Estado de bienestar bajo ataque: Consecuencias esperadas y disimuladas de la Troika

El presente artículo, partiendo de la especificidad del modelo de salud portugués y del papel que juega el Estado para enfrentar la crisis económica, analiza cómo las políticas de austeridad que tuvieron lugar durante la troika en Portugal afectaron la sociedad, especialmente los inmigrantes, condicionándoles el acceso a los servicios de salud. El Estado de Bienestar sale debilitado, y pone en evidencia que la acción de la sociedad de bienestar (Santos 1992 y 1995) y de la «safety net» (Ferrera, 2005) adquieren una gran importancia, compensando las deficiencias estatales. En consecuencia, la sociedad de bienestar asume roles de colaboración, mediación e intervención como estrategias relacionadas a propia intervención estatal.Starting from the specificities of the Portuguese Health Service and the role placed by the State to face the economic crisis, this article aim at analysing how austerity policies that took place during Troika in Portugal affected society, mainly immigrants, conditioning their access to health services. The Welfare State weakens, putting in evidence that the intervention of welfare society (Santos 1992 y 1995) and the «safety net» (Ferrera, 2005) grow in importance, compensating State shortcomings. In consequence, welfare society takes on collaboration, mediation or intervention’s roles as strategies that respond to state intervention

Web site quality evaluation in Higher Education Institutions

AbstractThere are increasing concerns about the degree of quality delivered on the Web. Considering the competitive environment where Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are inserted, they should, as other organizations do, use their Web sites as a marketing tool. To measure Web site quality we used Aladwani's and Palvia's instrument [2], which evaluates quality from the user's perspective. The main conclusion of our study relates to the fact that HEI aren’t committed to using the Web site as an effective marketing tool and, therefore, much work still needs to be done.Academics are fundamental concerning Web marketing in HEI, since they may contribute to enlarge the knowledge in this area and alert HEI to the role that Web site quality may play in today's extremely turbulent and competitive environment

Inferindo o risco do desconhecido:implicações do contexto e do risco percebido na percepção da nanotecnologia

Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Cognição Social Aplicada), 2009, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da EducaçãoDisponível no document

Responsibility to protect : conflict prevention through mediation

Na presente dissertação propomo-nos a explorar a possibilidade do desenvolvimento de um regime jurídico vinculativo, que possa ser desencadeado em contextos de crises humanitárias. O objetivo será agir eficazmente para prevenir a erupção ou escalada da violência e de conflitos armados. Em termos legais, é discutido se tal parâmetro preventivo já existe e, consequentemente, se as normas jurídicas internacionais impõem um dever à comunidade internacional de reagir perante graves violações de Direitos Humanos perpetradas pelos Governos. Concluímos que tal regime normativo existe, emanando do princípio da ‘Responsabilidade de Proteger’ e do dever de cooperação estabelecido no Projeto de Artigos sobre a Responsabilidade dos Estados. No entanto, carece de força vinculativa. Um dos obstáculos à adoção pelos Estados de regimes de prevenção de conflitos vinculativos tem sido a sua conotação com a intervenção militar para fins humanitários. Por este motivo, pretendemos reforçar a importância da prevenção de conflitos em contextos anteriores à comissão de grandes atrocidades. Damos ênfase à Mediação como método de prevenção de conflitos com especial relevância em contextos de conflitos internos. Analisamos a crise na Venezuela e a possibilidade da emergência de um costume internacional que valide a prática da Mediação como norma legal. A nossa análise assenta numa abordagem interdisciplinar, colhendo ensinamentos das Relações Internacionais, bem como (ainda que em menor extensão) dos Estudos da Paz e da Psicologia.This thesis explores the possibility of developing a legally binding framework for conflict prevention, that could be enacted in contexts of humanitarian crisis. The goal would be to act effectively to prevent the eruption or escalation of violence and armed conflicts. We discuss, in legal terms, whether such a preventive framework already exists. Moreover, whether general norms of International Law impose on States a duty to react to grave violations of Human Rights conducted by Governments. We conclude that such a regime exists and emanates from the principle of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ and from the duty of cooperation established under the ICL’s Draft Articles. However, the regime lacks binding character. One obstacle to the adoption by States of legally binding mechanisms for conflict prevention is the fact that the latter has been associated with military intervention for humanitarian purposes. For this reason, we intend to reinforce the importance of conflict prevention in contexts prior to the commission of mass atrocities. Mediation is emphasised as a conflict prevention method with special relevance in contexts of internal conflict. We analyse the Venezuelan crisis and the possibility of emergence of a customary norm, which validates the practise of Mediation as a legal rule. We conduct an interdisciplinary analysis, retrieving lessons from International Relations, as well as – to a lesser extent – Peace Studies and Psychology

Business Process Redesign : a case at a specialized retail industry : Worten

The main purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how Business Process Redesign (BPR) can be used to improve Worten Resolve current processes. Worten Resolve is a premium after sales service which belongs to Worten, a specialized retail store of Sonae which owns more than 150 stores between Portugal and Spain. The everyday work of Worten Resolve is composed by several activities and processes performed by Worten employees, managers and technicians. Always considering the theory of Business Process Redesign, the several activities and processes were observed, monitored and documented in order to understand which one needed to change. Subsequently, the main problems and wasteful activities were identified, such as the technical services, which were the biggest change. For the problems identified, a solution was proposed using flowcharts for visual identification. The gains are also evaluated and mentioned in all the redesigns suggestions. Thus, is possible to conclude that BPR was an effective tool in order to accomplish the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) defined by the team assembled for this project. Consequently, it will save costs for the company and possibly contribute to increase customer loyalty.O principal objectivo da presente Dissertação é o de analisar se o Business Process Redesign (BPR) pode ser usado para incrementar os processos actuais da Worten Resolve. A Worten Resolve é um serviço de pós-venda de excelência proporcionado pela Worten, que por sua vez é um armazém retalhista especializado, enquadrado no perímetro das empresas da Sonae, detendo mais de 150 lojas entre Portugal e Espanha. O trabalho quotidiano desempenhado pelos empregados, directores e técnicos da Worten Resolve, é composto por diferentes actividades e processos. Tendo sempre em conta a teoria do BPR, essas mesmas actividades e processos foram observados, monitorizados e documentados, com vista a ter-se a noção do que precisa de ser alterado. Subsequentemente, foram identificados os principais problemas e perdas de produtividade, como foi o caso dos serviços técnicos, onde foram implementadas as maiores alterações. Para o problema identificado, foi proposta uma solução através de fluxogramas para uma melhor identificação visual. Os ganhos obtidos são também analisados e mencionados em todas as sugestões redesenhadas. Assim, é possível concluir que o BPR foi uma ferramenta eficaz com vista à realização dos KPI’s definidos pela equipa responsável pelo projecto. Consequentemente, são poupados custos à empresa e possivelmente foi conseguido o aumento da fidelização dos clientes

Synthesis of polyurethane-urea microcapsules with perfume for textile application

This work is a contribution to the introduction of emergent technologies in the textile sector, namely the microencapsulation of fragrances and its application to obtain added-value products. Polyurethane/urea microcapsules with a perfume have been produced using the interfacial polymerization technology for industrial application on textile substrate having in view man suits production. The specific objective of this work is the production of a scented clothing line, which includes: Development of technologies/processes for the production of microcapsules; Incorporation of microcapsules into textile substrates and optimization of the process in a laboratory; Validation and industrial scale-up; Development of testing methods and analysis of the release of the perfume.SCENTFASHION, contract ADI/2004/M2.3/0015POC

Rotational diffusion membrane and fluorescence anisotropy.

