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Localized Abdominal Idiopathic Lipodystrophy
Localized loss of subcutaneous tissue can occur after panniculitis, injections of corticosteroids and other drugs, or associated with infectious, autoimmune or neurologic diseases. The "idiopathic lipoatrophies" are a group of poorly characterized diseases, with focal disappearance of subcutaneous fat, and usually the thighs, abdomen or the ankles are affected. Three subtypes have been described based on clinical presentation: lipoatrophia semicircularis, annular lipoatrophy of the ankles and centrifugal lipodystrophy. We describe a 52-year-old female patient who developed a localized atrophy of the abdominal areas over a period of 3 months without any inflammatory signs over the evolution of the disease. The patient denied any previous local trauma or medication of any type. The atrophy stabilized, showing no progression over the last 6 years. The histopathological examination was normal except for the absence of subcutaneous fat, although the biopsy was taken down to the fascia. There was no clinical or serologic evidence of autoimmune diseases and laboratory testing for Borrelia burgdorferi infection was negative. Other causes of localized lipoatrophies were excluded and the final diagnosis was localized idiopathic lipodystrophy. Our patient is the second report on an abdominal lipodystrophy, with no previous inflammatory signs, absence of subcutaneous fat and no associated pathogenic factor. There is no established treatment for idiopathic lipodystrophy, and the lesions do not tend to resolve spontaneously
Institutional conditions for effective and legitimate industrial policies: the case of Portugal
State intervention in support of specific productive activities aiming to foster structural change (i.e., industrial policy) has been a controversial topic in both academic and political debates. In spite of many years of theoretical and empirical research, such debate has not reached definite conclusions. Recently, the debate on industrial policy has been experiencing a change of focus, falling away from the rationale of such public interventions to focus on the institutional conditions that promote the success of the policies pursued.
In this paper we analyse the conditions for effective and legitimate industrial policies, examining four cases of such type of interventions in Portugal. Our analysis emphasises the differences between the various interventions according to two dimensions: the number of (potential) beneficiaries targeted by the policy and the diversity of public agencies in possession of relevant skills for its implementation. These factors help to determine the level of scrutiny to which public policies are subjected, either by private actors or within the State apparatus. Both sources of scrutiny help to minimise the risks of capture of public resources by private interests, and to foster institutional learning processes that promote the effectiveness of policies.FCT
Possibilidades e aplicações de ensaios não destrutivos
Comunicação apresentada no Encontro sobre a Madeira e suas Aplicações Nobres : "Bem utilizar a madeira", Lisboa, Portugal, 22 Novembro 2005
Sistemas em madeira e derivados na reabilitação urbana em situações pós-catástrofe
Os centros históricos são elementos importantes e fundamentais de muitas cidades.
Representam a sua história e evolução, sendo por isso parte essencial do Património Cultural.
São contudo elementos extremamente vulneráveis, sendo vários os exemplos ao longo da
história de situações imprevistas como terramotos, tsunamis, cheias, vulcões, incêndios, etc.,
que provocaram danos significativos nos edifícios e monumentos de cidades históricas
importantes. Após um desastre destes, a situação é previsivelmente crítica e torna-se urgente
proteger os monumentos e demais edifícios históricos. Deverá evitar-se a propagação e
avanço dos danos, prevenindo colapsos locais e falhas globais. Neste cenário, torna-se crucial
a utilização de sistemas de construção rápidos baseados em elementos leves e pequenos.
Estes elementos devem permitir uma instalação fácil e rápida, bem como proporcionar a
resistência suficiente para prevenir o aumento das perdas. Por outro lado, é fundamental que
estes sistemas tenham em linha de conta a manutenção da traça arquitectónica, através de
soluções que preservem as características estéticas e materiais dos edifícios. Este artigo
apresenta uma primeira abordagem ao uso de sistemas à base de madeira e derivados em
situações pós-catástrof
Guidelines to improve sustainability and cultural integration of temporary housing units
Unfortunately, natural disasters
have
drastically
increased
over
the
last
decades
causing
extensive
material
and
non-material
damages.
