Wastewater and drinking water treatment by membrane processes: from laboratory to pilot-scale

The concern with water quality problems worldwide has led to the improvement of water/wastewater treatment processes. In this PhD project, industrial water and drinking water treatments using membrane processes were investigated in three different case studies. The main aim of these works was the assessment, optimisation and validation of the process’s technologies for the respective case studies. These studies included in a laboratory stage followed by a pilot-scale stage. The first case study contemplates residual water from a rubber industry presenting high chemical oxygen demand (COD). The impact of retrofitting of the existent wastewater treatment process with the replacement of the previously used evaporator with an integrate system (nanofiltration+ evaporator), was evaluated. Two modes of operation were considered, batch and continuous, depending on the daily flowrate of water to be treated in this industry. The second case study addresses surface water treatment, for production of drinking water with a high chemical and microbiological quality, required by the current legislation. The research was focused on the validation of a multibarrier system incorporating nanofiltration and UV photolysis performed at three different locations of the surface drinking water production line. The third case study focuses on a novel treatment process dealing with groundwater contaminated by arsenic (in its inorganic arsenate form) with the purpose to be applied in rural areas located far from centralised drinking water supply infrastructures. It has been a challenge worldwide to treat arsenic contaminated drinking water in order to meet the current strict regulation standard for As. In this research, an ion exchange membrane process, integrating Donnan dialysis with precipitation of this target pollutant was proposed. This work explored the feasibility of arsenic removal from water streams containing sulphate, which strongly competes with arsenate and is preferentially transported through strong-base anion-exchange membranes. Subsequently, the optimisation of arsenic removal from drinking water by the process proposed was performed by using a response surface methodology (RSM). A systematic analysis of the three case studies was carried out and is presented in this thesis in order to provide a deeper insight into the treatment processes studied (theoretical and practical aspects), which makes the proposed solutions also applicable to other water/wastewater treatment cases, facing similar challenges

Quem fala do quê nas notícias de saúde do público em 2009 : uma análise crítica

A ciência e a saúde ocupam um lugar de destaque no contexto da cobertura mediática, levando os meios de comunicação social a apresentar diariamente um vasto leque de notícias desse âmbito. Inúmeras vozes e opiniões são escritas e expressas nos vários meios de comunicação social, lançando para as audiências visões e experiências sobre as duas temáticas. Este artigo propõe-se a analisar, de um ponto de vista crítico, que tipo de vozes e assuntos são marcantes nas notícias sobre saúde no “Público”, um jornal de referência no contexto nacional.Science and health occupy a prominent place within the scope of media coverage, which leading the media to present regularly a wide range of related issues. Numerous voices and opinions are written and expressed in different media, pitching various views and experiences on the two themes to a wide audience. This article proposes to critically examine the kinds of voices and issues related to health that are most prominent in the "Público", a nationally distributed newspaper with a wide readership

Timor Telecom case study: ten years of experience

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economic

Hearing evaluation of Portuguese school communities: School-based Audiology versus Hearing Screening

Objectivo: Estudo da incidência da perda auditiva e de problemas otológicos em comunidades escolares do Norte do país de um total de 2550 participantes, entre os 3 e os 17 anos de idade. Desenho do Estudo: Levantamento estatístico nas próprias instituições de ensino sendo realizado um protocolo de avaliação auditiva de rastreio. Material e Métodos: A todos os participantes foi realizado o mesmo protocolo de avaliação que consistiu numa anamnese audiológica, otoscopia e exame audiométrico de rastreio, sendo considerado como critério de inclusão a autorização prévia por parte do encarregado de educação. Resultados: Foram identificados diversos problemas otológicos e a audiometria tonal de rastreio contabilizou limiares auditivos indicativos de hipoacusia, uni e bilateralmente, em cerca de 5,7% dos casos. Conclusões: O rastreio auditivo deve ser realizado o mais precocemente possível e fazer parte integral dos cuidados de saúde primários, de modo a orientar a criança para uma educação e acompanhamento apropriados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Organ-Preserving Surgery for Penile Carcinoma

Introduction. Penile carcinoma has traditionally been treated by either surgical amputation or radical radiotherapy, both associated with devastating anatomical, functional, and psychological impact on the patient's life. Innovative surgical techniques have focused on penile preservation in well-selected patients to minimize physical disfigurement and consequently maximize quality of life. The objective of this article is to define the current status of these organ-preserving surgical options for penile carcinoma. Materials and Methods. An extensive review of the Pubmed literature was performed to find articles discussing only reconstructive surgery which have contributed significantly to change traditional, frequently mutilating treatments, to develop less disfiguring surgery, and to improve patients' quality of life over the last two decades. Results. Several articles were included in this analysis in which a major contribution to the change in therapy was thought to have occurred and was documented as beneficial. Some articles reported novel techniques of less-mutilating surgery involving different forms of glans reconstruction with the use of flaps or grafts. The issue of safe surgical margins was also addressed. Conclusion. The development of less-disfiguring techniques allowing phallus preservation has reduced the negative impact on functional and cosmetic outcomes of amputation without sacrificing oncological objectives in appropriately selected patients based on stage, grade, and location of the tumour. Until more prospective studies are available and solid evidence is documented, organ preservation should be offered with caution

Neuromotor performance, prematurity and low birth weight

Parece ser consensual que as influências intrauterinas durante o desenvolvimento humano podem ter implicações a longo prazo. Há quem avance a hipótese da indução de alterações no ciclo de vida de um indivíduo provocando lesões, algumas irreversíveis. Os objectivos deste trabalho foram: (1) chamar a atenção para a problemática dos efeitos à distância do desempenho neuromotor, prematuridade e baixo peso à nascença em crianças e jovens; (2) apresentar aspectos relevantes do quadro conceptual da programação fetal e da sua relevância interpretativa na insuficiência de desempenho motor e coordenativo. Realizou-se uma pesquisa na base de dados Pubmed por meio de uma estratégia de busca com palavras-chave e suas possíveis combinações e foram seleccionados os estudos (transversais, longitudinais e caso-controlo) sobre avaliação da performance motora e da programação fetal. Na população europeia, os valores dos défices motores variaram entre 4% e 51%. A população norte americana apresentou valores que se situam entre 4% e 56%. Uma pesquisa realizada com a população da Austrália encontrou um défice de coordenação motora de 9,5%. Não existe concordância absoluta acerca da sua extensão, reversibilidade e significado face à enorme variabilidade dos valores dos défices. Não são conhecidos aspectos dos eventuais mecanismos que, em condições adversas no desenvolvimento fetal, induzirão problemas no desenvolvimento neuromotor de crianças, jovens e adultos, e que não possam ser "compensados" com estimulação sensório-motora.There seems to be consensus that intrauterine influences during human development have long-term implications. The hypothesis has been raised that alterations in an individual's life cycle provoke lesions, some of them irreversible. The objectives of this study were: (1) to call attention to the problem of distance effects of neuromotor performance, prematurity and low birth weight in children and youngsters; (2) to present relevant aspects of the conceptual framework of fetal programming and its interpretive relevance for deficits in motor performance and coordination. A Pubmed database search was performed using different key words and their possible combinations. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and case-control studies evaluating motor performance and fetal programming were selected. Motor deficit levels ranged from 4% to 51% in the European population and from 4% to 56% in the North American population. A study involving the Australian population reported a motor coordination deficit of 9.5%. There is no absolute agreement regarding the extent, reversibility and significance of motor deficits in view of the wide variability in deficit levels. The mechanisms that will induce problems in the neuromotor development of children, youngsters and adults under adverse conditions of fetal development are unknown and cannot be compensated for by sensorimotor stimulation

Ecos de Berenice em torno de um juízo criminal (tentame de Antropologia do Direito)