Structural properties of model membranes, such as lipid vesicles, may be investigated through the addition of fluorescent probes. After incorporation, the fluorescent molecules are excited with linearly polarized light and the fluorescence emission is depolarized due to translational as well as rotational diffusion during the lifetime of the excited state. The monitoring of emitted light is undertaken through the technique of time-resolved fluorescence: the intensity of the emitted light informs on fluorescence decay times, and the decay of the components of the emitted light yield rotational correlation times which inform on the fluidity of the medium. The fluorescent molecule DPH, of uniaxial symmetry, is rather hydrophobic and has collinear transition and emission moments. It has been used frequently as a probe for the monitoring of the fluidity of the lipid bilayer along the phase transition of the chains. The interpretation of experimental data requires models for localization of fluorescent molecules as well as for possible restrictions on their movement. In this study, we develop calculations for two models for uniaxial diffusion of fluorescent molecules, such as DPH, suggested in several articles in the literature. A zeroth order test model consists of a free randomly rotating dipole in a homogeneous solution, and serves as the basis for the study of the diffusion of models in anisotropic media. In the second model, we consider random rotations of emitting dipoles distributed within cones with their axes perpendicular to the vesicle spherical geometry. In the third model, the dipole rotates in the plane of the of bilayer spherical geometry, within a movement that might occur between the monolayers forming the bilayer. For each of the models analysed, two methods are used by us in order to analyse the rotational diffusion: (I) solution of the corresponding rotational diffusion equation for a single molecule, taking into account the boundary conditions imposed by the models, for the probability of the fluorescent molecule to be found with a given configuration at time t. Considering the distribution of molecules in the geometry proposed, we obtain the analytical expression for the fluorescence anisotropy, except for the cone geometry, for which the solution is obtained numerically; (II) numerical simulations of a restricted rotational random walk in the two geometries corresponding to the two models. The latter method may be very useful in the cases of low-symmetry geometries or of composed geometries

Species-Specific Differences in the Susceptibility of Fungi to the Antifungal Protein AFP Depend on C-3 Saturation of Glycosylceramides

AFP is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) produced by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus giganteus and is a very potent inhibitor of fungal growth that does not affect the viability of bacteria, plant, or mammalian cells. It targets chitin synthesis and causes plasma membrane permeabilization in many human- and plant-pathogenic fungi, but its exact mode of action is not known. After adoption of the “damage-response framework of microbial pathogenesis” regarding the analysis of interactions between AMPs and microorganisms, we have recently proposed that the cytotoxic capacity of a given AMP depends not only on the presence/absence of its target(s) in the host and the AMP concentration applied but also on other variables, such as microbial survival strategies. We show here using the examples of three filamentous fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Fusarium graminearum) and two yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris) that the important parameters defining the AFP susceptibilities of these fungi are (i) the presence/absence of glycosylceramides, (ii) the presence/absence of Δ3(E) desaturation of the fatty acid chain therein, and (iii) the (dis)ability of these fungi to respond to AFP inhibitory effects with the fortification of their cell walls via increased chitin and β-(1,3)-glucan synthesis. These observations support the idea of the adoption of the damage-response framework to holistically understand the outcome of AFP inhibitory effects.TU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel - 201

Anselmo, crítico de Roscelino

Anselmo foi, como o seria um pouco mais tarde Abelardo, um dos mais eminentes adversários de Roscelino de Compiègne, considerado geralmente como o iniciador da posição dita vocalista no que diz respeito ao estatuto ontológico dos termos universais. É sobretudo no De incarnatione verbi que Anselmo desenvolve os seus argumentos contra as implicações teológicas e trinitárias das doutrinas de Roscelino, «herético da dialéctica», que defende que «as substâncias universais são simples palavras» (flatus vocis). Distante embora dos termos em que, desde o final do século XI, se configura a chamada «querela dos universais» (tributária do corpus da logica vetus, e designadamente das Categorias e do Peri hermeneias de Aristóteles, a que se juntam as Institutiones de Prisciano), a crítica de Anselmo a Roscelino, em si mesma e nos seus pressupostos, incide no entanto sobre alguns dos aspectos, dialécticos e semânticos, a que o debate nas escolas dará maior relevo. A essa luz, analisaremos aqui a crítica anselmiana à posição de Roscelino – que não distingue «o cavalo da sua cor», e que «não compreende como vários homens são um único homem na espécie» –, em particular no que diz respeito à relação entre substância e acidente (ou qualidade, segundo a gramática de Prisciano) e à semântica do nome