Separation of azeotropic mixtures using high ionicity ionic liquids

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Química e Bioquímic

Tecnologías de Información Geográfica aplicadas al estudio del Arte Rupestre en la Zona Sur de la Península Ibérica

Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica, JIA (3as : 5-7 de mayo 2010 : Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Sesión 1. Nuevas perspectivas de Arte Rupestre.En este artículo, y como hicieron también nuestros compañeros de sesión, aparte de realizar una descripción de las pinturas, con su significado, posible funcionalidad, todo lo que, en las distintas publicaciones, se ha dicho sobre ellas, utilizamos las nuevas tecnologías y los SIG para situarlos en el contexto de su entorno y ampliar así nuestro conocimiento sobre ellas.In this article, and as our companions also did, apart from conducting a description of the paintings, with their meaning, possible functionality, everything that in the various publications has been said about them, we used new technologies and GIS to locate them in the context of their environment and thus extend our knowledge about them.En aquest article, i com van fer també els nostres companys de sessió, a part de realitzar una descripció de les pintures, amb el seu significat, possible funcionalitat, tot el que, en les diferents publicacions, s'ha dit sobre elles, utilitzem les noves tecnologies i els SIG per situar-los en el context del seu entorn i ampliar així el nostre coneixement sobre elles

Estudio teórico y experimental del comportamiento del hormigón con materiales no convencionales: fibras de vidrio y fibras de carbono, sometido a esfuerzos de compresión

Trabajo de InvestigaciónSe realiza un estudio experimental, donde el objetivo principal es estudiar el comportamiento del concreto sometido a esfuerzos de compresión, con materiales no convencionales: Fibras de Vidrio y de Carbono. En la práctica de laboratorio se realizan 24 probetas cilíndricas de 300mm x 150mm, con dosificación 1:2:3. Donde 8 de ellos son de concreto simple, utilizados como patrón para la comparación, los 8 siguientes tiene las mismas características pero esta vez con el 0,8% de la fibra de vidrio del peso total de la mezcla, los 8 especímenes finales se realizan con 0,24% de la fibra de carbono del peso total de la mezcla, luego de realizar el diseño de mezcla y obtener las 24 probetas, se inicia el proceso de curado a los 7, 14, 21 y 28 días.PregradoIngeniero Civi

Assessing affective valence and activation in resistance training with the feeling scale and the felt arousal scale: A systematic review

Evidence suggests affective responses to exercise can influence exercise adherence. However, there is a limited understanding of how and when to measure core affect in resistance training. As such, the objective of this systematic review was to analyze how the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale have been used in resistance training to assess core affect. Focus was given to the contextual feasibility, timing, and frequency of assessment. A search in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO databases was conducted (last search date July, 2022) with the purpose of including experimental and non-experimental studies, utilizing the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale in resistance training, and focused on apparently healthy individuals of any age. Twenty-seven studies (N = 718 participants) published between 2009–2022 were qualitatively analyzed. Both scales appeared to be able to detect core affect within a wide array of intensities, ages, and equipment. As for the timing and frequency of measurement, no apparent standardization was evident. The use of the Feeling Scale, the Felt Arousal Scale, or both, to measure core affect appears to be feasible in resistance training practices. However, a lack of methodological background raises concerns regarding the quality of previous studies’ assessments and comparisons of results across studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in the Amazon Basin

Regions in the Amazon Basin have been associated with specific biogeochemical processes, but a detailed chemical classification of the abundant and ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM), beyond specific indicator compounds and bulk measurements, has not yet been established. We sampled water from different locations in the Negro, Madeira/Jamari and Tapajós River areas to characterize the molecular DOM composition and distribution. Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) combined with excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed a large proportion of ubiquitous DOM but also unique area-specific molecular signatures. Unique to the DOM of the Rio Negro area was the large abundance of high molecular weight, diverse hydrogen-deficient and highly oxidized molecular ions deviating from known lignin or tannin compositions, indicating substantial oxidative processing of these ultimately plant-derived polyphenols indicative of these black waters. In contrast, unique signatures in the Madeira/Jamari area were defined by presumably labile sulfur- and nitrogen-containing molecules in this white water river system. Waters from the Tapajós main stem did not show any substantial unique molecular signatures relative to those present in the Rio Madeira and Rio Negro, which implied a lower organic molecular complexity in this clear water tributary, even after mixing with the main stem of the Amazon River. Beside ubiquitous DOM at average H ∕ C and O ∕ C elemental ratios, a distinct and significant unique DOM pool prevailed in the black, white and clear water areas that were also highly correlated with EEM-PARAFAC components and define the frameworks for primary production and other aspects of aquatic life

Direito de imagem do praticante desportivo : a imagem do atleta no contexto dos videojogos

