Temporal consistency in the traumatic events and stress inventory in a sample of vulnerable adolescents: yes or no?

Dissertação de mestrado em Psicologia da JustiçaIn a lifetime every human experiences moments that alters their perception and comprehension of the environment that surrounds them. There are some events that can altercate a life´s course, especially if they are adverse events that can be potentially traumatic to a person. The consistency of the reports related to these experiences is based on its stability, by analyzing if the same subject recounts the same report on two (or more) time moments without significant changes. The fact that consistency may impact studies that involve reports of adverse events, makes it imperative to comprehend and clarify this phenomenon. As such the focus of this investigation is to analyze the temporal consistency of self-reports, given by a vulnerable sample of adolescents from North Portugal, on the Traumatic Events and Stress Inventory, thus comparing if the reports given in a first moment of evaluation will be consistent with a second moment. Through the analysis of the reports provided by the participants, it was possible to verify temporal consistency, ICC=0.757, 95% CI [0.659-0.830], p = 0.00, and identify which types of trauma (associated with TESI) exhibited more temporal consistency (for example, Traumatic Separation of Primary Caregiver(s) – k = .59, SE = .08, 80.6% agreement).No decorrer de uma vida, o ser humano vivencia momentos que alteram a sua perceção e compreensão do ambiente que o rodeia. Existem eventos que podem modificar o curso da sua vida, especialmente se esses eventos forem adversos, visto que estes podem ser potencialmente traumáticos para essa pessoa. O estudo da consistência dos relatos dos indivíduos que experienciaram tais eventos é baseado na sua estabilidade, analisando se um indivíduo relata, mais do que uma vez, o acontecimento da mesma forma sem grandes alterações. O facto de a consistência poder impactar nas conclusões dos estudos que envolvem relatos de experiências adversas, torna imperativo compreender e clarificar este fenómeno. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é, numa amostra de adolescentes vulneráveis do Norte de Portugal, analisar a consistência temporal dos seus autorrelatos no instrumento Traumatic Events and Stress Inventory, comparando se os relatos fornecidos em dois momentos diferentes são consistentes entre si. Através da análise dos relatos dados pelos participantes, foi possível verificar consistência temporal, ICC=0.757, 95% CI [0.659-0.830], p = 0.00, e distinguir quais os tipos de trauma (associados à TESI) com mais consistência temporal (p.e. e.g., Traumatic Separation of Primary Caregiver(s) – k = .59, SE = .08, 80.6% agreement)

Big data analytics applied to sensor data of engeneering structures: predictive methods

Predictive models are fundamental instruments for providing dam safety analysis. They are important tools to retrieve conclusions about the structural safety of these dams. The data for these predictive models is gathered through sensors embedded within these structures. Even though predictive models are powerful tools for analysis and prediction, other machine learning and statistical models, like neural networks, have been developed over the years. Due to the many ways dam safety analyses is performed, the focus is to improve the existing methods by comparing them with each other. This work is focused on developing the methodology that compares different predictive models, like the Multiple Linear Regression Model, the Ridge Regression Model, the Principal Component Regression Model and Neural Networks, as well as comparing different re-sampling techniques for separating the data. This methodology is applied to a case study, with the purpose of finding which combinations of input variables provide the highest accuracy for predicting the behavior of these structures.Modelos preditivos são instrumentos fundamentais para a análise da segurança de barragens. São importantes para obter conclusões acerca da segurança estrutural destas. Os dados utilizados nos modelos preditivos, são obtidos através de sensores que se encontram embutidos nas estruturas. Apesar dos algoritmos preditivos serem ferramentas poderosas para a análise e previsão, outras técnicas de Machine Learning e modelos estatísticos, como as redes neuronais, têm sido desenvolvidas e utilizadas nestas áreas ao longo dos anos. Devido às diferentes formas que a monitorização destas estruturas é feita, o foco está em melhorar os métodos existentes, através de uma análise comparativa. Este trabalho tem como finalidade o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia que compare os diferentes algoritmos preditivos, como a Multiple Linear Regression, a Ridge Regression, a Principal Component Regression e as Redes Neuronais, bem como a aplicação de diferentes técnicas de separação de dados. Esta metodologia será aplicada a um caso de estudo, com a finalidade de determinar qual ou quais as combinações de variáveis que obtêm o melhor desempenho na previsão do seu comportamento

Internationalization plan of Nmusic to India

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economic

Efficiency of an ortho-phthalaldehyde based biocide Against Pseudomonas fluorescens adhered to stainless steel surfaces

This work reports the study of the action of ortho-phthalaldehyde, OPA, to control Pseudomonas fluorescens adhered to stainless steel surfaces. The action of the biocide was assessed, in situ, microscopically using LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit, developed by Molecular Probes. The results show that When OPA concentration is lower than 0.1 % the number of dead cells on the surface are strongly dependent on biocide concentration. For lower biocide concentration, higher dead number of cells can be achieved by increasing the time of exposure to the biocide.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Project POCTI/1999/BIO/35683

Bordaduras de bosques de Quercus rotundifolia Lam. no Parque Natural de Montesinho

Avaliaram-se variações da vegetação em bordaduras de bosques de azinheira no Parque Natural de Montesinho. Seleccionaram-se 10 manchas de azinhal maduro onde foram estabelecidas 4 linhas de amostragem de 25 m segundo gradientes interior-exterior. Ao longo dessas linhas foram estabelecidos pontos de amostragem a distâncias regulares de 5 m, nos quais foram avaliados: percentagem de coberto, densidade e diâmetro à altura do peito de árvores adultas de azinheira; percentagem de coberto, densidade, e biomassa de plantas arbustivas; riqueza específica e diversidade de espécies arbustivas; e densidade e percentagem de coberto de regeneração natural de azinheira. Calculou-se ainda o contraste florístico e efectuou-se uma análise de “moving split-window” para as variáveis do estrato arbustivo Os resultados indicam a presença de uma zona de transição gradual do interior para o exterior das manchas de extensão consideravel, dentro da qual se observa uma zona de alterações mais acentuadas nas variáveis arbustivas que corresponde à diminuição brusca do número de árvores e da percentagem de coberto de azinheira. Nessa zona verifica-se um aumento da percentagem de coberto, densidade, biomassa e diverisdade do estrato arbustivo. Considerando esta zona como o limite das manchas de azinhal os resultados indicam que bordaduras destes bosques poderão ter uma extensão de 15 a 20 m. Manchas de azinhal deverão ter uma dimensão de 30-40 m de forma a conservarem condições de interior

Influência da dupla ninhada nos parâmetros produtivos e comportamentais em genética Danbred

Publicação resultante do painel apresentado no XX Congresso Nacional de Zootecnia.The pressure that the swine sector has been suffering searching for methods and techniques that are more efficient, capable of increasing the number of piglets per sow, led to the hiperprolific sows, which go against the conventional concepts of swine facilities concerning farrowing crates. Also, the animal welfare when it comes to farrowing crates starts to become a very discussed subject, as much for the piglets as for the sows. After several studies developed in various locations, which evidenced the benefits of farrowing crates with mixed litters, it was decided to study that kind of litter. Thereby it was tested if the productive values of hiperprolific sows would increase, and also if it would increase the welfare of the piglets. The study was conducted between 11th of April and 19th of July in Santo Cristo’s farm, which is exploited by Euroeste, SA. company, located in Cartaxo, Portugal. The aim of this study was to evaluate if mixed litters help to wean more piglets, if they gain more weight by having more food options, and if their welfare is improved, helping the animal to be better prepared for the future, after weaning. Initially, through analysis with SAS software, which included the fixed effects of type of method used (if mixed litter or control), the location in the farm where they were, the month of birth, the age at weaning and the cycle of the sow, we evaluated the number of piglets weaned per sow, the average weight per weaned piglet, the daily weight gain calculated with the total values of the weights, the daily weight gained calculated with the average values of the piglets, and the percentage of weaned animals in comparison to the initial number of litters. Secondly, through the SAS program, were analysed the individual weights registered at weaning of 857 piglets, with an average weight of 5,91±1,41kg, with the aim of evaluating the environmental factors such as the method, location in the farm, month of weaning, age at weaning, cycle of the sow and age of the piglets at the beginning of the study. In conclusion for the production parameters this method does not show significant improvements however, it also has no disadvantage in productive terms, which demonstrates that it is a viable alternative to the intensive systems of isolated farrowing systems implemented today in most of the intensive farms. Secondly, it can also be concluded that, in behavioural terms, this method showed some improvement in pre-weaning behaviour, by improving the interactions between litters, and the natural contact between the animals and the increase of consumption of pre-starter.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trace elements accumulation in the sea lamprey along the major hydrographic basins of Portugal

Trace elements accumulation in the sea lamprey along the major hydrographic basins of Portuga

Biophysical probing of Spartina maritima photo-system II changes during prolonged tidal submersion periods

Submergence is one of the major constrains affecting wetland plants, with inevitable impacts on their physiology and productivity. Global warming as a driving force of sea level rise, tend to increase the submersion periods duration. Photosynthesis biophysical probing arise as an important tool to understand the energetics underlying plant feedback to these constrains. As in previous studies with Spartina maritima, there was no inhibition of photosynthetic activity in submerged individuals. Comparing both donor and acceptor sides of the PSII, the first was more severely affected during submersion, driven by the inactivation of the OEC with consequent impairment of the ETC. Although this apparent damage in the PSII donor side, the electron transport per active reaction centre was not substantially affected, indicating that this reduction in the electron flow is accompanied by a proportional increase in the number of active reaction centres. These conditions lead to the accumulation of excessive reducing power, source of damaging ROS, counteracted by efficient energy dissipation processes and anti-oxidant enzymatic defences. This way, S. maritima appears as a well-adapted species with an evident photochemical plasticity towards submersion, allowing it to maintain its photosynthetic activity even during prolonged submersion periods.The authors would like to thank to the “ Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)” for funding the research in the Centre of Oceanography (CO) throughout the project PEst-OE/MAR/UI0199/ 2011, the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) throughout the project PEst-C/MAR/UI0284/2011 and this specific work throughout the ECOSAM project (PTDC/AAC-CLI/104085/2008). B. Duarte investigationwas supported by FCT throughout a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/75951/2011)