Economic and environmental assessment of small and decentralized wastewater treatment systems

The aim of the present work was the assessment of economic and environmental aspects of decentralised energy-saving wastewater treatment systems. The formulated investment and operation cost functions were adjusted by a power law function. The different wastewater systems serving population settlements between 50 p.e. and 250 p.e., presented associated investment costs varying from 400 €/p.e. to 200 €/p.e. and annual operation costs in the range of 70 €/p.e. to 20 €/p.e., respectively. A Life Cycle Analysis approach was used to compare the environmental impact alternative wastewater systems. The assessment was focused on two energy-saving systems (constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration) and a conventional one (activated sludge process). The low environmental impact of the energy-saving wastewater treatment systems was demonstrated, being the most relevant the global warming indicator. Options for reduction of life cycle impacts were assessed including materials used in construction and operation lifetime of the systems. A 10 % extension of operation lifetime of constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration systems lead to a 5 % and 7 % decrease in the abiotic depletion indicator, respectively, and to a 1 % decrease in CO2 emissions in both systems. Replacing steel with HDPE in the activated sludge tank resulted in a 1 % reduction in CO2 emission and 1 % in the abiotic depletion indicator. In the case of the Imhoff tank a 1 % reduction in CO2 emissions and 5 % in abiotic depletion indicator were observed when concrete was replaced by HDPE. Therefore, considering the huge potential of energy saving wastewater treatment systems, the overall environmental impact of such design alternatives should not be discarded.EU Program INTERREG III-B Atlantic Arc, Depuranat project (n.º 54)

Economic and environmental assessment of small and decentralized wastewater treatment systems

The aim of the present work was the assessment of economic and environmental aspects of decentralized energy-saving wastewater treatment systems. The formulated investment and operation cost functions were adjusted by a power law function. The different wastewater systems serving population settlements between 50 p.e. and 250 p.e., presented associated investment costs varying from €400/p.e. to €200/p.e. and annual operation costs in the range of €70/p.e.– €20/ p.e., respectively. A life cycle analysis approach was used to compare the environmental impact of alternative wastewater treatment systems. The assessment was focused on two energy-saving systems (constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration) and a conventional one (activated sludge process). Low environmental impact of energy-saving wastewater treatment systems was demonstrated, being the most relevant the global warming indicator. Options for reduction of life cycle impacts were assessed including materials used in construction and operation lifetime of the systems. A 10% extension of operation lifetime of constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration systems lead to a 5% and 7% decrease in the abiotic depletion indicator, respectively, and to a 1% decrease in CO2 emissions in both systems. Replacing steel with HDPE in the activated sludge tank resulted in a 1% reduction in CO2 emission and 1% in the abiotic depletion indicator. In the case of the Imhoff tank a 1% reduction in CO2 emissions and 5% in abiotic depletion indicator were observed when concrete was replaced by HDPE. Therefore, considering the huge potential of energy saving wastewater treatment systems, the overall environmental impact of such design alternatives should not be discarded.EU Program INTERREG III-B Atlantic Arc, Depuranat project (No. 54

Perfis de DPOC e características tratáveis utilizando recursos mínimos: Identificação, árvore de decisão e estabilidade longitudinal

