MODUS: uma metodologia de prototipagem de interfaces baseada em modelos

A interface de utilizador é essencial para o sucesso de uma aplicação, ora a sua implementação requer tempo e esforço. Metodologias baseadas em modelos suportadas por uma geração automática têm sido propostas como solução para reduzir os custos de desenvolvimento. No entanto, um elevado nível de automação nestas abordagens requer o uso de modelos detalhados da interface, originando complicações. Por um lado, esta perspetiva é contrária a uma conceção baseada no progressivo refinamento de mockups, típica do desenvolvimento de interfaces. Por outro lado, obriga uma distinção entre os modelos utilizados na lógica de negócio e na interface. Este artigo propõe uma abordagem para gerar a interface de utilizador baseada diretamente em modelos estruturais da lógica de negócio. A identificação do domínio de aplicação é um factor chave da metodologia, permitindo automatizar o processo de geração. Por sua vez a separação entre conteúdo e forma favorece o refinamento iterativo das interfaces geradas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

MODUS: model-based user interfaces prototyping

Model-based methodologies, supported by automatic generation, have been proposed as a solution to reduce software development costs. In the case of interactive computing systems specific challenges arise. On the one hand, a high level of automation requires the use of detailed models, which is contrary to the iterative development process, based on the progressive refinement of user interface mockups, typical of user centered development processes. On the other hand, layered software architectures imply a distinction between the models used in the business logic and in the user interface, raising consistency problems between the models at each level. This article proposes a tool supported approach to user interface generation directly from the architectural models of the business logic. In many situations, user interfaces provide similar features inside a specific domain. The identification of the application domain is thus a key factor in supporting the automation of the generation process.This work was financed by the ERDF – European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation - COMPETE 2020 Programme, and by National Funds through the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006961.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Emotions, affections, and psychopathy among female prisoners

The present study intends to be a contribution to understand affections and emotions associated with female psychopathy. Although there are several studies aiming to understand psychopathy, there is still a gap in the integration of such a concept in affective dimensions, as well as a scarcity of surveys conducted in the female population. Sixty-three women confined to prison, located in the North region of Portugal, participated in this study. Participants were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Levenson’s Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP), and the Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R). Results showed that only nine women presented moderate scores of psychopathy. Moreover, women with higher psychopathy scores revealed deficits in positive emotional abilities, and secondary psychopathy was related with predominance of negative affection. In the future, it would be useful to develop more effective instruments to assess emotions and affections in psychopaths.The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article

Tooth loss in patients under periodontal maintenance in a private practice : a retrospective study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence and causes of tooth loss in periodontal subjects from a private practice in Brazil. Two trained examiners extracted data from the records of subjects who sought periodontal treatment from 1980 to 2013. Only records of patients who completed the non-surgical periodontal treatment and had at least one visit for maintenance were included. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, Student’s t-test, Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression. A total of 3,319 records were reviewed and 737 records included (58.6% women, mean age of 46.6±13.0 years at the beginning of the treatment). Maintenance period ranged from 1 to 33 years (7.4±6 years). During this period, 202 individuals (27.4%) lost 360 teeth, 47.5% of losses within the first five years (n=171). Non-compliers lost more teeth than compliers (p<0.001), respectively 211 and 149 teeth. Regarding reasons of tooth loss, 84 individuals lost 38% of the teeth from periodontal disease progression (n=137). Survival analysis showed that most patients lost only one tooth from periodontal disease, and differences in the survival rates between compliers and non-compliers were observed following the second tooth loss. Approximately one-third of tooth losses was related to periodontal disease progression, and there was stability in time of the proportion of losses from disease progression and other reasons. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that compliant patients in a private practice lose fewer teeth than do non-compliers. Among compliers, periodontal disease progression was not the main cause of tooth loss

The influence of BMI and predictors of disordered eating and life satisfaction on postmenopausal women

This study aims to compare eating behaviours, body satisfaction, exercise and life satisfaction between normal-weight and overweight postmenopausal women, and to examine the predictors of disordered eating and life satisfaction among postmenopausal women (n= 294) . The overweight group had more eating disordered behaviour, more body dissatisfaction, and lower physical quality of life. The increase of age predicted less disordered eating. Higher BMI, the perception of an ideal weight lower than the current one, lower body satisfaction, and physical quality of life predicted disordered eating. Higher body satisfaction, less psychosocial discomfort, and a greater degree of sexual symptom discomfort predicted life satisfaction

With mouse age comes wisdom : a review and suggestions of relevant mouse models for age-related conditions

Ageing is a complex multifactorial process that results in many changes in physiological changes processes that ultimately increase susceptibility to a wide range of diseases. As such an ageing population is resulting in a pressing need for more and improved treatments across an assortment of diseases. Such treatments can come from a better understanding of the pathogenic pathways which, in turn, can be derived from models of disease. Therefore the more closely the model resembles the disease situation the more likely relevant the data will be that is generated from them. Here we review the state of knowledge of mouse models of a range of diseases and aspects of an ageing physiology that are all germane to ageing. We also give recommendations on the most common mouse models on their relevance to the clinical situations occurring in aged patients and look forward as to how research in ageing models can be carried out. As we continue to elucidate the pathophysiology of disease, often through mouse models, we also learn what is needed to refine these models. Such factors can include better models, reflecting the ageing patient population, or a better phenotypic understanding of existing models

Erythrocyte enrichment in hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures based on magnetic susceptibility of the hemoglobin

