Study of gold alloy productions from Late Bronze Age and Iron Age

This master’s dissertation focuses on the archaeometallurgical study and conservation of thirteen gold alloy earrings attributed to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age from the Western Iberia. Most of the artefacts studied are from the collection "Treasures of Portuguese Archaeology" of the NationalMuseum of Archaeology (Lisboa, Portugal). Based on typological and decoration features, they were divided into two groups: eight plain gold rings, attributed to the LBA, which are bulk objects with a smooth surface, and five IA earrings with complex goldwork, like gold wires, sheets, granules and gilding. The aim of the study includes: i) the study of the alloy compositions; ii) the study of the detailed fine goldwork of the objects; iii) contribute to the understanding of technological evolutions from LBA to IA; iv) determination of heterogeneities in gold alloys at the surface level, due to corrosion, technological features or previous treatments, with an influence on their conservation. To achieve these goals complementary analytical and examination techniques were used, such as general photography, multifocus microscopy, elemental analysis by portable and micro X Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) and microscopy and elemental analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Results showed variations on the artefacts composition, being mostly composed by an Au-Ag alloy (8-20 wt.% Ag), with small amounts of Cu. The only exception are two IA earrings, with absence of Cu, unusual for alloys from this period. It also allowed to carry out compositional characterizations at different depths, concluding that heterogeneities exist within surface areas but can be more significant at different depths. Overall, a superficial loss in Ag was found, possibly due to corrosion phenomena, being that any conservation and restoration treatment could interfere with the final surface composition. It was found that the goldwork performed in some earrings is very fine, showing that ancient goldsmiths were able to produce wires and granules with less than 1 mm in diameter, as well as gilding. The results obtained are significant for the study of ancient technologies as well as for future conservation approaches to Proto-historic goldworks.A presente dissertação de mestrado foca-se no estudo arqueometalúrgico e conservação de treze brincos em ligas de ouro, atribuídos à Idade do Bronze Final e Idade do Ferro, provenientes da Península Ibérica Ocidental. A maioria dos artefactos é da coleção "Tesouros da Arqueologia Portuguesa", do Museu Nacional de Arqueologia (Lisboa, Portugal). Com base na sua tipologia e elementos decorativos, foram divididos em dois grupos: oito anéis de ouro lisos, atribuídos à IBF, objetos maciços de superfície lisa, e cinco brincos da IF com trabalho fino em ouro, como fios, chapas, grânulos e douramento. O estudo tem como objetivos: i) estudar a composição das ligas e ii) o trabalho fino realizado em ouro nos objetos; iii) contribuir para o estudo da evolução tecnológica entre a IBF e IF; iv) determinar heterogeneidades nas ligas ao nível da superfície, devido a corrosão, características técnicas ou intervenções anteriores, com influência na sua conservação. Para tal, recorreu-se a técnicas analíticas e de examinação complementares, como fotografia geral, microscopia ótica, análise elementar por Espectroscopia de Fluorescência de Raios X (XRF) portátil e micro, e análise microscópica e elementar por Microscopia Eletrónica de Varrimento com Espectroscopia de Energia Dispersiva (SEM-EDS). Os resultados mostraram variações composicionais nos vários objetos, maioritariamente compostos por Au-Ag (8-20 wt.% Ag), com baixos teores de Cu. A única exceção foram dois brincos da IF, com ausência de Cu, pouco comum para ligas deste período. Também permitiu a realização de caracterizações composicionais em diferentes profundidades, concluindo-se que existem heterogeneidades ao nível da superfície, embora sejam mais notórias em maiores profundidades. No geral, uma perda superficial de Ag foi observada, possivelmente devido a fenómenos de corrosão, em que intervenções de conservação e restauro podem influenciar a composição final da superfície dos objetos. O trabalho de ourivesaria realizado nos brincos revelou-se muito detalhado, mostrando que na antiguidade os ourives conseguiam produzir fios e grânulos com diâmetro inferior a 1 mm, assim como douramento. Os resultados foram significativos para o estudo de tecnologias da antiguidade, assim como para abordagens de conservação em ourivesaria Proto-histórica

Risk Management In Supply Chain Integration Using A Business Intelligence Optimization Approach

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Knowledge Management and Business IntelligenceThe goal of this proposal is to develop a theoretical model that will assist organizations in building and adapting their supply chains to a new, better, and more robust model, using technology and tools that were not available just a few years ago. The coronavirus pandemic has uncovered resilient weaknesses in countries and organizations, and we hope to use Data Analytics and Business Intelligence approaches to turn those weak spots into strengths and competitive advantage through this study. Having this in mind, this study aims to identify the association between supply chain risk management (SCRM) and business intelligence architectures. Thus, this study aims to fill the gap of information and studies in this area by providing relevant inputs that may be used on other studies in this field

