Assessment of direct radiological risk and indirect associated toxic risks originated by Coal-Fired Power Plants

Over the past few decades there has been some discussion concerning the increase of the natural background radiation originated by coal-fired power plants, due to the uranium and thorium content present in combustion ashes. The radioactive decay products of uranium and thorium, such as radium, radon, polonium, bismuth and lead, are also released in addition to a significant amount of 40K. Since the measurement of radioactive elements released by the gaseous emissions of coal power plants is not compulsory, there is a gap of information concerning this situation. Consequently, the prediction of dispersion and mobility of these elements in the environment, after their release, is based on limited data and the radiological impact from the exposure to these radioactive elements is unknown. This paper describes the methodology that is being developed to assess the radiological impact due to the raise in the natural background radiation level originated by the release and dispersion of the emitted radionuclides. The current investigation is part of a research project that is undergoing in the vicinity of Sines coal-fired power plant (south of Portugal) until 2013. Data from preliminary stages are already available and possible of interpretation

Novel amidines and analogues as promising agents against intracellular parasites: a systematic review

Parasitic protozoa comprise diverse aetiological agents responsible for important diseases in humans and animals including sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis and others. They are major causes of mortality and morbidity in tropical and subtropical countries, and are also responsible for important economic losses. However, up to now, for most of these parasitic diseases, effective vaccines are lacking and the approved chemotherapeutic compounds present high toxicity, increasing resistance, limited efficacy and require long periods of treatment. Many of these parasitic illnesses predominantly affect low-income populations of developing countries for which new pharmaceutical alternatives are urgently needed. Thus, very low research funding is available. Amidine-containing compounds such as pentamidine are DNA minor groove binders with a broad spectrum of activities against human and veterinary pathogens. Due to their promising microbicidal activity but their rather poor bioavailability and high toxicity, many analogues and derivatives, including pro-drugs, have been synthesized and screened in vitro and in vivo in order to improve their selectivity and pharmacological properties. This review summarizes the knowledge on amidines and analogues with respect to their synthesis, pharmacological profile, mechanistic and biological effects upon a range of intracellular protozoan parasites. The bulk of these data may contribute to the future design and structure optimization of new aromatic dicationic compounds as novel antiparasitic drug candidate

Lack of Additive Effects of Resveratrol and Energy Restriction in the Treatment of Hepatic Steatosis in Rats

The aims of the present study were to analyze the effect of resveratrol on liver steatosis in obese rats, to compare the effects induced by resveratrol and energy restriction and to research potential additive effects. Rats were initially fed a high-fat high-sucrose diet for six weeks and then allocated in four experimental groups fed a standard diet: a control group, a resveratrol-treated group, an energy restricted group and a group submitted to energy restriction and treated with resveratrol. We measured liver triacylglycerols, transaminases, FAS, MTP, CPT1a, CS, COX, SDH and ATP synthase activities, FATP2/FATP5, DGAT2, PPAR alpha, SIRT1, UCP2 protein expressions, ACC and AMPK phosphorylation and PGC1 alpha deacetylation. Resveratrol reduced triacylglycerols compared with the controls, although this reduction was lower than that induced by energy restriction. The mechanisms of action were different. Both decreased protein expression of fatty acid transporters, thus suggesting reduced fatty acid uptake from blood stream and liver triacylglycerol delivery, but only energy restriction reduced the assembly. These results show that resveratrol is useful for liver steatosis treatment within a balanced diet, although its effectiveness is lower than that of energy restriction. However, resveratrol is unable to increase the reduction in triacylglycerol content induced by energy restriction.The aims of the present study were to analyze the effect of resveratrol on liver steatosis in obese rats, to compare the effects induced by resveratrol and energy restriction and to research potential additive effects. Rats were initially fed a high-fat high-sucrose diet for six weeks and then allocated in four experimental groups fed a standard diet: a control group, a resveratrol-treated group, an energy restricted group and a group submitted to energy restriction and treated with resveratrol. We measured liver triacylglycerols, transaminases, FAS, MTP, CPT1a, CS, COX, SDH and ATP synthase activities, FATP2/FATP5, DGAT2, PPAR alpha, SIRT1, UCP2 protein expressions, ACC and AMPK phosphorylation and PGC1 alpha deacetylation. Resveratrol reduced triacylglycerols compared with the controls, although this reduction was lower than that induced by energy restriction. The mechanisms of action were different. Both decreased protein expression of fatty acid transporters, thus suggesting reduced fatty acid uptake from blood stream and liver triacylglycerol delivery, but only energy restriction reduced the assembly. These results show that resveratrol is useful for liver steatosis treatment within a balanced diet, although its effectiveness is lower than that of energy restriction. However, resveratrol is unable to increase the reduction in triacylglycerol content induced by energy restriction

Hybrid fuzzy Monte Carlo and logic programming model for distribution network reconfiguration in the presence of outages

This paper presents a methodology for distribution networks reconfiguration in outage presence in order to choose the reconfiguration that presents the lower power losses. The methodology is based on statistical failure and repair data of the distribution power system components and uses fuzzy-probabilistic modelling for system component outage parameters. Fuzzy membership functions of system component outage parameters are obtained by statistical records. A hybrid method of fuzzy set and Monte Carlo simulation based on the fuzzy-probabilistic models allows catching both randomness and fuzziness of component outage parameters. Once obtained the system states by Monte Carlo simulation, a logical programming algorithm is applied to get all possible reconfigurations for every system state. In order to evaluate the line flows and bus voltages and to identify if there is any overloading, and/or voltage violation a distribution power flow has been applied to select the feasible reconfiguration with lower power losses. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology to a practical case, the paper includes a case study that considers a real distribution network

Berberine reverts hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction in high-fat fed rats: A possible role for SirT3 activation

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid with anti-diabetic properties. Despite the central role of liver and thus hepaticmitochondria inwhole-bodymetabolism, berberine effects on hepaticmitochondrial function in an obesity model are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that berberine treatment recovers mitochondrial efficiency when altered by a high-fat feeding.Mitochondria isolated from the liver of high-fat fed rats exhibited decreased capacity to accumulate calcium and impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity, as shown by impaired mitochondrialmembrane potential, oxygen consumption and cellular ATP levels. Interestingly, the recovery of mitochondrial function by berberine was associated with an increased activity of the mitochondrial sirtuin 3 (SirT3). In conclusion, berberine potent protective effects against metabolic syndrome may rely on increasing mitochondrial SirT3 activity, normalizing mitochondrial function and preventing a state of energetic deficit caused by impaired OXPHOS.JST, FVD, APG and ATV were recipients of a Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia PhD scholarship (SFRH/BD/38467/2007, SFRH/BD/38372/ 2007, SFRH/BD/44674/2008 and SFRH/BD/44796/2008, respectively). This project was supported by a FCT grant PTCD/SAU-OSM/72443/ 2006

SIZING OPTIMIZATION.

A method for structural member sizing optimization to be used for designing planar frames is presented. The procedure is based on the Augmented Lagrangian Multiplier method. The algorithm includes the displacements as state variables and consequently combines the analysis and the search for the optimal section properties into a single step. This combination process avoids the usual cycling between analysis and optimization phases. The width and height of rectangular elements are chosen from a finite compact set. The static equilibrium equations are treated as equality constraints eliminating the need to solve the standard structural analysis problem. The method handles displacement and stress limits as inequality constraints. Comparisons of performance and results are made with other optimization techniques

Preferência para oviposição de Telenomus podisi (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) por ovos de Glyphepomis nov. sp. Berg, 1891 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) de diferentes idades de desenvolvimento embrionário.

Telenomus podisi parasita ovos de diferentes espécies de percevejos da família Pentatomidae. Glyphepomis nov. sp., trata-se de uma nova espécie de percevejo na cultura do arroz no Brasil. Nesse sentido, estudos visando avaliar a capacidade reprodutiva de parasitoides são fundamentais tendo em vista que o desenvolvimento destes em ovos de seus hospedeiros que se encontram no inicio ou no final do desenvolvimento embrionário podem afetar a sua sobrevivência. Portanto, o objetivo da pesquisa foi conhecer a preferência para oviposição de T. podisi por ovos de Glyphepomis nov. sp. de diferentes idades de desenvolvimento embrionário

Reel and sheet cutting at a paper mill

This work describes a real-world industrial problem of production planning and cutting optimization of reels and sheets, occurring at a Portuguese paper mill. It will focus on a particular module of the global problem, which is concerned with the determination of the width combinations of the items involved in the planning process: the main goal consists in satisfying an order set of reels and sheets that must be cut from master reels. The width combination process will determine the quantity/weight of the master reels to be produced and their cutting patterns, in order to minimize waste, while satisfying production orders. A two-phase approach has been devised, naturally dependent on the technological process involved. Details of the models and solution methods are presented. Moreover some illustrative computational results are included

Inter-core crosstalk in weakly coupled MCFs with arbitrary core layout and the effect of bending and twisting on the coupling coefficient

We investigate the bending and twisting-induced longitudinal variation of the inter-core coupling coefficient (ICCC) and its effect on inter-core crosstalk (ICXT) in weakly coupled multi-core fibers (MCFs) with an arbitrary core layout. An analytical discrete changes model (DCM) for ICXT field propagation under those conditions is proposed for the first time, providing very fast and rather accurate mean ICXT power estimates. The analytical mean ICXT power estimates are validated through numerical simulation. It is predicted that the mean ICXT power between adjacent cores of the outer ring of the 19-core MCF can be more than 10 dB higher than the one between adjacent cores of the inner ring. It is also predicted that the difference between the mean ICXT power of cores in the inner and outer rings can be much smaller by decreasing the core pitch and increasing the bending radius. This behavior is attributed to the ICXT dependence on the bending and twisting-induced longitudinal variation of the ICCCs. In particular, larger bending and twisting-induced fluctuations of the ICCCs along the longitudinal coordinate are observed in the cores of the outer ring, but the fluctuations become smaller for smaller core pitches and larger bending radii. Furthermore, it is shown that, if the ICCCs’ longitudinal variation is neglected, the mean ICXT power estimates between two adjacent cores are very similar despite the location of those cores. This means that neglecting the longitudinal variation of the ICCCs can lead to misleading estimates of the mean ICXT power, with an error exceeding 15 dB.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rompendo uma clandestinidade legal: génese e evolução do movimento dos cuidadores e das cuidadoras informais em Portugal

Capaz de forçar a discussão política em torno de uma das dimensões mais importantes do trabalho reprodutivo não remunerado, o movimento dos cuidadores informais em Portugal rompeu com as lógicas da invisibilidade que circunscreviam a sua existência, resgatando do plano do “natural” o seu trabalho gratuito com restrições importantes, na prática, à sua liberdade social. Neste artigo, procura-se historicizar o passado recente do movimento dos cuidadores e cuidadoras informais em Portugal, analisando os seus processos de formalização, as suas alianças sociais, as suas estratégias mediáticas, as suas reivindicações e os seus repertórios de ação. Pretende-se, a partir do estudo dessa experiência de ação coletiva, traçar a trajetória da evolução recente dos cuidados informais como um problema social, que mobilizou diversos agentes políticos e desencadeou um processo legislativo que conduziu à aprovação de um Estatuto do Cuidador Informal