A presente dissertação tem como escopo a análise do direito de imagem do praticante desportivo no âmbito da indústria dos videojogos. Esta indústria de entretenimento não fica alheia ao crescente mediatismo dos intervenientes desportivos, e existem algumas problemáticas resultantes do facto de as personagens virtuais, fruto da crescente capacidade de criação tridimensional, se assemelharem cada vez mais aos atletas representados. Primeiramente é enquadrado o regime geral do direito de imagem no ordenamento jurídico português, e discute-se de que forma é possível operar a transmissão do direito de imagem. De seguida, faz-se uma breve referência ao ordenamento jurídico espanhol e estado-unidense. Por fim é explorada a relação do direito de imagem com os videojogos, especialmente no que concerne a simuladores desportivos, com a finalidade de proceder a uma análise sobre algumas das questões emergentes deste ponto de contacto.The goal of analysis of the present dissertation is the image right in the scope of the videogames industry. This entertainment industry is not unaware of the growing media coverage of sports players, and there are some conflicts with the artistic creation of virtual characters that, as a result of the growing capacity for three-dimensional creation, increasingly resemble the represented athletes. Firstly, the general regime of image rights is framed in the Portuguese legal system, and how is it possible to operate the transmission of the image right. Then, a brief reference is made to the Spanish and United States legal system. Finally, the relationship between image rights and videogames is explored, especially with regard to sports simulators, with the purpose of analyzing some of the issues emerging from this point of contact

Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island-positive strains induce syndecan-4 expression in gastric epithelial cells

Helicobacter pylori is recognized as the main cause of gastritis and is associated with gastric carcinogenesis. Syndecan-4 represents the major source of heparan sulfate (HS) in the gastric cells. HS proteoglycans expressed on the cell surface constitute targets for H. pylori at the early stage of infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether H. pylori induction of syndecan-4 expression is affected by the virulence characteristics of the infecting strain, namely the cytotoxic-associated gene (cag) pathogenicity island (PAI). We observed that individuals infected with highly pathogenic H. pylori strains express syndecan-4 in the foveolar epithelium of the gastric mucosa. The association between the cagPAI status of the infecting strain and syndecan-4 expression was further demonstrated by infection of gastric epithelial cell lines with a panel of cagPAI+ and cagPAI- H. pylori strains, showing that expression of syndecan-4 was significantly increased in response to infection with the highly pathogenic strains. Moreover, infection of gastric cells with cagA and cagE mutant strains further confirmed that syndecan-4 induction is dependent on an intact cagPAI. The present study shows that highly pathogenic H. pylori strains induce syndecan-4 expression, both in human gastric mucosa and in gastric cell lines, in a cagPAI-dependent manner. © 2009 Federation of European Microbiological Societies

Afetação de cargas no transporte rodoviário de mercadorias

Trabalho de projecto de mestrado, Matemática Aplicada à Economia e à Gestão, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2016Para uma empresa cuja operação envolva o transporte de cargas, é fundamental que se recorra a processos de planeamento de rotas com bons desempenhos. A qualidade inerente a estes processos é determinante para que a utilização de recursos, em particular a frota de veículos disponíveis, permita alcançar as metas definidas. Neste trabalho é realizada uma análise comparativa da aplicação de diferentes métodos heurísticos ao planeamento de rotas. É considerado um cenário em que existe um conjunto de pedidos que deverão ser servidos por uma frota de veículos. Os pedidos são colocados progressivamente ao longo do tempo, provocando a necessidade de se aplicarem alterações a rotas de forma a permitir que esses pedidos possam ficar afetados a alguma das viaturas. Para cada pedido é conhecida uma quantidade, um local de carga, e um local de descarga, e a cada local estão associados intervalos temporais que impõe limites para os instantes em que se pode iniciar a respetiva carga ou descarga. Os cenários considerados foram obtidos através de um gerador de instâncias, concebido para o efeito, e que permite a definição de diferentes parametrizações para as instâncias a gerar. Os algoritmos implementados podem ser divididos em três conjuntos. Num primeiro conjunto, são consideradas heurísticas de inserção que se pretende que sirvam como enquadramento para decisões humanas, tomadas de uma forma intuitiva. Num segundo conjunto, é usado um Algoritmo Genético, sendo pretendido obter conjuntos de rotas com maior qualidade do que as obtidas com as heurísticas de inserção. Num terceiro conjunto, em que também se recorre ao Algoritmo Genético, é adicionado um método de seleção de rotas que recorre a cenários previsionais obtidos a partir de pedidos conhecidos, com o qual se pretende alcançar benefícios num prazo mais alargado. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um melhor desempenho por parte do Algoritmo Genético, face às heurísticas de inserção. Verificou-se que o desempenho dos algoritmos em que se introduz a componente previsional é fortemente afetado pela parametrização das instâncias, na medida em que essa parametrização restringe a qualidade das previsões. São também propostos desenvolvimentos e alterações ao trabalho realizado, que se considera poderem conduzir a melhores desempenhos por parte dos algoritmos considerados, bem como permitir a obtenção de resultados mais conclusivos.For companies where transportation is a significant part of the business process, high performance route planning methods are mandatory. The quality of these methods is crucial in achieving the best use of the available resources, in particular the fleet of vehicles. This thesis work involves a comparative analysis of different heuristic methods for route planning problems. Several requests are considered, which should be fulfilled by a fleet of vehicles. These requests are progressively known over time, thus requiring the need for route modifications in order to allow those requests to be fulfilled. Each request is characterized by a load, a pickup location, a delivery location, and time-windows which limit the instants when each pickup or delivery may begin. The used scenarios were obtained by an instance generator, which was designed for that purpose, which allows the previous definition of different parametrizations for the generated instances. Three groups of algorithms were considered. The first group includes three insertion heuristics, which are thought of as a framework for the outcome of human decisions. In the second group a Genetic Algorithm is used, with the purpose of obtaining better results in comparison to the first group. A third group of algorithms, also using the Genetic Algorithm, incorporate a method for route selection based on sets of predicted requests using previously known requests, with the purpose of achieving longer term benefits. Overall, the results which were achieved using the Genetic Algorithm were better than those obtained using the insertion heuristic. The performance gain of incorporating the scenario generation is highly influenced by the parametrization defined for each instance, which affects the quality of the predicted requests. Modifications regarding several aspects of the current thesis work are proposed, hoping these might lead to a performance increase for the Genetic Algorithm, and also allowing more relevant results

Immediate effects of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance protocol in nasal obstruction and middle ear condition of children under 3 years of age with upper respiratory infections: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction and objectives Children up to 2 years old are at high risk of respiratory infections and nasal irrigation is often prescribed. Yet, to date there is no sufficient knowledge about its immediate effects on the nasopharynx and middle ear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance intervention protocol on nasal obstruction and middle ear condition in children under 3 years of age with URTI. Materials and methods Randomized controlled trial in a day-care centre of Porto, including 44 children randomized to Intervention Group (IG) and Control Group (CG). Nasal auscultation and tympanometry were performed at baseline (M0) as well as after the intervention (M1), which consisted of nasal irrigation (NaCl .9%) followed by a forced nasal inspiration in the IG, and after 30 min of normal activities, in the CG. Results In M1 there was a lower frequency of children classified as having an obstructed nasal sound in the IG when compared to the CG (IG = 33.3%; CG = 68.4%; p = 0.042). We also observed an improvement of mean peak pressure (PP) in the IG (Left ear: M0 = −124daPa; M1 = −92daPa; p = 0.022. Right ear: M0 = −102daPa; M1 = −77daPa; p = 0.021), which was not observed in the CG (Left ear: M0 = −105daPa; M1 = −115daPa; p = 0.485. Right ear: M0 = −105daPa; M1 = −131daPa; p = 0.105). There were no significant results concerning the compliance of the tympanic membrane. Conclusions The rhino-pharyngeal clearance improved the nasal obstruction and PP of the middle ear of children under 3 years of age with URTI.Introducción y objetivos Los niños corren un alto riesgo de infecciones respiratorias superiores (IRS) y con frecuencia se prescriben irrigaciones nasales. Hasta hoy no hay suficiente conocimiento sobre sus efectos inmediatos en la nasofaringe y el oído medio. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el efecto de un protocolo de intervención de limpieza nasal en la obstrucción y en el estado del oído medio de niños menores de 3 años con IRS. Material y métodos Ensayo controlado aleatorizado en una guardería de Oporto, incluidos 44 niños asignados al Grupo de intervención (IG) y al Grupo de control (CG). La auscultación nasal y la timpanometría se realizaron al inicio (M0) y después de la intervención (M1), que consistió en irrigación nasal (NaCl 0,9%) seguido de una inspiración nasal forzada en IG, y después de 30 min de actividades normales en CG. Resultados En M1 hubo una menor frecuencia de niños clasificados como con un sonido nasal obstruido en IG en comparación con CG (IG = 33,3%; CG = 68,4%; p = 0,042). También se observó una mejora de la presión máxima media (PP) en IG (oído izquierdo: M0 = −124 daPa; M1 = −92 daPa; p = 0,022; oído derecho: M0 = −102 daPa; M1 = −77 daPa; p = 0,021), que no se observó en CG (oído izquierdo: M0 = −105 daPa; M1 = −115 daPa; p = 0,485; oído derecho: M0 = −105 daPa; M1 = −131 daPa; p = 0,105). No hubo resultados significativos con respecto al cumplimiento de la membrana timpánica. Conclusiones La limpieza nasal mejoró la obstrucción y la PP del oído medio de niños menores de 3 años con IRS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio