A prestação de serviços públicos nas autarquias locais

O presente artigo visa analisar as modificações ao nível das configurações organizacionais identificadas nos governos locais inerentes ao processo de modernização e reforma administrativa. Desta forma, o artigo pretende analisar três dimensões distintas. Primeiro, procura explorar o conceito de Nova Gestão Pública analisando a sua amplitude e as consequências na estrutura organizacional da Administração Pública. Depois, procura contextualizar o processo de reforma e mudança administrativa à realidade da Administração Local. Para tal, identifica e explora alguns casos de modernização administrativa experimentada em diferentes países da OCDE. Finalmente, converge para o caso português. Procura identificar as diferentes alternativas organizacionais para a prestação de bens e serviços públicos a nível local. Fruto da sua exploração mas detalhada e fazendo uso das três dimensões escolhidas (controlo directo/competição/cooperação) procede então à classificação das diferentes alternativas organizacionais, pelos três mecanismos de governação conhecidos: Hierarquia/Mercado/Networks

Portuguese local government: exploring alternatives of service delivery

Nowadays, Local Governments have a heavy burden of dealing with much of the services with added value to citizens. Their competences kept on growing at the expenses of central government responsibilities’ cope with all these challenges, local governments use several mechanisms to deliver public services to their citizens. In this paper we analyze New Public Management (NPM), and post-NPM as mains reform paradigms with impact in the governance alternatives

CAD/CAM education in dental medicine courses of Portugal and Spain

Aim: to analyse how CAD/CAM technology is included in the dental education curricula of dental schools in Portugal and Spain. Methods: a survey was distributed by e-mail to all Professors of Prosthodontics in Higher Education Institutions of Dental Medicine in the Iberian Peninsula. Response rate was 48% (total: 12 institutions). Results: CAD/CAM technology is covered in the training of future Dentists in the Iberian Peninsula, although at a reduced level. Most of students have access to CAD/CAM systems, within the Institution. However, in Portugal it is used only in specific situations, while in Spain it is used more routinely. The most common CAD/CAM materials used in Portugal are lithium disilicate, zirconia and metals. In Spain, it is also used alumina, leucite, feldspathic ceramics and composites for indirect restorations. Although CAD/CAM technology is taught in different graduation levels in Dentistry, it is considered that Portuguese and Spanish graduation level students are not able to use it without additional training. In a post-graduation level, there is a difference between students in both countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Functionalization of CNTS with maleic anhydride

The outstanding properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1] are mainly related with their unique structural features. However, the high π-π staking between the tubes is a major drawback for their manipulation and interaction with other materials. Chemical functionalization has been used as a convenient tool to improve their performance in various applications [2]. The work reports the functionalization of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with maleic anhydride via a Diels-Alder addition reaction, performed in dimethyl sulfoxide (190 ºC) or 2-chorotoluene (150 ºC) for 24 hours. The product was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the weight loss at 800 ºC was 11.9 and 3.7 % respectively. Potentiometric titration suggests that CNTs modified at 190 ºC remain predominantly in the anhydride form, while for CNTs modified at 150 ºC, the extent of hydrolysis is approximately 40 %. Maleic anhydride was also reacted with a model compound (anthracene) in dimethyl sulfoxide (190 ºC) and the hydrolysis of the product (0.025 mmol in 650 µL of DMSO-d6) was followed by 1H RMN upon addition of 0.166 mmol of DCl (40 % weight in D2O) (graphic in figure). The anhydride 1 was easily regenerated from the dicarboxylic acid 2 when this compound was heated at 185 ºC for 10 minutes. A similar behavior is expected for the modified CNTs.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

A logical approach for behavioural composition of scenario-based models

As modern systems become more complex, design approaches model different aspects of the system separately. When considering (intra and inter) system interactions, it is usual to model individual scenarios using UML’s sequence diagrams. Given a set of scenarios we then need to check whether these are consistent and can be combined for a better understanding of the overall behaviour. This paper addresses this by presenting a novel formal technique for composing behavioural models at the metamodel level through exact metamodel restriction (EMR). In our approach a sequence diagram can be completely described by a set of logical constraints at the metamodel level. When composing sequence diagrams we take the union of the sets of logical constraints for each diagram and additional behavioural constraints that describe the matching composition glue. A formal semantics for composition in accordance with the glue guides our model transformation to Alloy. Alloy’s fully automated constraint solver gives us the solution. Our technique has been implemented as an Eclipse plugin SD2Alloy.Postprin

Formation of graphene nanoribbons in solution

Recently, the formation of graphene by exfoliation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) has shown increasing interest. This process originates graphene nanoribbons (GNR) that are expected to present excellent electrical properties, depending on their width and on their edge shape [1]. Several methods for the unzipping of graphene from CNT were proposed along the past few years [2-6]. These methods often present some limitation, such as low yield of GNR, or extensively oxidized GNR without electrical conductivity. Recently, the formation of GNR was observed “in situ” by unzipping of carbon nanotubes under ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV STM) [7]. The CNT under observation were functionalized by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction [8]. This particular functionalization route seems to be responsible for the unzipping of the CNT under STM imaging conditions. The present work demonstrates the formation of GNR in solution by unzipping of functionalized CNT, in different solvents. The GNR thus formed were analyzed by UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy, and by transmission electron spectroscopy. GNR bundles were deposited from an ethanol solution and observed by TEM.Institute for Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (I3N

Are sEMG, velocity and power influenced by athletes’ fixation in paralympic powerlifting?