A densa materialidade observada no Juízo criminal 1 de Lisboa pode ser vista como um costume, um direito consuetudinário, um direito tácito, um direito do quotidiano, um saber/conhecimento local ou uma sensibilidade jurídica, um pop law, um simples senso comum ou, ainda, como uma amálgama de tudo isto, mas consubstancia à luz hermenêutica - pré-compreensiva e preconceituosamente, prenhe de história e de tradição jurídicas, judiciárias do autor - uma visão, profundamente, bereniciana do estertor moribundo, dos derradeiros resquícios de um antigo direito processual costumeiro que, agora e inexoravelmente, cede o seu lugar perante a força implacável da nova maquinaria informática que omnipresente e controladora invade a cidade...The deep materiality observed in that Lisbon criminal court can be seen as a custom, as a consuetudinary law, as a tacit law, as an everyday life law, as a local knowledge or as a juridical sensibility, as a pop law, as a simple common sense, or as an amalgam of all of this, but it can be, also – from hermeneutics view – a pre-understanding and prejudiced perspective, full of the author´s juridical and judiciary history and tradition, deeply bereniciana as the last dying rattling of an ancient procedural custom law which, now and inexorably, gives in his place to the informatics machinery implacable power that, omnipresent and controller, invades the town ..

Contribution to the study of epidemiological factors associated with sensorineural hearing loss in the population of São Tomé and Príncipe

ABSTRACT: Otorhinolaryngology, like other medical and non-medical services, can contribute to its humanitarian support. At the end of 2010, the ORL department of CUF Infante Santo Hospital, led by Professor João Paço, was invited to participate in humanitarian missions in one of the Portuguese-speaking countries, former Portuguese colony - Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Without any knowledge of the main ENT pathologies we started this adventure. From research on sub-Saharan African countries, an increase in deafness was expected from chronic otological infections. The mission was organized to have audiological assessment, ENT assessment and surgical interventions. It was in February 2011 that we started the adventure through the hot lands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Deafness was one of the main problems found, but contrary to what we expected, deafness was mainly sensorineural, affecting a high percentage of children, some without language acquisition and with bilateral profound deafness. At the end of the first mission, the results led to the curiosity to understand the reason for the increased prevalence of sensorineural deafness, irreversible and with socio-cultural repercussions important for the development of a country. The absence of clinical records, laboratory exams, imagiologic or audiologic tests led us to a greater clinical challenge of etiological cause of hearing loss in this country. The present doctoral project was born at the end of the first mission. Admission to the doctoral course was accepted in July 2011, and a challenge to research began. The initial research project has undergone several modifications due to there are several diagnostic and economic constrictions. In June 2013, in the scope of the doctoral course, during genetics curricular unit, and due to difficulties in carrying out complementary examinations in the island, born the idea was born to study the association between neurossensorial hearing loss and some of some of the most frequent hemoglobinopathies of the region. These hemoglobinopathiesare known to give some protection for the development of one of the major scourges of the country – Malaria. For that, was carried-out the collection of blood samples on Dried Blood Spot or Guthrie paper from São Tomé and Príncipe for analysis in Portugal. Since São Tomé and Príncipe is an island that has been colonized for many years by Portuguese, we could hypothesize for the existence of an associated genetic factor, and for that reason the evaluation of the main mutations of our people should be investigated. Since São Tomé and Príncipe is an island that has been colonized for many years by Portuguese, we hypothesize the existence of the same genetic factors, and for that reason the evaluation of the main mutations from Portuguese population was investigated. In this country, they had a significant improvement in primary health care, since the implementation of humanitarian aid by the IMVF in cooperation with the Camões Institute. São Tomé and Príncipe have good vaccination coverage, but some vaccines that may have an impact on the appearance of deafness, such as rubella, were not implemented until this project. Rubella is a known etiologic factor for congenital deafness. In São Tomé and Príncipe it is not possible to determine the existence of the disease by laboratory tests, being a pathology often forgotten at diagnosis. For this reason, the research project also contemplated the serological study of rubella in order to confirm the existence of the disease in the community and demonstrate the need to implement adequate measures - vaccination. Knowing that there is not only an etiological factor for deafness, the birth of this project undoubtedly is stimulating for a clinician and a researcher. The curiosity that awakens and the attempt to stop this scourge that interferes so much with the development of a community, leads to the effort which is always rewarded. Analyzing the main effects of the risk factors evaluated, it was found that female gender is in high risk to have HL than male gender; rubella disease could lead to HL if it is during gestational period and represents a double risk to HL. In this sample, self-report of malaria infection augments the risk of HL, around three times more; sickle cell disease (HbSS) have almost two and half folder risk to develop HL and sickle cell trait is protecting to HL; regarding G6PD non-B variant in association with gender, even though it was not found to be statistically significant, male gender almost duplicated the risk to develop HL; the mutations in GJB2 and GJB6 of control group, unilateral and bilateral did not reveal significant difference. There was a wide variability in mutations found, which led to conclude that it is not possible to define a standard and can be justified by the existence of multiple people to colonize the island. Simultaneously with the etiological research project, there is a need to the diagnosis to minimize the effects of deafness. The acquisition of equipment for audiological evaluation (audiogram and auditory evoked potentials) and the acquisition and adaptation of hearing aids to children and young adults with work activity were born with the help of patronage, in order to reduce the effects of social isolation. This project gave rise to another humanitarian project - "Projecto sem Barreiras" of the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian with the IMVF and Universidade Católica Portuguesa which included the national implementation of the Sign Language of São Tomé and Príncipe (LGSTP) and the Neonatal Auditory Screening of São Tomé and Príncipe (RANSTP), with the acquisition of acoustic oto-emission equipment. Undoubtedly a project that was born with Professor João Paço, cherished by all, with the ambition to contribute to the development of a country - Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and scientific knowledge

