As empresas municipais: um contributo para a caraterização da sua posição financeira

Dissertação de Mestrado em Finanças EmpresariaisTem como objectivo este trabalho abordar uma temática actual, procurando contribuir para uma melhor caraterização da posição financeira das Empresas Municipais Portuguesas no quadriénio 2006 a 2009. Apresenta-se uma resenha histórica deste género de empresas e o seu enquadramento legal e funcional através da análise à Lei n.º 53-F/2006 de 29 de dezembro. Efetua-se um estudo a estas entidades no que respeita à sua localização, atividades e constituição. Segue-se um estudo e pesquisa daqueles que são, do nosso ponto de vista, os principais indicadores financeiros. Este trabalho carateriza-se por um estudo à estrutura do balanço e aplicação dos indicadores selecionados de forma a avaliar o desempenho destas empresas.Is objective of this work contribute to a characterization of the financial position of Portuguese Municipal Enterprises in the 2006 to 2009 period. It begins with a historical review of all such companies and their legal and functional analysis by the law the 53-F/2006 of december 29. After a theoretical framework, we present an empirical study in which these entities are characterized according to their location, economic activity and the balance sheet structure. This study concludes with an analysis of key financial indicators

Relationship between oil prices and real exchange rates: the case of Angola

This paper examines the long-run synergies between oil prices and real exchange rates in Angola, between January 2002 and July 2017. Our study considers both the official and the parallel market exchange rate. To achieve this, standard integration/co-integration techniques were conducted, and an error correction model was estimated. Our results reject the purchasing power parity hypothesis and present evidence of long-run co-movements between oil prices and real exchange rates. Moreover, examination of the short-run dynamics displays evidence of unilateral Granger causality from oil prices to real exchange rates

All for One: The Role of Colony Morphology in Bryophyte Desiccation Tolerance

In the last decade, several works showed that even bryophytes from aquatic environments, if slowly dehydrated, can cope with desiccation in a response like the one from desert bryophytes. This led to the hypothesis that, if bryophytes from contrasting habitats can have similar responses, desiccation tolerance (DT) is partially inductive and not only constitutive as previously proposed and, therefore, colony morphology might be the key trait responsible for controlling dehydration rate essential for DT induction. Morphology and life form may be determinant traits in the adaptation of bryophytes to habitats with different water availabilities and corresponding predicted levels in the DT inducibility spectrum. Bryophytes from habitats with different water availabilities were dried as individual shoots and as a colony. The bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica is fully aquatic presenting a streamer life form, while the three terrestrial species present turf life form with different sizes and degrees of space between individuals in the colony. Two species were collected under trees with moist soil presenting short turf (Tortella tortuosa) and long turf (Campylopus pyriformis) life forms. Another species was completely exposed to sun light with no surrounding trees and a tall turf life form (Pleurochaete squarrosa). We used chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm (maximum potential quantum efficiency of Photosystem II) as a proxy to photosynthetic fitness throughout the contrasting dehydration rates (fast and slow). These bryophytes with different life forms were submitted to an X-ray computed microtomography (µ-XCT) to assess the three-dimensional inner structure and visualize locations for water storage. Shoots dried slow or fast according to the dehydration they were exposed to, as expected, but they presented similar dehydration rates across different species. However, the aquatic moss F. antipyretica, was unable to recover from fast drying, and after 24 h the recovery following slow drying was lower than the other species. The other three species presented full recovery after 24 h, either at the individual or colony level, and either from slow or fast drying. The only exception was the colonies of Campylopus pyriformis following fast drying that presented a slightly lower recovery, probably due to a looser colony structure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gingival fibroblasts behavior on bioactive zirconia and titanium dental implant surfaces produced by a functionally graded technique

Adding a biological apatite layer to the implant surface enhances bone healing around the implant. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the mechanical properties and test human gingival fibroblasts behavior in contact with Zirconia and Titanium bioactive-modified implant materials. Methodology: 6 groups were considered: Titanium (Ti6Al4V), Ti6Al4V with 5% HA and 5% ßTCP, Zirconia (YTZP), YTZP with 5% HA and 5% ßTCP. For each group, we produced discs using a novel fabrication method for functionally graded materials, under adequate conditions for etching and grit-blasting to achieve equivalent surface microroughness among the samples. Surface roughness (Ra, Rz), water contact angle, shear bond strength, and Vickers hardness were performed. Human gingival fibroblasts immortalized by hTERT gene from the fourth passage, were seeded on discs for 14 days. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using a resazurin-based method, and cellular adhesion and morphology using field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). After 3 days of culture, images of fluorescent nucleic acid stain were collected by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results: Results were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). We compared groups using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-hoc test, and significance level was set at p<0.05. After 14 days of culture, cell viability and proliferation were significantly higher in YTZP group than in other groups (p<0.05). Samples of YTZP-ßTCP presented significantly higher wettability (p<0.05); yet, we observed no improvement in cell behavior on this group. Fibroblast spreading and surface density were more evident on YTZP specimens. Adding calcium-phosphate bioactive did not alter the tested mechanical properties; however, Ti6Al4V material shear bond strength was statistically higher than other groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Adding bioactive materials did not improve soft-tissue cell behavior. When compared to other zirconia and titanium groups, pure zirconia surface improved adhesion, viability and proliferation of fibroblasts. Cell behavior seems to depend on surface chemical composition rather than on surface roughness

