Antibiotics and extracorporeal circulation - one size does not fit all

Dosing of antibiotics in critically ill patients is a significant challenge. The increasing number of patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation further complicates the issue due to inflammatory activation and to drug sequestration in the circuit. Since patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation commonly face severe infections, appropriate antibiotic selection and correct dosing is of paramount importance to improve survival. Therapeutic drug monitoring (whenever available) or population pharmacokinetics, based on readily available clinical and laboratory data, should help tailor antibiotic dosing to the individual patient.publishersversionpublishe

Assessment of tourism value in geological heritage: why, what and how

Nature tourism has been a subject related with geo- logical heritage and geoconservation during the years, moreover with the increasing of geotour- ism strategies and geoparks programs. Even if only a part of geological heritage has high scientific value, there are also other sites that should be con- sidered in geoconservation strategies because of their cultural, ecological or tourism values (Brilha 2016). The use of geological heritage as tour- ism attractions constitutes one of the subjects in methodological proposals for geosite assessment. Whereas the majority of the methodological pro- posals include touristic criteria to assess the values of geological heritage (Pereira, Pereira 2010), more recent studies emphasize the assessment of spe- cific criteria such as accessibility, visibility, safety, signage, cleanliness, logistics, or the touristic use of the sites (Rybár 2010; Štrba, Rybár 2015; Doktor et al. 2015; Valjarevi et al. 2017). In this work, a general framework of this topic is presented, with a discussion on the objectives (why), the objects (what) and the methods (how) regarding the assessment of the tourism value in geological heritage. Why is related with the need to identify the sites with highest potential touristic use, the ones more prone to degradation with tour- istic use, and the procedures to enhance the visit conditions and tourism attractiveness. What can be connected with the geological heritage features to be assessed, implying the selection of sites and the procedures related with the dimension of geo- sites (single spots, large areas, viewpoints). How respects with the methods to assess the tourism value, that can comprise qualitative or more quan- titative procedures and different criteria regarding the touristic use of the sites. Recent studies in geoparks, supported in this ‘why, what and how’ approach (Pereira, Pereira 2012; Gonçalves 2013; Viveiros 2016), have re- vealed that the data obtained are essential tools to geoconservation and geotourism strategies in ter- ritories where geotourism plays a substantial role. In that sense, similar assessment methodologies are being applied in Peneda-Gerês National Park in Portugal, a protected area with high standards in nature conservation but also with high tourism attractiveness (Afonso, Pereira 2018)

Simulação de Escoamentos Atmosféricos sobre Colinas Suaves com Floresta

O objetivo principal da seguinte tese ´e a análise e validação do comportamento do modelo de floresta do software de CFD (Computer Fluid Dynamics) Windie, nomeadamente em simulações usando as equações RaNS (Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes time-averaged equations) com o modelo de turbulência k − ε atmosférico. Neste trabalho ´e feita a reprodução e comparação com resultados experimentais e resultados em LES (Large eddy simulation) de escoamentos em regiões de colinas suaves com e sem floresta. O software Windie ´e uma ferramenta de CFD, desenvolvida com base no trabalho percursor de F.A. Castro. (1997). Esta ferramenta ´e especializada no estudo de implantação de parques eólicos através de simulações em topografias complexas, com ou sem floresta. Os resultados experimentais foram obtidos através de Poggi and Katul (2008), que investiga a variação de velocidade e espectro sob a influência da topografia e floresta densa e Patton and Katul (2009), que igualmente avalia a variação de velocidade sobre uma topografia, mas comparando diferentes densidades de floresta através de simulações em LES. As condições de escoamento do presente trabalho são de um escoamento turbulento, incompressível em regime estacionário e definido através do modelo de turbulência k−ε atmosférico, baseado no método das médias de Reynolds (RaNS - Reynolds Averaged NavierStokes). As condições de cálculo têm como base a descrição do trabalho de Poggi and Katul (2008) e Patton and Katul (2009), representando um escoamento sobre uma topografia similar, mas onde nem todas as condições de fronteira foram possíveis de representar. A caracterização da floresta ´e feita através de um modelo avançado desenvolvido em Lopes da Costa (2007) que permitiu definir a densidade foliar ao longo da altura da floresta. Os resultados obtidos das simulações no Windie, foram processados de maneira a poderem ser comparados com os resultados dos artigos citados, para o caso de superfície descoberta e com diferentes densidades de floresta.The main purpose of the following thesis is the analysis and validation of the behaviour of the forest model of CFD’s (Computer Fluid Dynamics) software Windie, specifically in simulations using RaNS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stocks time averaged equations) equations with the turbulence model k − ε atmospheric. In the present work, results of gentle hills regions’ flow with or without forest are reproduced and compared with Large eddy simulation (LES). Windie software is a CFD tool, developed based in the work of F.A. Castro. (1997). This tool is specialized in studying the implementation of wind farms through simulations in complex topographies, with or without forest. The experimental results were obtained through Poggi and Katul (2008), which investigates the velocity variation and spectrum under the influence of topography and dense forest. Patton and Katul (2009), also evaluates the speed variation over a topography but compares it with different forest densities using LES simulations. The flow conditions of the present work are based on a turbulent flow and incompressible in steady state. They are defined by the turbulence model k − ε, based on the Reynolds averages (RaNS - Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stocks). The calculation conditions are based on Poggi and Katul (2008) and Patton and Katul (2009). Although they represent a flow over similar topography, some boundary conditions were not possible to represent. The forest characterization is done through an advanced model, developed by Lopes da Costa (2007), that defines the leaf density along the height of the forest. The Windie simulations were processed and then compared with the results of cited articles, for cases with bare surface and different forest densities