The
destruction
of
houses
and
the
number
of
homeless
people
are
some
of
the
most
visible
effects
of
post-disaster
scenarios.
Housing
is
one
of
the
people’s
most
important
needs
and
it
is
also
essential
for
their
well-being.
After
a
disaster
it
is
crucial
to
supply
temporary
accommodation
in
order
to
provide
victims
with
comfort,
protection,
and
privacy
until
they
have
a
permanent
house.
Temporary
housing
is
an
extremely
important
solution
of
temporary
accommodation
allowing
victims
to
gradually
return
to
their
normal
life
activities
during
the
reconstruction
process.
Although
it
has
been
widely
used
after
the
most
large-scale
disasters,
the
urgent
need
of
fast
solutions
has
not
led
to
effective
options.
Therefore,
temporary
housing
solutions
have
been
greatly
criticized
mainly
for
being
unsustainable,
and
also
culturally
and
locally
inadequate. Through
literature
review
and
case-studies’
analysis
the
research
points
out
the
main
factors
and
reasons
that
cause
the
problems
of
temporary
housing
units.
It
also
refers
to
possible
solutions
to
overcome
or
minimize
those
problems,
offering
guidelines
based
on
concepts
that
have
been
proved
effective
in
previous
studies.
The
guidelines
focus
on
useful
concepts
in
the
development
of
more
sustainable,
locally
sensitive
and
culturally
integrated
solutions.
It
was
found
that
an
essential
change
is
needed
in
the
development
of
temporary
housing
solutions.
These
solutions
should
be
developed
through
a
people-oriented
strategy
rather
than
focusing
on
the
technical
aspects
of
the
units.
The
suggested
guidelines
have
that
objective
Temporary housing after disasters: a state of the art survey
The number of natural disasters has drastically increased, causing great damages on buildings. A large number
of houses have suffered damage and become unusable, causing a high number of homeless people. Housing
reconstruction programmes play a decisive role on the disaster recovery and providing temporary housing is a
crucial step of these programmes. During the reconstruction of permanent housing, it allows victims to have a
private and secure place to return to their normal lives. This has been widely used after the largest scale
disasters but it has also been greatly criticised, mainly for being unsustainable and culturally inadequate. The
study aims to present a state-of-the-art survey on the topic, as well as to identify the main problems, their origin
and the existing proposals to avoid them. The research also proposes some guidelines that can reduce the
effects of those problems
Capacity of a traditional timber mortise and tenon joint
The safety and quality of traditional timber structures mostly depends on the conditions of
their connections. A testing campaign has investigated the behaviour of mortise and tenon timber joint. The
present paper addresses the quantification of the strength capacity of wood-wood mortise and tenon joint by
physical testing of full-scale specimens. In addition, the performance of different non-destructive techniques
(NDT) for assessing global strength is also evaluated. For this three non-destructive methods (ultrasonic testing,
Resistograph and Pilodyn) are considered and the possibility of their application is discussed based on the
application of simple linear regression models. New (NCW) and old (OCW) chestnut wood, obtained from
structural elements belonging to old buildings, is used. Finally, a nonlinear model has been formulated and the
predicted behaviour compared with the behaviour observed in the full-scale experiments, in terms of failure
mode and the ultimate load. The study has shown very good agreement with the experimental values.(undefined
Compressive behavior and NDT correlations for chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.)
The goal of the present work consists in the characterization of the mechanical behavior of
chestnut wood under compression perpendicular to the grain. After a review of the problems usually involved
in characterizing timber under this type of loading, a mechanical test was set-up. The timber specimens used
in the testing program were divided in two groups: (a) new chestnut wood (NCW), which has never been used
structurally even so it comes from logs that could be used as such; and (b) old chestnut wood (OCW), which
were already used in structural elements from ancient constructions (date and precise origin unknown). The
mechanical behavior of the specimens is discussed taking into account the orientation of the annual growth
rings along the direction of the load. Correlations between mechanical properties and NDT (ultrasonic pulse
velocity and drilling resistance) are also provided, taking into account the density of the wood.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) -SFRH/BD/6411/2001.
Augusto de Oliveira Ferreira e Companhia Lda
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