Go to AGRIS search. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (2007/10). Níveis de sódio em dietas para cod... more Go to AGRIS search. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (2007/10). Níveis de sódio em dietas para codorna japonesa em pico de postura. ...
ABSTRACT This study presents an overview of options aiming to reduce emissions to air, soil and w... more ABSTRACT This study presents an overview of options aiming to reduce emissions to air, soil and water from an aluminium die casting plant located in Portugal. We identify eighteen pollution reduction options and then estimate their potential to reduce the pollution, and the costs associated with their implementation to the die casting plant. The different types of options considered include typical end-of-pipe solutions, as well as alternative techniques or modifications in process operations of the plant. Finally, we calculate the implementation costs for the company of each reduction option.We conclude that there are promising opportunities to reduce the pollution from aluminium pressure die casting. Our inventory includes options with net negative costs, indicating that the company may in fact gain from implementing these options. Even though our study specifically focuses on one particular plant, the results may be interesting for the aluminium pressure die casting sector industry in general.
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Jan 18, 2015
The human body makes many physiological adjustments throughout the day, including adjustments to ... more The human body makes many physiological adjustments throughout the day, including adjustments to body temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine oscillations in the skin temperature (Tsk-1-Tsk-25) at 25 body regions of interest (ROIs) over 1 day using infrared thermography. Tsk values of 31 male (age 22.9±3.0 years) Brazilian Air Force members were evaluated from five thermograms collected at 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23 h (Tsk7,11,15,19,23) by a Fluke imager. We applied one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures for the different times of the day and Tukey's post hoc test to determine significant Tsk differences between ROIs (α=0.05), and the cosinor analysis was used to determine the midline estimating statistic of rhythm, amplitude and acrophase of Tsk during the 24 h period. The anterior hands showed the greatest Tsk variations throughout the day. In the lower limbs, scapula, abdomen, chest and lower back, Tsk-11, Tsk-15, Tsk-19 and Tsk-23 were significantly dif...
BackgroundThe hepatitis C virus has been recognized as the leading cause of chronic liver disease... more BackgroundThe hepatitis C virus has been recognized as the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the world. Host genetic factors have been implicated in the persistence of hepatitis C virus infection. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -607 C/A (rs1946518) and -137 G/C (rs187238) in the IL-18 gene promoter have been suggested to be associated with delayed hepatitis C virus clearance and persistence of the disease.ObjectiveIdentify these polymorphisms in a population infected with hepatitis C virus from the Brazilian Amazon region.MethodsIn a cross-sectional analytical study conducted in Belém, Pará, Brazil, 304 patients infected with hepatitis C virus were divided into two groups: group A, patients with persistent infection; group B, patients with spontaneous clearance. The control group consisted of 376 volunteers not infected with hepatitis C virus. Samples were analyzed by RT-PCR for the detection of viral RNA and by RFLP-PCR to evaluate the presence of the -137 G/C and -607 C/A IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms.ResultsComparison of polymorphism allele frequencies between the patient and control groups showed a higher frequency of allele C at position -607 among patients (P=0.02). When the association between the polymorphisms and viral infection was analyzed, patients carrying genotype C/A at position -607 were found to be at higher risk of persistent hepatitis C virus infection (P=0.03).ConclusionThe present results suggest a possible role of the -607 IL-18 gene promoter polymorphism in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection.
The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, Jan 9, 2015
The effect of psychotic symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is variable among patients, and ... more The effect of psychotic symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is variable among patients, and different methods to assess psychosis may yield conflicting results. A sample of 102 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic PD underwent neurological, psychiatric, and neuropsychological assessment. Participants were divided into three groups: those who met DSM criteria for psychotic disorder, those who had psychotic symptoms but did not meet DSM criteria, and those without any psychotic symptoms. The first group had significantly worse sleep and worse cognitive and psychopathological symptoms compared with the other two groups. Results suggested that patients meeting DSM criteria for psychotic disorder comprise a separate clinical category.
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, Jan 6, 2015
We use Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and capacitance coupling (dC/dz) to study the electri... more We use Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and capacitance coupling (dC/dz) to study the electrical properties of graphene oxide (GO). We propose using the dC/dz signal to probe the high frequency dielectric constant of mono- and few-layer GO. Our measurements suggest that the dynamic dielectric constant of GO is on the order of εGO ≅ 3.0 ε0, in the high frequency limit, and independent of the number of GO layers. The measurements are performed at a humidity controlled environment (5% of humidity). The effects of increasing humidity on both the dC/dz and KPFM measurements are analyzed.
Fraught with cognitive, physical, and emotional consequences, stress is a phenomenon that may be ... more Fraught with cognitive, physical, and emotional consequences, stress is a phenomenon that may be generally understood as a form of exhaustion under specific conditions. The work environment can be an important stressor. Through a quantitative study, different aspects of stress and its consequences in the security guard profession are reviewed. The main factors of vulnerability to stress in Brazilian security guards employed by a private company were evaluated and correlating with sociodemographic parameters. Security guards were selected by non-probabilistic criteria (i.e., by convenience). Data were collected using a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, and the Scale of Vulnerability to Stress at Work (EVENT) employed to assess the stress levels to which the participants were exposed. Security guards generally showed a low vulnerability to stress. Correlations among variables were non significant (P > 0.05), the strongest correlation, that between the civil state (i....
This work reports, for the first time, the excellent performance of an aqueous alkaline solution ... more This work reports, for the first time, the excellent performance of an aqueous alkaline solution of cellulose as an adhesive for wet and dry cellulosic substrates. Uniaxial tensile tests of filter paper and sulfite writing paper strips bonded with this adhesive (5% cellulose and 7% NaOH aqueous solution) show that failure never occurs in the joints but always in the pristine substrate areas, except in butt joint samples prepared with sulfite paper. Tensile test also shows that paper impregnated with cellulose solution is stronger than the original substrate. X-ray microtomography and scanning electron microscopy reveal that dissolved cellulose fills the gaps between paper fibers, providing a morphological evidence for the mechanical interlocking adhesion mechanism, while scanning probe techniques provide a sharp view of different domains in the joints. Additionally, bonded paper is easily reconverted to pulp, which facilitates paper reprocessability, solving a well-known industrial ...
Corn is one of the plants which are very responsible for zinc application in the soil that result... more Corn is one of the plants which are very responsible for zinc application in the soil that results on the increasing of plant dry matter and grain yield. On the other hand, zinc avaiability and uptake are negatively influencied by pH values, basis saturation and phosphorus avaiability in the soil. In order to study the effect of liming and the
This article has as objective to present the model AGA-Sign, an animator of gestures applied to t... more This article has as objective to present the model AGA-Sign, an animator of gestures applied to the Sign Languages, developed for applications directed to the special education, in particular, to the education of deaf people. For the representation of signs is used the writing system of sign languages called SignWriting. In the examples shown in this work, the used signs
To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VE... more To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEP) in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis admitted at a reference hospital for infectious diseases. The patients were subjected to F-VEP tests shortly before lumbar puncture. The Pearsons linear correlation coefficient was calculated and the linear regression analysis was performed. Eighteen individuals were subjected to a total of 69 lumbar punctures preceded by F-VEP tests. At the first lumbar puncture performed in each patient, N2 latency exhibited a strong positive correlation with intracranial pressure (r = 0.83; CI = 0.60 - 0.94; p < 0.0001). The direction of this relationship was maintained in subsequent punctures. The intracranial pressure measured by spinal tap manometry showed strong positive association with the N2 latency F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
ABSTRACT Energy efficiency features are being integrated in network protocols and management syst... more ABSTRACT Energy efficiency features are being integrated in network protocols and management systems. Simulations can provide input on how a particular algorithm would perform in different network conditions. However, building an environment that is able to comprehensively account for interactions between different network functions is difficult. A combination of emulation and implementation of major energy efficiency features provides a view closer to what may happen in a real deployment. Previously, we described a policy-based network management system that optimizes network paths with respect to energy efficiency. In this paper, we evaluate the system using software routers for emulating network equipment functionality. We discuss extensions we developed and trade-offs of employing a state-of-the-art Linux distribution to emulate an energy efficient router. The article then presents results from the evaluation of the management system and argues about the benefits of the emulation environment.
