Institutions and Economic Development: How Strong is the Relation?

This paper investigates the relationship between institutions and economic development (output per worker). As in Hall and Jones (1999), we find that a 1% improvement in institutions (as we measure them) generates on average a 5% increase in output per worker. However, this relationship is not linear and the data have important heterogeneity. Countries with the same value of institutions have different levels of income per worker. We ask whether the "returns to institutions" are the same across countries conditional on the level of institutions. Using quantile regression methods, we show that for countries at the top of the conditional distribution of international incomes, the "returns to institutions" are lower (around 3.8%), than for countries at the bottom of this distribution (around 6.2%). We show that this result is robust for different model specifications and definitions of institutions. We also provide evidence that, conditional on the level of institutional development, the distribution of output per worker tends to become less disperse as countries improve their institutional framework. In other words, better institutions are fundamental to close the output per worker gap across countries. Finally, we provide the rationale behind the results through a modified version of a Neoclassical Growth Model with time varying wedges, representing policy distortions and institutions.

New insights from low-temperature thermochronology into the tectonic and geomorphologic evolution of the south-eastern Brazilian highlands and passive margin

The South Atlantic passive margin along the south-eastern Brazilian highlands exhibits a complex landscape, including a northern inselberg area and a southern elevated plateau, separated by the Doce River valley. This landscape is set on the Proterozoic to early Paleozoic rocks of the region that once was the hot core of the Aracuaf orogen, in Ediacaran to Ordovician times. Due to the break-up of Gondwana and consequently the opening of the South Atlantic during the Early Cretaceous, those rocks of the Aracuaf orogen became the basement of a portion of the South Atlantic passive margin and related southeastern Brazilian highlands. Our goal is to provide a new set of constraints on the thermo-tectonic history of this portion of the south-eastern Brazilian margin and related surface processes, and to provide a hypothesis on the geodynamic context since break-up. To this end, we combine the apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) methods as input for inverse thermal history modelling. All our AFT and AHe central ages are Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene. The AFT ages vary between 62 Ma and 90 Ma, with mean track lengths between 12.2 mu m and 13.6 mu m. AHe ages are found to be equivalent to AFT ages within uncertainty, albeit with the former exhibiting a lesser degree of confidence. We relate this Late Cretaceous-Paleocene basement cooling to uplift with accelerated denudation at this time. Spatial variation of the denudation time can be linked to differential reactivation of the Precambrian structural network and differential erosion due to a complex interplay with the drainage system. We argue that posterior large-scale sedimentation in the offshore basins may be a result of flexural isostasy combined with an expansion of the drainage network. We put forward the combined compression of the Mid-Atlantic ridge and the Peruvian phase of the Andean orogeny, potentially augmented through the thermal weakening of the lower crust by the Trindade thermal anomaly, as a probable cause for the uplift. (C) 2019, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V

Relação entre o padrão e o volume das refeições na composição corporal, índice de massa corporal e sintomatologia nos doentes com DPOC

Mestrado em Nutrição ClínicaIntrodução: A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crónica (DPOC) representa um desafio importante na saúde pública global com uma elevada taxa de morbilidade e mortalidade. A fisiopatologia implica uma inflamação sistémica que leva ao aparecimento de alterações pulmonares e extrapulmonares e que podem ser perturbadas por variações no ritmo circadiano. A nutrição parece ser uma das variáveis que pode interferir no ciclo circadiano na qual se definiu como crononutrição. O padrão das refeições é um dos mecanismos da crononutrição que pode ser usado como uma estratégia dietética. Objetivo: Determinar se o padrão das refeições, o volume e o peso total dos alimentos se relacionam com os parâmetros antropométricos e sintomatologia respiratória em doentes com DPOC. Métodos: O estudo foi transversal analítico. Foram recolhidos dados sociodemográficos e clínicos. Foram realizadas correlações no padrão da ingestão alimentar com os parâmetros antropométricos e a sintomatologia respiratória. Resultados: Foram recrutados no total 18 participantes (16 do sexo masculino, 68,7 ±7,2 anos, 41,6 ±20,9 FEV1% previsto). A maioria dos participantes referiu que o número de refeições foi entre 3-4 por dia (n=14, 77,8%) e o intervalo de tempo entre cada refeição foi entre 3-4h (n=15, 83,3%). Metade dos participantes apresentou um índice de massa corporal dentro do intervalo da normalidade (25,4kg/m2 ±4,7) e a massa gorda (29,2% ±8,3) e o perímetro abdominal (94,7cm ±20,0) estavam acima dos valores de referência. O volume das porções alimentares teve uma correlação moderada positiva com a sintomatologia respiratória (Dispneia: rho=0,501; Fadiga: rho=0,499; CAT: rho=0,471; p0,05). Conclusão: Os doentes com DPOC que consomem uma maior quantidade de alimentos com alto volume apresentam uma maior perceção de sintomas respiratórios. São necessários mais estudos para confirmar esta relação entre o padrão da ingestão alimentar nos parâmetros antropométricos e na sintomatologia respiratória em doentes com DPOC.ABSTRACT - Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents an important global public health challenge with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology implies a systemic inflammation that leads to the appearance of pulmonary and extrapulmonary changes that can be disturbed by variations in the circadian rhythm. Nutrition seems to be one of the variables that can interfere with the circadian cycle in which chrononutrition was defined. Meal pattern is one of the mechanisms of chrononutrition that can be used as a dietary strategy. Objective: To determine whether the pattern of meals, the volume, and the total weight of food are related to anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and analytical. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Correlations were made in the pattern of food intake with anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms. Results: A total of 18 participants were recruited (16 males, 68,7 ±7,2 years, 41,6 ±20,9 FEV1% predicted). Most participants reported that the number of meals was between 3-4 per day (n=14, 77,8%) and the time interval between each meal was between 3-4 hours (n=15, 83,3%). Half of the participants had a body mass index within the normal range (25,4kg/m 2 ±4,7) and fat mass (29,2% ±8,3) and waist circumference (94,7cm ±20,0) were above the reference values. The volume of food portions had a moderate positive correlation with the respiratory symptoms (Dyspnea: rho=0,501; Fatigue: rho=0,499; CAT: rho=0,471; p0,05). Conclusion: Patients with COPD who consume a greater amount of high-volume foods have a greater perception of respiratory symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship between the pattern of food intake in the anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD.N/

Arquitetura para Integração e exploração de registos eletrónicos de saúde

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaA sucessiva digitalização da informação de saúde dos cidadãos tem potenciado o desenvolvimento de aplicações que permitem estudar e extrair informação, facilitando a produção de conhecimento através de análise dos dados armazenados. A normalização de modelos de dados permite que as mesmas ferramentas possam ser usadas em diferentes bases de dados. O crescimento de comunidades que mantêm repositórios clínicos locais e isolados uns dos outros tem impedido que estudos epidemológicos, por exemplo, passar a ser realizados sobre um conjunto alargado de pessoas. Existe assim uma necessidade de transparentemente estudar múltiplas populações distribuidas globalmente. Esta dissertação propõe soluções para integrar distintos catálogos clínicos e ferramentas de software e permitir que possam ser utilizadas de forma distribuida.The increase of patient-level data available on digital format led to the development of aplications that can study and extract information and produce knowledge by analysing stored data. As data standardization is achieved, tools and studies can be shared in different databases. The growth of communities that maintain clinical repositories local and isolated has prevented epidemiological studies, for example, from being carried out on a wide range of people. There is a need for transparently study multiple globally-distributed populations. This dissertation proposes solutions to integrate software tools on distinct health catalogues, allowing them to be used distributely

Relação entre o padrão e o volume das refeições na composição corporal, índice de massa corporal e sintomatologia nos doentes com DPOC

Tese de mestrado, Nutrição Clínica, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2021Introdução: A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crónica (DPOC) representa um desafio importante na saúde pública global com uma elevada taxa de morbilidade e mortalidade. A fisiopatologia implica uma inflamação sistémica que leva ao aparecimento de alterações pulmonares e extrapulmonares e que podem ser perturbadas por variações no ritmo circadiano. A nutrição parece ser uma das variáveis que pode interferir no ciclo circadiano na qual se definiu como crononutrição. O padrão das refeições é um dos mecanismos da crononutrição que pode ser usado como uma estratégia dietética. Objetivo: Determinar se o padrão das refeições, o volume e o peso total dos alimentos se relacionam com os parâmetros antropométricos e sintomatologia respiratória em doentes com DPOC. Métodos: O estudo foi transversal analítico. Foram recolhidos dados sociodemográficos e clínicos. Foram realizadas correlações no padrão da ingestão alimentar com os parâmetros antropométricos e a sintomatologia respiratória. Resultados: Foram recrutados no total 18 participantes (16 do sexo masculino, 68,7 ±7,2 anos, 41,6 ±20,9 FEV1% previsto). A maioria dos participantes referiu que o número de refeições foi entre 3-4 por dia (n=14, 77,8%) e o intervalo de tempo entre cada refeição foi entre 3-4h (n=15, 83,3%). Metade dos participantes apresentou um índice de massa corporal dentro do intervalo da normalidade (25,4kg/m2 ±4,7) e a massa gorda (29,2% ±8,3) e o perímetro abdominal (94,7cm ±20,0) estavam acima dos valores de referência. O volume das porções alimentares teve uma correlação moderada positiva com a sintomatologia respiratória (Dispneia: rho=0,501; Fadiga: rho=0,499; CAT: rho=0,471; p0,05). Conclusão: Os doentes com DPOC que consomem uma maior quantidade de alimentos com alto volume apresentam uma maior perceção de sintomas respiratórios. São necessários mais estudos para confirmar esta relação entre o padrão da ingestão alimentar nos parâmetros antropométricos e na sintomatologia respiratória em doentes com DPOC.Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents an important global public health challenge with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology implies a systemic inflammation that leads to the appearance of pulmonary and extrapulmonary changes that can be disturbed by variations in the circadian rhythm. Nutrition seems to be one of the variables that can interfere with the circadian cycle in which chrononutrition was defined. Meal pattern is one of the mechanisms of chrononutrition that can be used as a dietary strategy. Objective: To determine whether the pattern of meals, the volume and the total weight of food are related to anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD. Methods: The study was cross-sectional analytical. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Correlations were made in the pattern of food intake with anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms. Results: A total of 18 participants were recruited (16 males, 68,7 ±7,2 years, 41,6 ±20,9 FEV1% predicted). Most participants reported that the number of meals was between 3-4 per day (n=14, 77,8%) and the time interval between each meal was between 3-4 hours (n=15, 83,3%). Half of the participants had a body mass index within the normal range (25,4kg/m 2 ±4,7) and fat mass (29,2% ±8,3) and waist circumference (94,7cm ±20,0) were above the reference values. The volume of food portions had a moderate positive correlation with the respiratory symptoms (Dyspnea: rho=0,501; Fatigue: rho=0,499; CAT: rho=0,471; p0,05). Conclusion: Patients with COPD who consume a greater amount of high volume foods have a greater perception of respiratory symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship between the pattern of food intake in the anthropometric parameters and respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD.Este trabalho foi realizado no âmbito do projeto “OnTRACK – On Time to Rethink Activity Knowledge: a personalized mHealth coaching platform to tackle physical inactivity in COPD” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028446, PTDC/SAU-SER/28446/2017), financiado pelo FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional através do COMPETE 2020 e por fundos nacionais através da FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Melhoramento da resposta sísmica de edifícios com recurso a TLDs

Mestrado em Engenharia CivilSismos ocorridos recentemente têm demonstrado, de forma dramática, que a investigação na área da engenharia sísmica deve ser direccionada para a avaliação da vulnerabilidade das construções, geralmente desprovidas de adequadas características resistentes. O seu esforço deve ser realizado reduzindo a sua vulnerabilidade e, consequentemente, o risco para níveis aceitáveis. O estudo e desenvolvimento de novas técnicas e de materiais de reforço têm um papel fundamental no sentido de evitar perdas económicas e vidas humanas. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta dissertação de mestrado centra-se no estudo de um sistema de protecção sísmica de edifícios, Tuned Liquid Damperes(TLDs), que reduzem as vibrações induzidas pelas acções dinâmicas através de fenómenos de oscilação da superfície livre do fluido (sloshing). Este trabalho foi estruturado em duas partes. Na primeira, estudou-se o comportamento de um Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD) isolado quando sujeito a uma excitação sinusoidal na sua base, com diferentes amplitudes de deslocamento. Na segunda parte deste trabalho avaliou-se a eficiência dos TLDs na melhoria da resposta sísmica de um edifício, com base em análises dinâmicas lineares. O edifício estudado é representativo da arquitectura moderna, localizado em Lisboa. ABSTRACT: Recent earthquakes have dramatically revealed that research in the area of earthquake engineering should be directed towards the evaluation of construction vulnerabilities, which are generally devoid of adequate resistance characteristics. Its reinforcement should be made with a view to reducing its vulnerabilities and consequently, the risk to acceptable levels. The study and development of new reinforcement techniques and/or the improvement of seismic performance is fundamental so as to avoid significant economic losses as well as human lives in future events. The work done in this Master's dissertation is centered on the study of an earthquake protection system, the Tuned Liquid Dampers (TLDs), which can reduce the motions induced by the earthquake's effect on buildings, taking into account the oscillation of the fluid free surface (sloshing). This work was divided into two parts. In the first part, the behavior of an isolated Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD), subjected to a sinusoidal excitation at its base, with different displacement amplitudes was studied. In the second part of this work, the efficiency of the TLDs in improving the seismic response of an existing building was evaluated based on linear dynamic analyses. The building in the study is representative of modern architecture and located in Lisbon

Program of technological rehabilitation nursing

+P.E.R.T.O., aims to implement a digital rehabilitation program, accompanied by a communication and monitoring channel, via APP, for eligible users and caregivers to join. +P.E.R.T.O. has 4 fundamental sections: 1- Exercise program aimed at rehabilitation: • Phase 1 – preoperative (preparation), • Phase 2 – hospitalization, • Phase 3 – post-operative (recovery). 2- Useful information section with feedback system. 3- On-time monitoring and follow-up section. 4- Section ‘‘ talk to the rehabilitation nurse ’’, a communication channel that it also allows to assist the user and caregiver in decision making in aspects such as: pain, edema and surgical wound.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

3D Multi-Robot Exploration with a Two-Level Coordination Strategy and Prioritization

This work presents a 3D multi-robot exploration framework for a team of UGVs moving on uneven terrains. The framework was designed by casting the two-level coordination strategy presented in [1] into the context of multi-robot exploration. The resulting distributed exploration technique minimizes and explicitly manages the occurrence of conflicts and interferences in the robot team. Each robot selects where to scan next by using a receding horizon next-best-view approach [2]. A sampling-based tree is directly expanded on segmented traversable regions of the terrain 3D map to generate the candidate next viewpoints. During the exploration, users can assign locations with higher priorities on-demand to steer the robot exploration toward areas of interest. The proposed framework can be also used to perform coverage tasks in the case a map of the environment is a priori provided as input. An open-source implementation is available online