CteG, a Chlamydia trachomatis protein involved in host cell lytic exit

The Phylum Chlamydiae comprises bacteria that only multiply inside eukaryotic host cells, within a membrane-bound vacuole. Among Chlamydiae, the Family Chlamydiaceae includes Chlamydia trachomatis, a major human pathogen causing ocular and genital infections. The characteristic infectious cycle of Chlamydiae involves chlamydial-mediated host cell invasion and egress. Throughout the cycle, Chlamydiae subvert host cell processes through effector proteins delivered into host cells by a type III secretion system. Previously, it was shown that the C. trachomatis CteG effector localizes at the Golgi and plasma membrane of infected cells. Moreover, the first 100 residues of CteG fused to EGFP (EGFP-CteG100) localize at the Golgi upon their ectopic expression in mammalian cells. In this work, we found that CteG mediates C. trachomatis host cell lytic exit. Cells infected by a CteG-deficient strain showed less chlamydiae in the culture supernatant and displayed lower levels of cytotoxicity comparing to cells infected by CteG-producing wild-type and complemented strains. We further showed that CteG and Pgp4, a global regulator of transcription encoded in the C. trachomatis virulence plasmid, act on the same pathway leading to chlamydial host cell lytic exit. We also found a predicted α-helix on the N-terminal region of CteG that is essential for the localization of ectopically expressed EGFP-CteG100 at the Golgi and plays a role in adequate targeting of CteG to the Golgi and plasma membrane in infected cells. Finally, we identified host cell proteins that may interact with CteG and provided insights into the evolutionary history of cteG by bioinformatics analysis of its homologs in Chlamydiaceae. In summary, this work revealed a role of CteG in C. trachomatis host cell exit, a crucial step of the chlamydial infectious cycle. Together with other findings, this expanded the knowledge on C. trachomatis-host cell interactions and opened avenues for future research.O Filo Chlamydiae abrange bactérias que se multiplicam exclusivamente em células de hospedeiros eucariontes, no interior de um vacúolo. Chlamydia trachomatis, da Família Chlamydiaceae, causa infeções genitais e oculares em humanos. O ciclo infecioso das Chlamydiae envolve processos de invasão e saída da célula hospedeira promovidos pela bactéria. Durante este ciclo, as Chlamydiae manipulam as células hospedeiras através de proteínas efetoras, transportadas para essas células hospedeiras por um sistema de secreção do tipo III. Previamente, observou-se que CteG, uma proteína efetora de C. trachomatis, se localiza no Golgi e na membrana plasmática de células infetadas. Adicionalmente, os primeiros 100 aminoácidos de CteG, fundidos a EGFP (EGFP-CteG100), localizam-se no Golgi após a sua expressão ectópica em células de mamífero. Neste trabalho, mostrou-se que CteG intervém na saída lítica de C. trachomatis da célula hospedeira. Verificou-se também que CteG e Pgp4, uma proteína codificada no plasmídeo de virulência de C. trachomatis, atuam na mesma via que resulta na saída lítica desta bactéria da célula hospedeira. Noutra parte do trabalho, descobriu-se que uma possível hélice-α na região N-terminal de CteG é essencial para a localização de EGFP-CteG100 no Golgi, após a sua expressão ectópica em células de mamífero. Também se mostrou que esta hélice-α é importante para um eficiente direcionamento de CteG para o Golgi e para a membrana plasmática de células infetadas. Finalmente, foram identificadas proteínas da célula hospedeira que podem interagir com CteG e foi investigada a história evolutiva de cteG através de uma análise bioinformática dos seus homólogos em Chlamydiaceae. Em resumo, este trabalho revelou uma função de CteG na saída lítica de C. trachomatis, um passo crucial no ciclo infecioso desta bactéria. Juntamente com outras descobertas, foi assim expandido o conhecimento sobre as interações entre C. trachomatis e a célula hospedeira e abriram-se várias novas linhas futuras de investigação

Improvement of IT infrastructure management by using configuration management and maturity models: a systematic literature review and a critical analysis

Background and purpose: This research aims to investigate which benefits one may expect using Maturity Models in Configuration Management (CM) domain. CM is a support process that helps organizations have better management of their infrastructure. Its importance, in the Information Technology (IT) domain, has increased in recent years, despite this process not being technologically new, and the fact that many organizations implement this process in a haphazard way, which results in it not producing the benefits that it should produce. With the intention of assessing and improving the organizations' IT processes practices and capabilities, MMs have been developed and implemented. However, the application of MM in the CM domain is yet to be explored. Design/Methodology/Approach: Two Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) and a Critical Analysis were performed. In sum, 80 scientific articles of the most rated conferences and scientific journals were analyzed and conclusions were drawn. Results: This research concludes that despite the CM process being badly implemented, using a MM this process could decrease operational costs and increase the quality management of the infrastructure. Conclusion: However, no MM has been developed so far for the CM process practices. This MM would be a viable support tool for the IT organizations providers since this would help organizations have a mature CM process and better control of their IT infrastructure. Therefore, the existence of a MM for the CM domain would be a welcome advancement that should be developed in the future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Comparative Analysis of Phytovolume Estimation Methods Based on UAV-Photogrammetry and Multispectral Imagery in a Mediterranean Forest