Ajudar os outros ajudando-se a si próprio?: uma perspetiva sobre responsabilidade social das organizações, qualidade de serviço e reputação organizacional

Uma vez que a competição em todo o mercado empresarial está ao mais alto nível, perceber o cliente e oferecer um serviço que se destaque pode ser a diferenciação necessária para o sucesso. Assim, a qualidade de serviço, que corresponde a um juízo sobre o quanto é que os serviços prestados por uma organização correspondem à expectativa criada pelos clientes, tem um lugar de destaque. Incrementar a qualidade de serviço requer uma sólida reputação organizacional, o que por sua vez, torna imprescindível considerar as constantes pressões, dos clientes e dos próprios trabalhadores, assim como de outros stakeholders, em fatores de gestão definidos pela responsabilidade social, ou seja, a transparência do negócio e o desenvolvimento sustentável em torno de três grandes dimensões: social, ambiental e económica. Esta dissertação procura aumentar o conhecimento existente através do estudo da relação entre as perceções de responsabilidade social das organizações e a qualidade de serviço percebida, através de um modelo onde a reputação organizacional atua como elo de ligação entre ambas. O modelo exploratório foi testado através de um questionário online aplicado a 206 clientes e 105 trabalhadores de uma empresa de serviços. A análise dos dados revelou a existência de efeitos significativos que permitem verificar que, no geral, perceções mais elevadas de RSO estão positivamente associadas às perceções da qualidade de serviços, através do efeito mediador da reputação organizacional, estando de acordo com as pistas existentes na literatura mais relevante. Conclui-se que a perceção positiva do desempenho social de uma organização está associada a maior reputação organizacional, o que por sua vez tem relação positiva com a qualidade de serviço.Given that the competition in the business market is at its highest level, understanding the customer and offer it a service of excellence, might be the needed differentiation for achieving success. Service quality, which is defined by being a judgement on how much the customers’ perceptions meets their previous service expectations, plays a key role. However, building service quality needs a strong organizational reputation, which in turn, makes it almost essential to look at the constant pressures, by customers, employees and other stakeholders, to an organization to engage in strategy management focused in corporate social responsibility, defined by conducting a transparent business and by contributing to the sustainable development in three different dimensions, social, economic and environmental. This dissertation seeks to increase existing knowledge by analyzing the relationship between corporate social responsibility perceptions and service quality perceptions, based on a model where organizational reputation acts as the link between those two constructs. The proposed model was tested by applying an online survey to a sample of 206 customers and 105 employees of a service company. Our main results revealed the existence of significant effects that allowed us to conclude that, in general, corporate social responsibility perceptions are positively related to service quality perceptions, linked by the mediating effect of organizational reputation. Although this dissertation embraces an exploratory analysis, these results are consistent with the main predictions found in the relevant literature. We found that a positive perception of a company’s corporate social performance is associated with a higher organizational reputation, which in turn has a positive relationship with service quality

The activity of a University Tuna in the confinement context: reinvent and innovate?

Atendendo à situação epidemiológica do novo coronavírus COVID-19 em Portugal, o XXII Governo Constitucional decidiu, em março de 2020, suspender todas as atividades letivas em todos os estabelecimentos de ensino do território nacional. Consequentemente, todas as instituições de ensino superior tiveram obrigatoriamente de se adaptar à nova realidade, onde as tecnologias desempenharam um papel preponderante na garantia da comunicação, interação e colaboração entre os membros das comunidades académicas. Esta conjuntura fez emergir a necessidade de também os grupos associativos das academias, entre eles, as Tunas Universitárias, se reinventarem e, talvez, até inovarem na procura das soluções mais adequadas para garantir o “normal” funcionamento dessas associações. Partindo deste pressuposto, deseja-se identificar e caracterizar as soluções que o estudo de caso do presente trabalho - RaussTuna – Tuna Mista de Bragança (TMB) – encontrou para manter a sua atividade em contexto de confinamento. Estas soluções, provenientes de um plano de ação que a Tuna desenvolveu, parecem ser úteis para a reflexão e debate na comunidade Tunae, designadamente sobre as consequências da pandemia para o associativismo, a importância das Tunas conceberem planos de ação que contribuam para uma maior organização interna, a necessidade das Tunas manterem a sua atividade em confinamento, a importância das tecnologias como suporte ao desenvolvimento dessas atividades e a necessidade de reinvenção e inovação neste tempo.Given the epidemiological situation of the new coronavirus, COVID-19 in Portugal, the 22nd Constitutional Government decided, in March 2020, to suspend all teaching activities in all educational establishments throughout the country. Consequently, all higher education institutions had to adapt to the new reality, where technologies played a major role in ensuring communication, interaction and collaboration among members of academic communities. This conjuncture has raised the need for the academy's associative groups, including the University Tunas, to reinvent themselves and, perhaps, even innovate in the search for the most appropriate solutions to guarantee the “normal” operation of these Associations. Based on this assumption, we want to identify and characterize the solutions that the case study of the present work - RaussTuna - Tuna Mista de Bragança (TMB) - found to maintain its activity in the context of lockdown. These solutions, coming from an Action Plan that Tuna developed, seem to be useful for reflection and debate in the Tunae community, namely about the consequences of the pandemic for associations, the importance of Tunas creating Action Plans that contributed to a greater internal organization, the need for them to keep their activity under lockdown, the importance of technologies to support the development of these activities and the need for reinvention and innovation at this time.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High affinity of 3D spongin scaffold towards Hg(II) in real waters

