Decennial comparison of changes in social vulnerability: a municipal analysis in support of risk management

The concept of Social Vulnerability (SV) is characterized and distinguished by its complexity and multidisciplinarity. This concept takes into account the specific characteristics of the individual and his social and economic relations, as well as the physical environment where he is inserted. These differentiating characteristics make Social Vulnerability (SV) an indispensable work tool in the process of characterizing and understanding the degree of exposure of communities, as well as evaluating their capacity for resilience and recovery from hazardous events. This paper presents a comparison between the SV performed in 2008 with the results obtained in 2017 for the 278 municipalities of mainland Portugal. The methodology was based on the work developed by the Center for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, which is distinguished by the fact that SV is composed of two components: Criticity and Support Capability. The analysis of SV and its components was done using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) starting from an initial set of 235 variables (90 for Criticality and 145 for Support Capability). With respect to Criticality, the results point out the importance of factors related to the economic condition, employment and factors related to the disadvantaged population and risk groups. Support Capability is strongly influenced by the population density and the most relevant factors for the final results are those related to civil protection response, economic and environmental dynamism and logistic and service capacity. Regarding the SV spatial distribution, the highest values are located mainly in the central and northern parts of the country, with emphasis on the Douro river valley and surrounding municipalities; also a general decrease of SV was recorded in the southern regions from 2008 to 2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic variants of CYP2C9 and IL-6 on female infertility

AIM: To study the polymorphic variants in CYP2C9*2*3 and the C-174G promoter polymorphism of the IL-6 gene on Infertile Women.BACKGROUND: - Infertility affects 15–20% of couples worldwide. Within the past decades, there has been a steady rise in the treatment of female infertility with several drugs; - The cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes are oxygenases involved in estrogen biosynthesis and metabolism, generation of DNA damaging procarcinogens, and response to anti-estrogen therapies used in female infertility treatments: - Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine, highly expressed in the female urogenital tract and reproductive organs. It has been implicated in estrogen metabolism imbalance.N/

Identification of vertebrate type steroid hormones in the shrimp Penaeus japonicus by tandem mass spectrometry and sequential product ion scanning

The identification of testosterone, pregnelonone, and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone by tandem mass spectrometry and of progesterone by sequential product ion scanning in the shrimp gonads of Penaeus japonicus is described. The identification of these substances in biological samples is usually done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and involves several liquid chromotographic purification steps followed by derivatization. The utilization of tandem mass spectrometry in this analysis has simplified considerably the sample pretreatment and provided a very simple method of screening these substances in complex mixtures

CFRP flexural and shear strengthening technique for RC beams : experimental and numerical research

Near surface mounted (NSM) technique has proved to be a very effective technique for the flexural strengthening of RC beams. Due to the relatively small thickness of the concrete cover that several beams present, cutting the bottom arm of steel stirrups for the installation of NSM laminates might be a possible strategy, whose implications on the beam’s load carrying capacity need to be assessed. When steel stirrups are cut, however, the shear resistance can be a concern. This also happens when a strengthening intervention is carried out to increase the flexural resistance of a beam, since in certain cases it is also necessary to increase the shear resistance in order to avoid the occurrence of brittle shear failure. The present work assesses the effectiveness of a technique that aims to increase both the flexural and shear resistance of RC beams that have the bottom arm of the steel stirrups cut for the application of NSM laminates. This assessment is performed by experimental and numerical research. The main results of the experimental program are presented and analyzed, and the innovative aspects of a constitutive model implemented in a computer program are described, being their virtues and deficiencies discussed.The study reported in this paper forms a part of the research program "CUTINEMO - Carbon fiber laminates applied according to the near surface mounted technique to increase the flexural resistance to negative moments of continuous reinforced concrete structures" supported by FCT, PTDC/ECM/73099/2006. The authors wish to acknowledge the support also provided by the S&P, Casais and Artecanter Companies. The second Author acknowledges the grant under the aforementioned research project. The third author acknowledges the financial support of FCT, PhD Grant number SFRH/BD/23326/2005

A possible Reinterpretation of Einstein's Equations

In this paper, we first review Huei's formulation in which it is shown that the linearized Einstein equations can be written in the same form as the Maxwell equations. We eliminate some imperfections like the scalar potential which is ill linked to the electric-type field, the Lorentz-type force which is obtained with a time independence restriction and the undesired factor 4 which appears in the magnetic-type part. Second, from these results and in the light of a recent work by C.C. Barros, we propose an extension of the equivalence principle and we suggest a new interpretation for Einstein's equations by showing that the electromagnetic Maxwell equations can be derived from a new version of Einstein's ones.Comment: 11 pages, no figure

