Modelo de suporte à tomada de decisão para a escolha sustentável de equipamentos

Nos últimos anos, têm-se assistido a um aumento generalizado da procura de energia a nível mundial, devido em grande parte ao aumento do consumo de energia elétrica final, comprometendo, na sua generalidade, o desenvolvimento sustentável, através do consumo de recursos e do aumento das emissões de gases de efeito de estufa (GEE). Neste sentido, a incorporação de medidas de sustentabilidade constitui um importante contributo para a redução das emissões de GEE para a atmosfera, sendo o sector dos edifícios uma área com especial relevância em termos de atuação neste domínio. Assim, uma das formas de promover a sustentabilidade, poderá ser através da escolha racional dos equipamentos utilizados atualmente neste sector, e no âmbito dos serviços energéticos a adquirir, aliada a medidas de eficiência energética. Deste modo, neste trabalho desenvolve-se uma metodologia de suporte à decisão, que permita ao consumidor tomar decisões que promovam a sustentabilidade, com base em soluções existentes no mercado. Para tal, recorre-se a abordagens multicritério, combinadas com técnicas de otimização multiobjectivo, sendas estas, por seu turno, suportadas em algoritmos evolucionários. Assim, o objetivo é obter soluções sustentáveis, que maximizem os três vetores da sustentabilidade: benefício económico, responsabilidade ambiental e conforto social do consumidor, respeitando naturalmente um conjunto de restrições associadas, sejam as mesmas económicas (ex. valores orçamentais máximos), sociais (ex. níveis mínimos de conforto) e até mesmo ambientais (ex. níveis máximos de emissões de CO2 equivalentes). Por outro lado, serão igualmente tidos em conta fatores como o ciclo de vida do produto, investimento realizado, etiquetagem energética, preferências do consumidor, pegada de carbono, entre outros. Dada a elevada natureza combinatória do problema, e apesar de se poderem empregar métodos de otimização clássicos, os algoritmos evolucionários tem assumido, cada vez mais, um maior destaque na resolução de problemas deste tipo, demonstrando bom desempenho na sua resolução, tendo ainda a vantagem de apresentar diversas soluções ótimas para o mesmo problema e em menor período de tempo. Pretende-se deste modo contribuir para a problemática identificada, através de uma abordagem holística, que permita ao agente-decisor tomar decisões sustentáveis, dado o contexto descrito anteriormente.Lately, there has been a generalized increase in world energy demand, due in large part to the increase in final electric energy consumption, generally compromising sustainable development, through consumption of resources and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). In this sense, the incorporation of sustainability measures is an important contribution to the reduction of GHG emissions to the atmosphere, and the building sector is an area of relevance in terms of its performance in this area. Thus, one of the ways to promote sustainability can be through the rational choice of equipment currently used in this sector, and in the scope of energy services to be acquired, combined with energy efficiency measures. In this way, this work develops a decision support methodology that allows the consumer to make decisions that promote sustainability, based on existing solutions in the market. For this, multi-criteria approaches are used, combined with multiobjective optimization techniques, these paths, in turn, supported by evolutionary algorithms. The objective is therefore to achieve sustainable solutions that maximize the three vectors of sustainability: economic benefit, environmental responsibility and social comfort of the consumer, while respecting a set of associated constraints, be they economic (eg maximum budgetary values), social (e.g. minimum levels of comfort) and even environmental (eg maximum CO2 equivalent levels). On the other hand, factors such as the product life cycle, investment made, energy labeling, consumer preferences, carbon footprint, among others, will also be considered. Given the high combinatorial nature of the problem, and although classic optimization methods can be used, evolutionary algorithms have increasingly assumed a greater prominence in solving problems of this type, demonstrating good performance in solving, having the advantage of presenting several optimal solutions to the same problem and in a shorter period of time. In this way, it is intended to contribute to the identified problem, through a holistic approach, that allows the decision-maker to make sustainable decisions, given the context described previously.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia e Gestão Industria

Importance of animal experimentation in gynecology and obstetrics

Universidade de São Paulo faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Obstetrícia e GinecologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de ObstetríciaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de ObstetríciaSciEL

Impactos do turismo na Região das Hortênsias-RS : a percepção do fenômeno pela comunidade local

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Humanas, Departamento de Geografia, 2017.A paisagem, vista como uma categoria de análise/conceito pela Ciência Geográfica e apropriada pela Teoria do Turismo, vem a se transfigurar em produto turístico, sofrendo desta maneira diversos impactos, que devem ser compreendidos e mensurados para contemplar o devido diagnóstico e respectivo planejamento da atividade. A abordagem deste estudo refere-se aos impactos, sejam de ordem econômica, socioculturais e ambientais produzidos pela ação do turismo, bem como as respectivas degradações das paisagens nas áreas receptoras, tendo em específico como locus de pesquisa a Região das Hortênsias no Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, região típica de imigração alemã. A referida análise transita principalmente pela percepção da comunidade local, precípua interessada nos resultados da atividade em seu território, quanto aos possíveis benefícios ou mesmo ao prejuízo de seus próprios interesses.The landscape, seen as a category of analysis / concept by Geographic Science and appropriated by the Tourism Theory, is becoming a touristic product, suffering in this way several impacts, which must be understood and measured to contemplate the proper diagnosis and planning of the activity. The approach of this study refers to the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts produced by the tourism activity, as well as the respective degradations of the landscapes in the recipient areas, having in specific as locus of research the Region of Hydrangeas in the Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul, a region of German immigration. This analysis is mainly carried out by the local community, which is interested in the results of the activity in its territory, as to the possible benefits or even to the detriment of its own interests

Estimating local thickness for finite element analysis

Within the development of motor vehicles, crash safety is one of the most important attributes. To comply with the ever increasing requirements of shorter cycle times and costs reduction, car manufacturers keep intensifying the use of virtual development tools, such as, for crash simulations, the explicit finite element method (FEM). The accuracy of the simulation process is highly dependent on the accuracy of the model, including the midplane mesh. One of the roughest approximations typically made is the actual part thickness which, although most frequently modelled as a constant value, can, in reality, vary locally. Availability of per element thickness information, which does not exist explicitly in the FEM model, is one key enabler and can significantly contribute to an improved crash simulation quality, especially regarding fracture prediction. Although not explicitly available, thickness can be inferred from the original CAD geometric model through geometric calculations. This paper proposes and compares two thickness estimation algorithms based on ray tracing and nearest neighbour 3D range searches. A systematic quantitative analysis of the accuracy of both algorithms is presented, as well as a thorough identification of particular geometric arrangements under which their accuracy can be compared. These results enable the identification of each technique’s weaknesses and hint towards a new, integrated, approach to the problem that linearly combines the estimates produced by each algorithm.(undefined

Glycosaminoglycan distribution in the rat uterine cervix during the estrous cycle

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the amount of glycosaminoglycans in the uterine cervix during each phase of the rat estrous cycle. DESIGN: Based on vaginal smears, forty female, regularly cycling rats were divided into four groups (n = 10 for each group): GI - proestrous, GII - estrous, GIII - metaestrous and GIV - diestrous. Animals were sacrificed at each phase of the cycle, and the cervix was immediately removed and submitted to biochemical extraction and determination of sulfated glycosaminoglycans and hyaluronic acid. The results were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test. RESULTS: The uterine cervix had the highest amount of total sulfated glycosaminoglycans and dermatan sulfate during the estrous phase (8.90 ± 0.55 mg/g of cetonic extract, p<0.001; and 8.86 ± 0.57 mg/g of cetonic extract, p<0.001). In addition, there was more heparan sulfate at the cervix during the proestrous phase (0.185 ± 0.03 mg/g of cetonic extract) than during any other phase (p<0.001). There were no significant changes in the concentration of hyaluronic acid in the uterine cervix during the estrous cycle. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the amount of total sulfated glycosaminoglycans may be influenced by hormonal fluctuations related to the estrous cycle, with dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate being the glycosaminoglycans most sensitive to hormonal change.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departmento de Morfologia e GenéticaUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Obstetrícia e GinecologiaUniversidade de São Paulo Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Department of PharmacologyEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of GynecologyUNIFESP, Departmento de Morfologia e GenéticaEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of GynecologySciEL

Effects of combined estrogen and raloxifene therapy on rat endometrium

PURPOSE: to evaluate the effects of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) and raloxifene (Ral), alone or combined, on the rat endometrium. METHODS: fifty-six adult rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into seven groups: GCont (control); GCEE (CEE 50 µg/kg); GCEE/25 (CEE 25 µg/kg); GRal/0.75 (Ral 0.75 mg/kg); GRal/0.4 (Ral 0.4 mg/kg); GCEERal (50/0.75) - (CEE 50 µg/kg + Ral 0.75 mg/kg), and GCEE-Ral (25/0.4) - (CEE 25 µg/kg + Ral 0.4 mg/kg). The drugs were orally administered (gavage) for 21 consecutive days. At the end of the experiment, all animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. Fragments of uterus were removed, fixed in 10% formaldehyde and processed for paraffin inclusion. The histological sections were stained by HE and submitted to histomorphometric evaluation. The following parameters were analyzed: thickness of superficial epithelium and number of endometrial glands/mm² and of blood vessels/mm². The data were evaluated using ANOVA followed by the Turkey-Kramer test. RESULTS: in the GCont and only Ral treatment (GRal/0.75 and GRal/0.4) the endometrium showed signals of atrophy. In the groups treated with only CEE signs of endometrial proliferation were observed, mainly in group GCEE/50. Also, there was endometrial proliferation in the groups that received combined CEE and Ral (Ral GCEE (50/0.75) and GCEE-Ral (25/0.4)), but it was more intensive in the animals treated with isolated estrogen than in those that received combined estrogen and raloxifene. CONCLUSION: raloxifene may partially block the action of estrogen on the castrated adult rat endometrium.OBJETIVO: avaliar os efeitos dos estrogênios conjugados eqüinos (Ece) e do raloxifeno (Ral), isoladamente ou associados, sobre o endométrio de ratas adultas. MÉTODOS: foram utilizadas 56 ratas adultas, ooforectomizadas, divididas aleatoriamente em sete grupos: GCont (controle); GEce (Ece 50 µg/kg); GEce/25 (Ece 25 µg/kg); GRal/0,75 (Ral 0,75 µg/kg); GRal/0,4 (Ral 0,4 mg/kg); GEce-Ral (50/0,75) - (Ece 50 µg/kg + Ral 0,75 mg/kg) e GEce-Ral (25/0,4) - (Ece 25 µg/kg + Ral 0,4 mg/kg). As drogas foram administradas por gavagem durante 21 dias consecutivos. Ao final da administração todos os animais foram anestesiados e fragmentos dos úteros removidos, fixados em formol a 10% e processados para inclusão em parafina. Os cortes obtidos foram corados por HE e submetidos à avaliação histomorfométrica. Foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros: espessura do epitélio superficial, número de glândulas endometriais/mm² e número de vasos sangüíneos presentes no miométrio/mm². Os dados obtidos foram submetidos a análise estatística de ANOVA seguida pelo teste de Tukey-Kramer. RESULTADOS: nos grupos controle (Gcont) e tratados isoladamente com raloxifeno (GRal/0,75 e GRal/0,4) o endométrio mostrou-se atrófico. Já nos grupos tratados com Ece isoladamente foi observado endométrio muito desenvolvido, sendo este efeito mais acentuado no grupo que recebeu 50 µg/kg, no qual encontramos aumento da espessura do epitélio superficial e da lâmina própria e no número de glândulas endometriais e de vasos sanguíneos. Notamos também proliferação endometrial nos grupos que receberam a associação de Ece e Ral (GEce-Ral - 50/0,75) e (GEce-Ral - 25/0,4). CONCLUSÃO: o raloxifeno parece bloquear parcialmente a ação do estrogênio no endométrio de ratas adultas castradas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Ginecologia e ObstetríciaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de MorfologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de GinecologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de Ginecologia e ObstetríciaUNIFESP, Depto. de MorfologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de GinecologiaSciEL

Effects of isoflavones on the skin of postmenopausal women: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of isoflavones on the skin of postmenopausal women. DESIGN: A prospective study was performed with 30 postmenopausal women before and immediately after the end of treatment with 100 mg/day of an isoflavones-rich, concentrated soy extract for six months. A skin punch was performed in the gluteal region for sample collection before and immediately after the treatment program. Morphometric determination of epidermal thickness, the papillary index (wrinkling), and the amount of dermal elastic and collagen fibers was assessed. In addition, the number of blood vessels in the sample was also evaluated. The paired Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Isoflavone treatment resulted in a 9.46% increase in the thickness of the epidermis in 23 patients. In addition, the papillary index was reduced in 21 women. The papillary index was inversely proportional to skin wrinkling, i.e., there were a large number of papillae after treatment. The amount of collagen in the dermis was increased in 25 women (86.2%). In 22 women (75.8%) we observed that the number of elastic fibers increased. The number of dermal blood vessels was significantly increased in 21 women. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the use of a concentrated, isoflavone-rich soy extract during six consecutive months caused significant increases in epithelial thickness, the number of elastic and collagen fibers, as well as the blood vessels.Federal University of São Paulo Gynecology DepartmentFederal University of São Paulo Morphology DepartmentUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Laboratório de Ginecologia Estrutural e MolecularUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Obstetrícia e GinecologiaUNIFESP, Gynecology DepartmentUNIFESP, Morphology DepartmentSciEL