ROCS: Robust Circular Seriation by Perturbation Entropy Minimization

Identifying and creating patterns enables humans to fulfill their fundamental desire to make sense of things. At the center of this endeavor, seriation is a process of arranging objects to reveal regularities in their characteristics. We present a method to arrange objects cyclically to achieve orderliness based on a novel concept of perturbation entropy, which models the randomness of a sequence under local perturbations on the ordering. We derive a sharp upper bound on the perturbation entropy and develop an algorithm to search for an ordering that minimizes the upper bound. Connections with the traveling salesman problem and the quadratic assignment problem are discussed and explored. Extensive empirical studies demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach in a variety of applications and the robustness of the algorithm against complex topologies and noise induced by the sparsity of data

Evolutionary divergence between two closely related species: Drosophila madeirensis and D. subobscura : quantitative genetic differentiation, reproductive barriers and evolutionary potential

Tese de doutoramento em Biologia (Biologia Evolutiva), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2008Speciation and species differentiation are very important issues in Evolutionary Biology. This thesis focuses several aspects related with the differentiation between two closely related species, Drosophila madeirensis and Drosophila subosbcura, namely the contribution of additive and non-additive genetic effects to that differentiation, the contribution of assortative mating to their reproductive isolation, the analysis of hybrid developmental problems expressed as higher fluctuating asymmetry and their underlying causes (developmental noise), and the implications of species differentiation in terms of adaptation to a novel, common environment. The results indicate that negative dominance and epistasis are both involved in the genetic differentiation between these species. Both species present assortative mating, conspecific matings being more likely. Furthermore, the two reciprocal cross directions apparently present different reproductive barriers. In the cross involving D. madeirensis females the barrier is mostly prezygotic, with mating being hard to observe, however, this cross direction yields a high number of hybrids with an even sex-ratio. On the other hand, mating in the reciprocal cross is easy to observe but produces fewer hybrids with a male-biased sex ratio. The analysis comparing fluctuating asymmetry levels between hybrids and parental species indicates that, although hybridization disrupts developmental buffering, hybrid females presenting higher asymmetry, this disruption does not reflect higher developmental noise, as fluctuating asymmetry levels are similar to parental species. The results comparing species differences in life history traits and evolutionary dynamics indicate that these closely related species differ in the adaptation to new conditions (captivity). These findings have important implications for several fields, namely Evolutionary Biology, Speciation, Development and Conservation, which are discussed at the end of this thesis.FCT (PhD Fellowship: PRAXIS XXI/BD/21479/99

Scientific study of an 18th century portuguese painting on canvas and their old restoration: PROBLEMS of date and authenticity of the current image

A Portuguese painting of the 18th century, from the collection of the National Library of Portugal, restored in 1864, was studied with the aim of better understanding the practice of restoration in Portugal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Initial observations suggested that it had been subjected to significant changes, due to the existence of an extensive decorative bar at the bottom of the painting and an inscription with calligraphy that seemed to suggest being of the 19th century. However, the scientific study carried out with the use of a set of analytical techniques leads to the conclusion that, essentially, the current image is consistent with the original image, although a thick layer of varnish and several localized repaints were observed. However, the inscription does not seem to be original.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A tapeçaria de portalegre: um pretexto artístico e cultural na optimização do olhar turístico

SIAM. Series Iberoamericanas de Museología. Año 3, Vol.

Branqueamento com luz laser/LED: quais as suas consequências na estrutura dentária

Atualmente na Medicina Dentária, o branqueamento dentário é um tratamento estético cada vez mais procurado pelos pacientes com o objetivo de melhorar a sua estética dentária. O uso de uma fonte de luz no branqueamento deve ser evitado quando se usa um gel de altas concentrações, pois não se justifica devido aos riscos envolvidos. O laser mais indicado a ser usado na prática clínica é um laser com energias mais baixas para obter resultados mais favoráveis. A sensibilidade dentária é o efeito secundário que mais prevalece após o branqueamento, esta sensibilidade é somente provocada pela concentração de peróxido de hidrogênio presente no gel branqueador e o tempo da sua aplicação, e não pelo uso da luz. Esta revisão bibliográfica tem como objetivo avaliar quais os efeitos que a utilização da luz no branqueamento provoca na estrutura dentária, e se realmente, se justifica a sua utilização.Currently in dentistry, tooth whitening is a cosmetic treatment increasingly sought by patients with the aim of improving their dental aesthetics. The use of a light source for bleaching should be avoided when using a high concentration gel as it is not justified due to the risks involved. The most suitable laser to use in clinical practice is a laser with lower energies for more favorable results. Tooth sensitivity is the most prevalent side effect after whitening, this sensitivity is only caused by the concentration of hydrogen peroxide present in the whitening gel and the time of its application, and not by the use of light. This review aims to evaluate the effects that the use of light on whitening has on the dental structure, and if its use is really justified

