An assessment of the data quality for live births and infant deaths for the 1998-birth cohort, city of São Paulo, using information from SINASC and SIM

In this article we use data from the 1998 birth-cohort from the City of São Paulo for live births and data on deaths from the same birth cohort that took place before the first year of life. Information on live birth came from the Information System of Live Births (SINASC) and on deaths came from the Information System on Mortality (SIM). Our aim was to evaluate two aspects of data quality, which are the percentage of missing information and consistency of the data based on empirical regularities observed in other populations or with the criterion of plausibility. Preference for digits, sex ratios at birth and at death and the Apgar score distribution were examples of quality indicators evaluated in this population. We concluded that information is much more frequently recorded for live births than for infant deaths (except for race/color of the infant) and that the internal consistency of the information can be considered satisfactory for the study population.SINASC; SIM; missing data; consistency checks; data quality; birth-cohort

Probabilistic record linkage and an automated procedure to minimize the undecided-matched pair problem

Probabilistic record linkage allows the assembling of information from different data sources. In this article, we present a procedure in case a one-to-one relationship between records in different files is expected but is not found only by applying the probabilistic record linkage methodology. Our data were births and infant deaths from the 1998-birth cohort whose mother's place of residence was the City of São Paulo at the time of birth. Our assumption was that pairs for which a one-to-one relationship was obtained, and a best-link was found with the highest combined weight would be considered as uniquevocally matched pairs or gold-standard and should then provide information in order to decide about pairs in which such a relationship could not be established. For example, we observed that the for the unequivocally matched pairs a clear and expected relationship between differences in dates of death and birth registration could be assessed. As a result, such a relationship was used to help solving the remaining pairs for which a one-to-one relationship could not be found. Indeed, we reduced the number of non-uniquely matched records and even though we could not establish a one-to-one relationship for every single death we reduced the number of uncertain. We suggest that future research using record linkage should use combined strategies from results from first record linkage runs before a full clerical review (the standard procedure under uncertainty) in order to most efficiently (and less costly), retrieve record matches.: probabilistic record linkage; best-link; birth-cohort; one-to-one match

The interpretation complying with EU law manifested in the case law unifying judgment No. 15/2013 of the Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice

This article aims to address the interpretation that has been made by Portuguese courts in relation to the concept of “communication of the work to the public” enshrined in Article 3 (1) of Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001, duly transposed into the Portuguese legal order by Law No. 50/2006 of 24 August, which culminated in the drafting of the case law unifying judgment No. 15/2013. By verifying its content and analysing the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (hereinafter CJEU), concerning the interpretation of that concept, we conclude that the said case law unifying judgment does not comply with EU law. Therefore, we will list, on the one hand, the inherent consequences regarding the upkeep of the interpretation that has been held by the Portuguese judicial authorities and, on the other, we will suggest solutions for the resolution of similar cases by appealing to the principle of conforming interpretation

Escoamento de superfície e vulnerabilidade às cheias no concelho da Ribeira Grande (São Miguel, Açores)

Dissertação de Mestrado, Geologia do Ambiente e Sociedade, 8 de Maio de 2015, Universidade dos Açores.[...]. A área de estudo desta dissertação é a bacia hidrográfica da Ribeira Grande que, desde o povoamento da ilha de São Miguel em meados do século XIV, foi palco de diversos eventos de cheia, conforme atestam os documentos históricos consultados, a informação contida na Base de Dados Documental de Perigos Naturais dos Açores (NATHA - Natural Hazards in Azores) (Marques, 2013) e a consulta da hemeroteca da Biblioteca e Arquivo Regional de Ponta Delgada. Com efeito, existem treze eventos de cheia que causaram perdas de vidas humanas e prejuízos à população ao longo da história do Concelho da Ribeira Grande. A análise de vulnerabilidade ao perigo de cheias foi efetuada tendo por base a distância das margens ao leito dos cursos de água, de acordo com o definido na legislação vigente, principalmente Lei n.º 54/2005 de 15 de novembro de 2005, e com recurso ao Software ArcGIS – versão 10.1 para a elaboração de mapas e identificação das zonas de perigo. Num total de 2149 casas localizadas nas freguesias de Matriz e Conceição, na Cidade da Ribeira Grande, identificaram- se 168 habitações em zonas vulneráveis, sendo que 23 das quais estão localizadas em zonas de perigo muito elevado, 89 em zonas perigo elevado e 56 em zonas de perigo moderado. [...].ABSTRACT: [...]. The study area is the hydrographic basin of Ribeira Grande which, since São Miguel Island's settlement in mid fourteenth century, has witnessed several flooding events, according to the consulted historical data, based on the information from the Natural Database in Azores (Marques, 2013), as well as the result of the consult of the records of the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive. As a matter of fact, thirteen flood events have caused the loss of human lives and severe damage on the properties of the Ribeira Grande Municipality. The analysis of flood vulnerability was carried out taking in consideration the distance to its banks according to Portuguese legislation (Law no. 54/2005, November 15th 2005) and ArcGIS – version 10.1 software, in order to plot data into maps and identify hazardous areas. Out of a total of 2149 houses belonging to the parishes of Matriz and Conceição, in Ribeira Grande City, 168 houses were found to be located in vulnerable areas – 23 in very high risk areas, 89 in high risk areas and 56 in moderate risk areas. [...]

Undergraduate Latinas\u27 self-definition of academic success

This master\u27s level thesis\u27s objective was to gain a better understanding of how a sample of 13 undergraduate Latinas who graduated high school and immediately enrolled into college define academic success. Through interviews, these undergraduate Latinas explain where these self-definitions came from, mentors that may have influenced these definitions, and if their ethnicity and gender has played any role in the way they perceive academic success. The study also considers findings from previous research regarding academic resilience factors associated with Latinas, such as: being involved in college ready initiatives, obtaining academic support from significant others, having mentors, receiving various messages about the importance of academic success for future success/careers, and socio-economic stability, as well as consideration of cultural capital, social capital, and additional forms of capital. Wanting participants to define their own experiences a phenomenological approach was used, which allows for deep description and rich data collection

Violência sexual no namoro: relevância da prevenção

Este artigo apresenta uma revisão da investigação sobre a violência sexual ocorrida no contexto das relações de namoro. Para esta revisão, foi efectuada uma pesquisa sistemática nas revistas publicadas entre 1985 e 2006 nas bases de dados PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO1887, Sociology: A SAGE Full-Text Collection, EBSCO-HOST: Research Databases e IBSS – International Bibliography of the Social Science, para além da análise de livros publicados no mesmo período sobre o tema. A partir desta revisão, são apresentados indicadores de prevalência da violência sexual e os principais factores de risco para a sua ocorrência e caracteriza- se a cultura de prevenção existente a este nível. Especificamente, procura-se identificar as diferentes acções preventivas desenroladas neste âmbito, assim como a sua eficácia. Para concluir, reflecte-se sobre algumas limitações dos programas preventivos existentes na área e algumas recomendações são avançadas para futuras acções preventivas a desenvolver junto dos jovens.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Empirical models for quantification of machining damage in composite materials

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia MecânicaThe tremendous growth which occurs at a global level of demand and use of composite materials brings with the need to develop new manufacturing tools and methodologies. One of the major uses of such materials, in particular plastics reinforced with carbon fibres, is their application in structural components for the aircraft industry with low weight and high stiffness. These components are produced in near-final form but the so-called secondary processes such as machining are often unavoidable. In this type of industry, drilling is the most frequent operation due to the need to obtain holes for riveting and fastening bolt assembly of structures. However, the problems arising from drilling, particularly the damage caused during the operation, may lead to rejection of components because it is an origin of lack of resistance. The delamination is the most important damage, as it causes a decrease of the mechanical properties of the components of an assembly and, irrefutably, a reduction of its reliability in use. It can also raise problems with regard to the tolerances of the assemblies. Moreover, the high speed machining is increasingly recognized to be a manufacturing technology that promotes productivity by reducing production times. However, the investigation whose focus is in high speed drilling is quite limited, and few studies on this subject have been found in the literature review. Thus, this thesis aims to investigate the effects of process variables in high speed drilling on the damage produced. The empirical models that relate the delamination damage, the thrust force and the torque with the process parameters were established using Response Surface Methodology. The process parameters considered as input factors were the spindle speed, the feed per tooth, the tool diameter and the workpiece thickness. A new method for fixing the workpiece was developed and tested. The results proved to be very promising since in the same cutting conditions and with this new methodology, it was observed a significant reduction of the delamination damage. Finally, it has been found that is possible to use high speed drilling, using conventional twist drills, to produce holes with good quality, minimizing the damage