Drilling process of composite laminates : a tool based analysis

The distinctive characteristics of carbon fibre reinforced plastics, like low weight or high specific strength, had broadened their use to new fields. In order to join different components by using bolts, rivets or screws, one of the machining operations needed in composite structures is drilling. Usually, it is accepted that drilling can be carried out using conventional tools and machinery with adaptations. However, this operation can lead to different kind of damages being delamination the most severe as it can reduce the mechanical strength. The main mechanism responsible for delamination occurrence is the indentation caused by the drill chisel edge. It is accepted that a drilling process that reduces the thrust force exerted by the drill chisel edge during machining can decrease the risk of delamination. In this work, two combinations of the drilling process are compared: tool material HSS, WC and PCD and geometry twist, Brad and step. The parameters considered for analysis include: thrust force, delamination extension open-hole strength and bearing strength. Statistical techniques are used in the evaluation. The work performed shows that a proper combination of the factors involved, like tool material, drill geometry or cutting parameters, can help to reduce the occurrence of delamination

Concepções de ensino de docentes da educação técnica e tecnológica

O presente trabalho tem como finalidade compreender as concepções de ensino de docentes da educaçãotécnica e tecnológica e contribuir para o desenvolvimento individual e coletivo dos professoresdessa área de ensino. Neste sentido, a partir de um estudo de caso em uma instituição brasileira,é utilizado o inquérito por questionário Teaching Perspectives Inventory - TPI, desenvolvido por Pratte Collins (2010) sobre as perspectivas de ensino. É também ensaiada uma aproximação conceitualentre o modelo desses autores e os diversos modelos de desenvolvimento profissional apresentadospor Unruh e Turner, Katz e Gregorc nos anos de 1970; Feinian e Floclen, Sikes, Burke e Alii, Vomk eHuberman nos anos de 1980; passando por Bolam, Leithwood, Gonçalves e Fessles nos anos de 1990,Formosinho no ano de 2000 e Garcia em 2009.A docência em instituições universitárias no século XXI requerem conexão entre os conhecimentosdas matérias específicas, inserindo os alunos no mundo laboral e as concepções didático/pedagógicasfacilitando o aprendizado, não só para a prestação de exames, mas para a formação do indivíduovisando prepará-lo ao convívio coletivo do universo onde estão inseridos.A análise do levantamento dos dados estatísticos, feita através do Statistical Package for Social Science-SPSS, evidenciou que os professores apresentam uma concepção do ensino multireferencial e queesta decorre das multifunções necessárias, no contexto contemporâneo, ao desempenho de sua profissão,reivindicando uma formação voltada para o domínio de práticas pedagógicas associadas aosconhecimentos específicos da matéria que lecionam

Thrombus aspiration in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: results of a national registry of interventional cardiology

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the impact of thrombus aspiration (TA) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI) in 'real-world' settings. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study, using data from the National Registry of Interventional Cardiology (RNCI 2006-2012, Portugal) with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with P-PCI. The primary outcome, in-hospital mortality, was analysed through adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: We assessed data for 9458 STEMI patients that undergone P-PCI (35% treated with TA). The risk of in-hospital mortality with TA (aOR 0.93, 95%CI:0.54-1.60) was not significantly decreased. After matching patients through the propensity score, TA reduced significantly the risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.58, 95%CI:0.35-0.98; 3500 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The whole cohort data does not support the routine use of TA in P-PCI, but the results of the propensity-score matched cohort suggests that the use of selective TA may improve the short-term risks of STEMI..info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

estudos artísticos

A revista de estudos artísticos GAMA encontra, neste terceiro número, um caminho mais definido dentro do projeto global da comunicação de artistas sobre as obras de outros artistas. A Revista GAMA percorre tradições, registos, ações e intervenções artísticas, que assinalaram diversos momentos, com diferentes graus de difusão. Visa-se resgatar, recuperar a arte: é voltar a olhar, pelo escopo particular de um artista, a intervenção de um outro artista, com algum tempo de intervalo entre ambos. Este intervalo é um tempo de sedimentação, de filtragem, ou de recuperação de valores quase esquecidos. O tempo pode fornecer um ponto de vista privilegiado que permite novas interpretações, valorizações, interligações. Permite-se a reativação, o restauro: restauro não no sentido material, mas no sentido da reapresentação do conteúdo possibilitando reforçar um “museu imaginário,” livre de fronteiras e de hierarquias estabelecidas (Malraux). Os objetos de arte anteriores podem ter originado, ou vir a originar, novas obras, na sequência imprevisível dos discursos humanos mais significativos, reagrupando-se em termos de “ação” ou de “orientação,” de “imagem” ou de “palavra,” (Warburg) permitindo “restituir ao discurso o caráter de acontecimento” (Foucault). Entre a história e a memória, o arquivo e a deriva, a viagem e a identidade, a permanência e a resistência, a Revista GAMA vem assinalando um percurso de salvaguarda, de marcação de registos, de preservação de uma riqueza, ora material ora conceptual: a arte detém-se e debruça-se sobre as suas marcas, os seus projetos, os seus registos, as suas transições. Debruçamo-nos sobre os homens.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio