Geração computacional de recomendações para o desenvolvimento dos serviços de informação das autarquias

This study, based on data about internet available functionalities of Portuguese municipalities, determines, using computational facilities supported by a data base and a query language, and analyzes a large number of recommendations in order to provide a better service to user. It concludes that it’s necessary to consider relationship management as a way to provide a better service and that many municipalities, eventually associated, need to accomplish a large revision of its site.maturity; egovernment; information service; municipality; functionality; CRM.

Transformar a pedagogia: um percurso de indagação pedagógica na Universidade do Minho

A transformação da pedagogia na universidade exige que os professores contrariem o divórcio entre ensino, investigação e desenvolvimento profissional, nomeadamente através da constituição de comunidades de prática que desenvolvem, avaliam e disseminam experiências pedagógicas. Este tem sido um objectivo central de um conjunto de projectos desenvolvidos na Universidade do Minho desde 2000 por equipas multidisciplinares. Na presente comunicação, traça-se o historial destes projectos, evidenciando os seus avanços e contratempos, o que permite problematizar tensões e condições da reconfiguração da pedagogia como campo de estudo e de intervenção

Comparison of SIMIO and ARENA simulation tools

The purpose of this paper is to establish a comparison between Simio and Arena, helping a vast community of simulation practitioners to gain access to advanced modelling capabilities to address complex problems. Several aspects were compared, such as: concept of simulation models, animation development, modelling philosophies, Simio libraries and Arena templates, concept of entities, interface of the tools and Simio objects versus Arena blocks. The comparison was consolidated through the analysis of two case studies where the authors aimed to emphasize the way each simulation tool addresses some important issues related to model construction. The several compared aspects indicate the many advantages of using the more recent tool. Thus, this object-oriented tool appears to have all the conditions to trigger a widespread paradigm shift in the way practitioners build models.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia in the scope of the project: PEst-OE/EEI/UI0319/2014

Population distribution of six PCR-amplified loci in Madeira Archipelago (Portugal)

Frequency data of the short tandem repeat (STR) loci HUMTH01, HUMVWA31/A, HUMF13A1, HUMFES/FPS, D12S391 and HUMFIBRA/FGA were determined in blood stains obtained from a population of unrelated individuals from the Madeira Archipelago. The observed genotype distribution showed no significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and there was no evidence for association of alleles among the six loci. Population data showed a combined discrimination power of 0.9999998 and a chance of exclusion of 0.99597. The frequencies are similar to those of other compared caucasian populations but significant differences were found between the Madeira population and Japanese, Chinese, Greenland Eskimos and Quechua Amerindians. The six loci studied, together proved to be highly discriminating and valuable for forensic cases.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T6W-3W4GJ8F-8/1/69f0571183c0d939b9244a0841a1802

Composites based on PDMS and graphite flakes for thermoelectric sensing applications

[Excerpt] Thermoelectric (TE) devices are utilized for thermal energy harvesting, local cooling or heating, and temperature sensing. They have no mechanical structures, can be made flexible and present long operating lifetimes, making them useful for the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable electronics.[...]This work was financed by national funds from FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the projects LA/P/0037/2020, UIDP/50025/2020, and UIDB/50025/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication–i3N, and by projects PTDC/NAN-MAT/32558/2017 and PTDC/CTM-PAM/4241/2020. E.V. thanks the FCT Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the national support to R&D units grant, through the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020. J.F. thanks the support from FCTFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. through the PhD scholarship SFRH/BD/121679/2016 (Joana Figueira). This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Grant Agreements Nos: 640598 (ERC-2014-STG NEW-FUN), 952169 (SYNERGY, H2020-WIDESPREAD-2020-5, CSA), and 101008701 (EMERGE, H2020-INFRAIA2020-1)

Characterization of decavanadate and decaniobate solutions by Raman spectroscopy

The decaniobate ion, (Nb10 = [Nb10O28]6−) being isoelectronic and isostructural with the decavanadate ion (V10 = [V10O28]6−), but chemically and electrochemically more inert, has been useful in advancing the understanding of V10 toxicology and pharmacological activities. In the present study, the solution chemistry of Nb10 and V10 between pH 4 and 12 is studied by Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra of V10 show that this vanadate species dominates up to pH 6.45 whereas it remains detectable until pH 8.59, which is an important range for biochemistry. Similarly, Nb10 is present between pH 5.49 and 9.90 and this species remains detectable in solution up to pH 10.80. V10 dissociates at most pH values into smaller tetrahedral vanadate oligomers such as V1 and V2, whereas Nb10 dissociates into Nb6 under mildly (10 > pH > 7.6) or highly alkaline conditions. Solutions of V10 and Nb10 are both kinetically stable under basic pH conditions for at least two weeks and at moderate temperature. The Raman method provides a means of establishing speciation in the difficult niobate system and these findings have important consequences for toxicology activities and pharmacological applications of vanadate and niobate polyoxometalates

