Interação fármaco-receptor

Diagrama de esquema apresentando a interação fármaco-receptor1.0Ministério da Saúde do Brasi

Flipped classrooms: from concept to reality using Google Apps

Flipped classrooms use in-class time to work onlearning materials that were previously explored by thestudents on their own (e.g. pre-recorded presentations,instructional videos, etc.). Any e-learning platform can beused to flip a classroom / course, but they suffer from anoriginal sin -- they can just as well be used to supporttraditional teacher-centred models, where the course siteworks as a repository of slides used during plenary classesdelivered in lecture halls. Besides this historical handicap,most e-learning platforms offer relatively poor collaborativeenvironments, particularly if we consider the standardsharing facilities of social platforms like Facebook, Google+(G+), etc. The portfolio of resources included in the GoogleApps for Education program, on the other hand, offers apowerful toolbox that can be used to build rich collaborativeenvironments. Ending up with teacher-centred models ismuch harder in the Google Apps world, where a pervasivecollaborative strategy can be made to spread across ateaching and learning framework built as a Google site. Thispaper presents the essential Google Apps that can be used inthis context, proposes a pedagogical model that ensurescollaborative, student-centred learning, and describes how ateaching and learning framework can be built using thetools comprised in the Google Apps for Education portfolio.The reusable template offered as a result of this work isavailable online at http://goo.gl/wllUk

Design and operational considerations of an Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) as a technology has grown as a prominent means of sustainable biological treatment, especially in the recent due to environmental concerns, due to less energy and space requirements, less sludge production, and methane production, which, through cogeneration can make help the system reach energy neutrality. However, membrane cost and the problem of membrane fouling remain the major issues in its widespread use. Pastry production and the resulting wastewater poses a threat to the environment due to its high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations which can result in significant costs on the treatment plant. High organic strength in such wastewater make AnMBR a good choice for its treatment. This thesis reviews the current state of MBR technology and presents an AnMBR type solution to a large-scale pastry producing facility, while also striving for energy-recovery technologies through cogeneration. The proposed AnMBR design can theoretically achieve COD removal rates as high as 95% as well as a daily methane production of 2700 Nm3 or of 3,7 kWh/kg BOD removed; Keywords

Restoring Reliability in Fault Tolerant Reconfigurable Systems

The new generations of SRAM-based FPGAdevices, built on nanometer technology, are thepreferred choice for the implementation ofreconfigurable computing platforms. However,smaller technological scales increase theirvulnerability to manufacturing imperfections andhence to the occurrence of electromigration.Moreover, the large internal RAM (for configurationpurposes or as embedded memory blocks) makesthem more prone to soft errors.The incorporation of self-reconfigurationcapabilities in recent FPGAs, allied to the use of softand hard microprocessor cores, facilitates the offsetof these vulnerabilities by enabling the developmentof self-restoring fault tolerant reconfigurablesystems. In the methodology presented in this paper,the embedded microprocessor is also responsible forthe implementation of online self-test-and-repairstrategies, based on modular redundancy and onself-reconfiguration. The detection of faults, causedby soft or hard errors, may be followed by repairingactions, depending on the fault type. This approachleads to smoother system degradation, extending itslifetime and improving its reliability

An SDRAM test education package that embeds the factory equipment into the e-learning server

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) demand has grown exponentially since the 1980s, as a result of technological factors and new areas of application, particularly concerning communication and consumer electronics. The SDRAM market represented in 2007 c. 20% of the total semiconductor business and is seen as a strategic area, justifying private and public investment in the western and far-eastern economic communities. SDRAM test education is therefore an important subject, but very high purchase and maintenance costs keep test equipment beyond reach of most university test courses. This paper presents a pilot project addressing an SDRAM test education course developed jointly by Qimonda and the University of Porto (FEUP), where the company offers remote access to one if its Advantest SDRAM automatic test equipments. Access to this remote tester was embedded into the Moodle e-learning server that supports a new course entitled Electronic Systems Testing (TSEL), which is part of the Integrated Masters degree on Electrical and Computer Engineering at FEUP. The excellent feedback received from students encouraged us to extend this cooperation into an educational network, which is also introduced in this paper

