Optics in Data Processing and Data Transmission

Today optical systems are more and more important in data communications (optical fibers) and are also becoming important in data processing (optical and quantum computing) allowing for a fully optical communication  network where all signals will be processed and transmitted in the optical domain. This paper gives an overview of optical fiber communications and analyses some optical devices and applications such as optical computing, holographic memory and optical pattern recognition

Reorganization and improvement of the sales representatives work

This study was conducted with the purpose of implementing a project, within the company Imperial Tobacco, with the goal of optimizing the work of the Sales Representatives and ultimately improve the company’s results by assuring that their roles were well defined and met their expectations and skill sets. In order to do so, a new retail classification was performed, the previously theoretical role differentiation was now implemented and the activities performed per cycle were diminished in order to increase focus and efficiency. Due to its recent implementation, results are still unknown but are expected to affect in a positive way the Sales Reps morale, as well as the increasing sales in the higher turnover Points of Sale

Calcimimetic agents: Review and perspectives

Calcimimetic agents: Review and perspectives.BackgroundRecognition of the role of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) in mineral metabolism has greatly improved our understanding of calcium homeostasis. The activation of this receptor by small changes in the extracellular ionized calcium (ec(Ca2+)) regulates PTH, calcitonin secretion, urinary calcium excretion, and, ultimately, bone turnover.MethodsThe cloning of the CaR and the discovery of mutations that make the receptor less or more sensitive to calcium have allowed a better understanding of several hereditary disorders characterized by either hyperparathyroidism or hypoparathyroidism. The CaR, able to amplify the sensitivity of the CaR to Ca++ and suppress PTH levels with a resulting decrease in blood Ca++, became an ideal target for the development of compounds, the calcimimetics. Experience with the calcimimetic R-568 in patients with primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid carcinoma are summarized.ResultsThe first clinical studies with the first-generation calcimimetic agents have demonstrated their efficacy in lowering plasma intact PTH concentration in uremic patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. However, the low bioavailability of these first calcimimetics predicts a difficult clinical utilization. The second-generation calcimimetic, AMG 073, having a better pharmacokinetic profile, appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism, suppressing PTH levels while simultaneously reducing serum phosphorus levels and the calcium x phosphorus product.ConclusionThe advantage of controlling PTH secretion without the complications related to hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and increased calcium x phosphorus product is very promising

The genomic impact of deleterious mutations in isolation with migration models

Tese de mestrado, Biologia Evolutiva e do Desenvolvimento, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2019The effects of background selection (BGS), i.e. the effect that purifying selection due to removal of deleterious mutations at given site has on linked neutral sites, is well understood in single population models. For recessive deleterious mutations, heterozygotes can have a higher fitness leading to associative overdominance (AOD). Previous studies suggest that BGS may increase genomic differentiation, misleading genomic scans that rely on high differentiation regions to detect genes involved in local adaptation. However, little is known about the interaction of BGS and AOD with gene flow. To characterize the genomic impact of BGS, AOD and migration we used a forward-in-time simulator implemented in the program SLiM 3.2. We considered an isolation with migration model with two populations of constant size. To understand the relative impact of each parameter we used various combinations of migration rates, recombination rates, selective coefficients and dominance coefficients. We find that, in relation to neutral expectations, co-dominant deleterious mutations decrease within population diversity and increase genetic differentiation (FST) between populations, although with high migration (2Nem>10) FST does not deviate from neutral expectation. Consistent with the effect of AOD, for recessive deleterious mutations we found an increase of neutral diversity for selective coefficients s between 0.0001 and 0.1, when recombination rate is lower than the mutation rate. AOD also leads to a decrease in population differentiation (FST), with higher migration rates decreasing the magnitude of this effect. Thus, BGS and AOD can lead to heterogeneous genomic patterns and bias the detection of divergent selection

Food products in two cosmetic formulations: determination of the stability and toxicity

The cosmetic market is extending to millions of consumers worldwide and its industry is worth tens of billions of US$ [ ]. The competitive environment and the demands made by the consumers pushed the manufactures to develop new types of cosmetic products and to use new ingredients, such as bee products, to produce formulations with higher quality and efficacy. The aim of this work was to develop two cosmetic formulations for topical application that combine bee products and essential oils from medicinal plants, as well it was to extract and analyse the essential oils of an edible wild mushrooms Clitocybe odora (Buli.) P. Kumm, grown in vitro, to understand the potential of it, as a source of bioactive compounds usable in cosmetics. The effect of two different bee products (hydroalcoholic exti-act of propolis and two honeys of Lavandula ssp. with different geographic provenance) and essential oils from two different species (Thymus Zygis L. subsp. Zygis and Mentha pulegium L.) was tested. For that purpose, several preparations were elaborated to witch one essential oil and a bee product were added. For each type of formulation, one preparation with essential oils but without a bee product was also prepared. In relation to the bee products, the Lavandula spp. honey was used in the proportion of l :50 (v/m) and l :20 (v/m); the hydroalcoholic extract of propolis, using ethanol, was add in a concentration of5% (m/v). The concentration of essential oil used was 7. 86x10^g/g (e. o./ emulsion). Additionally was also tested the toxicity of the two essential oils and the Clitocybe odora volatiles, through the LD50 determination, using Artemia Salina L.. To determine the effect of the bee products in the formulations stabilization were made physicochemical tests and stabilization tests. Was not verified alterations m the relative density of the samples, in the pH or in a vibration test made placing the samples 10 seconds in the vortex. When the samples were place during l 5 days in a daylight lamp, was observed, by comparing with samples just with essential oil in the same conditions, that all the samples with propolis extract changed the colour and the odour. The effect of the bee products in the viscosity of the formulations was also tested. When using a lower spindle rotation velocity, the use of the honey from the North of Portugal and of the propolis extract increased the viscosity of the emulsions. Both the two essential oils tested as the in vitro Clitocybe odora volatiles show to have a LD50<0,1 mg/ml.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ser treinador no futebol de formação - construção e aplicação de um sistema de observação e análise do talento no futebol