Chemical and biological studies from an Azorean macroalga: Ulva rigida

3rd Portuguese Meeting on Medicinal Chemistry and 1st Portuguese-Spanish-Brazilian Meeting on Medicinal Chemistry, Aveiro, 28-30 Novembro 2012.New drugs from natural sources have been targets of the drug discovery program and some bioactive compounds from macroalgae such as sulfated polysaccharides, steroids and diterpens have found their applications in the pharmaceutical industry.[1,2] Consequently, we have investigated the chemical composition and the in vitro antitumor potential of the metabolites isolated from the macroalga Ulva rigida, collected from the Azorean coast, an environmentally healthy habitat with a high level of biodiversity. We hereby describe isolation of isofucosterol (1) and 7(E)-3ẞ-hidroxy-5α, 6α-epoxymegastigmane (2) from the methanol extract of Ulva rigida, collected in May of 2011 in the Sea of St Miguel Island - Azores archipelago. The process of isolation of these metabolites involved chlorophylls elimination by the method previously described[3] and fractionation by column chromatography. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis and specific rotation as well as comparison of their spectral data with those described in the literature.[4,5] Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit the in vitro growth of three human cancer cell lines: MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (human skin cell line), using the protein binding dye SRB method. The results showed that compound 1 exhibited only a weak activity against MCF-7 (GI50 = 122.2 ± 17.9 μM), NCI-H460 (GI50 = 128.4 ± 32.4 μM), A375-C5 (GI50 = 119.2 ± 28.9 μM), while compound 2 was inactive against all the three cell lines (GI50 >200 μM).This work was financially supported by the project, Bioactive products in marine algae of Azores (PTDC/MAR/100482/2008) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Madalena Silva thanks FCT for the young researcher scholarship under PTDC/MAR/100482/2008 project

Influence of calcium acetate concentration in electrolyte on tribocorrosion behaviour of MAO treated titanium

Ti-based materials are widely used for dental and orthopaedic implant applications due to their adequate mechanical properties, corrosion behaviour and biocompatibility. However, these materials are biologically inert and display poor wear resistance. In one of the most studied processes that aims to overcome these drawbacks, Ti surfaces are often covered by anodic oxide films with the incorporation of bioactive agents such as Ca and P. Although there are several works on the tribocorrosion behaviour of MAO-treated Ti surfaces, the influence of electrolyte composition on the corrosion kinetics under sliding is yet to be fully understood. In the present work, anodic oxide films were produced on cp-Ti surfaces with different calcium acetate concentrations in the electrolyte. Tribocorrosion behaviour was investigated by reciprocating sliding tests performed in 8 g/L NaCl solution at body temperature, under potentiostatic conditions. The results showed that higher concentrations of calcium acetate had a detrimental effect on tribocorrosion kinetics, however, they resulted in less mechanical damage due to alterations in the topography and structure of the MAO layer.This work was supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal, under UIDB/04436/2020 project. L. Sousa was grateful for the PhD grant through NORTE08-5369-FSE-000051 project

Probable Person-to-Person Transmission of Legionnaires’ Disease

Correspondence to the Editor.Legionnaires’ disease is an often severe form of pneumonia that is typically acquired by susceptible persons (e.g., elderly persons and smokers) through inhalation of aerosols that contain legionella species.1-4 A cluster of cases of this disease occurred in Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, in 2014

Pyrene-p-tert-butylcalixarenes inclusion complexes formation: a surface photochemistry study

Diffuse reflectance and luminescence techniques were used to study the photophysics and photochemistry of pyrene within p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes with n = 4, 6, and 8, and to study their ability to form inclusion complexes in heterogeneous media. Evidences for inclusion complex formation were found for the three hosts under study. Ground state diffuse reflectance results have shown the formation of ground state dimers of pyrene inside the cavity of calix[ 6] arene and calix[ 8] arene, with this feature much more evident for calix[ 6] arene. For calix[ 4] arene, only a monomer fits inside the cavity and the presence of pyrene microcrystals outside the cavity was detected. A luminescence lifetime distribution analysis was performed, revealing the presence of prompt emissions from the pyrene microcrystals outside the cavity in the case of calix[ 4] arene and from the constrained dimers inside the cavities of calix[ 6] arene and calix[ 8] arene. Transient absorption results have shown the presence of pyrene radical cation and also of trapped electrons for the three hosts under study. The formation of the phenoxyl radical of the calixarene following the laser pulsed excitation of pyrene at 355 nm is increased for calix[ 6] arene and calix[ 8] arene. This feature is particularly relevant for calix[ 6] arene, suggesting a very favourable situation for the hydrogen atom abstraction to occur. The analysis of the degradation products revealed the presence of hydroxypyrene as a major photodegradation product for the three hosts. Dihydro-hydroxypyrene was also formed in the case of calix[ 6] arene and calix[ 8] arene. The formation of the calixarene's phenoxyl radical and subsequent hydrogen abstraction is consistent with the formation of dihydro-dihydroxypyrene