Disfunção vascular nos doentes com coarctação da aorta tratada

RESUMO: As cardiopatias congénitas (CC) afetam aproximadamente 1% dos recémnascidos e são responsáveis pela maior proporção de mortalidade infantil nos países desenvolvidos. A coarctação da aorta (CoA), a 6ª CC mais frequente, consiste numa estenose da aorta descendente proximal. Se não for tratada, tem uma história natural desfavorável. A cirurgia, dilatação com balão e a implantação de stent são atualmente técnicas que podem atingir o objetivo de uma remoção eficaz e duradoura da estenose ístmica, sendo a decisão baseada na idade doente, anatomia da CoA e preferência do operador ou da instituição. Contudo, um bom resultado anatómico não evita morbilidade e mortalidade de longo prazo, apresentando cerca de metade dos doentes hipertensão arterial (HTA), e registando-se mortalidade precoce, maioritariamente devido a complicações cardiovasculares e acidentes vasculares cerebrais. O perfil tensional anómalo sugere que os resultados subótimos possam ser secundários a disfunção vascular, cuja existência foi bem documentada em doentes com CoA tratada. Existem anomalias intrínsecas da estrutura arterial e função, alterações da sensibilidade neuro-hormonal ou da regulação endócrina, e fatores adquiridos, como a idade do tratamento, que contribuem para esta disfunção vascular. Os maus resultados a longo prazo podem resultar igualmente do tipo de tratamento efetuado, que provavelmente impactam de modo diverso a rigidez do istmo aórtico e potencialmente comprometem as funções da aorta. Este efeito da modalidade terapêutica não foi até ao momento estudado. A CoA não é uma simples doença mecânica que fica resolvida quando é removido o obstáculo. Objetivos e Hipóteses: O objetivo deste estudo é comparar a função vascular entre diferentes modalidades terapêuticas de CoA. A hipótese principal é a de que os doentes submetidos a dilatação com balão têm melhor função vascular que os doentes submetidos a cirurgia ou implantação de stent, pois aquela modalidade terapêutica tem menor potencial para danificar a integridade e propriedades biomecânicas da parede da aorta do que estas. Métodos: Avaliação prospetiva da função vascular usando múltiplas modalidades não invasivas, de modo a comparar os resultados de três grupos de doentes com CoA, tratados com dilatação com cirurgia, balão ou implantação de stent, após controle das variáveis de confusão. Em doentes com CoA tratada com sucesso, comparámos prospectivamente a rigidez da aorta com tonometria de aplanação e ressonância magnética cardíaca; função endotelial com tonometria arterial periférica endotelial; analise da onda de pulso com tonometria de aplanação e tonometria arterial periférica endotelial; massa ventricular esquerda e anatomia do arco aórtico com ressonância magnética cardíaca; marcadores séricos de função endotelial, inflamação, função da parede arterial e matriz extracelular; e saúde cardiovascular ideal. A análises estatística incluiu ajuste para as variáveis de confusão. Resultados: O estudo foi realizado em sete grandes centros, de Portugal e Estados Unidos da América. Foram incluídos 75 doentes, tratado por cirurgia (n=28), dilatação com balão (n=23) e implantação de stent (n=24). Os grupos tiveram idade semelhante à data de inclusão, gravidade da CoA, gradiente residual e perfil metabólico, mas eram diferentes quanto à idade à data do tratamento. A HTA, rigidez da aorta, função endotelial e massa ventricular eram semelhantes entre os grupos. Contudo, o grupo da dilatação com balão tinha mais distensibilidade regional da aorta ascendente, menor tensão arterial (TA) sistólica durante o exercício, menos alteração da variação noturna da TA, e dose menor de biomarcadores inflamatórios. Os resultados permaneceram inalterados após ajuste das potenciais variáveis de confusão, incluindo idade à data do tratamento. Conclusões: A modalidade terapêutica não estava associada à presença de HTA, rigidez arterial global e função endotelial. Contudo, os doentes com dilatação com balão tinham um perfil de função vascular mais favorável, caracterizado por maior distensibilidade da aorta ascendente, TA noturna mais baixa, menor resposta hipertensiva no esforço e menores marcadores séricos de inflamação. São necessários mais estudos para confirmar se os nossos resultados poderão contribuir para o refinamento do paradigma de tratamento da CoA, ao adicionar ao objetivo de remoção da