Adulterants found in mixtures of illegal psychoactive drugs

Os danos biológicos causados pelo uso de substâncias psicoactivas ilegais podem resultar não só das substâncias ilegais por si só, mas também da presença de substâncias que os traficantes lhes adicionam no sentido de aumentar o volume final de droga (substâncias de corte). O objectivo central do presente estudo consistiu na análise de substâncias psicoactivas ilegais e dos seus contaminantes/adulterantes, pela conjugação de esforços entre CHECK-IN/ APDES e o Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal do Porto. Esta colaboração permitiu comparar dados portugueses com os dados gerados pelo projecto Energy Control em Espanha, que se tem dedicado desde há mais de 10 anos à redução de riscos. The biological damages caused by the use of illicit psychoactive substances can result not only from the illegal substances themselves, but can also be due to substances that dealers had to the mixtures in order to increase the overall volume of drug (cutting substances). The central aim of the present study was analysing illegal psychoactive substances and their contaminants/adulterants, through the conjugation of efforts by CHECK-IN/APDES and Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal do Porto. This cooperation allowed the comparison of Portuguese data with the data that were collected in Spain by Energy Control, a project that has been working in risk reduction for the past 10 years

Adulterants found in mixtures of illegal psychoactive drugs

Os danos biológicos causados pelo uso de substâncias psicoactivas ilegais podem resultar não só das substâncias ilegais por si só, mas também da presença de substâncias que os traficantes lhes adicionam no sentido de aumentar o volume final de droga (substâncias de corte). O objectivo central do presente estudo consistiu na análise de substâncias psicoactivas ilegais e dos seus contaminantes/adulterantes, pela conjugação de esforços entre CHECK-IN/ APDES e o Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal do Porto. Esta colaboração permitiu comparar dados portugueses com os dados gerados pelo projecto Energy Control em Espanha, que se tem dedicado desde há mais de 10 anos à redução de riscos. The biological damages caused by the use of illicit psychoactive substances can result not only from the illegal substances themselves, but can also be due to substances that dealers had to the mixtures in order to increase the overall volume of drug (cutting substances). The central aim of the present study was analysing illegal psychoactive substances and their contaminants/adulterants, through the conjugation of efforts by CHECK-IN/APDES and Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal do Porto. This cooperation allowed the comparison of Portuguese data with the data that were collected in Spain by Energy Control, a project that has been working in risk reduction for the past 10 years

TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY AND CONTAMINATION BY COFFEE PROCESSING A BIOECONOMIC MODEL AT THE WATERSHED LEVEL IN HONDURAS

In Honduras, traditional coffee processing is the cause of two major problems: poor coffee quality and contaminated water. In this paper we present a method that determines the trade-off between economic efficiency and contamination in a Honduran sub-watershed. The method is a bioeconomic model based on mathematical programming that stimulates the functioning of the interlinked economic and ecological processes in the sub-watershed. We compare various scenarii where the model is given the possibility of replacing traditional coffee processing plants with a network of improved ecological plants. For different levels of contamination the model determines the optimal location and size of new coffee processing plants along river streams by minimizing transport, variable and fixed costs. The restrictions of the system are the volume of wet coffee to be processed, the available stream water, and in the alternative scenarii, investment capital and contaminant concentration in the river. We apply the method to a typical sub-watershed in the hillsides of western Honduras and show that coffee quality can be improved and contamination can be reduced substantially at a relatively low cost.coffee, environment, water quality, mathematical programming, transport cost, spatial analysis, watershed, Honduras., Environmental Economics and Policy,

Modelização e gestão de equipamentos e sistemas elétricos no sector residencial

O aumento da produção distribuída nas redes elétricas em geral, e da energia solar fotovoltaica em particular, colocam novos desafios na utilização da energia, na operação do sector elétrico e de planeamento das redes. Em relação ao primeiro, os consumidores deixaram de ter apenas esse papel e assumem também um papel de produtores de energia, tornando-se ativos nos sistemas elétricos de energia, ou seja, tornam-se prosumidores. Neste contexto, apresenta-se neste trabalho uma alternativa para que os prosumidores possam tirar proveito da energia que produzem para cobrir parte das suas necessidades de eletricidade.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Occurrence of acute oesophageal necrosis (black oesophagus) in a single tertiary centre

Acute oesophageal necrosis (AON) is a rare condition characterised by the endoscopic finding of diffuse, circumferential, black mucosal pigmentation of the oesophagus, which typically stops at the gastro-oesophageal junction. This observational study aimed to assess the occurrence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of AON in a consecutive endoscopic cohort in a single tertiary university centre. A retrospective analysis of endoscopic data of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) was carried out from 2008 to 2018. Out of 25,970 UGE, 16 patients (0.06%) had AON; 75.0% were men with a median age of 75 years. Almost all patients underwent diagnosis during emergency UGE performed for gastrointestinal bleeding, but one patient was diagnosed during elective UGE for persistent vomiting and diarrhoea. All patients reported one or more pre-existing comorbidities and concomitant acute events. Two patients had AON as the first presentation of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). One patient developed an oesophageal stenosis, and another patient presented a relapse of AON. Mortality was 50%, but no patient died as a direct consequence of AON. AON is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed mainly during emergency UGE. Our study showed that ZES might manifest with this critical presentation, and endoscopists must be aware of this evidence

Success factors of CRM project management: a literature review

Há vários fatores que influenciam o sucesso da gestão de projetos de sistemas de Gestão do Relacionamento com o Cliente (CRM). Este artigo apresenta uma revisão sistemática da literatura dos últimos quinze anos, identificando e discutindo os principais fatores de sucesso da gestão de projetos CRM. Os fatores de sucesso identificados foram estruturados em quatro dimensões: fatores estratégicos; fatores operacionais; fatores organizacionais; fatores tecnológicos. Os resultados obtidos permitem uma melhor compreensão dos fatores de sucesso relativos à implementação de projetos CRM e constituem uma base teórica para trabalhos futuros focados na avaliação deste tipo de projetos.There are many factors that influence the success of the management of Customer Relationship Management systems projects (CRM). This article presents a systematic review of the literature of the past fifteen years, identifying and discussing the key success factors in CRM project management. The identified success factors were structured into four categories: strategic factors; operating factors; organizational factors; technological factors. The obtained results allow a better understanding of the success factors for the implementation of CRM projects and provide a theoretical basis for further work focused on the evaluation of such projects.This work has been supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013

Risk of temporomandibular joint effusion related to magnetic resonance imaging signs of disc displacement

Background: It has been suggested that TMJ effusion may represent an inflammatory response to a dysfunctional disc-condyle relationship. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether the status of the disc in the temporomandibular joint, as depicted in magnetic resonance (MR) images, is predictive of the presence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) effusion. Methods: The relationship between disc displacement and TMJ effusion was analyzed in MR images of 154 TMJs in 77 patients complaining for pain and/or dysfunction in the TMJ area and referred from medical practitioners to specialist consultation. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the significant correlation between presence/absence of joint effusion and disc displacement. Results: Significant correlation (P<0.01) between disc displacement and joint effusion was found. OR for all type of disc displacement was 3.1, and the odds that a joint had magnetic resonance imaging findings of effusion was greater for anterior disc displacement without reduction. Conclusions: The status of the disc could represent a factor involved in the development of temporomandibular joint oedema. However, these findings suggest that disc displacement may not be regarded as the dominant factor in defining the occurrence of TMJ effusion. Certain local or systemic conditions other than the disc-condyle relationship must be considered

