Zero desperdício: measuring performance with a balanced scorecard

The present Work Project addressed the managerial challenge of developing a performance measurement tool capable of taking the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Zero Desperdício to the next level. The choice of the Balanced Scorecard (BCSD) – due to its comprehensive simplicity and efficacy – revealed to be fit for the challenge by allowing to identify relevant gaps in the organization’s performance but also in the registration data processes themselves. Thus, this measurement tool demonstrated to be widely useful in an organization since it was possible to develop productive recommendations both for its application and for Zero Desperdício as a whole

Permeabilidade - impermeabilidade: árvores do dossel como filtros da biodiversidade

Cada espécie do dossel das florestas tropicais e subtropicais pode criar microsítios específicos sob sua copa, que funcionam como filtros para aquelas espécies que tentam regenerar sob elas. Em função da permeabilidade ou impermeabilidade, cada espécie do dossel poderia parcialmente determinar a composição e estrutura da comunidade de plantas sob a projeção da sua copa. Portanto a biodiversidade presente e futura da comunidade de plantas da floresta poderia ser parcialmente determinada pela estrutura atual da comunidade de árvores do dossel (efeito de filtro). Alguns desdobramentos teóricos e práticos deste novo enfoque são sugeridos.Each tropical and subtropical forest canopy species may create specific microsite conditions below its crown, which works as a filter for those species that attempt to regenerate below it. In function of the permeability or impermeability level, each canopy species could partially determine a plant community structure and composition beneath its crown projection. Therefore, present and future forest plant community biodiversity could be partially determined by the present structure of the canopy tree species community (filter effect). Some theoretical and practical aftermaths are suggested

Microplastic contamination and ecological status of freshwater ecosystems: a case study in two northern Portuguese rivers

Background: Most European rivers have not yet achieved “good” ecological status. In addition, the presence and abundance of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater is a matter of great concern to the scientific community. Methodology: This study assesses the ecological status of four sampling sites of Selho (S1–S4) and Costa-Couros (C1–C4) rivers (Guimarães, Portugal), and the abundance of MPs in sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates (Oligochaeta) from those sites. Results: All sites of both rivers under higher pressure did not reach a “good” ecological status (S2–S3, C2–C4) based on the macroinvertebrate community. High levels of nutrients were observed at all sites in both rivers (except C2), especially phosphorus. In the Oligochaeta’s gut of Costa-Couros river, the high number of MPs seems to be associated with their weight (95.25 ± 25.61 to 1069.00 ± 385.30 MPs g/fresh weight), suggesting the existence of malnutrition and digestive disorders, whereas the highest number of MPs in gut (134.00 ± 30.36 to 558.6 ± 100.70 MPs g/fresh weight) were found for the heaviest organisms of Selho. Conclusions: Thus, sites with higher ecological status do not necessarily have lower abundance of MPs. In the sediments, urbanization seems to be the main driver for MP contamination. MP contamination is pervasive across the sediments and Oligochaeta’s gut in both rivers. Since MPs have the potential to cause harm to environmental and human health, it is essential to monitor not only the ecological status of freshwaters, but also emerging pollutants such as MPs.This study was financially supported by the Guimarães City Council, by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action (Portugal) through the project “Aqualastic: Educar, Reduzir e Valorizar”, by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the POPH/FSE (Human Potential Operational Program/European Social Fund) through funds of CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020; UIDB/50017/2020; LA/P/0094/2020), and by the project comPET (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030361)

A narrativa urbana de Marcelo D’Salete, um intérprete do Brasil

Este artigo possuí como premissa desenvolver reflexão sociológica acerca da obra do quadrinista e ilustrador Marcelo D’Salete, artista que desenvolve uma obra das mais instigantes em relação ao processo de ser negro em um país como o Brasil, que nega a sua condição de sociedade racista ao mesmo tempo em que impede a sua população afrodescendente a sua condição cidadã e o pleno acesso direitos sociais. O que nos fez constituir esse estudo acerca dessa primeira fase de sua carreira, em que seus roteiros e narrativas gráficas já colocam em primeiro plano as vivências e experiências das populações afrodescendentes em suas relações - simbólicas ou concretas - de sociabilidades, partindo da sua própria conscientização racial e social em relação as condições de marginalização e racismo a que estas eram (são) submetidas ao longo de nossa história. Dando assim origem a um conjunto teórico basilar para se buscar entender o Brasil em todas as suas complexidades e contradições

Applying pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to the identification of oriental lacquers: study of two lacquered shields

Oriental lacquers have been used as coating materials for thousands of years for wooden, ceramics, leather and metal objects. Lacquers are natural polymers obtained from three species growing in different regions of Asia: Rhus vernicifera (China, Japan and Korea); Rhus succedanea (Vietnam and Taiwan); and Melanorrhoea usitate (Myanmar and Thailand). The identification of lacquer films is important for conservation and restoration purposes, as well as for art history studies because it may help in determining the origin of the lacquered objects. In this work, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using a filament-type pyrolyser was successfully applied to the characterization of oriental lacquers. A method to identify the three kinds of lacquer was developed and applied to the study of two lacquered shields imported from Asia in the sixteenth century. The materials that constitute the shields were also examined by Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy and details of the lacquering technique are reporte

Bilingualism in Physics teaching for a Deaf preservice teacher

CONTEXT AND RESEARCH OBJECT We present the results of inclusive actions carried in order to support the learning of a Deaf student undertaking an undergraduate course training science teachers for rural education. We outline the development of the supervised internship for this student. These actions were carried out by two internship advisors with some fluency in one of the Brazilian Sign Languages (Libras). This Deaf preservice teacher went through the language acquisition process late and showed significant difficulties with Libras, with Portuguese and, consequently, with the scientific language. In addition, she did not learn the physics content that should have been taught in the internship, Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM), either in high school or during college. Thus, several coordinated actions were necessary for her to learn the content to be able to teach it. This led us to question how we design teaching physics content and assessment to meet Deaf students' needs in the university. THEORETICAL-METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY Based on Cultural Historical Activity Theory (Leontiev, 1988; Engeström, 2002), the research was limited to a study of the process of learning SHM by a Deaf preservice teacher. Monitoring was carried out in Libras, without interpretation into Portuguese, from the perspective of Deaf Education by Bilinguilism, that is considering the sign language as the student’s first language (L1) and the written modality of oral language, their second (L2) (Brasil, 2005). The research data were collected through two video recordings: (i) SHM teaching interventions for her, specifically an experiment with a simple pendulum to study its period of oscillation; and (ii) a simulation of the Physics internship regency conducted by her. BILINGUAL LINGUISTIC MEDIATIONS IN SCIENTIFIC LITERACY The research findings could be expressed into five categories (actions): (1) to anchor the communication process in visual resources, such as pictures and words written on the board, mobilizing the memory of mathematical and Physics concepts; (2) take care of the reading process in lexicalized Portuguese, which involves word-by-word signaling and compromises the meaning of the passages read; (3) to be aware of the scarcity of vocabulary in Libras for Maths and Physics concepts, which results in the imprecision of signs used for different concepts, such as ‘oscillation’ and ‘swing of the simple pendulum’; (4) to use spontaneous classifiers (gesture markers) that allow evidencing with precision the meaning of concepts, such as ‘periodic wave’ and ‘arithmetic mean’; (5) to mobilize memory for precise signaling of concepts such as ‘period’ and the relationship between arithmetic mean and repetition of the pendulum swing. These categories indicate teaching content and assessment criteria that must be considered to meet a Deaf student's needs from a perspective of inclusive Deaf Scientific Education through Bilingualism. REFERENCES Brasil. Decreto nº 5.626 (2005, 22 de dezembro). Regulamenta a Lei no 10.436, de 24 de abril de 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2004-2006/2005/Decreto/D5626.htm Engeström, Y. (2002). Non scolae sed vitae discimus: como superar a encapsulação da aprendizagem escolar. In H. Daniels, (Ed). Uma introdução a Vygotsky (pp. 175-197). São Paulo: Loyola. Leontiev, A. N. (1988). Uma contribuição à teoria do desenvolvimento da psique infantil. In L. S. Vygotsky (et al.), Linguagem, desenvolvimento e aprendizagem. São Paulo: Ícone

Actividade física, obesidade e agregação de factores de risco de doenças cardiovasculares em crianças e adolescentes da área do Grande Porto

Dissertação de Doutoramento em Ciência do Desporto apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física da Universidade do Port

Contrasting Patterns of Differentiation Inferred from Traditional Genetic Markers in the Process of Speciation

Populations of Drosophila serido from various geographic origins were characterized using four markers: morphology of male genitals, inversions in polytene chromosomes, morphology and heterochromatin of metaphase chromosomes, and reproductive isolation. In all cases the species shows itself to be polytypic, but the geographic distribution patterns vary according to the marker utilized. The validity of the use of these parameters for taxonomic purposes and/or for understanding the mechanisms involved in the differentiation among populations is discussed

