5,145 research outputs found
Central Government Transfers and Regional Convergence in Portugal
Over the last decades, the Portuguese economy exhibited an outstanding growth performance. This period of fast economic growth allowed the country to consistently reduce its income gap with respect to the EU average. In spite of this, regions in Portugal exhibited large differences between each other in terms of GDP per capita. Yet, the Portuguese government did make attempts at regional intervention by means of some policy instruments, namely public transfers to local (and regional) government. How successful these policies have been in terms of achieving their goal is still an open question, especially as far as Portuguese Central Government transfers are concerned. The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate if the system of Central Government transfers has affected the intra-regional Portuguese convergence. We haven’t found unquestionable evidence that these policies have been effective at stimulating convergence among Portuguese regions and at improving the overall economies of the poorer regions. Keywords: Regional convergence, Central Government transfers, Regional policy JEL Classification: H71; O18; R58
Size fractionation by slalom chromatography and hydrodynamic chromatography
Hydrodynamic chromatography, also called separation by flow, is based on the use of the parabolic flow profile occurring in open capillaries or in the pores from a column filled with non-porous particles. The hydrodynamic chromatography separation medium, if any, is much simpler than that from size exclusion chromatography (porous particles), the former technique being used in the size-fractionation of many colloids and macromolecules. The transition between hydrodynamic chromatography (obtained using low flow rates) and slalom chromatography (obtained using high flow rates) was reported in studies related with the migration behaviour of proteins, plasmid DNAs and double stranded DNAs. Slalom chromatography is mainly applied in the size-fractionation of large double stranded DNA fragments and may compete with electrophoretic techniques. In the present paper it is discussed the main patents, applications, advantages and drawbacks related to hydrodynamic chromatography and slalom chromatography, as well as some strategies that may improve the performance of these simple size-fractionation techniques
Electroterapia nos Triggers Points do masséter em disfunções da articulação temporomandibular: LASER vs TENS
Projeto de Graduação apresentado Ă Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciado em FisioterapiaObjectivo: Aferir qual tĂ©cnica apresenta melhores e mais rápidos resultados quanto Ă abertura bocal, Escala Visual NumĂ©rica de dor (EVN) e limiar de dor (LD) Ă palpação dos Trigger Points (TP’s) do MassĂ©ter, numa DisfunçãoTemporomandibular DTM. Metodologia: Foram seleccionadas 8 indivĂduos, do sexo feminino a partir do Questionário anamnĂ©sico de
Fonseca, da mensuração de amplitude de abertura bocal e do nĂvel de dor Ă palpação. Os indivĂduos foram aleatoriamente divididos em dois grupos experimentais: LASER e TENS.
Ambas as aplicações foram realizadas três vezes por semana durante quatro semanas, nos TP’s do Masséter, bilateralmente. O LASER foi aplicado durante 15 segundos por TP (λ 808 nm, 50 mW e intensidade de 80 J/cm2). O TENS foi aplicado numa frequência de 4 Hz com
intensidade alta máxima suportada pelo indivĂduo e com uma duração de impulso de 250 ÎĽs.
Cada variável foi avaliada antes da 1ª sessão, depois da 6ª sessão, no fim do tratamento e uma semana após o mesmo. Resultados: Surgiram melhorias em todas as variáveis, mas nunca com significância, nos dois grupos. Em nenhum momento surgiram diferenças significativas entre grupos. Conclusão: Os parâmetros escolhidos no LASER e TENS não se revelaram eficazes na melhoria da dor miofascial e da amplitude de abertura bocal de DTM.Purpose: Verify which technique presents better and faster results in mouth opening, Numeric Visual Scale (NVS) and pain threshold while palpation of the Masseter’s Trigger Points (TP’s), in Temporomandibular disorder TMD. Methods: Eight female individuals were selected by using Fonseca’s anamnesis questionnaire and by measuring pain level and maximum mouth opening. These 8 patients were randomly assigned in two experiment groups: LASER and TENS. Both treatments were done three times per week, for four weeks, in the TP’s, bilaterally. Laser therapy was applied during 15 sec in each TP (λ 808 nm, 50 mW and intensity of 80 J/cm2). The TENS was applied with a 4 Hz frequency in the highest intensity tolerated by the patient, with an impulse width of 250 μs. Each variable was evaluated before the 1st session, after the 6st session, in the end of the treatment and a week after that. Results: There were improvements in all variables but never being significant, in both groups. There weren’t times of evaluation with significant differences between groups.
Conclusion: The chosen parameters for TENS and LASER didn’t revealed effectiveness in the improvement of myofascial pain and mouth opening
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