This study focuses on the ability of commercial natural bath sponges, which are made from the skeletons of marine sponges, to sorb Hg from natural waters. The main component of these bath sponges is spongin, which is a protein-based material, closely related to collagen, offering a plenitude of reactive sites from the great variety of amino acids in the protein chains, where the Hg ions can sorb. For a dose of 40 mg L-1 and initial concentration of 50 μg L-1 of Hg(II), marine spongin (MS) removed ~90% of Hg from 3 water matrixes (ultrapure, bottled, and seawater), corresponding to a residual concentration of ~5 μg L-1, which tends to the recommend value for drinking water of 1 μg L-1. This value was maintained even by increasing the MS dosage, suggesting the existence of a gradient concentration threshold below which the Hg sorption mechanism halts. Kinetic modelling showed that the Pseudo Second-Order equation was the best fit for all the water matrixes, which indicates that the sorption mechanism relies most probably on chemical interactions between the functional groups of spongin and the Hg ions. This material can also be regenerated in HNO3 and reused for Hg sorption, with marginal losses in efficiency, at least for 3 consecutive cycles.publishe

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of municipal solid waste considering the influence of biodegradation

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOMunicipal solid waste (MSW) permeability is influenced mainly by compaction, unit weight, overburden pressure, composition, and biodegradation of the waste. However, the variation of hydraulic conductivity with MSW biodegrading over time has not yet been14491449FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2010/18560-

Factors that determine the participation of students in University Tuna: a case study

Desde o último quarto do século XX que o ensino superior em Portugal, público e privado, tem crescido de forma muito significativa. Este desenvolvimento é evidenciado, por exemplo, na abrangência geográfica da rede nacional de ensino superior, que oferece diferentes formações para todos os ciclos de estudos. Atualmente, são dezenas de milhares os jovens que têm vindo a aproveitar as ofertas educativas para se prepararem e qualificarem para o ingresso no mercado de trabalho. Além da sua qualificação académica, alguns estudantes procuram viver outras experiências de cariz associativo como, por exemplo, na área da música, ingressando, assim, em Tunas Universitárias que estão, de um modo geral, associadas às instituições de ensino superior onde estes se formam. É, precisamente, nesta questão, que se foca a presente pesquisa. Assim, através de um estudo de caso, procura-se identificar e caracterizar, de forma aprofundada, os fatores que determinam a participação dos estudantes numa Tuna Universitária. Os resultados, obtidos através das entrevistas semiestruturadas, sugerem a existência de um conjunto de dimensões de caráter pessoal, sociocultural e académico que determinam a frequência dos estudantes do ensino superior numa Tuna Universitária, em particular, na RaussTuna – Tuna Mista de Bragança, o nosso estudo de caso.Since the last quarter of the twentieth century, higher education in Portugal, both public and private, has grown significantly. This development can be seen by the geographical coverage of the national network of higher education that offers different training courses for all study cycles. There are currently tens of thousands of young people who have been taking advantage of educational offers to prepare and qualify for entry in the labour market. In addition to their academic qualifications, some students try to have other associative experiences such as, for example, in the area of music, thus entering University Tunas which are generally associated with higher education institutions where they are formed. It is precisely in this question that the present research is focused on. Thus, through a case study, we seek to identify and characterize in depth the factors that determine the participation of students in a University Tuna. The results, obtained through semi-structured interviews, suggest the existence of a set of personal, sociocultural and academic dimensions that determine the participation of higher education students in a Tuna, in particular, in RaussTuna - Tuna Mista de Bragança, our concrete case study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobile Application for Gas Prices and Locations Inquiry in Manaus Amazonas

The original features the prototype of an application that allows drivers to locate and compare fuel prices in the city of Manaus. Regarding the applied methodology approaches, this research is quantitative, field, survey and applied. It uses data and statistics from national surveys with population indices. It also brings data from an online questionnaire to measure drivers\u27 opinions and information about the context of Manaus in relation to the stations. After analysis, it is noted that the application that helps drivers is not only necessary in a city with more and more vehicles as well accepted by potential users