Impactes de um evento de orientação pedestre sobre a vegetação

A Orientação inclui toda a actividade em que se recorre à utilização de um mapa para se optar sobre o melhor trajecto a realizar entre dois locais. Enquanto modalidade de Desporto de Natureza, o praticante tenta realizar no menor tempo possível um percurso, previamente definido e marcado num mapa, tendo que visitar, pela ordem definida no mapa, um conjunto de postos de controlo colocados no terreno. A identificação das áreas onde ocorrem impactes significativos sobre a vegetação, resultantes do pisoteio, é importante no âmbito do planeamento dos eventos de Orientação Pedestre, de modo a evitar que a sua capacidade de carga seja ultrapassada. Em Novembro de 2006 foi efectuado um estudo com o objectivo de avaliar os impactes originados por um evento de Orientação Pedestre de nível nacional sobre a vegetação e sua capacidade de regeneração. Esta prova realizou-se na Serra de Santa Isabel, no concelho de Terras do Bouro (Portugal). Foram seleccionadas vinte e quatro áreas de amostragem, considerando a representatividade da vegetação, as áreas de maior passagem de atletas e a vulnerabilidade e valor florístico. Todas as áreas foram caracterizadas e avaliadas, antes, imediatamente após e dez meses após o evento. Procedeu-se a uma caracterização da vegetação arbustiva e herbácea, com registo das espécies ocorrentes e respectivas classes de abundância/dominância. A observação dos efeitos induzidos pela passagem dos praticantes sobre a vegetação foi efectuada in loco e registada em suporte fotográfico e em ficha de observação. Foi igualmente registada a área correspondente afectada. Os efeitos sobre a flora e vegetação assumiram uma magnitude e significado reduzidos, verificando-se uma recuperação das condições anteriores à prova. Porém, foram identificadas situações particulares de maior vulnerabilidade, associadas à presença de formações com menor capacidade de regeneração e a áreas com declive acentuado.Federação Portuguesa de Orientaçã

Effect of fat content, casing type and smoking procedures on PAHs contents of Portuguese traditional dry fermented sausages

Portuguese dry fermented sausages are traditionally processed through direct drying/smoking, making them susceptible to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of added fat (20% and 40%), casing type (hog and collagen) and smoking procedures (direct and indirect exposure) on the 16 EPA priority PAHs in dry fermented sausages manufactured according traditional processing. The total PAHs content (sum of 16 PAHs) found in whole product (casing included) varied between 150 and 870 lg kg 1, with more than 99% of this content corresponding to harmless low molecular weight compounds. Concerning benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and PAH4, the respective maximum contents (0.32 and 10.35 lg kg 1, respectively) did not exceed the imposed limits regulated by the European Union. According to our results, casing type was the most influential factor. For hog samples, fat content and smoking regime alone did not influenced the total PAHs amount. However, significantly higher (p < 0.05) contamination levels were detected in hog casing samples combining high fat content and direct smoking procedures. In opposition, irrespective of the fat content and smoking regime, safer products, with significantly lower (p < 0.001) contamination levels, were obtained when collagen casing was used

Modelação da distribuição ecológica potencial de espécies representativas da vegetação do Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional

O território do Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional (PNTI) estende-se por uma área de 26484 hectares no distrito de Castelo Branco, Portugal. A vegetação do Parque é característica de ecossistemas mediterrânicos, com particular relevo para as duas séries luso-estremadurenses: Pyro bourgaeanae-Querceto rotundifoliae sigmetum e Sanguisorbo agrimonioidis-Querceto suberis sigmetum, bem como as associações préclimácicas, nomeadamente Phillyreo angustifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis, Asparago albi-Rhamnetum oleoides e Cytiso eriocarpi-Juniperetum lagunae, apresentando 726 táxones distribuídos por 98 famílias botânicas, incluindo 51 endemismos. De modo a modelar a distribuição potencial de 14 espécies lenhosas indicadoras da vegetação característica do Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional, recorreu-se ao software Maxent, com base na informação recolhida em 334 locais localizados na área do PNTI e área envolvente. Verificou-se, com base na análise realizada, que os fatores ambientais com maior influência na distribuição das espécies em estudo a precipitação anual e no quadrimestre mais seco, bem como o declive e a profundidade do solo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análise numérica em uma ligação de treliça de madeira com chapa metálica dentada (CMD)

A utilização da madeira como elemento estrutural dá-se, em sua grande maioria, na execução de treliças de madeira composta pela junção de diferentes barras de madeira, onde é necessária a utilização de elementos de ligação. Dentre os elementos de ligação utilizados, o presente trabalho visa estudar as ligações em chapas metálicas dentadas (CMD), que consistem em duas chapas metálicas perfuradas com dentes estampados que são aplicados nos dois lados da ligação, formando assim uma ligação plana, ou seja, sem a necessidade da sobreposição das barras. O dimensionamento dessas ligações necessita, primeiramente, de uma modelagem para a transposição dos esforços para o centro de gravidade de cada área de corte, seguida da transposição para as linhas corte. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo o estudo e comparação de modelos analíticos de dimensionamento das linhas de corte através de modelagens da ligação no software computacional Midas®.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

MCHO – A new indicator for insulation conditions in transmission lines

AbstractConventionally monitoring operating conditions of a power transmission line is accomplished by periodic inspections along this line. This monitoring allows corrective maintenance by finding faults during the inspection. But in more efficient maintenance, predictive techniques that are characterized by real-time monitoring should be employed. Such predictive techniques allow for verifying the working status of the line by using normal working models to detect faults and fault models for diagnosis. This paper presents a study that used a mathematical model appropriate for application to predictive maintenance of transmission line segments at low cost, without the need for sensors distributed along the line, and presenting a new indicator of transmission line operation conditions. By tracking the leakage current of transmission lines, this model allows for estimating the current line insulation status. Once the current line insulation status is known, it is possible to compare it against other future status and verify the progress of the insulation conditions of that line. The model uses a new indicator, called MCHO, which can detect and diagnose both normal and abnormal operating conditions of a power transmission line. This new indicator is the capacitance of the harmonic frequencies of the transmission line leakage current. The model was validated through measurements obtained on a stretch of transmission line

Avaliação do impacte de fogos florestais nos recursos hídricos subterrâneos. 2.º Relatório de Execução Material.

Apresenta os trabalhos desenvolvidos no âmbito do Projeto "Avaliação do impacte de fogos florestais nos recursos hídricos subterrâneos" (POCI/AGR/59180/2004) durante o ano de 2007.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Projecting Temperature-Attributable Mortality and Hospital Admissions due to Enteric Infections in the Philippines

Background: Enteric infections cause significant deaths, and global projection studies suggest that mortality from enteric infections will increase in the future with warmer climate. However, a major limitation of these projection studies is the use of risk estimates derived from nonmortality data to project excess enteric infection mortality associated with temperature because of the lack of studies that used actual deaths.Objective: We quantified the associations of daily temperature with both mortality and hospital admissions due to enteric infections in the Philippines. These associations were applied to projections under various climate and population change scenarios.Methods: We modeled nonlinear temperature associations of mortality and hospital admissions due to enteric infections in 17 administrative regions of the Philippines using a two-stage time-series approach. First, we quantified nonlinear temperature associations of enteric infections by fitting generalized linear models with distributed lag nonlinear models. Second, we combined regional estimates using a meta-regression model. We projected the excess future enteric infections due to nonoptimal temperatures using regional temperature–enteric infection associations under various combinations of climate change scenarios according to representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and population change scenarios according to shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) for 2010–2099.Results: Regional estimates for mortality and hospital admissions were significantly heterogeneous and had varying shapes in association with temperature. Generally, mortality risks were greater in high temperatures, whereas hospital admission risks were greater in low temperatures. Temperature-attributable excess deaths in 2090–2099 were projected to increase over 2010–2019 by as little as 1.3% [95% empirical confidence intervals (eCI): −3.1%, 6.5%] under a low greenhouse gas emission scenario (RCP 2.6) or as much as 25.5% (95% eCI: −3.5%, 48.2%) under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario (RCP 8.5). A moderate increase was projected for temperature-attributable excess hospital admissions, from 0.02% (95% eCI: −2.0%, 1.9%) under RCP 2.6 to 5.2% (95% eCI: −12.7%, 21.8%) under RCP 8.5 in the same period. High temperature-attributable deaths and hospital admissions due to enteric infections may occur under scenarios with high population growth in 2090–2099.Discussion: In the Philippines, futures with hotter temperatures and high population growth may lead to a greater increase in temperature-related excess deaths than hospital admissions due to enteric infections. Our results highlight the need to strengthen existing primary health care interventions for diarrhea and support health adaptation policies to help reduce future enteric infections. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP932

A reference case for economic evaluations in osteoarthritis: An expert consensus article from the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO)

Background: General recommendations for a reference case for economic studies in rheumatic diseases were published in 2002 in an initiative to improve the comparability of cost-effectiveness studies in the field. Since then, economic evaluations in osteoarthritis (OA) continue to show considerable heterogeneity in methodological approach. Objectives: To develop a reference case specific for economic studies in OA, including the standard optimal care, with which to judge new pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Methods: Four subgroups of an ESCEO expert working group on economic assessments (13 experts representing diverse aspects of clinical research and/or economic evaluations) were charged with producing lists of recommendations that would potentially improve the comparability of economic analyses in OA: outcome measures, comparators, costs and methodology. These proposals were discussed and refined during a face-to-face meeting in 2013. They are presented here in the format of the recommendations of the recently published Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) statement, so that an initiative on economic analysis methodology might be consolidated with an initiative on reporting standards. Results: Overall, three distinct reference cases are proposed, one for each hand, knee and hip OA; with diagnostic variations in the first two, giving rise to different treatment options: interphalangeal or thumb-based disease for hand OA and the presence or absence of joint malalignment for knee OA. A set of management strategies is proposed, which should be further evaluated to help establish a consensus on the "standard optimal care" in each proposed reference case. The recommendations on outcome measures, cost itemisation and methodological approaches are also provided. Conclusions: The ESCEO group proposes a set of disease-specific recommendations on the conduct and reporting of economic evaluations in OA that could help the standardisation and comparability of studies that evaluate therapeutic strategies of OA in terms of costs and effectiveness