estenose, a preservação da função vascular, quando dois ou mais tratamentos são aplicáveis.ABSTRACT: Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects approximately 1% of liveborns and accounts for the largest proportion of infant mortality in developed countries. Coarctation of the aorta (CoA), the 6th most common CHD, consists of a narrowing of the proximal descending aorta. If left untreated, it has an unfavorable natural history. Surgery, balloon dilation (BD) or stent implantation are all current treatments that can achieve a successful long-term removal of the stenosis, and the choice is based on age, CoA anatomy, and personal or institutional preference. Coarctation is not a mere mechanical disease that is treated by removing the increased afterload. In fact, a good anatomic result does not avoid long-term cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, with late systemic hypertension (HTN) in approximately half of the patients, and reduced life expectancy, mostly due to CV complications and stroke. The abnormal blood pressure (BP) phenotype suggests that the suboptimal results are likely due to abnormal vascular function, which has been well documented in patients with repaired CoA. There are inherent changes in the arterial structure and function, impaired neuronal sensitivity or endocrinal auto-regulation, and acquired features, such as age at treatment, that contribute to vascular dysfunction in CoA. The poor long-term vascular outcome may also be impacted by the different types of repair, which likely have differing effects on the stiffness of the repaired segment and potentially compromise both the conduit and cushioning functions of the aorta. The effects of treatment modality on long-term vascular function remain uncharacterized. Aims and Hypothesis: The goal of this study is to assess vascular function in this patient population for comparison among the treatment modalities. The central hypothesis of this study was that patients who have undergone successful BD will have better vascular function than patients who have undergone successful surgical repair or stenting since this modality is least likely to damage the integrity and biomechanical properties of the aortic wall. Methods: Prospective assessment of vascular function using multiple non-invasive modalities, and compare the results among the three groups of CoA patients previously treated using surgery, BD or stent implantation after frequency matching for confounding variables. In successfully repaired CoA patients, we prospectively compared aortic stiffness by applanation tonometry and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR); endothelial function by endothelial pulse amplitude testing; pulse waveform analysis by applanation tonometry and endothelial pulse amplitude testing; BP phenotype by office BP, ambulatory BP monitoring, and BP response to exercise; left ventricular (LV) mass and aortic morphometrics by CMR; blood biomarkers of endothelial function, inflammation, vascular wall function, and extracellular matrix; and ideal cardiovascular health. In the statistical analysis, we adjusted for potential confounders. Results: This study was done in seven, large volume centers from Portugal and the United States of America. Participants included 75 patients treated with surgery (n=28), BD (n=23), or stent (n=24). Groups had similar age at enrollment, CoA severity, residual gradient, and metabolic profile but differed by age at treatment. Systemic HTN, aortic stiffness, endothelial function, and LV mass were similar among groups. However, BD had more distensible ascending aortas, lower peak systolic BP during exercise, less impairment in diurnal BP variation, and lower inflammatory biomarkers. The results were unchanged after adjustment for potential confounders, including age at treatment. Conclusions: Treatment modality was not associated with major vascular outcomes such as systemic HTN, global aortic stiffness, and endothelial function. However, BD patients had a better vascular phenotype profile characterized by higher ascending aorta distensibility, lower night-time BP, lower peak exercise BP and lower levels of inflammatory markers. Further studies are required to confirm if our results may contribute to refining the CoA treatment paradigm by adding to the goals of therapy the preservation of vascular function when two or more treatment techniques are applicable

Roaming service for electric vehicle charging using blockchain-based digital identity

We present a suitable approach to address the electric vehicle charging roaming problem (e-roaming). Blockchain technologies are applied to support the identity management process of users charging their vehicles and to record energy transactions securely. At the same time, off-chain cloud-based storage is used to record the transaction details. A user wallet settled on a mobile application stores user verified credentials; a backend application in the vehicle charging station validates the user credentials to authorize the energy transaction. The current model can be applied to similar contexts where the user may be required to keep several credentials from different providers to authenticate digital transactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Do We Need Argumentative Reasoning in Higher Education?

The Bologna Reform of the European Universities brings the development of student skills to the frontline of teachers'concerns. Acknow ledging that the simple transfer of information must be replaced by teaching methods centred on studentlearning activities is now a reality, and has challenged traditional higher-education pedagogies focused on "right answers".In a broader perspective, the teaching paradigm and the learning outcomes are changing, namely those which areconnected to communication and argumentative skills.The aim of this paper is to contribute to questioning the role of argumentation in higher education, in order to understandhow the w ork of students incorporates the development of argumentative skills, in line w ith quality improvement demands inhigher education. Assessment instruments related to the development of argumentative skills are identified and analysed intw o Portuguese Schools (Education Sciences and Engineering, both from the University of Porto).The specific objectives of this research are: 1) To evaluate the real importance of argumentative skills as a criterion forassessing students; 2) to analyze argumentative reasoning structures that are present in reports and other deliverablesresulting from students assignments; and 3) to analyze argument pragmatics used by students.Argumentation is structured upon contextualized and communicative reasoning, rather than text (and logic reasoning)based on assumptions that are not discussed. Argumentative reasoning fits w ell in the field of possible, preferred choice,for w hich the best arguments have to be produced (Grácio, 1992; 1998; Toulmin 2001).All situations characterised by more proficient levels in the production and use of know ledge, as academic learning,assume the existence of choices that require reasoning and argumentative text. Furthermore, argumentation alternativesare essential for know ledge meaningful appropriation (Weston, 2005).Argumentative reasoning is part of the soft skills that must be developed by higher-education students, since they areasked to support conclusions of experimental procedures, to arguably choose one theoretical option or technique amongothers, and to organize projects w hose action lines must be sustained (Coffin, 2008).The place for argumentation in higher education curricula differs from one country to another, and teaching traditions differamong Latin and Anglo-Saxon communities. Argumentation is usually seen as less important than the acquisition ofknow ledge and learning contents (Andrew s, 2009), and rhetoric has long been misunderstood / mistreated (Perelman,1997; Amossy, 2009). How ever, the changing relationship betw een higher education and society, both in the socialimplications of know ledge and in the structure of the know ledge society, enabled argumentation to emerge as a need toachieve equity, citizenship and social justice in contemporary higher education (Brennan, 2007). In addition, highereducation policy literature has tended to follow the human capital development, and subsequently to promote civic valuesand behaviour, facilitating social mobility (id; ibidem). To achieve this purpose of ensuring equity it is important to developargumentative skills among students

Formação Política e Juventude: Cinedebate a partir do documentário "A rebelião dos pinguins"

Trata-se de um relato de experiência da ação vinculada ao grupo de Pesquisa Grupo de Pesquisa Estado, Sociedade, Trabalho e Educação (GPESTE). O evento buscou ser um espaço de debate e formação política para estudantes secundaristas de Foz Iguaçu e região. A partir do documentário de Carlos Pronzato - A rebelião dos Pinguins, foi proporcionado um espaço de encontro com os discentes do Ensino Médio da Rede Estadual de Educação, da graduação da UNIOESTE e da UNILA para fazer reflexões e inferências sobre a conjuntura política atual e o fato concreto desencadeado pelo movimento dos estudantes secundaristas denominado ocupação da escola, ocorrido em 2015 e 201