Educação financeira e a publicidade : Proposta didática para o 2º e 3º ano de escolaridade

Relatório Final de Prática de Ensino Supervisionada do Mestrado em Educação Pré-escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico apresentado na Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do CasteloO presente relatório foi realizado no âmbito da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada II (PES II). A prática foi desenvolvida numa escola de 1.º ciclo no distrito de Viana do Castelo, num 2º e 3º ano de escolaridade ao longo de quinze semanas. O projeto de investigação desenvolvido tem como tema central a Educação Financeira, sendo que a proposta didática se focou na influência da publicidade no que diz respeito ao ato de consumo. O estudo envolveu a participação de 12 alunos do 2º e 3º ano e pretendeu desenvolver conhecimentos dos alunos sobre a edução financeira e um olhar crítico no que concerne à publicidade. Para orientar o estudo definiram-se as seguintes questões: 1) Que conhecimentos manifestaram os alunos sobre a Educação Financeira?; 2) Em que aspetos se focaram quando analisaram a publicidade?; 3)Em que se basearam os alunos para tomar decisões?; 4)Que significados atribuíram os alunos aos conceitos trabalhados?. Com a sequência de tarefas implementada e analisada pretendeu-se ajudar os alunos a alcançar os seguintes objetivos: a) Estabelecer a diferença entre “necessitar” e “querer”; b) Distinguir e exemplificar despesas necessárias e despesas supérfluas; c) Compreender a noção de rendimento; d) Compreender a moeda enquanto meio de pagamento; e) Simular pagamentos e efetuar trocos com notas e moedas; f) Reconhecer a importância de notas e moedas para adquirir bens; g) Reconhecer criticamente a compra por impulso; h) Analisar publicidade; i) Tomar decisões fundamentadas. Tendo em conta as questões de orientação e os objetivos definidos optou-se por um estudo desenvolvido no paradigma interpretativo, seguindo a metodologia qualitativa e o método descritivo e interpretativo, com objetivo exploratório. A recolha de dados foi realizada através de observação participante, questionários, meios audiovisuais e documentos dos alunos produzidos durante a realização das tarefas. Para a análise dos dados foram definidas categorias que tiveram por base as questões orientadoras. Após a análise dos resultados constatou-se que o envolvimento da Educação Financeira nas escolas é uma mais-valia para a formação dos futuros cidadãos, na medida em que são dadas as bases para que os alunos possam desenvolver capacidades e confiança para tomar decisões e fazer escolhas refletidas/ conscientes em relação ao seu bem-estar financeiro (OCDE, 2006).The following report was conducted within the framework of the Pedagogic Supervised Practise II (Prática Pedagógica Supervisionada II – PES II). This practice was developed in a Primary School of the district of Viana do Castelo, with Second and Third Grade level classes over a period of 15 weeks. The ensuing research project has as its main theme Financial Education and the Didactic Proposal focused on the influence of advertising upon the act of consumerism. The study involved the participation of 12 students of the Second and Third Grade and intended to develop students' knowledge concerning Financial Education and a critical eye towards advertising. For this study the following guidelines were defined: 1) What knowledge did the students express concerning Financial Education?; 2) In which aspects did they focus when they analysed the advertisements?; 3) In what did the students base themselves when it came to making decisions?; 4) What meanings did the students assign to the concepts they worked with?. The intention of the implemented and analysed sequence of tasks was to help students achieve the following objectives: a) To establish the difference between "needing" and "wanting"; b) To distinguish and exemplify necessary expenses and superfluous expenses; c) To understand the concept of income; d) To understand currency as a means of payment; e) To simulate payments and make change with bills and coins; f) To recognise the importance of bills and coins to purchase goods; g) To critically recognise impulse buying; h) To analyse advertising; I) To make informed decisions. Taking into account the orienting guidelines and the defined objectives we opted to develop the study in an interpretative paradigm, following the qualitative methodology and descriptive and interpretive method, with an exploratory objective. Data collection was performed through participant observation, questionnaires, audiovisual media and documents produced by the students during the tasks. Categories were defined for the analysis of the data, based on the orienting guidelines. After the analysis of the results it was concluded that the integration of Financial Education in schools is an asset for the development of future citizens, considering that the students are given the foundation so they can develop the skills and confidence to make decisions and make conscious and pondered choices when concerning their financial well-being (OCDE, 2006)