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de mestre em Desporto - Atividades desportivas para criançasO presente documento é referente ao estágio realizado na época desportiva 2022/2023, na modalidade de futebol, no escalão sub13, num clube de elite em Portugal. O documento está divido em duas partes, uma primeira parte referente ao contexto de estágio, com apresentação do clube, das funções e tarefas desempenhas enquanto treinador estagiário, e a descrição e reflexão de todo o processo de trabalho desenvolvido, nomeadamente nas áreas de planeamento, de intervenção no treino, de intervenção na competição, e na observação e analise. Uma segunda parte, onde se apresenta e desenvolve o estudo de aplicação prática na entidade de estágio. O objetivo do estudo passou pela criação de um sistema de observação e análise de talento no futebol de formação (SOTnFF), na componente técnica, tática, física e mental. O Sistema de Observação foi aplicado na entidade acolhedora, com a observação de 3 atletas, com níveis de potencial e rendimento diferentes, em três momentos competitivos distintos. O estudo permitiu caracterizar e avaliar os jovens jogadores, em função de um conjunto de indicadores, refletindo sobre as expetativas e análises internas do clube sobre o talento dos mesmos. Futuramente, espera-se a continua utilização desta ferramenta de análise e auxílio aos treinadores e coordenadores, com vista a definir e identificar um padrão de atleta talentoso para o escalão etário.This document relates to the internship carried out during the 2022/2023 sports season, in the sport of soccer, specifically in the under-13 age group, at an elite club in Portugal. The document is divided into two parts: the first part refers to the internship context, presenting the club, the functions, and tasks performed as a trainee coach. The second part presents and develops the study of practical application within the internship organization. The study aimed to create a Talent Observation and Analysis System in youth soccer (TOASyS), focusing on technical, tactical, physical, and mental aspects. The observation system was applied to three athletes in the hosting organization, each with different potential and performance levels, during three distinct competitive moments. The study allowed for evaluating and characterizing the players, comparing them based on a set of indicators, reflecting on their talent, as well as the club's internal expectations and analyses. It is expected that this analysis tool will continue to be utilized in the future by coaches and coordinators, aiming to define and identify a pattern of talented athletes for the age group.N/

Hiperparatiroidismo secundário no doente insuficiente renal crónico terminal em hemodiálise : Da patogenese ao tratamento : Uma Abordagem mais segura com um novo derivado da vitamina D

Dissertação de Doutoramento em Medicina apresentada à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Port

Igreja.com: relatórios sobre o documentário

Relatório sobre o documentário Igreja.com que aborda a presença da igreja evangélica no ambiente virtual. Com o surgimento das redes sociais muitas igrejas passaram a ocupar esse espaço, possibilitando a formação de membros virtuais e dando lugar para novas estratégias de comunicação colocadas em prática por profissionais voluntários ou contratados das próprias igrejas. São esses os entrevistados desse documentário, membros virtuais e físicos, pastores, funcionários e voluntários envolvidos no mergulho digital da igreja evangélica

A multivariate approach for multi-step demand forecasting in assembly industries: Empirical evidence from an automotive supply chain

PreprintDemand forecasting works as a basis for operating, business and production planning decisions in many supply chain contexts. Yet, how to accurately predict the manufacturer's demand for components in the presence of end-customer demand uncertainty remains poorly understood. Assigning the proper order quantities of components to suppliers thus becomes a nontrivial task, with a significant impact on planning, capacity and inventory-related costs. This paper introduces a multivariate approach to predict manufacturer's demand for components throughout multiple forecast horizons using different leading indicators of demand shifts. We compare the autoregressive integrated moving average model with exogenous inputs (ARIMAX) with Machine Learning (ML) models. Using a real case study, we empirically evaluate the forecasting and supply chain performance of the multivariate regression models over the component's life-cycle. The experiments show that the proposed multivariate approach provides superior forecasting and inventory performance compared with traditional univariate benchmarks. Moreover, it reveals applicable throughout the component's life-cycle, not just to a single stage. Particularly, we found that demand signals at the beginning of the life-cycle are predicted better by the ARIMAX model, but it is outperformed by ML-based models in later life-cycle stages.INCT-EN - Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Excitotoxicidade e Neuroproteção(UIDB/00319/2020