The Dilemma of the Open Gingival Embrasure Between Maxillary Central Incisors

Aim: The aim of this report is to present the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment planning strategy in the presence of an open gingival embrasure between the maxillary central incisors. Background: The open gingival embrasure or “black triangle” is a visible triangular space in the cervical region of the maxillary incisors. It appears when the gingival papilla does not completely fill in the interdental space. The space may occur due to: (1) disease or surgery with periodontal attachment loss resulting in gingival recession; (2) severely malaligned maxillary incisors; (3) divergent roots; or (4) triangular-shaped crowns associated with or without periodontal problems and alveolar bone resorptions. Report: The post-treatment prevalence in adult orthodontic patients is estimated to be around 40% compromising the esthetic result. Conclusion: Several methods of managing patients with open gingival embrasure exist, but the interdisciplinary aspects of treatment must be emphasized to achieve the best possible result. The orthodontist can play a significant role in helping to manage these cases

Series temporales astronómicas: Búsqueda de eventos de variabilidad transitoria

Tesis (Doctor en Astronomía)--Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, 2019.Se lleva a cabo un desarrollo de herramientas para el análisis de imágenes astronómicas. Entre éstas se encuentran herramientas de base de datos, de reducción y calibración de datos, herramientas de comparación directa entre imágenes o sustracción de imágenes, clasificación de eventos detectados y finalmente clasificación de curvas de luz de estrellas variables. La metodología desarrollada se enmarca dentro de un proyecto observacional en sinergia con el observatorio de ondas gravitacionales LIGO: Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory. Dentro de las técnicas aplicadas podemos mencionar análisis estadı́sticos de señales en imágenes de telescopios, y señales en series temporales; algoritmos de clasificación mediante aprendizaje automático, y redes neuronales artificiales. Durante el doctorado se analizaron imágenes tomadas para la búsqueda de contrapartes electromagnéticas a cuatro eventos de ondas gravitacionales observados por el observatorio LIGO. Entre ellos el caso de la primera detección en la historia de radiación gravitacional, y la detección de la primer fusión de estrellas de neutrones y su emisión electromagnética, o Kilonova. Por ultimo se realiza un análisis de la efectividad en la clasificación de curvas de luz de estrellas variables periódicas, utilizando un grupo de curvas de luz provenientes de la base de datos del relevamiento ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System), cuyo catálogo de objetos candidatos a variables contiene cerca de 5 millones de objetos.This PhD. thesis presents research related to the search and detection of of transient variability events of the brightness of celestial bodies. The development of a set of tools for astronomical image analysis is carried out. Among them we list database tools, image data reduction and calibration direct comparison between image tools or difference image analysis tools, detection classification, and finally light curve classification of variable stars. The methodology developed lays on a background of special circunstances, inside a proyect in synergy with the gravitational wave observatory LIGO or Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory. Among the applied techniques we may find statistical analysis of signals in telescope image data, time series signal analysis, classification machine learning algorithms, and artificial neuronal networks. During the PhD. a series of images were analyzed, taken for the electromagnetic counterpart search, related to the four observed gravitational wave events by LIGO observatory. In this follow up observations are included the first ever detection of gravitational radiation, and the first ever detected neutron star merger event together with its electromagnetic emission called Kilonova. Lastly an analysis of performance on light curve classification of periodic variable stars, using a set of light curves from the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) database, which holds near 5 milllion of variable object candidate

A gênese da filosofia crítica

O opúsculo Acerca do primeiro fundamento da diferença das regiões no espaço tem um importante papel na evolução do pensamento kantiano, pois conduz, por dois caminhos diferentes, à Dissertação de 1770. De um lado, ele antecipa duas das teses centrais que constituem o núcleo da doutrina da idealidade do espaço e do tempo, a saber: a negação do caráter conceitual do espaço e, embora o espaço não seja a priori, é o princípio da possibilidade dos objetos. De outro, a necessidade de resolver o problema do spinozismo, decorrente das teses defendidas, também conduz Kant ao idealismo transcendental, mas restrito à sensibilidade