In Portugal, casinos are taxed at a 50% rate, and the tax receipts are allocated to “Turismo de P... more In Portugal, casinos are taxed at a 50% rate, and the tax receipts are allocated to “Turismo de Portugal”, which can use it in several ways, including subsidizing tourism firms and advertising. A recent study showed that casino demand in Portugal is predominantly originated in the domestic market. Hence, there is a debate about if casinos should be taxed so
Proceedings of the 15th International Workshop on Software and Compilers for Embedded Systems - SCOPES '12, 2012
The identification of redundant computation is in general undecidable and prevents the obtainment... more The identification of redundant computation is in general undecidable and prevents the obtainment of an ideal case as reference to the measurement of the remaining unexploited potential for redundancy removal and to the evaluation of code optimization effectiveness. This paper presents a methodology for optimization effectiveness analysis by observing the complete dynamic stream of executed instructions and memory references in
The available hypotheses or explanations for the urbanization of American visceral leishmaniasis ... more The available hypotheses or explanations for the urbanization of American visceral leishmaniasis are insufficient. An alternative hypothesis is that changes in the ecology and biology of the vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis, might explain all the new urban epidemiological features of the disease. To tackle the knowledge gaps in this process, certain key research areas need to be prioritized: the role of dogs in expanding transmission in cities, community trials to evaluate new insecticides, and research on the ecological and molecular determinants of Leishmania chagasi transmission. Investment of public funds should focus on the development of a human vaccine, since such a vaccine now appears to be within reach. Even small effects from a vaccine could substantially reduce the impact of the disease, which in the last quarter century has challenged and defeated both the scientific community and the public health field around the world.
Go to AGRIS search. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (2007/10). Níveis de sódio em dietas para cod... more Go to AGRIS search. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (2007/10). Níveis de sódio em dietas para codorna japonesa em pico de postura. ...
ABSTRACT This study presents an overview of options aiming to reduce emissions to air, soil and w... more ABSTRACT This study presents an overview of options aiming to reduce emissions to air, soil and water from an aluminium die casting plant located in Portugal. We identify eighteen pollution reduction options and then estimate their potential to reduce the pollution, and the costs associated with their implementation to the die casting plant. The different types of options considered include typical end-of-pipe solutions, as well as alternative techniques or modifications in process operations of the plant. Finally, we calculate the implementation costs for the company of each reduction option.We conclude that there are promising opportunities to reduce the pollution from aluminium pressure die casting. Our inventory includes options with net negative costs, indicating that the company may in fact gain from implementing these options. Even though our study specifically focuses on one particular plant, the results may be interesting for the aluminium pressure die casting sector industry in general.
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Jan 18, 2015
The human body makes many physiological adjustments throughout the day, including adjustments to ... more The human body makes many physiological adjustments throughout the day, including adjustments to body temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine oscillations in the skin temperature (Tsk-1-Tsk-25) at 25 body regions of interest (ROIs) over 1 day using infrared thermography. Tsk values of 31 male (age 22.9±3.0 years) Brazilian Air Force members were evaluated from five thermograms collected at 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23 h (Tsk7,11,15,19,23) by a Fluke imager. We applied one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures for the different times of the day and Tukey's post hoc test to determine significant Tsk differences between ROIs (α=0.05), and the cosinor analysis was used to determine the midline estimating statistic of rhythm, amplitude and acrophase of Tsk during the 24 h period. The anterior hands showed the greatest Tsk variations throughout the day. In the lower limbs, scapula, abdomen, chest and lower back, Tsk-11, Tsk-15, Tsk-19 and Tsk-23 were significantly dif...
BackgroundThe hepatitis C virus has been recognized as the leading cause of chronic liver disease... more BackgroundThe hepatitis C virus has been recognized as the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the world. Host genetic factors have been implicated in the persistence of hepatitis C virus infection. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -607 C/A (rs1946518) and -137 G/C (rs187238) in the IL-18 gene promoter have been suggested to be associated with delayed hepatitis C virus clearance and persistence of the disease.ObjectiveIdentify these polymorphisms in a population infected with hepatitis C virus from the Brazilian Amazon region.MethodsIn a cross-sectional analytical study conducted in Belém, Pará, Brazil, 304 patients infected with hepatitis C virus were divided into two groups: group A, patients with persistent infection; group B, patients with spontaneous clearance. The control group consisted of 376 volunteers not infected with hepatitis C virus. Samples were analyzed by RT-PCR for the detection of viral RNA and by RFLP-PCR to evaluate the presence of the -137 G/C and -607 C/A IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms.ResultsComparison of polymorphism allele frequencies between the patient and control groups showed a higher frequency of allele C at position -607 among patients (P=0.02). When the association between the polymorphisms and viral infection was analyzed, patients carrying genotype C/A at position -607 were found to be at higher risk of persistent hepatitis C virus infection (P=0.03).ConclusionThe present results suggest a possible role of the -607 IL-18 gene promoter polymorphism in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection.
The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, Jan 9, 2015
The effect of psychotic symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is variable among patients, and ... more The effect of psychotic symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is variable among patients, and different methods to assess psychosis may yield conflicting results. A sample of 102 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic PD underwent neurological, psychiatric, and neuropsychological assessment. Participants were divided into three groups: those who met DSM criteria for psychotic disorder, those who had psychotic symptoms but did not meet DSM criteria, and those without any psychotic symptoms. The first group had significantly worse sleep and worse cognitive and psychopathological symptoms compared with the other two groups. Results suggested that patients meeting DSM criteria for psychotic disorder comprise a separate clinical category.
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, Jan 6, 2015
We use Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and capacitance coupling (dC/dz) to study the electri... more We use Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and capacitance coupling (dC/dz) to study the electrical properties of graphene oxide (GO). We propose using the dC/dz signal to probe the high frequency dielectric constant of mono- and few-layer GO. Our measurements suggest that the dynamic dielectric constant of GO is on the order of εGO ≅ 3.0 ε0, in the high frequency limit, and independent of the number of GO layers. The measurements are performed at a humidity controlled environment (5% of humidity). The effects of increasing humidity on both the dC/dz and KPFM measurements are analyzed.
Fraught with cognitive, physical, and emotional consequences, stress is a phenomenon that may be ... more Fraught with cognitive, physical, and emotional consequences, stress is a phenomenon that may be generally understood as a form of exhaustion under specific conditions. The work environment can be an important stressor. Through a quantitative study, different aspects of stress and its consequences in the security guard profession are reviewed. The main factors of vulnerability to stress in Brazilian security guards employed by a private company were evaluated and correlating with sociodemographic parameters. Security guards were selected by non-probabilistic criteria (i.e., by convenience). Data were collected using a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, and the Scale of Vulnerability to Stress at Work (EVENT) employed to assess the stress levels to which the participants were exposed. Security guards generally showed a low vulnerability to stress. Correlations among variables were non significant (P > 0.05), the strongest correlation, that between the civil state (i....
This work reports, for the first time, the excellent performance of an aqueous alkaline solution ... more This work reports, for the first time, the excellent performance of an aqueous alkaline solution of cellulose as an adhesive for wet and dry cellulosic substrates. Uniaxial tensile tests of filter paper and sulfite writing paper strips bonded with this adhesive (5% cellulose and 7% NaOH aqueous solution) show that failure never occurs in the joints but always in the pristine substrate areas, except in butt joint samples prepared with sulfite paper. Tensile test also shows that paper impregnated with cellulose solution is stronger than the original substrate. X-ray microtomography and scanning electron microscopy reveal that dissolved cellulose fills the gaps between paper fibers, providing a morphological evidence for the mechanical interlocking adhesion mechanism, while scanning probe techniques provide a sharp view of different domains in the joints. Additionally, bonded paper is easily reconverted to pulp, which facilitates paper reprocessability, solving a well-known industrial ...
Corn is one of the plants which are very responsible for zinc application in the soil that result... more Corn is one of the plants which are very responsible for zinc application in the soil that results on the increasing of plant dry matter and grain yield. On the other hand, zinc avaiability and uptake are negatively influencied by pH values, basis saturation and phosphorus avaiability in the soil. In order to study the effect of liming and the
This article has as objective to present the model AGA-Sign, an animator of gestures applied to t... more This article has as objective to present the model AGA-Sign, an animator of gestures applied to the Sign Languages, developed for applications directed to the special education, in particular, to the education of deaf people. For the representation of signs is used the writing system of sign languages called SignWriting. In the examples shown in this work, the used signs
To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VE... more To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEP) in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis admitted at a reference hospital for infectious diseases. The patients were subjected to F-VEP tests shortly before lumbar puncture. The Pearsons linear correlation coefficient was calculated and the linear regression analysis was performed. Eighteen individuals were subjected to a total of 69 lumbar punctures preceded by F-VEP tests. At the first lumbar puncture performed in each patient, N2 latency exhibited a strong positive correlation with intracranial pressure (r = 0.83; CI = 0.60 - 0.94; p < 0.0001). The direction of this relationship was maintained in subsequent punctures. The intracranial pressure measured by spinal tap manometry showed strong positive association with the N2 latency F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
ABSTRACT Energy efficiency features are being integrated in network protocols and management syst... more ABSTRACT Energy efficiency features are being integrated in network protocols and management systems. Simulations can provide input on how a particular algorithm would perform in different network conditions. However, building an environment that is able to comprehensively account for interactions between different network functions is difficult. A combination of emulation and implementation of major energy efficiency features provides a view closer to what may happen in a real deployment. Previously, we described a policy-based network management system that optimizes network paths with respect to energy efficiency. In this paper, we evaluate the system using software routers for emulating network equipment functionality. We discuss extensions we developed and trade-offs of employing a state-of-the-art Linux distribution to emulate an energy efficient router. The article then presents results from the evaluation of the management system and argues about the benefits of the emulation environment.
In Portugal, casinos are taxed at a 50% rate, and the tax receipts are allocated to “Turismo de P... more In Portugal, casinos are taxed at a 50% rate, and the tax receipts are allocated to “Turismo de Portugal”, which can use it in several ways, including subsidizing tourism firms and advertising. A recent study showed that casino demand in Portugal is predominantly originated in the domestic market. Hence, there is a debate about if casinos should be taxed so
Proceedings of the 15th International Workshop on Software and Compilers for Embedded Systems - SCOPES '12, 2012
The identification of redundant computation is in general undecidable and prevents the obtainment... more The identification of redundant computation is in general undecidable and prevents the obtainment of an ideal case as reference to the measurement of the remaining unexploited potential for redundancy removal and to the evaluation of code optimization effectiveness. This paper presents a methodology for optimization effectiveness analysis by observing the complete dynamic stream of executed instructions and memory references in
The available hypotheses or explanations for the urbanization of American visceral leishmaniasis ... more The available hypotheses or explanations for the urbanization of American visceral leishmaniasis are insufficient. An alternative hypothesis is that changes in the ecology and biology of the vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis, might explain all the new urban epidemiological features of the disease. To tackle the knowledge gaps in this process, certain key research areas need to be prioritized: the role of dogs in expanding transmission in cities, community trials to evaluate new insecticides, and research on the ecological and molecular determinants of Leishmania chagasi transmission. Investment of public funds should focus on the development of a human vaccine, since such a vaccine now appears to be within reach. Even small effects from a vaccine could substantially reduce the impact of the disease, which in the last quarter century has challenged and defeated both the scientific community and the public health field around the world.
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