The bench press is performed in parapowerlifting with the back, shoulders, buttocks, legs and heels extended over the bench, and the use of straps to secure the athlete to the bench is optional. Thus, the study evaluated muscle activation, surface electromyography (sEMG), maximum velocity (MaxV) and mean propulsive velocity (MPV), and power in paralympic powerlifting athletes under conditions tied or untied to the bench. Fifteen experienced Paralympic powerlifting male athletes (22.27 10.30years, 78.5 21.6kg)tookpartintheresearch. The sEMGmeasurementwasperformed in the sternal portion of the pectoralis major (PMES), anterior deltoid (AD), long head of the triceps brachii (TRI) and clavicular portion of the pectoralis major (PMCL). The MaxV, MPV and power were evaluated using an encoder. Loads of 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% 1RM were analyzed under untied and tied conditions. No differences were found in muscle activation between the tied and untied conditions; however, sEMG showed differences in the untied condition between AD and TRI (F (3112) = 4.484; p = 0.005) in the 100% 1RM load, between PMCL and AD (F (3112) = 3.743; p = 0.013) in 60%1RMloadandinthetied condition, between the PMES and the AD (F (3112) = 4.067; p = 0.009). There were differences in MaxV (F (3112) = 213.3; p < 0.001), and MPV (F (3112) = 248.2; p < 0.001), between all loads in the tied and untied condition. In power, the load of 100% 1RM differed from all other relative loads (F (3112) = 36.54; p < 0.001) in both conditions. The tied condition seems to favor muscle activation, sEMG, and velocity over the untied condition.9E1A-F9DD-3EB8 | Filipe Manuel ClementeN/

Analysis of Grip Amplitude on Velocity in Paralympic Powerlifting

(1) Background: Paralympic Powerlifting (PP) is a Paralympic modality that is predominantly about developing maximal force, as there are athletes who lift three times their body weight. Our objective was to evaluate the averages of the velocity for 30% and 50% of 1 Maximum Repetition (1 RM) on different amplitudes of the footprint in PP athletes; (2) Methods: The intervention happened over two weeks, with the first being devoted to the familiarization and testing of 1 RM, while in the second week, through the use of a linear Encoder, tests of velocity average (VA), velocity average propulsive (VAP), and velocity peak (VP) were carried out with loads of 30% and 50% of a maximum repetition 1 RM for 1× of the biacromial distance (BAD) 1.3 × BAD, 1.5 × BAD; (3) Results: There was a significant difference in the average velocity of 1 × BAD (1.16 ± 0.14 m/s, 1.07–1.26 IC; η2p 0.20) when compared to 1.3 × BAD (1.00 ± 0.17 m/s, 0.90–1.09 IC; η2p 0.20) over 30% of 1 RM. For the other velocity variables for 30% and 50% of 1 RM with different grip amplitudes, there were no significant differences; (4) Conclusions: In PP, the 1 × BAD footprint contributes significantly to VA at 30% of 1 RM when compared to the 1.3 × BAD and 1.5 × BAD footprints. For loading at 50% of 1 RM the VA, VAP and VP decreased when compared to 30% of 1 RM, to the extent that the VAP and VP generated with the 1.3 × BAD and 1.5 × BAD footprints were higher than those with 1 × BAD, other than for VA 50% of 1 RM, where the 1 × BAD footprint was superior to the others

Punctuated equilibrium theory in Brazilian public policy: the case of Ceará

Este artigo faz uma análise do processo de decisão orçamental dos municípios do Estado do Ceará. Através deste estudo, procura-se perceber em que medida a distribuição dos orçamentos aos governos locais sofrem (ou não) variações. Já em um segundo momento, tenta-se depreender quais as receitas de cada um dos municípios (as variáveis independentes) que melhor descrevem e auxiliam a opção política de investimento local (esta será a variável dependente). Considerando o período de 2006 a 2010 e fazendo uso de um desenho de pesquisa de tipo transversal, conclui-se que nos governos locais do Ceará o investimento público apresenta períodos de estabilidade seguido por períodos de grande alteração dos orçamentos – confirmando a hipótese de pesquisa. Estas conclusões confirmam os pressupostos da teoria do equilíbrio pontuado. Conclui-se igualmente que o investimento público que vem sendo realizado é dependente das transferências que a União faz para os governos locais do Estado do Ceará e das receitas de capital. Face a estas condições, é pertinente equacionar até que nível e grau o endividamento pode ocorrer em virtude da escassez cada vez maior do financiamento público.This research aims to analyze the budget decision process in Ceará municipalities in order to understand in which way budget distributions change (or not) during the research period under consideration. This research also aims to understand which revenues (the independent variables) of each municipality better expla in the political choices for local government investments (the dependent variable). Making use of data from 2006 to 2010 and using a cross - sectional research design, the study concludes a stability in local government investments periods of stress where su ch investments have both positive and negative significant fluctuations – confirming our working hypothesis. These results confirm punctuated Equilibrium Theory assumptions and also find that local government public investment is dependent on money transfe rs from the central government and also from capital revenues. Thus, it is important to question to what degree public indebtedness should be allowed, due to a scarcity of public fundsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio