy legislation

Administração pública eletrónica: contributo para a conceção do projecto Vistoria na hora

Porque a informação é central na administração, os recursos para geri-la e a forma como são usados são preponderantes nos resultados e nos valores que as organizações alcançam e prosseguem. No âmbito de um processo de modernização administrativa da Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV), propõe-se uma iniciativa de administração pública eletrónica – o projeto Vistoria na hora. Este projeto consiste na utilização de tecnologias de informação nas vistorias aos estabelecimentos do setor alimentar, bem como na desconcentração administrativa, com vista ao aumento da eficiência, ao reforço da eficácia e à melhoria da qualidade dos controlos oficiais. Se for bem-sucedido, o projeto reforçará a autoridade e a competência da DGAV, capacitando-a para a prestação de um serviço melhor aos operadores económicos e aos consumidores. Para dar resposta aos variados desafios que a conceção do projeto enfrentou, foi definida uma estratégia metodológica que combinou a constituição de um painel de peritos, a elaboração de um inquérito aos operadores e a realização de três focus groups com colaboradores da DGAV. O resultado é uma proposta estruturada em cinco dimensões: uma aplicação web, um computador híbrido, uma alteração organizacional de desconcentração administrativa, uma metodologia de monitorização de desempenho e uma estratégia de comunicação

Comparative Proteome Analysis of Cryopreserved Flagella and Head Plasma Membrane Proteins from Sea Bream Spermatozoa: Effect of Antifreeze Proteins

Palabras clave extraídas del título[EN] Cryopreservation induces injuries to fish spermatozoa that in turn affect sperm quality in terms of fertilization ability, motility, DNA and protein integrity and larval survival. To reduce the loss of sperm quality due to freezing-thawing, it is necessary to improve these procedures. In the present study we investigated the ability of two antifreeze proteins (AFPI and AFPIII) to reduce the loss of quality of sea bream spermatozoa due to cryopreservation. To do so, we compared viability, motility, straight-line velocity and curvilinear velocity of fresh and (AFPs)-cryopreserved spermatozoa. AFPIII addition to cryopreservation medium improved viability, motility and straight-line velocity with respect to DMSO or DMSO plus AFPI. To clarify the molecular mechanism(s) underlying these findings, the protein profile of two different cryopreserved sperm domains, flagella and head plasma membranes, was analysed. The protein profiles differed between fresh and frozen-thawed semen and results of the image analysis demonstrated that, after cryopreservation, out of 270 proteins 12 were decreased and 7 were increased in isolated flagella, and out of 150 proteins 6 showed a significant decrease and 4 showed a significant increase in head membranes. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 6 proteins (4 from isolated flagella and 2 present both in flagella and head plasma membranes) within the protein spots affected by the freezing-thawing procedure. 3 out of 4 proteins from isolated flagella were involved in the sperm bioenergetic system. Our results indicate that the ability of AFPIII to protect sea bream sperm quality can be, at least in part, ascribed to reducing changes in the sperm protein profile occurring during the freezing-thawing procedure. Our results clearly demonstrated that AFPIII addition to cryopreservation medium improved the protection against freezing respect to DMSO or DMSO plus AFPI. In addition we propose specific proteins of spermatozoa as markers related to the procedures of fish sperm cryopreservationSIThis work was supported by Apulia Region (Italy) under the program between the Apulia Region and the University of Salento. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Predictors of cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Copyright © 2023 Bandeira, Dourado, Melo, Martins, Fraga, Ferraro, Saraiva, Sousa, Parente, Soares, Correia, Almeida, Dinis, Pinto, Oliveira Pinheiro, Rato, Beirão, Samões, Santos, Mazeda, Chícharo, Faria, Neto, Lourenço, Brites, Rodrigues, Silva-Dinis, Dias, Araújo, Martins, Couto, Valido, Santos, Barreira, Fonseca and Campanilho-Marques. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Objectives: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a group of rare disorders that can affect the heart. This work aimed to find predictors of cardiac involvement in IIM. Methods: Multicenter, open cohort study, including patients registered in the IIM module of the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register (Reuma.pt/Myositis) until January 2022. Patients without cardiac involvement information were excluded. Myo(peri)carditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, conduction abnormalities, and/or premature coronary artery disease were considered. Results: 230 patients were included, 163 (70.9%) of whom were females. Thirteen patients (5.7%) had cardiac involvement. Compared with IIM patients without cardiac involvement, these patients had a lower bilateral manual muscle testing score (MMT) at the peak of muscle weakness [108.0 ± 55.0 vs 147.5 ± 22.0, p=0.008] and more frequently had oesophageal [6/12 (50.0%) vs 33/207 (15.9%), p=0.009] and lung [10/13 (76.9%) vs 68/216 (31.5%), p=0.001] involvements. Anti-SRP antibodies were more commonly identified in patients with cardiac involvement [3/11 (27.3%) vs 9/174 (5.2%), p=0.026]. In the multivariate analysis, positivity for anti-SRP antibodies (OR 104.3, 95% CI: 2.5-4277.8, p=0.014) was a predictor of cardiac involvement, regardless of sex, ethnicity, age at diagnosis, and lung involvement. Sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. Conclusion: Anti-SRP antibodies were predictors of cardiac involvement in our cohort of IIM patients, irrespective of demographical characteristics and lung involvement. We suggest considering frequent screening for heart involvement in anti-SRP-positive IIM patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Search for heavy resonances decaying to two Higgs bosons in final states containing four b quarks

A search is presented for narrow heavy resonances X decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (H) in proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1). The search considers HH resonances with masses between 1 and 3 TeV, having final states of two b quark pairs. Each Higgs boson is produced with large momentum, and the hadronization products of the pair of b quarks can usually be reconstructed as single large jets. The background from multijet and t (t) over bar events is significantly reduced by applying requirements related to the flavor of the jet, its mass, and its substructure. The signal would be identified as a peak on top of the dijet invariant mass spectrum of the remaining background events. No evidence is observed for such a signal. Upper limits obtained at 95 confidence level for the product of the production cross section and branching fraction sigma(gg -> X) B(X -> HH -> b (b) over barb (b) over bar) range from 10 to 1.5 fb for the mass of X from 1.15 to 2.0 TeV, significantly extending previous searches. For a warped extra dimension theory with amass scale Lambda(R) = 1 TeV, the data exclude radion scalar masses between 1.15 and 1.55 TeV

Measurement of the top quark mass using charged particles in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

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Measurement of associated W plus charm production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

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