CLEANING PICTORIAL HERITAGE: MANAGEMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF CLEANING RECORDS AND STRATIGRAPHIC DATA

[EN] At present, the process of documentation can be considered the cornerstone of the different tasks within the field of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. However, this is not the case with cleaning. Despite its importance in the conservation of pictorial heritage, little effort has been made to improve the management and dissemination of information. Cleaning is one of the most usual procedures, yet, at the same time, it is also one of the most problematic and controversial. Therefore, it would be very useful that the information generated by cleaning could be widely disseminated and serve as reference for researchers and conservators around the world. When a conservator carries out a cleaning operation on a painting, two kinds of interrelated data are produced: stratigraphic data and cleaning records. Stratigraphic data are those concerning the configuration and composition of the stratigraphic structure on which the cleaning is carried out. Cleaning records gather together data concerning the actual cleaning process. All this information is key for conservators when working on other paintings. The information published is usually insufficient to understand how the intervention was carried out, so there is a need for standardized systems which allow a great deal of information to be gathered and disseminated with ease. This paper explains a selection of proposals, some of which are already in use, and others which are being developed: stratigraphic unit recording sheets, solubility test recording sheets and stratigraphic diagrams.Barros García, JM.; Guillen Juan, CM. (2012). CLEANING PICTORIAL HERITAGE: MANAGEMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF CLEANING RECORDS AND STRATIGRAPHIC DATA. International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era. 1(1_suppl):159-164. doi:10.1260/2047-4970.1.0.159S15916411_supplBarker, P. (2003). Techniques of Archaeological Excavation. doi:10.4324/9780203442173Barros García, J. M. (2009). Recording stratigraphic relationships among non-original deposits on a 16th century painting. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 10(3), 338-346. doi:10.1016/j.culher.2009.01.00

Modified Brans-Dicke theory of gravity from five-dimensional vacuum

We investigate, in the context of five-dimensional (5D) Brans-Dicke theory of gravity, the idea that macroscopic matter configurations can be generated from pure vacuum in five dimensions, an approach first proposed in the framework of general relativity. We show that the 5D Brans-Dicke vacuum equations when reduced to four dimensions lead to a modified version of Brans-Dicke theory in four dimensions (4D). As an application of the formalism, we obtain two five-dimensional extensions of four-dimensional O'Hanlon and Tupper vacuum solution and show that they lead two different cosmological scenarios in 4D.Comment: 9 page

Reproductive tract development and puberty in two lines of Nellore heifers selected for postweaning weight

AbstractThe objective was to evaluate reproductive tract development (ovary and uterus) and onset of puberty in two lines of Nellore heifers (Bos indicus) selected for postweaning weight. A total of 123 heifers, including 46 from the control Nellore line (NeC) and 77 from the selection Nellore line (NeS) were used. Every 18 to 21 days from 12 to 24 months of age, average ovarian area (OVA), endometrial thickness (ETh), and diameter of the largest follicle in each ovary were evaluated (using transrectal ultrasonography), and body weight, hip height, and body condition score were measured. There were no differences between NeS and NeC heifers for ETh or OVA (P < 0.05). Genetic selection for higher postweaning weight had no negative influence on the onset of puberty, with 52% and 48% of NeC and NeS heifers, respectively, pubertal at 24 months of age (P = 0.49). Heifers that reached puberty at the end of the study were heavier (NeC, 296.9 vs. 276.7 kg; NeS, 343.5 vs. 327.9 kg; P < 0.01) and younger (NeC, 23.4 vs. 24.2 mo; NeS, 22.7 vs. 24.0 months; P < 0.01) than those that did not. Furthermore, heifers that were heavier at weaning reached puberty earlier. Pubertal heifers had a greater OVA (4.15 vs. 3.14 cm2; P < 0.01) and ETh (12.15 vs. 9.93 mm; P < 0.01) than nonpubertal heifers. Taken together, OVA and ETh had positive effects (P < 0.01) on the onset of puberty and were suitable indicator traits of heifer sexual precocity in pasture management systems. However, selection for weight did not alter ovarian or endometrial development, or manifestation of puberty at 24 months of age. Among the growth traits studied, weaning weight and weight at puberty had significant positive effects on manifestation of first estrus