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is highly heterogeneous and complex. Hence, personalising assessments and treatments to this population across different settings and available resources imposes challenges and debate. Research efforts have been made to identify clinical phenotypes or profiles for prognostic and therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, such profiles often do not describe treatable traits, focus on complex physiological/pulmonary measures which are frequently not available across settings, lack validation and/or their stability over time is unknown. Objective: To identify profiles and their treatable traits based on simple and meaningful measures; to develop and validate a profile decision tree; and to explore profiles’ stability over time in people with COPD. Methods: An observational, prospective study was conducted with people with COPD. Clinical characteristics, lung function, symptoms, impact of the disease (COPD assessment test–CAT), health-related quality of life, physical activity, lower-limb muscle strength and functional status were collected cross-sectionally and a subsample was followed-up monthly over six months. A principal component analysis and a clustering procedure with k-medoids were applied to identify profiles. Pulmonary and extrapulmonary (i.e., physical, symptoms and health status, and behavioural/life-style risk factors) treatable traits were identified in each profile based on the established cut-offs for each measure available in the literature. The decision tree was developed with 70% and validated with 30% of the sample, cross-sectionally. Agreement between the profile predicted by the decision tree and the profile defined by the clustering procedure was determined using Cohen’s Kappa. Stability was explored over time with a stability score defined as the percentage ratio between the number of timepoints that a participant was classified in the same profile (most frequent profile for that participant) and the total number of timepoints (i.e., 6). Results: 352 people with COPD (67.4±9.9 years; 78.1% male; FEV1=56.2±20.6% predicted) participated and 90 (67.6±8.9 years; 85.6% male; FEV1=52.1±19.9% predicted) were followed-up. Four profiles were identified with distinct treatable traits. The decision tree was composed by the CAT, age and FEV1% predicted and had an agreement of 71.7% (Cohen’s Kappa=0.62, p<0.001) with the actual profiles. 48.9% of participants remained in the same profile whilst 51.1% moved between two (47.8%) and three (3.3%) profiles over time. The overall stability of profiles was 86.8±15%. Conclusion: Profiles and treatable traits can be identified in people with COPD with simple and meaningful measures possibly available even in minimal-resource settings. Regular assessments are recommended as people with COPD may change profile over time and hence their needs of personalised treatment.N/

Um olhar humanístico sobre a educação superior brasileira

O texto discute as relações entre o trabalho e a educação no ensinosuperior brasileiro. Analisa as mudanças no perfil sócio-cultural dos trabalhadoresde hoje e dos estudantes que ingressam no curso superior noturno procurandomostrar suas reais condições frente às conseqüências da globalização, suasdificuldades e seus caminhos na trajetória entre trabalho e estudo. Mostra que ascausas podem ser encontradas no predomínio da formação técnica em detrimentode uma formação humanística de caráter global. Através de pesquisa bibliográficaestudam-se as contradições existentes na sociedade vendo que a educação precisaser um direito e não uma mercadoria. Aponta ainda a necessidade de um trabalhodidático-pedagógico voltado não só para a dimensão técnica, mas igualmente paraas relações sociais com ênfase no professor universitário com consciência políticae crítica. Conclui sobre a necessidade de compreender as transformações sociais,procurando na educação uma forma de construção do saber universitário comespaço para a articulação da qualidade com a quantidade, evitando a indesejáveldicotomia entre ambos os aspectos

Solid and aqueous magnetic liposomes as nanocarriers for a new potential drug active against breast cancer

In this work, iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs), with diameters around 12 nm, were synthesized by coprecipitation method. Both aqueous and solid magnetic liposomes containing magnetite NPs were obtained, with sizes below 140 nm. A new antitumor compound, a diarylurea derivative of thienopyridine, active against breast cancer, was incorporated in both aqueous and solid magnetoliposomes, being located mainly in the lipid membrane. A promising application of these magnetic liposomes in oncology is anticipated, allowing a combined therapeutic approach, using both chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia.Financial support by FCT-Portugal is acknowledged (Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013 and PhD grant SFRH/BD/90949/2012).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monitorização do vale e pico sérico de vancomicina em recém-nascidos de termo: comparação entre as técnicas de cromatografia líquida de alta eficácia e imunoensaio por fluorescência polarizada

INTRODUCTION: Peak and trough serum concentrations of vancomycin were determined in term newborn infants with confirmed or suspected Staphylococcus sp sepsis by high performance liquid chromatography and flourescence polarization immunoassay. OBJECTIVE: To statistically compare the results of the high performance liquid chromatography and flourescence polarization immunoassay techniques for measuring serum vancomycin concentrations. METHODS: Eighteen peak and 20 trough serum samples were assayed for vancomycin concentrations using high performance liquid chromatography and flourescence polarization immunoassay from October 1995 to October 1997. RESULTS: The linear correlation coefficients for high performance liquid chromatography and flourescence polarization immunoassay were 0.27 (peak, P = 0.110) and 0.26 (trough, P = 0.1045) respectively, which were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There was wide variation in serum vancomycin concentrations determined by high performance liquid chromatography as compared with those determined by flourescence polarization immunoassay. There was no recognizable pattern in the variability; in an apparently random fashion, the high performance liquid chromatography measurement was sometimes substantially higher than the flourescence polarization immunoassay measurement, and at other times it was substantially lower.INTRODUÇÃO: Foi realizada monitorização dos níveis séricos de vancomicina em recém-nascidos de termo com sepse ou suspeita de sepse Staphylococcus sp., através da cromatografia líquida de alta eficácia (HPLC) e imunoensaio por fluorescência polarizada (FPIA). OBJETIVO: Verificar a existência de correlação estatística entre os resultados obtidos pelas duas técnicas. MÉTODO E CASUÍSTICA: Foram obtidas dezoito e vinte concentrações séricas de vancomicina no pico e vale respectivamente, em recém-nascidos de termo, no período de outubro de 1995 a outubro de 1997. RESULTADO: O coeficiente de correlação linear para pico sérico foi de 0,27, p=0,110 e para vale sérico 0,26, p= 0,1045 não sendo estatisticamente significativo, não sendo estatisticamente significativo. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da pequena casuística, não houve correlação estatisticamente significante entre os resultados obtidos pelos duas técnicas

ADOLESCENCE AND CONTRACEPTION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE REPRESENTATIONS OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS PRESENT IN THE DISCOURSE OF PREGNANT AND PARTURIENT ADOLESCENTS

In this work we tried to analyse lhe condition o^f adolescent women. ^Since the beginning of their sexual life frequently occurs during adolescence, it follows that lhe knowledge andusage of Contraceptive Methods s) are relevant for them. ^Nowadays, adolescents initiate their sexual life without any care about Contraceptive Methods (C^Ms), which causes adolescence pregnancy and an increase in the probability of contracting AIDS and other ^Trasmissible ^Diseases, not to mention abortion. In the light of this panorama, we tried to analyse the representations of ^Contraceptive ^Methods (CMs) present in the discourse o^f adolescent women ^(agesbetween 15 and 19) living in the south of the city of ^São ^Paulo, in 1992. ^The use of ^Contraceptive ^Methods was taken into accoun^t in the moment ^they star^ted their sexual life, as well as those matters referring to prenatal period and ohstetrics-gynecological prevention exams. The abortion cases were discussed separately. ^The analysis allowed us to think about the impor^tance and the need of an effective implementation of actions related to the adolescents’ heal^th and sexuality.Neste trabalho buscamos fazer uma análise da condição da adolescente, uma vez que o inicio da vida sexual tem ocorrido, frequentemente, durante o periodo da adolescência; portanto o conhecimento e o uso dos Métodos Anticoncepcionais (MACs) ganham relevancia junto ao grupo. Atualmente, as adolescentes têm tido a iniciação sexual sem o adequado uso de MACs, ocasionando a gravidez na adolescência, o aumento da probabilidade de contrair AIDS e outras Doenças Sexualmente Transmissiveis, além do aborto.Tendo em vista este panorama, o trabalho procurou realizar uma análise das representações sobre MACs presentes no discurso das adolescentes de 15 a 19 anos, residentes na Região Sul do Municipio de São Paulo, em 1992. Levou-se em consideração o uso de MACs no momento da iniciação sexual, além das questões referentes ao pré-natal, exames de prevenção gineco-obstétrica; foram discutidos separadamente os casos de aborto. A análise realizada perrnitiu-nos uma reflexão sobre a importancia e necessidade de implantação real e efetiva das ações voltadas à saúde do adolescente e de sua sexualidade

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13