Management and control operations are crucial for preventing forest fires, especially in Mediterranean forest areas with dry climatic periods. One of them is prescribed fires, in which the biomass fuel present in the controlled plot area must be accurately estimated. The most used methods for estimating biomass are time-consuming and demand too much manpower. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carrying multispectral sensors can be used to carry out accurate indirect measurements of terrain and vegetation morphology and their radiometric characteristics. Based on the UAV-photogrammetric project products, four estimators of phytovolume were compared in a Mediterranean forest area, all obtained using the difference between a digital surface model (DSM) and a digital terrain model (DTM). The DSM was derived from a UAV-photogrammetric project based on the structure from a motion algorithm. Four different methods for obtaining a DTM were used based on an unclassified dense point cloud produced through a UAV-photogrammetric project (FFU), an unsupervised classified dense point cloud (FFC), a multispectral vegetation index (FMI), and a cloth simulation filter (FCS). Qualitative and quantitative comparisons determined the ability of the phytovolume estimators for vegetation detection and occupied volume. The results show that there are no significant differences in surface vegetation detection between all the pairwise possible comparisons of the four estimators at a 95% confidence level, but FMI presented the best kappa value (0.678) in an error matrix analysis with reference data obtained from photointerpretation and supervised classification. Concerning the accuracy of phytovolume estimation, only FFU and FFC presented differences higher than two standard deviations in a pairwise comparison, and FMI presented the best RMSE (12.3 m) when the estimators were compared to 768 observed data points grouped in four 500 m2 sample plots. The FMI was the best phytovolume estimator of the four compared for low vegetation height in a Mediterranean forest. The use of FMI based on UAV data provides accurate phytovolume estimations that can be applied on several environment management activities, including wildfire prevention. Multitemporal phytovolume estimations based on FMI could help to model the forest resources evolution in a very realistic way

Peer relations : the challenges of children with special needs

"Accepted 29 May 2014"Los niños con necesidades especiales, debido tanto a su mayor probabilidad de desarrollar una o varias alteraciones como a los obstáculos que pueden encontrar en su contexto, pueden ver comprometidas sus relaciones sociales. Esto puede tener consecuencias en el corto y en el largo plazo. Es por lo tanto esencial conocer los factores que pueden influir en el desarrollo de la competencia social de los niños con sus iguales. Solo entonces los profesionales podrán tener un rol activo en el incremento de la estimulación de dichas competencias. Esta revisión contempla las perspectivas de diferentes autores acerca del desarrollo social de los niños con sus iguales. Es en la convergencia de estas perspectivas en donde uno puede encontrar la complementariedad necesaria para comprender el dinamismo y las inter-relaciones características e inherentes a la competencia social.Children with special needs, due to the greater likelihood of developing a disorder in one or more areas of their development, and due to the obstacles they may find in the context, can have their social performance compromised, which can entail consequences in short and in long term. It is, therefore, essential to know the factors that may influence the development of their peer related social competence. Only then can the caregivers play an active role in order to increase the chances of stimulating these competencies. This review addresses the perspectives of different authors about the social development of children with their peers. It is at the convergence of each of these perspectives that one can find the complementarity needed to effectively understand the dynamism and the inter-relational characteristics inherent to social competence

Intervenção precoce em Portugal : evidências e consequências

Neste artigo, enquadraremos um Estudo de Investigação Nacional sobre a Avaliação das Práticas Centradas na Família nos Projectos de Intervenção Precoce em Portugal (continente e ilhas), bem como os seus principais resultados e respectivas recomendações

Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures in Adolescence: Case Report

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are a functional neurological disorder characterized by transient alterations in sensory-motor control and a lack of response to external stimulus, resembling epileptic seizures, but with distinctive semiologic features supported by no ictal activity on electroencephalogram. Since psychogenic non-epileptic seizures can mimic epileptic seizures, children and adolescents with this presentation are usually seen by neurologists. Early diagnosis and intervention with a multidisciplinary approach, including neurology and pedopsychiatry, are critical for limiting unnecessary medical investigations and needless antiepileptic drugs, ascertaining psychiatric comorbidities, and improving treatment adherence and prognosis. We report the case of a 12-year-old female with several admissions to a neuropediatric inpatient unit with a diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures to discuss neurologic and psychiatric assessments, delivery of diagnoses, and planning of outpatient management of this disorder in adolescents.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extensões cubicas ciclicas

Orientador : Antonio PaquesDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Computação CientificaMestradoMestre em Matemátic

Função paterna e imigração: o episódio Mucker à luz da psicanálise

O fenômeno Mucker está associado às rupturas dos laços simbólicos inerente a todo processo de imigração e colonização. Frente à ruptura com a terra natal, à decepção com a nova terra, às péssimas condições de vida da colônia, Jacobina funcionou como um Nome-do-Pai, no sentido de servir como um tipo de “ancouradouro” do Outro, possibilitando na organização comunitária a sustentação de um laço social que se encontrava maltratado, enfraquecido; recuperando algo da dignidade desses sujeitos, devolvendo-lhes certa condição de pertença. O desfecho sangrento do fenômeno mostra que quando o laço simbólico sofre rupturas, aparece a tendência das relações passarem a ser orientadas pela força e pelo domínio, propiciando a configuração de um confronto que não aceita nenhum tipo de pacto viável