Relation of breastfeeding with type of familiy and parents education

Breastfeeding is an important strategy to provide all-around care for newborns during the %rst six months of life. It has the power to prevent early mortality, malnutrition and obesity of the child and also prevent some diseases and contribute for faster recovery of the mother. Moreover it contributes decisively for the establishment of successful bound between the mother and the child. The purpose of this study was to contribute for the study of the relation of breastfeeding with parent’s type of family and education. An observational, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with 364 children’s attending preschool from a metropolitan area of the norther region of Portugal and their parents. Results showed an overall breastfeeding proportion of 88.9%, regardless of the duration. Considering duration, results showed that only 38.6% of the children were breastfed for a period equal or higher to six months, that is WHO’s recommendation. Adjusted logistic regressions showed that the risk of not breastfeeding was associated with non-nuclear families (aOR = 3.19) and other types of families (aOR = 4.36). Regarding education, signi%cant associations were found concerning mothers low education (aOR = 8.39) and both parents low education (aOR = 10.98). No relation was found between breastfeed duration and education on overall, or considering the type of family.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The use of games by nurses in palliative care: a scoping review

Background: Nursing is at the forefront of palliative care. Games are an innovative strategy in palliative care training. Aims: This study aimed to examine the usefulness of games for nurses in palliative care. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL and PUBMED (which includes MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS and SciELO). The steps outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed. Findings: Of the 685 articles initially identified, 17 were included for analysis. Games used were role-play (n=12), card games (n=1), digital games (n=1), board games (n=1), reflection games (n=1) and experimental games (n=1). Games were aimed at nurses (n=6) and nursing students (n= 1 1). Game advantages included: improved palliative care knowledge, increased communication skills, reduced negative emotions and increased multidisciplinary team skills. Conclusions: Effective and innovative pedagogical techniques are required training techniques for nurses and nursing students who provide palliative care, as they can reduce negative emotions such as fear, anguish and guilt.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Para a história do restauro de pintura em Portugal: as antigas intervenções no retrato de José António de Oliveira Machado, da Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

Uma pintura sobre tela, de finais do século XVIII, aparentemente em bom estado de conservação, mostrou que afinal já sofreu danos muito significativos, possivelmente devido às más condições de acondicionamento em que esteve. Na primeira metade do século XIX encontrava-se num depósito em Lisboa, para onde foram recolhidas as obras retiradas dos conventos, então extintos em Portugal. A pintura foi depois sujeita a numerosas intervenções de restauro, das quais as mais extensas foram tecnicamente bem executadas, provavelmente em finais do século XIX ou princípios do século XX, ainda que seguindo princípios diferentes dos actuais. Com base no estudo efectuado, recorrendo a diversos métodos de exame e análise, são descritas as intervenções detectadas, especialmente as operações de tratamento dos rasgões e de lacunas, algumas das quais executadas de forma pouco comum, assim como são identificados os materiais usados nessas intervenções.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Two alien insect species are new records at the family-level to the Azores archipelago (Portugal)

Species introductions are a major issue for biodiversity conservation and human well-being worldwide, but their impact can be particularly severe in oceanic island ecosystems. Here, we report the occurrence of two alien species on Terceira island, Rivellia syngenesiae (Fabricius, 1781) (Diptera: Platystomatidae) and Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), being the first reports of these insect families to the Azores archipelago. We provide the diagnosis of each species, information on their distribution and ecology, and discuss their potential impact on native biodiversity. Furthermore, we anticipate the spread of these species through the Azores islands, benefiting from the high increase in commerce and tourism, and stress the need to set a program for the early detection of alien species in the archipelago.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio