Building-up new approach tendencies in individuals with high versus low fear of contamination

Tese de mestrado, Neurociências, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2019The daily life of patients with strong fear of contamination – as a sub-type of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – is impaired by enhanced automatic avoidance tendencies. Standard treatment includes Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy, which is very effortful and results in a high rate of drop-outs. The computerized Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) might constitute an add-on therapy tool by building-up new connections between contamination-related stimuli (S) and approach reactions (R), that are less dependent on cognitive control. To avoid confounding effects by frequent comorbidities, two groups of healthy participants were pre-selected: 20 subjects with high (HG) and 21 subjects with low fear of contamination (LG) trained to approach contamination-related pictures with a joystick for 5 days in-arow. Analyses were done by fitting a Power Law Curve and applying Mixed-Effects Models. In line with the hypothesis of building-up new S-R connections, the LG mainly speeded-up the beginning of their reactions. In contrast, the HG decreased reaction times mostly after having initiated the response, but showed generally faster initiation times in the beginning, also for the control condition avoid neutral. This hints to heightened cognitive control in the HG throughout the training. In the ratings, specifically the trained pictures became less unpleasant from pre to post training. In a task version, where participants did not directly pay attention to the stimuli, an increase of approach tendencies from pre to post training was observed for the negative images in general, specifically for the LG. Groups did not change their reactions to untrained images of weak and strong content, nor did they differ in a practical test. In the long-term, detailed information on optimal settings are indispensable to establish the AAT training as a powerful add-on therapy in OCD.O dia-a-dia dos pacientes com forte medo de contaminação – um subtipo da Perturbação Obsessivo-Compulsiva (POC) – é afetado por elevadas tendências automáticas de evitamento. O tratamento usual inclui a Terapia de Exposição e Prevenção de Resposta, quer requer muito esforço e tem uma alta taxa de desistências. A Tarefa de Aproximação-Evitamento (TAE) pode ser uma ferramenta de suplemento à terapia ao fortalecer as conexões entre estímulos (E) relacionados com contaminação e reações (R) de aproximação, que são menos dependentes de controlo cognitivo. Para prevenir o efeito de confundidores por comorbidades frequentes, dois grupos de estudantes saudáveis foram pré-selecionados: 20 sujeitos com elevados (GE) e 21 sujeitos com reduzidos (GR) traços de medo de contaminação treinaram a aproximar imagens com conteúdos de contaminação, usando um joystick durante cinco dias consecutivos. As análises foram feitas ao ajustar uma Power Law curve e aplicando Mixed-Effects Models. Em linha com as hipóteses de fortalecimento de novas conexões E-R, o GR tornou-se mais rápido no início das reações. Em contraste, o GE diminui os seus tempos de reação após ter iniciado a resposta, mas demonstrou movimentos de iniciação mais rápidos no início, também para a condição controlo evitamento do neutro. Isto sugere um controlo cognitivo mais elevado pelo GE durante o treino. Nas classificações, as imagens treinadas tornaram-se menos desagradáveis de antes a depois do treino. Na versão de avaliação da tarefa, onde os participantes não prestaram atenção ao conteúdo dos estímulos, observando-se um aumento geral das tendências de aproximação de antes a depois do treino para as imagens negativas, especificamente pelo GE. Ambos os grupos não mudaram as suas reações para imagens não-treinadas de conteúdo fraco e forte, nem diferiam num teste prático. A longo prazo, informações detalhadas das configurações ótimas são indispensáveis para usar os treinos da TAE como suplemento à terapia na POC

The thermomechanical behaviour of high alumina bricks

The modelling, design and optimisation of refractory masonry structures and refractory linings requires the understanding of its thermomechanical properties. The most used techniques for thermomechanical characterization of refractory ceramics is presented in this communication, as well the most important properties used for designing. This study is focused on the work lining of steel ladles, the masonry studied is composed by high alumina bricks with dry joints. The mechanical behaviour of alumina spinel bricks is been investigated by compressive strain-stress curves at different temperatures. The characterization of refractory masonry is required for calibration and validation of numerical models and for definitions of nonlinear homogenization techniques. The first step is the mechanical characterization of the bricks. Compressive tests are being performed at cylindrical samples extracted from the bricks to generate its compressive strain-stress curves at room temperature, 600ºC, 800ºC and 1.000ºC. The samples dimension is 50 mm in diameter by 130 mm in height. An electric split furnace will be used to heat the samples at the rate of 5ºC/min. The strains will be measured using a strain gage positioned at the opening of the furnace and the displacement given by the press will monitored. A 200 kN press with an electromechanical jack will be used to apply the compressive load. The results of the brick characterization tests are the compressive strain-stress curves of the material. It will be possible to identify the compressive strength of the material at room temperature (fc) and the compressive strength at a given temperature Θ (fc,Θ). The strain corresponding to fc (ec1) and the rupture strain (ecu) may also be determined for each temperature. The compressive strain-stress curves may be used for modelling, once they represent the damage plasticity of the material. This research will generate experimental results that will be used for calibration and validation of numerical models. Once the models are validated, they will be used to optimise the design of refractory masonry used at steel ladles

The characterization of joint behaviour in mortarless refractory masonry

The understanding of the compressive and tangential behaviour of mortarless joints is mandatory to optimize the design of refractory linings. The joints play an important role during the heating of the equipment, as they reduce the stresses generated due to thermal expansion. This study investigates the normal and tangential behaviour of joints in alumina spinel bricks. The mechanical characterization of the compressive strength of the material is performed at room and elevated temperature. During fabrication this brick, it is pressed, therefore, tests were performed in pressing and orthogonal-to-pressing direction. The thickness of joints is estimated based on a compressive test in two stacked bricks, the joint closure is an nonlinear and strongly heterogeneous and nonlinear phenomena. The determination of the friction angle and friction coefficient of the bricks were performed based on a slipping test.European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks in the frame of the project ATHOR - Advanced THermomechanical multiscale modelling of Refractory linings 764987 Gran

Creating shared value : the case of Nestlé

In the past years, a lot has been said about the role business develops in society. There are opposite views about the position that both business and society should take. In fact, it is a theme that is increasingly popular and there is an increasing discussion around it in the business academic arena. However, one thing is clear: companies have to address societal issues in a proactive way in order to satisfy the increasing demands of their stakeholders. They really have to do good or, at least, appear to. This is the reason why many companies have been pursuing Social Responsibility strategies in order to rebrand its image, trying to create a competitive advantage in an evolving market. The main idea of the present dissertation is to study why and how companies should engage in Social Responsibility strategies in order to create both economic and societal value. The problem statement relies on understanding how a strategic focus on social issues may create a sustainable, long-term view where both economic and social values are created. The present dissertation, written in the form of a case study, aims to present the successful case of Nestlé when developing and implementing its Creating Shared Value strategy. All the steps that Nestlé took since 2006 are analysed to explain why and how did Nestlé successfully change the image of the company while increasing the total pool of value created, which is divided in both economic and social value along its entire value chain

Numerical simulations on refractory lining for steel casting vessels

The manufacturing of several materials adopted in industry, civil construction and our daily life has processes performed at high temperatures, such as melting and heat treatments. Thus, these production processes require products that resist to high temperatures, maintaining their physical and chemical properties in service. Refractory ceramics, due to their properties, have been used for this purpose, having crucial importance in high temperature processes. Refractory linings (composed of refractory ceramics) are used in industrial vessels to produce steel, iron, cement, non-ferrous metals, glass, metallic alloys, in melting process, in petrochemical industry, in incinerators, in mineral processing, in power plants and many other applications. This paper presents the results of a large numerical simulations used to represent the thermomechanical behaviour of steel vessels. Different modelling techniques were used and the results detailed and discussed

Ensaio sobre o custo da repetência no Fundeb no estado do Maranhão

Este artigo procura desenvolver um ensaio sobre como calcular o custo da repetência tendo como exemplo o Estado do Maranhão. Foram utilizados os dados do Censo Escolar de 2012 e 2013 para tentar quantificar a repetência e os dados do Fundeb para ver o impacto financeiro da repetência. O custo da repetência indica estar próximo a algumas centenas de milhões de reais somente neste Estado, indicando que talvez seja necessário pensar como tratar estes dados na distribuição dos recursos

Application of the EcoBlock method to eco-design - electric hand dryers versus paper towels

Sustainable Construction, Materials and Practice, p. 426-432The EcoBlock method is an environmental performance tool that allows the comparison of products, projects or organizations. It is based on seven indicators: water extraction, resource extraction, land use, greenhouse gases (GHG), other air pollution, water pollution, and waste. A simplified life cycle analysis approach is adopted. The indicators may be aggregated into a single index, inspired in the Ecological Footprint concept. In this case study we compare the environmental performance of two hand-drying alternatives – paper towels or electric dryers. Both techniques present similar results. The pattern of use was found to be a variable of key importance in the comparison: lesser use of towels per drying would tip the balance in favour of the towels, more efficient dryers or lower impact energy sources would tip the balance in favour of the dryers. Electricity consumption proved to be the largest pressure generator in both alternatives

Numerical analysis on the behaviour of concrete masonry walls subjected to fire

This paper presents a numerical study on the structural behaviour of concrete masonry at elevated temperatures. Based on an experimental research previously performed on half-scale walls in fire situations, numerical models were developed and validated. The heat transfer models led to thermal fields with good agreement with the temperatures measured by thermocouples installed in the wall, a bigger scatter of temperatures was found in the experimental research. The mechanical analysis led to vertical and out-of-plane displacements in good agreement with the displacements measured by LVDTs. The numerical model was validated and will be used in future researches to perform parametric studies