Using novel media formulations, it has been demonstrated that human placenta and umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells can be expanded and differentiated into erythroid cells with high efficiency. However, obtaining mature and functional erythrocytes from the immature cell cultures with high purity and in an efficient manner remains a significant challenge. A distinguishing feature of a reticulocyte and maturing erythrocyte is the increasing concentration of hemoglobin and decreasing cell volume that results in increased cell magnetophoretic mobility (MM) when exposed to high magnetic fields and gradients, under anoxic conditions. Taking advantage of these initial observations, we studied a noninvasive (label-free) magnetic separation and analysis process to enrich and identify cultured functional erythrocytes. In addition to the magnetic cell separation and cell motion analysis in the magnetic field, the cell cultures were characterized for cell sedimentation rate, cell volume distributions using differential interference microscopy, immunophenotyping (glycophorin A), hemoglobin concentration and shear-induced deformability (elongation index, EI, by ektacytometry) to test for mature erythrocyte attributes. A commercial, packed column high-gradient magnetic separator (HGMS) was used for magnetic separation. The magnetically enriched fraction comprised 80% of the maturing cells (predominantly reticulocytes) that showed near 70% overlap of EI with the reference cord blood-derived RBC and over 50% overlap with the adult donor RBCs. The results demonstrate feasibility of label-free magnetic enrichment of erythrocyte fraction of CD34+ progenitor-derived cultures based on the presence of paramagnetic hemoglobin in the maturing erythrocytes. © 2012 Jin et al

Nanoencapsulation of hydrophobic phytochemicals using poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) for antioxidant and antimicrobial delivery applications: Guabiroba fruit (Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg) study

AbstractPrevious studies have reported antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of guabiroba extract (GE), which is associated to its polyphenolic and carotenoid contents. Encapsulation using polymeric materials could improve GE application, bioavailability, and stability in foods and pharmaceuticals. Poly (dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles with entrapped GE were synthesized using the emulsion-evaporation method with different lactide to glycolide (50:50 and 65:35) ratios to determine the dependency of polymer composition on nanoparticles antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Controlled release experiments showed an initial burst followed by a slower release rate of carotenoids inside PLGA matrix. Both nanoparticles showed Listeria innocua growth inhibition within the concentration range tested (<1200 μg/mL), that was not observed by the free extract. Lower GE concentrations were required to reduce reactive oxygen species once it was nanoencapsulated; however, equivalent or higher concentrations for free radical scavenging were required. GE-loaded PLGA 50:50 presented the best results for antimicrobial and antioxidant delivery applications. These nanoparticles could be used with other extracts containing carotenoids and other functional lipids as delivery systems for enhanced biological activity

Compor mundos: humanidades, bem-estar e saúde no século XXI (Volume 2)

O projeto “Compor mundos: humanidades, bem-estar e saúde” pretende criar uma rede de especialistas na área das humanidades e das ciências sociais e da saúde, internos e externos à Universidade Fernando Pessoa, que pensem as questões do bem- -estar e da saúde nas sociedades tecnológicas contemporâneas. A relevância deste pro jeto baseia-se na evidência crescente de que a maioria dos problemas com que o século XXI se debaterá, particularmente na área do bem-estar e da saúde, se prende com as realidades humanas e o modo como se relacionam com com o ambiente, as diferentes culturas, os seres não-humanos e as tecnologias. O projeto está dividido em duas fases, desenvolvendo-se durante os anos académicos de 2020-2021 e seguintes. A metodologia utilizada na primeira fase do projeto é a entrevista com guião de resposta aberta, construída de forma participativa pela rede de especialistas. O objetivo da entrevista consiste em fazer emergir os conhecimentos e as sensibilidades, pessoais e fundamentados, face às grandes questões envolvendo as humanidades, a saúde e o bem-estar nas sociedades contemporâneas. Trata-se de uma investigação exploratória, que utiliza a análise temática de texto com a identificação das ideias-chave originais a cada autor, e a indução dos temas principais correspondentes. Os temas são organizados por grupos de correspondência semântica, ou clusters temáticos. Destes clusters abstraíram-se os eixos temáticos transversais, que constituem vetores de desenvolvimento da segunda fase do projeto, através de diversas atividades de formação, de investigação, de intervenção social e de extensão cultural e comunitária.The project “Composing worlds: humanities, well-being and health in the 21st century” aims to build a network of experts in the humanities, social and health sciences, who think about well-being and health in contemporary technological societies. The relevance of this project is based on the growing evidence that most of the problems of the 21st century, particularly in the area of well-being and health, are associated to the way humans relate to the environment, to different cultures, to non-human beings and technologies. The project is divided into two phases, developing in the academic years of 2020 and 2021, and following. The methodology used in the first phase consists of an open answer interview, built in a participatory way by the network of experts. Its main goal is to bring out personal and well-founded ideas on issues involving the humanities, health and well-being in contemporary societies. It is an exploratory research, which uses thematic analysis to identify the key ideas of each author, and the induction of the corresponding main themes. The themes are then organized by semantic correspondence into thematic clusters. The transversal thematic axes are abstracted from these clusters, and they constitute the vectors to be developed in the second phase of the project, which will consist on various activities of training, research and social intervention of cultural and community outreach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Numerical Modeling of Periodic Composite Media for Electromagnetic Shielding Application

This paper describes a methodology to extract effective electrical properties for periodic composite medium. The extraction algorithm is based on a periodic finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results are compared with conventional mixing theories and 3D Fourier series expansion methods. Two results show satisfactory agreement. With the extracted effective permittivity and conductivity, one can readily use these parameters to study electrical properties of composite materials with arbitrary micro-geometry and the shielding effects of using composite materials