Treatment of idiopathic congenital clubfoot using the Ponseti method: ten years of experience

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate outcomes of 229 idiopathic clubfeet (ICF) treated using the Ponseti method, from 2001 to 2011, comparing two groups with different follow-ups.Method155 patients (229 ICF) were treated separated in two groups: Group I: 72 patients (109 ICF – 47.6%) with a follow up of 62 to 128 months (mean of 85). Group II: 83 patients (120 ICF – 52.4%) with a follow up of 4 to 57 months (mean of 33.5). We have considered satisfactory outcomes for cases which correction of all deformed components, without surgery.ResultsMean age for the initial assessment was 5.4 months in Group I and 3.2 in Group II. Satisfactory outcomes were obtained in 85.4% in Group I and 97.5% in Group II. Mean cast placements were 9.5 in Group I and 7 in Group II. 67% were submitted to percutaneous Achilles tenotomy in Group I and 65% in Group II. Deformity relapses, when using abducted braces, occurred in 41 (37.6%) feet from Group I; 11 were treated surgically. In Group II, 17 feet relapsed (14.1%); three of them were submitted to surgery.ConclusionThe method was successful in both groups, in low number of complications. The results were statistically superior in Group II when deformity correction, cast placements, relapses and surgery indication

Análise de tensões residuais e deformações em soldadura

Dissertação apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia da SoldaduraA análise de tensões residuais, provenientes da soldadura utilizada na construção metálica, mais especificamente, no fabrico de elementos estruturais de pontes metálicas e de comportas para barragens é na maioria dos casos, negligenciada no projecto, e tratada de uma forma reactiva no fabrico. Isto é, recorre-se às técnicas de alívio de tensões e de correcção de deformações, após a execução da soldadura, acrescendo ainda as especiais dificuldades da aplicação destas técnicas, decorrentes das grandes dimensões finais dos elementos fabricados e na maioria das vezes, de as ligações finais serem efectuadas em estaleiro. Pretende-se assim com este trabalho, estudar a aplicabilidade da análise dimensional de modelos à escala, na previsibilidade das tensões residuais e consequentes deformações, que ocorrerão na execução dos elementos estruturais de grande porte. Para este efeito, concebeu-se um modelo à escala, de parte de ligação da chapa de face de uma comporta de segmento, que irá ser fabricada e aplicada no Descarregador Complementar de Cheias da Barragem da Paradela, da EDP – Produção. Este modelo, construído à escala 1:4, em aço S355J2, e materializado por soldadura topo a topo de duas chapas de 2 mm de espessura, foi posteriormente instrumentado e feita uma análise às tensões residuais provenientes da soldadura. Para este efeito, foi realizada uma análise comparativa do calor transmitido à soldadura, no protótipo e no modelo à escala, através da estimativa de calor em espessuras intermédias. Para isto, fazem-se dois corpos de prova, um em chapa de 8 mm como a da comporta, e deste provete extraem-se os parâmetros para a soldadura do outro corpo de 2 mm de espessura. Seguidamente, instrumentam-se estes dois provetes, com extensómetros, e analisa-se as tensões em cada um, de modo a poder avaliar a equivalência das tensões presentes. Na sequência da análise anterior, realização de um terceiro provete à escala, em chapa de 2 mm, conforme secção da comporta a estudar, instrumentado com extensometria, para determinação das tensões residuais pelo método das tensões inerentes. Em simultâneo, fez-se a determinação das distribuição das tensões residuais, analiticamente pelas expressões teóricas de Masubuchi e de Tada e Paris, e a comparação dos resultados do cálculo analítico e dos resultados do ensaio experimental, de modo a poder extrapolar as tensões previsíveis na soldadura do protótipo real. Foram analisadas igualmente as deformações resultantes do cordão de soldadura, no modelo à escala. Para este efeito traçou-se uma grelha de pontos na chapa de 2 mm, os quais foram medidos no Laboratório de Tecnologia Industrial do DEMI, da FCT – UNL, antes da realização do cordão de soldadura, de modo a obter as cotas iniciais, e depois de efectuar o cordão de soldadura, para medição das cotas finais, e assim obter as deformações resultantes.No final, e como objectivo último deste estudo, foram comparados os resultados da análise das tensões residuais no modelo à escala com os resultados teóricos do protótipo real, de modo a aferir a sua compatibilidade, e aplicabilidade futura de modelos à escala para previsão de tensões residuais em protótipos reais