DE LA CSR-CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY A LA RSO-RESPONSABILITE SOCIALE DES ORGANISATIONS. QUELQUES APPORTS A LA REFLEXION

This paper presents the actual situation regarding to corporate responsibility concept. There are presented here the fundamental elements concerning to the history and evolution of this concept and the social, economical and political benefits generated by the practical use of it. Also the paper presents and analyzes this concept from perspective of Groupe de Paris organization and E.U..corporate social responsibility, durable development,

Spatial multicriteria decision analysis tools applied to urban consolidation in low density areas

The urbanization process in Portugal has led to an extensive and discontinuous growth of urban areas. This phenomenon is present in both metropolitan areas, with prevalence of an extensive urban development model, as in low density areas where urban growth follows is more discontinuous and scattered. This urban growth model has major impacts in the increase of urban infrastructures costs, energy inefficiency, CO2 emissions associated with the mobility as in the decrease of productive and natural resource areas. To reverse this trend, urban planners need to develop methods for selecting new urban suitable areas, that integrate new objectives and different criteria that promote urban consolidation. These objectives are commonly conflicting and the complexity and spatial nature associated with this processes justifies the use of GIS-multicriteria decision analysis methods (GIS-MCDA). This paper presents a method that uses a GIS-MCDA system and integrates economic, social and environmental objectives for defining new urban areas in the city of Vila Real. The results demonstrate that the consideration of new criteria and objectives derive more consolidated solutions for urban expansion.Peer Reviewe

Influence of joint slippage on the seismic response of steel frames

The present paper presents an evaluation of the influence of joint slippage on the seismic response of steel frames. Using three alternative hysteretic joint models to simulate the connections of a representative low-rise steel frame, and a series of dynamic time-history analyses for a typical seismic record, it is found that slippage affects the response of the structure and should be allowed for in design

Allergy approach to a dog population from a veterinary dermatology consultation at the tropical inland city of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

Background: Prevalence of allergy in dogs is also increasing associated with better living conditions and medical care. Indoor life is more often related to mite and mold sensitization and allergy, while an outdoor environment would favor a pollinic response with seasonal worsening. On the other hand, food allergy tends to present as a perennial condition. The particular frame of a tropical climate may in turn introduce environmental factors associated either with the concentration of available airborne allergens or skin barrier conditions. This study aimed to characterize the allergy frame of a dog population attending the State University of Londrina and Veterinary Clinics Life Space dermatology outpatient consultation, situated in the tropical inland region of Paraná, Brazil. Methods: A 111 allergic patient population (60 males and 51 females) was selected by clinical evaluation and submitted to food allergy restriction measures from 2015 to 2018. Thirty five patients (33.3%) belonged to predisposed breeds, 74.8% were indoor and 25.2% outdoor. Results: First signs started between 1-3 years of age in 55% of the patients and after the 3 years in 45%. Several comorbidities were found in 47.5% of the 1-3 years group and in 60% of the above group. Atopic dermatitis (AD) was diagnosed in 90.9% and food allergy (FA) in 23.7%, with 12.6% of simultaneous AD+FA. Malassezia overgrowth (MO) was diagnosed in 49.6% of the patients, mostly in the AD group. Flea allergy dermatitis was simultaneously diagnosed in 14.4% of the patients and otitis and conjunctivitis in 36% and 18.9%, respectively. Skin barrier disruption with seborrhea was diagnosed in 59% of the patients. The fourth version of the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-4) showed 13.5%, 33.3% and 53.2% of Light, Moderate and Severe scores, respectively, and pretty similar in the group of predisposed-breeds. Positive correlation was found between CADESI-4 scores and FA (p=0.03), seborrhea (p<0.00001), MO (p=0.00003) and otitis (p=0.01). Malassezia overgrowth correlated positively with indoor living (p=0.02) and otitis (p<0.00001) despite 29% of MO without otitis. Simultaneous flea allergy correlated negatively with MO (p=0.0079), otitis (p=0.001) and conjunctivitis (p<0.00001). Conclusion: A clear clinical worsening trend was found associated with seborrhea, FA, indoor living and otitis and MO in this tropical population. Malassezia overgrowth is probably more severe in this wet tropical environment

Comportamento sísmico de ligações metálicas: influência na resposta dinâmica de estruturas metálicas

Tem-se verificado nas últimas décadas a ocorrência de grande actividade sísmica em diversas zonas do globo, causando inúmeros danos, quer materiais quer humanos. A competitividade da construção metálica e mista, nomeadamente nestas zonas, requer a apresentação e o estudo de soluções que demonstrem claramente o bom desempenho estrutural. Sabendo-se a importância das ligações no comportamento das estruturas metálicas e mistas, avalia-se a resposta sísmica de três estruturas metálicas, duas planas e uma tridimensional, a partir de análises não lineares. As estruturas estudadas consistem num primeiro pórtico bidimensional, mais baixo (2x5), um pórtico bidimensional, mais alto (2x5), e por fim um pórtico tridimensional (4x5x8), considerando sempre o comportamento histerético das ligações. Para dimensionar e avaliar o desempenho sísmico deste tipo de estruturas recorreu-se a dois procedimentos diferentes: análise estática não linear e análise dinâmica não linear. Os resultados obtidos por ambas as análises foram comparados, quer em termos de deslocamentos horizontais, quer em termos de deformações nas ligações.Agradece-se o suporte financeiro concedido pela Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia através do programa PRODEP III (5.3), a Pedro Nogueiro, da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia através do projecto POCTI/ECM/55783/2004, do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional, programa INTERREG-III-A através do projecto RTCT-B-Z/SP2.P18, assim como toda a assistência prestada pela Seismosoft (http://www.seismosoft.com)

Numerical implementation and calibration of a hysteretic model for cyclic response of end-plate beam-to-column steel joints under arbitrary cyclic loading

This work presents the implementation and calibration of Modified Richard-Abbott model for cyclic response of four end-plate beam-to-column steel joints under arbitrary cyclic loading. The joints parameters are found and the comparison between the analytical hysteretic results and the experimental hysteretic results is made, as well as the hysteretic energy dissipated evaluated for each cycle and obtained for both type of analyses.Financial support from the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) under contract grants from PRODEP III (5.3), for Pedro Nogueiro, Foundation of Science and Technology through POCI/ECM/55783/2004 and FEDER through INTERREG-III-A (project RTCT-B-Z-/SP2.P18) is gratefully acknowledged

No inequalities in survival from colorectal cancer by education and socioeconomic deprivation - a population-based study in the North Region of Portugal, 2000-2002.

BACKGROUND: Association between cancer survival and socioeconomic status has been reported in various countries but it has never been studied in Portugal. We aimed here to study the role of education and socioeconomic deprivation level on survival from colorectal cancer in the North Region of Portugal using a population-based cancer registry dataset. METHODS: We analysed a cohort of patients aged 15-84 years, diagnosed with a colorectal cancer in the North Region of Portugal between 2000 and 2002. Education and socioeconomic deprivation level was assigned to each patient based on their area of residence. We measured socioeconomic deprivation using the recently developed European Deprivation Index. Net survival was estimated using Pohar-Perme estimator and age-adjusted excess hazard ratios were estimated using parametric flexible models. Since no deprivation-specific life tables were available, we performed a sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of the results to life tables adjusted for education and socioeconomic deprivation level. RESULTS: A total of 4,105 cases were included in the analysis. In male patients (56.3 %), a pattern of worse 5- and 10-year net survival in the less educated (survival gap between extreme education groups: -7 % and -10 % at 5 and 10 years, respectively) and more deprived groups (survival gap between extreme EDI groups: -5 % both at 5 and 10 years) was observed when using general life tables. No such clear pattern was found among female patients. In both sexes, when likely differences in background mortality by education or deprivation were accounted for in the sensitivity analysis, any differences in net survival between education or deprivation groups vanished. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that observed differences in survival by education and EDI level are most likely attributable to inequalities in background survival. Also, it confirms the importance of using the relevant life tables and of performing sensitivity analysis when evaluating socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival. Comparison studies of different healthcare systems organization should be performed to better understand its influence on cancer survival inequalities

Chestnut health monitoring by aerial photographs obtained by unnamed aerial vehicle

A doença da tinta (Phytophthora cinnamomi) e o cancro (Cryphonectria parasitica) são as doenças que causam mais danos ao castanheiro europeu (Castanea sativa). Decorridas duas décadas, após a introdução do cancro do castanheiro em Portugal, a hipovirulência começou a observar-se nalguns locais. A população dessas estirpes caracteriza-se pela baixa diversidade em termos de grupos de compatibilidade. Em Portugal muitas das sub-populações pertencem apenas ao grupo EU-11, que aparece somente nalguns locais em Itália. O sucesso dos tratamentos contra o cancro através da hipovirulência depende da forma como a população do fungo se estende na área que se pretende tratar. Neste estudo é apresentada uma alternativa para monitorizar a sanidade de castanhais, através da realização de voos aerofotogramétricos com veículo aéreo não tripulado. Para a monitorização da área tratada e também avaliar o declínio do castanheiro, realizaram-se voos aerofotogramétricos, que abrangem 231 ha. Para o voo foi usado o Veículo Aéreo Não Tripulado (UAV) eBee da Sensefly. Obtiveram-se fotografias aéreas policromadas e de infravermelho próximo (NIR), que foram comparadas com imagens de 2006. Verificou-se que apesar das novas plantações (11%), a área de coberto pelo castanheiro sofreu uma regressão, pois em 129 ha (56%) a condição dos soutos piorou. Grande parte do declínio deve-se aos agentes bióticos, o que pode ser comprovado com observações de campo

CAMBADA@Home: deteção e seguimento de humanos

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrónica e TelecomunicaçõesEste trabalho apresenta uma abordagem ao problema da deteção e seguimento de humanos, usando uma câmara RGB-D. Existem soluções propostas para este tipo de problema, no entanto, algumas são baseadas em técnicas de extração de fundo ou outras e, como tal, necessitam que a câmara se encontre numa posição estacionária. Com o sistema proposto, a deteção e seguimento podem ser desempenhadas enquanto a câmara se move, em tempo real. O objetivo deste projeto é a implementação de um sistema de deteção e seguimento de pessoas para o robô de serviço CAMBADA@Home, permitindo assim o desenvolvimento de futuras aplicações na área da interação humano-robô. O sistema aqui descrito permite realizar deteção, classificação e monitorização de múltiplas pessoas. Na primeira etapa, regiões de interesse (ROIs) são segmentadas através da análise do histograma da imagem de profundidade seguido da utilização de um algoritmo de preenchimento. Na etapa seguinte, cada região é classificada como humana ou não-humana através de uma técnica de correspondência de modelos, baseada no algoritmo de descida de gradiantes RPROP, com suporte para múltiplos modelos. A terceira e última etapa permite a monitorização de várias pessoas, através de um método de atribuição de identificadores únicos baseado em comparação de histogramas, assim como estimação de pose e localização. Os resultados obtidos em ambiente não controlado são encorajadores, com altas taxas de deteção, e, em geral, os algoritmos de estimação de pose e localização são executados como esperado. Para além disto, o projeto CAMBADA@Home foi premiado com o primeiro lugar no Desafio Free Bots, que teve lugar durante o campeonato nacional de robótica, Robótica 2013, onde o robô provou ser capaz de executar rondas autónomas num ambiente desconhecido enquanto detetava e monitorizava pessoas com as quais se cruzava.This work presents an approach to the people detection and tracking problem, using an RGB-D camera. While there are already solutions for this problem, some are based on background extraction techniques or other, which require the camera to be in a stationary position. With the proposed method, detection and tracking can be performed while the camera is moving, in real time. The aim of this project is the implementation of a people detection and tracking system for the CAMBADA@Home service robot, enabling the development of further human-robot interaction applications. The system here described enables object detection, classi cation and multiple person tracking. In the rst stage, regions of interest (ROIs) are segmented through the analysis of the depth image histogram and using a ood ll algorithm. On the next stage, each region is classi ed as human or not-human using a template matching technique, based on the RPROP gradient descent algorithm, with support for multiple templates. The third and last stage enables the tracking for multiple persons, using a unique identi cation assignment method based on histogram comparison, as well as pose and location estimation. The results obtained in unconstrained environments are encouraging, with high detection rates, and, in general, the algorithms for pose and location estimation perform as expected. Furthermore the CAMBADA@Home project has been awarded with the rst place in the Free Bots Challenge, which took place on the Rob otica 2013 robotics national championship, where the robot was proven to be capable of performing autonomous tours in an unknown environment while at the same time detecting and tracking people it came across

ARTE, TÉCNICA e (IN)VISIBILIDADE DO CORPO - Os desafios da apropriação artística da imagiologia médica

A presente dissertação é o resultado de uma reflexão que pretende discutir os modos de compreensão da estética associada ao uso das imagens médicas produzidas pelos modernos meios de análise (imagens de ressonância magnética, tomografia axial computorizada e raio-X), abordando o modo como a apropriação artística dessas imagens materializa e reflete a transgressão da fronteira exterior/interior. Pretende verificar também os conceitos estéticos associados à mecânica da apropriação artística das imagens e a forma como se centram, nalguns casos, na manipulação e na ênfase dada a imagens sobre deficiências, anomalias e disfunções do organismo e, em segundo lugar, discutir questões que o uso destas imagens como objetos culturais suscitam, a saber: a democratização que a divulgação das imagens trouxe à implementação e distribuição dos meios médicos; a capacidade de olhar ou contemplar o interior do homem e os seus órgãos, na doença e na cura, da mesma forma que se contempla o seu exterior. Nesse sentido, analisamos essa apropriação artística da imagiologia relacionando-a com a sociedade moderna, a um tempo mais transparente e visível e mais complexa na sua dissecação, abordando a alteração do ponto de vista do “olhar fotográfico” para o “olhar algorítmico” e o desenvolvimento técnico associado à arte, nas suas vertentes estéticas, antropológicas e sociológicasThis dissertation discusses the ways of understanding aesthetics, as associated to the use of medical images produced by modern diagnostic medical equipment (magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography and x-rays) and examines the extent to which the artistic appropriation of those images materializes the disease or the cure in the point of the view of rupture and transgression of the inner/outer borders. It also analyses the aesthetic concepts related to the mechanics of artistic appropriation of those images and the way they are based upon – in a few cases – manipulation and emphasis conveyed to those showing handicaps, abnormalities and malfunctions of the human body; it discusses the issues that those images raise when they are used as cultural objects, such as: democratization that the promotion of those images brought upon the implementation and distribution of medical equipment; the capacity to look at or glare the interior of man and his organs, disease and cure, similar to that of its exterior, questioning what is there is the inner part, healthy or ill object, that makes it a work of art. Furthermore, we also examine that artistic appropriation of imaging, relating it to modern society, to a more transparent and visible time, to a more complex analysis, discussing the change in the point of view of “photographic glaring” to “algorithmic glaring” and the technical development associated to art, its aesthetic, anthropological and sociological aspects, defining concepts and suggesting further issues