Bacterial biofilm supported on granular activated carbon and on natural zeolites- an application to wastewater treatment

The removal of many heavy metals from industrial wastewater is one of the most important environmental problems to be solved today. The retention of this contaminants by a biofilm supported on granular activated carbon or on natural zeolites is one of the promising technologies for the reduction of this problem, because it is cheap and it removes a broad range of substances, heavy metals and organic compounds. This study aims the development of a system of two mini-columns in series for the removal of chromium (VI) using a biofilm of Arthrobacter viscosus supported on two different materials: granular activated carbon and natural zeolite. The effect of the regeneration of granular activated carbon was also studied.Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI/EQU/12017/2000 , SFRH/BD/8646/2002

Influence of casting condition on the anisotropy of the fracture properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSCC)

Identification of the tensile constitutive behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) represents an important aspect of the design of structural elements using this material. Although an important step has been made with the introduction of guidance for the design with regular FRC in the recently published fib Model Code 2010, a better understanding of the behaviour of this material is still necessary, mainly for that with self-compacting properties. This work presents an experimental investigation employing Steel Fibre Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSCC) to cast thin structural elements. A new test method is proposed for assessing the post-cracking behaviour and the results obtained with the proposed test method are compared with the ones resulted from the standard three-point bending tests (3PBT). Specimens extracted from a sandwich panel consisting of SFRSCC layers are also tested. The mechanical properties of SFRSCC are correlated to the fibre distribution by analysing the results obtained with the different tests. Finally, the stress-crack width constitutive law proposed by the fib Model Code 2010 is analysed in light of the experimental results.This work is part of the research project QREN number 5387, LEGOUSE, involving the companies Mota-Engil, CiviTest, the ISISE/University of Minho and PIEP. The first author would like to thank the FCT for the financial support through the PhD Grant SFRH/BD/64415/2009. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ibermetais, Secil and SIKA, for supplying, respectively, the fibres, the cement and the super-plasticizer, respectively

Biosorption of Cr (VI) using a bacterial biofilm supported on granular activated carbon and on zeolite

Two mini-columns partially filled with granular activated carbon (GAC) and/or a natural zeolite, covered by a bacterial biofilm of Arthrobacter viscosus, were used in a continuous flow system to remove Cr (VI) from solutions with initial concentration of 70 mg/l and a working pH ranging between 4.5 and 5.5. Three different set-up’s were used: two columns in series filled GAC covered with a biofilm, two columns in series filled with zeolite covered with a biofilm and a column filled with GAC followed by another column filled with zeolite, both supports covered with biofilm. Comparatively, the biosorption system supported on GAC reaches similar removal values, 19%, as the one supported on the zeolite, 18%, but when these two beds are used in combination better performances are reached, i.e. 42% removal. The maximum uptake values ranged from 0.57 mgCr/gSupport to 3.58 mgCr/gSupport. The interactions between metal ions and functional groups on the cell wall surface of the biomass were confirmed by FTIR. GAC was regenerated with steam draughting and reused twice. The first regeneration caused a decrease in the removal capacity of 38% and the second regeneration caused a total decrease in the removal capacity of 76%.La Habana UniversityMinistério da Ciência e Tecnologia; FEDERFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Beneficios percibidos de las lesiones deportivas : estudio cualitativo en futbolistas profesionales y semiprofesionales

El objetivo del estudio fue identificar y analizar los beneficios percibidos asociados a la lesión deportiva, en 16 futbolistas profesionales y semiprofesionales que se habían lesionado durante su práctica deportiva. Para la recogida de datos se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, siendo el análisis de contenido efectuado través del software QSR Nvivo 2.0. Los participantes reportaron 31 beneficios percibidos en todo su proceso de lesión, siendo el apoyo social y la educación deportiva los más referidos. Las conclusiones apuntan para la importancia de incluir aspectos positivos para una comprensión más clara y completa del impacto global de las lesiones deportivas.The aim of the study was to identify and analyze the perceived benefits associated with sports injury in 16 professional and semi-professional players who were injured during sports practice. For data collection semi-structured interviews were conducted, content analyses being performed through the QSR Nvivo 2.0 software. 31 participants reported perceived benefits throughout the injury process, with social support and sports education referrals. The findings point to the importance of including positive aspects for a clearer and more complete understanding of the overall impact of sports injuries.O objectivo do estudo foi identificar e analisar os benefícios percebidos associados à lesão desportiva em 16 jogadores profissionais e semiprofissionais que se lesionaram durante a prática desportiva. Para a recolha de dados foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, sendo a análise de conteúdo efectuada através do software QSR Nvivo 2.0. Os participantes reportaram 31 benefícios percebidos durante todo o processo de lesão, sendo o suporte social e a educação desportiva os mais referidos. As conclusões apontam para a importância de incluir aspectos positivos para uma compreensão mais clara e mais completa do impacto global das lesões desportivas