A pegada de sexta-feira: notas para uma arquitectura partilhada

A presente dissertação aborda o papel cultural da arquitectura. A partir da obra de Danel Defoe -As Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe - estudamos a fi gura do arquitecto a partir de três formas: primeiro,como subjectivação de uma condição cultural, capaz de uma visão singular sobre os objectos ea realidade; segundo, como agente expressivo de uma ideia de arquitectura, de cultura, de arte e delinguagem; e terceiro, enquanto precursor de uma relação comunicativa concretizada por via de objectosarquitectónicos.Começamos por caracterizar o acto de conhecimento fundando-o na dialética sujeito/objecto,produtora de uma realidade representativa, vinculada a um repertório de imagens pessoal e cultural econdicionada pela circunstância do sujeito no ambiente que o envolve. Analisamos também o modode produção de imagens, nascido da selecção dos dados sensíveis e da comparação com as imagensretidas na memória. Numa primeira fase, exploramos os processos de signifi cação e cultura, observandocomo as representações e imagens de cada sujeito alicerçam a construção e continuidade de umpatrimónio sígnico que compõe a identidade e história de cada sociedade humana. Vemos tambémcomo a linguagem, que permite a cada sujeito comunicar as imagens do seu repertório, funciona comomecanismo fundamental para a partilha dessa identidade cultural, ainda que através de uma constanteactualização. De seguida, verifi camos como o processo comunicativo, defi nido como a interaçãoentre um emissor e um destinatário por via de um sinal, está dependente de código que o signifi que e deum destinátario que o interprete.Numa segunda fase, analisamos a arte de um ponto de vista cultural, enquanto meio de transformaçãodo hipercódigo convencional e da linguagem. Verifi camos que a obra de arte está igualmente sujeita àrepresentação subjectiva e a uma audiência que lhe confi ra signifi cado. Paralelamente, caracterizamoso objecto funcional vinculando-o a um sistema de expectativas culturais, históricas e sociais. Assim,abordamos o objecto arquitectónico atribuindo-lhe valores denotativos e conotativos, e que existem emfunção da capacidade do sujeito para os reconhecer.Numa terceira fase da dissertação, aprofundamos o estudo da relação sujeito/objecto, agorade um ponto de vista corporal. Partindo do conceito de hóspede, representativo de um sentidoque escapa à hospitalidade e ao entendimento do seu anfi trião, exploramos uma noção pré-objectiva darealidade, construída através da relação do corpo com as coisas que o rodeiam, e que está subjacente àrepresentação, signifi cação e pensamento do sujeito. Através do corpo chegamos, por fi m, à noçãode hábito, entendida como resultado provisório da construção recíproca do homem e do mundo, eque é resultado de um habitar, defi nido como o modo de ser do homem que mantém essa construçãoirresoluta.Na última parte da dissertação confrontamos o que estudámos anteriormente, de modo a formulara problemática central da investigação. Recorrendo à noção de casa, damos conta de uma imaginaçãopoética que revoluciona a linguagem, a comunicação e a geometria, e que manifesta a legítima procurado habitante por um lugar de devaneio, de sonho. Não um lugar adscrito à vontade e ao projecto doarquitecto, mas um lugar que evolua de acordo com as necessidades do seu habitante , sejam elasfuncionais, simbólicas, culturais, sociais ou poéticas.This dissertation addresses the cultural role of architecture. Using the work of Daniel Defoe - TheLife and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - as a motto, we study the architect in threedifferent ways: fi rst, as a subjectivation of a cultural condition, capable of a unique view of objectsand reality; second, as an expressive agent of an idea of architecture, culture, art, language; and third, as aprecursor of a communicative relationship fulfi lled through architectural objects.We start by defi ning the act of knowledge based on the dialectic relation between subject and object,producer of a representative reality, linked to a personal and cultural image repertoire and conditionedby the circumstance in which the subject apprehends the surrounding environment. We also analyzethe process in which the images appear, born from the selection of sensitive data and the comparisonwith images held by memory. First, we explore the processes of signifi cation and culture, understandinghow the representations and images made by each subject base the identity and culture of a humansociety. We also see how language, which allows subjects to communicate the images on their repertoire,functions as an essential device for sharing this cultural identity, even if it is done by a repeatingupdate. Next, we understand how the communicative process, defi ned as an interaction betweenan emitter and a recipient via a signal, is dependent on the interpretation of a specifi c code and recipient.In a second phase, we study art from a cultural point of view, as a mean of transforming languageand convention. We se how a work of art is equally dependent on a subjective representation thatbestows it meaning. At the same time, we characterize the functional object linking it to a specifi c setof cultural, social, and historical expectations. Finally, we address the architectural object assigning itdenotative and connotative values that exist in relation with the subject's ability to recognize them.In the third phase of this dissertation, we deepen our knowledge of the dialectic relationship betweensubject and object, now from a corporal point of view. Starting with the concept of guest, whichsignifi es the meaning that eludes its host's intellect and hospitality, we address a pre-objective reality, bornout of the relation between the body and the things that surround it, that precedes the representation,signifi cation and cogitation of the subject. At last we arrive at the concept of habit, defi ned as temporaryresult of the mutual construction of man and world, which results of dwelling, defi ned as a humanway of being that maintains this construction ongoing.In the last part of the dissertation we compare what we have studied so far, so that we can expressthe main problem of this investigation. Using the concept of home, we encounter a poetic imaginationthat revolutionizes language, communication and geometry, and manifests the inhabitant's legitimatesearch for a place of reverie and dream. Not a place tied to the will and project of its architect, but aplace that evolves with the changing needs of its inhabitants, whether they're functional, symbolic,cultural, social or poetic