Third-generation cephalosporin-resistant klebsiella pneumoniae: Does the origin matter?

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Do Klebsiella pneumoniae environmental strains maintain clinically relevant genomic and phenotypic traits?

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Beyond Prejudice as Simple Antipathy: Hostile and Benevolent Sexism Across Cultures

The authors argue that complementary hostile and benevolent componen:s of sexism exist ac ro.ss cultures. Male dominance creates hostile sexism (HS). but men's dependence on women fosters benevolent sexism (BS)-subjectively positive attitudes that put women on a pedestal but reinforce their subordination. Research with 15,000 men and women in 19 nations showed that (a) HS and BS are coherenl constructs th at correlate positively across nations, but (b) HS predicts the ascription of negative and BS the ascription of positive traits to women, (c) relative to men, women are more likely to reject HS than BS. especially when overall levels of sexism in a culture are high, and (d) national averages on BS and HS predict gender inequal ity across nations. These results challenge prevailing notions of prejudice as an antipathy in that BS (an affectionate, patronizing ideology) reflects inequality and is a cross-culturally pervasive complement to HS

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses - Restrospective review of 20 years

Objectivo: Analisar as características clinico-patológicas, tratamento e prognóstico do carcinoma adenóide quístico (CAQ) das fossas nasais e seios perinasais. Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo de doentes com diagnóstico de CAQ de fossas nasais e seios perinasais do Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa desde 1997 até 2016. Resultados: Foram obtidos 30 doentes, sendo 60% do sexo feminino. A idade média foi de 65 anos. O sintoma mais frequente foi obstrução nasal e o sinal mais comum foi tumefacção do palato duro. 63% dos doentes apresentavam tumor localmente avançado. O seio maxilar foi o mais atingido (87%). A invasão óssea foi a mais frequentemente identificada. Todos os doentes realizaram cirurgia com radioterapia adjuvante. Os doentes que apresentaram recorrência (50%) foram maioritariamente tratados com radioterapia. Conclusão: O CAQ das fossas nasais e seios perinasais apresenta habitualmente mau prognóstico. O tratamento cirúrgico é limitado pela recorrência local comum e tardia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Self-Determined Motivation and Competitive Anxiety in Athletes/Students: A Probabilistic Study Using Bayesian Networks

This study attempts to analyze the relationship between two key psychological variables associated with performance in sports – Self-Determined Motivation and Competitive Anxiety – through Bayesian Networks (BN) analysis. We analyzed 674 university students that are athletes from 44 universities that competed at the University Games in Mexico, with an average age of 21 years (SD = 2.07) and with a mean of 8.61 years’ (SD = 5.15) experience in sports. Methods: Regarding the data analysis, firstly, classification using the CHAID algorithm was carried out to determine the dependence links between variables; Secondly, a BN was developed to reduce the uncertainty in the relationships between the two key psychological variables. The validation of the BN revealed AUC values ranging from 0.5 to 0.92. Subsequently, various instantiations were performed with hypothetical values applied to the “bottom” variables. Results showed two probability trees that have extrinsic motivation and amotivation at the top, while the anxiety/activation due to worries about performance was at the bottom of the probabilities. The instantiations carried out support the existence of these probabilistic relationships, demonstrating their scarce influence on anxiety about competition generated by the intrinsic motivation, and the complex probabilistic effect of introjected and identified regulation regarding the appearance of anxiety due to worry about performance

Carbapenem-resistant klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates harbouring similar conjugative plasmids

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio