Search

The continuous advances in mass spectrometry techniques have pushed forward the frontiers of all branches of the isotope biogeochemistry field. In environmental studies, different isotope ratios as determined in different reservoirs offer the opportunity, for example, to identify pollution sources and to trace metal fluxes within the trophic web and in dietary studies. Despite its relevance, trace metal isotope biogeochemistry is infrequently taught in undergraduate courses because it demands a rather high level of complexity of teaching strategies and abstraction capacity from students. Additionally, available didactic material for introducing mixing source modeling with stable isotopes relevant to biogeochemistry is scarce. In this context, the present study applies a visually appealing didactic strategy based on the analogy between colors (analog domain) and isotopic compositions (target domain), in order to encourage and assist the teaching–learning processes of this new subject in environmental science and chemistry classes. We demonstrate how familiar and simple concepts can be applied for introducing challenging subjects. In a setting that restricts in-person academic activities such as during a pandemic, the development of appealing visual approaches is imperative to engage students during online classes. The didactic strategy proposed herein was put to the test during remotely taught classes on the topic of “Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology” (winter 2021, 18 students) and “Environmental Contamination” (summer 2020, 18 students, and winter 2021, 20 students) of the Postgraduate Program in Geochemistry at the Fluminense Federal University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Students’ feedback was very positive; they found our approach stimulating, and it helped them to better visualize, understand, and interpret the targeted learning outcomes.

The current study aimed to describe sleep habits and analyze the associations between sleep indices, changes in perceived fatigue (Δ Fatigue) and external training load measures in women soccer players during a 7-day training camp. Sixteen elite women soccer players (age: 25.4 ± 3.6 years; mean ± SD) from the Portuguese Women's National Team participated in the study. Sleep indices (sleep duration and efficiency) were measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer. External training loads measures were measured using GPS devices. Players also reported perceived fatigue using a Likert scale (1 - very, very low to 7 - very, very high) before and immediately after sleep. Players' within-subject coefficient of variation for sleep duration was 5.6%, and 4.6% for sleep efficiency. Individually, 8 players (50%) slept less than 7 h per night throughout the training camp, and the same number of athletes had a sleep efficiency lower than 85%. Similar values (

Introdução:O distanciamento/confinamento social, associado à pandemia, implicou uma mudança abrupta nas experiências das relações sociais. Vários estudos indicam que ter melhores relações sociais estruturais ou funcionais implica ter uma saúde mental melhorada. O modelo de Wang e colaboradores (2017) foi uma das principais referências utilizadas, considerando-se das cinco dimensões conceptuais de caracterização do isolamento social na área da saúde mental, as dimensões relativas às atribuições emocionais às relações e aos recursos da rede social. Objetivo: O estudo teve como caracterizar as experiências relacionais sociais, associadas à situação pandémica do Covid-19, em adultos residentes na Região Autónoma da Madeira - Portugal. Método: Em termos metodológicos caracteriza-se como um estudo qualitativo, exploratório e descritivo, com base na metodologia Focus group, desenvolvido a partir de uma amostra de conveniência, constituída por 16 participantes, distribuídos por 2 grupos de 8 elementos, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, licenciados (grupo 1) e não licenciados (grupo 2). As questões colocadas incidiram na forma como os participantes vivenciaram a experiência relacional social, entre abril e julho de 2020 relacionadas com a situação da pandemia do Covid 19. O conteúdo das discussões foi analisado através do software QSRnVIVO, tendo-se identificado 13 categorias de conteúdo: Experiência social; Apoios sociais; Diferenças na perceção de risco; Experiências negativas; Diminuição das interações em meio digital; Solidão; Experiências positivas; Reforço das interações sociais por via digital; Solidariedade; Impacto negativo dos media no bem-estar, Impacto positivo dos media; Impossibilidade de contacto físico e limitação à liberdade de convívio social. Os resultados indicam, que a experiência relacional social foi mais salientada pelos participantes do sexo masculino, pelos mais jovens, pelos pertencentes a agregados familiares com mais de 3 pessoas e pelos estudantes e trabalhadores por conta de outrem. Os participantes salientaram tanto atribuições positivas como negativas à sua experiência social durante a pandemia, destacando-se pela positiva o reforço das ligações com os membros da sua rede social através dos meios de comunicação à distância, e pela negativa as restrições à liberdade de contatos, (quer em termos de contacto físico quer de partilha de atividades) que constituem fatores de stress muito significativos. Como conclusões, salienta-se que para lidar com o distancimento, evitar o isolamento social e regular as emoções negativas associadas a experiências sociais exigentes como a pandemia é essencial readaptar as estratégias de coping que eram habitualmente utilizadas. As experiências relacionais sociais positivas, são estratégias de coping determinantes em situações de stress prolongado, o que deverá ser tido em conta na intervenção em saúde mental.

Visual coherence between virtual and real objects is a major issue in creating convincing augmented reality (AR) applications. To achieve this seamless integration, actual light conditions must be determined in real time to ensure that virtual objects are correctly illuminated and cast consistent shadows. In this paper, we propose a novel method to estimate daylight illumination and use this information in outdoor AR applications to render virtual objects with coherent shadows. The illumination parameters are acquired in real time from context-aware live sensor data. The method works under unprepared natural conditions. We also present a novel and rapid implementation of a state-of-the-art skylight model, from which the illumination parameters are derived. The Sun's position is calculated based on the user location and time of day, with the relative rotational differences estimated from a gyroscope, compass and accelerometer. The results illustrated that our method can generate visually credible AR scenes with consistent shadows rendered from recovered illumination., This work was supported in part by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia - FCT, under the grant number SFRH/BD/73129/2010, and the European Union (COMPETE, QREN and FEDER), under the project REC I/EEI-SII/0360/2012 "MASSIVE-Multimodal Acknowledgeable MultiSenSorial Immersive Virtual Environments". This work is also supported by the project "TEC4Growth - Pervasive Intelligence, Enhancers and Proofs of Concept with Industrial Impact/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000020" is financed by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The glass bead assemblages recovered during the 2014 excavations of the ruins of Kulumbimbi located in Mbanza Kongo (Angola) were analyzed by means of a multi-analytical minimally invasive methodology, which includes handheld X-ray fluorescence (hXRF), variable pressure scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (VP-SEM-EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Chemical data indicate that cobalt, copper, iron and manganese ions were used to produce the blue, green, reddish-brown and black hues, respectively. Lead arsenates, calcium phosphate, calcium antimonate, lead stannate, cassiterite and Pb-Sb-Sn oxide were used as opacifying agents. Chondrite-normalized trace element distribution and chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns were used to determine the sand source used in the production of the different glass bead types. These distributions were also used to identify the manufacture location of the glass beads with previously unknown origin and production date. Based on the data collected, the glass beads from types 16, 20, 22, 24, 25, 46 and 47 have been assigned as Venetian.

A collection of glass beads found in Lumbu (Mbanza Kongo, Angola) were analyzed by means of a multi-analytical minimally invasive methodology, which included handheld X-ray fluorescence (hXRF), variable pressure scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (VP-SEM-EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Trace element analysis, and rare earth element pattern analysis in particular, was found to be essential to establish the provenance of the European trade beads in this study. The glass beads from types 30, 31, 32, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 45 were found to have been produced in Venice, and the glass beads from types 26 and 28 have been assigned to the Bohemian glass industry. While determining the provenance of each glass artefact was a major goal of this study, the process of glass coloring and opacification was also studied in an attempt to establish the technology employed in the production of these artefacts. Chemical data indicate that cobalt and copper were used to produce blue hues, while a combination of copper and iron ions was used to produce green glass. Black colored glass was obtained by the combined use of iron and manganese ions, whereas the iron-sulfur chromophore was used to impart a distinct amber hue to the glass. Red was produced using trace amounts of metallic gold particles (ruby red glass) and metallic copper nano-particles or cuprous oxide (brownish-red glass). Lead arsenates, calcium phosphate, and cassiterite were used as opacifying agents. The use of both morphological and chemical analysis enabled the identification of distinct European production centers, allowing a glimpse into the consumption patterns and economic interactions in place between Europe and West-Central Africa throughout the 17th-19th centuries.

The Fluvial Ecology Laboratory at the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (LEF-CITAB) uses the River Habitat Survey (RHS) methodology a Water Framework Directive accepted method for assessing the character and habitat quality of rivers, which involves the use of a paper questionnaire, GPS and photographic camera for the collection of data in the field, which can be very cumbersome. In order to make this a more efficient and rapid process LEF-CITAB suggested the creation of a mobile application to record field data. This paper outlines the development of the proposed mobile application – Mobile RHS.

In recent years, the demand from online customers has become a major problem, the variety of choice and the need for them to feel special triggered the desire to customize the products they want to buy. This high customer demand for customized products has been one of the biggest obstacles that companies have encountered. To achieve an adequate response to customer demands, companies need to adopt tools that offer to customers exactly what they want, in other words, allow customers to customize the products they want to buy. This research aims to perceive if using CMS platforms and low-cost software might be a proper solution for enterprises who intend to not only sell their products online, but also want their customers to be able to perform live product customization during their purchase.

In the last three decades with the Information Technologies advent and the growth of the concept of Virtual Environments, a set of new ways to perform tasks have emerged, in the most diversified areas of society. The main focus of this work was to verify if it was possible to increase the sense of presence through multi-sensory stimulation, creating a virtual environment of simulation that causes stress in exposure therapy, in this case in people who have a fear of heights. The evaluation of the sense of presence was made using the Portuguese version of a previously validated IPQ (Igroup Presence Questionnaire) and also through direct observation of the movements caused by oculomotor reflexes. Although the achievement results that were not very significant between the two tested groups, the multisensory simulation environment obtained better results in terms of involvement in relation to space and realism, which increased concentration in the experience. The obtained results seem to indicate that the alone addition of further stimuli does not lead to an increased feeling of presence, therefore existing the need to understand which are the critical stimuli for each assessment situation.

In some business areas there is the need to use representations of places or buildings in order to provide visual informations. These representations are, mainly, reconstructions of scaled real models or virtual representations produced in a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tool. Recently, procedural modeling has been applied to generate buildings and cities in a short time and with a minimum user intervention. This methodology reveals to be a promising solution for a cost–effective alternative in models construction. One of the areas that can benefit from this kind of approach is archeology, for example to test archeological hypothesis. However, the existing solutions are not flexible enough to provide high detailed models containing building interiors and exteriors. This paper aims to present the global architecture and specification of an information system that supports the procedural modeling process, producing enhanced virtual representations of ancient places, including building facades and interiors, using the information available.

An analytic procedure based on high-performance liquid chromatography with solid-phase extraction and UV detection (SPE–HPLC–UV) was validated and used to analyse 144 apple-based-foods, including 68 apple juices (32 clear and 36 cloudy) and 76 homogenised apple purees marketed in Portugal. Patulin was detected in 33 samples (23%) with values ranging from 1.2 μg/kg to 42 μg/kg. Patulin was not detected in the analysed infant drinks but its presence was quantified in five homogenised apple puree (7%) labelled as being intended for infants and young children consumption. A higher incidence of positive samples was detected in cloudy juices (67%) when compared with clear ones (13%). When the production mode is considered, the incidence of positive samples was 20% and 24% for products of organic and conventional origin, respectively. This is the first study on the occurrence of patulin in apple-based-foods in Portugal, including baby food.

As complicações neurológicas em crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana - 1 (VIH-1) são frequentes, constituindo uma causa de morbilidade e mortalidade elevada.Além da encefalopatia pelo VIH-1, resultante da infecção do sistema nervoso central (SNC) pelo próprio vírus, a imunossupressão grave presente nos estádios mais avançados da doença torna o SNC susceptível a diversas infecções secundárias e a neoplasias.Os autores apresentam o caso de uma criança de 7 anos de idade, em tratamento de tuberculose pulmonar há dois meses, em que o aparecimento de convulsões focais levou à realização de uma TC cerebral que demonstrou a presença de lesões focais descritas como consistentes com tuberculomas cerebrais. No seu estudo posterior verificou-se estar infectada pelo VIH-1, apresentando um défice grave da imunidade celular, não tendo sido possível estabelecer a forma de transmissão do VIH-1 nesta criança.Os tuberculomas cerebrais são actualmente raros nos países desenvolvidos. No entanto, o seu diagnóstico deve ser considerado em doentes com SIDA e lesões focais do SNC, em que a apresentação e progressão da infecção por Mycobacterium tuberculosis é muitas vezes atípica, com uma elevada incidência de manifestações extra-pulmonares., Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 33 n.º 1 (2002)

Os ecrãs-públicos digitais têm cada vez mais uma forte presença no nosso dia a dia, contudopoucos são os que permitem uma manipulação direta por parte do utilizador. Atualmente, a suafunção é maioritariamente publicitar determinado serviço ou produto, e a maior parte das vezesaté passam despercebidos aos transeuntes. É importante reconhecer o valor de quem intarage como ecrã e permitir um desenvolvimento mais fácil de aplicações ricas, que propiciem uma interaçãoeficaz por parte de um ou mais utilizadores. The presence of digital public-displays in urban landscapes has increased, however only few ofthem allow a direct-manipulation to passersby. Nowadays, the main feature is advertise a serviceor a product and often, people ignore them. It is importante to be centered in final user and allowan easier developement of applications that provide an efficient interaction for one or more users.

Wind power generation increases very rapidly in the past few years. The available wind energy is random due to the intermittency and variability of the wind speed. This poses difficulty in the energy dispatched and cause costs, as the wind energy is not accurately scheduled in advance. This paper presents a short-term wind speed forecasting that uses a Kalman filter approach to predict the power production of wind farms. The prediction uses wind speed values measured over a year in a site, on the case study of Portugal. A method to group wind speeds by their similarity in clusters is developed together with a Kalman filter model that uses each cluster as an input to perform the wind power forecasting.

Pleural effusions can complicate pneumonias in children and adolescents and are usually associated with a long hospital stay and increased morbidity.To characterise a population of patients with parapneumonic pleural effusion and to establish possible prognostic factors on admission based on clinical, imaging and analytical data. To correlate treatment options with the outcome.Case review of patients under 18 years old with parapneumonic pleural effusion, admitted between July 1997 - June 2004 (7 years).118 patients were included, 60% male, with mean age 7 years. The incidence of pleural effusion increased throughout the period of the study. The admissions occurred predominantly in autumn and winter. On admission 60% of patients had respiratory distress and 39% chest pain. In 40% loculations were found on admission and were associated with longer hospital stay, longer course of antibiotic therapy and more frequent need for surgery. Thoracentesis was performed in 72% of patients (mean pH pleural fluid 7.24). The aetiologic agent was identified in 17% of cases: Streptococcus pneumoniae (five), Staphylococcus aureus (four) and Streptococcus pyogenes (four). In our study, 52% of patients underwent pleural drainage and 18% surgery. Median length of hospital stay was 15 days with mean 16.4 days (2 - 51).Factors associated with worse prognosis were respiratory distress, loculations, empyema, low pH in pleural fluid, glucose or proteins in pleural fluid, high lactic dehydrogenase level in pleural fluid and high serum C-reactive protein. Pleural drainage and/or surgery can shorten hospital stay and improve outcome.Complicated parapneumonic pleural effusions are managed successfully in centres with experience in the different types of procedure that might be necessary.

Programa de Doutoramento em Saúde Mental

O presente estudo acerca dos maus-tratos e qualidade de vida no idoso tem como objectivos avaliar a influência do risco do abuso ou negligência na qualidade de vida dos idosos; avaliar o risco de abuso e/ou negligência e avaliar a qualidade de vida dos idosos no contexto comunitário. Optou-se pela investigação quantitativa do tipo descritiva-exploratória, de natureza transversal, a 48 indivíduos de ambos os géneros com 65 e mais anos, inscritos nos três Centros Sociais Municipais de Santana. O critério de exclusão de maior relevo foi a incapacidade cognitiva para responder oralmente às questões, para essa avaliação aplicou-se o Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). A amostra foi do tipo não-probabilístico por conveniência à qual foram aplicados os seguintes instrumentos: o questionário sócio-demográfico; a versão portuguesa do WHOQOL-Bref (avalia a qualidade de vida); o H-S/EAST (identifica o risco de violência contra o idoso) e as perguntas de eliciação de abuso ou negligência a adultos idosos (determina as condições de vida dos adultos idosos). A maioria dos inquiridos são do género feminino (79,2%) e a idade média é de 73,86 anos com um desvio padrão de 5,9. A maioria são casados (homens: 70%; mulheres: 31,6%) ou viúvos (homens: 20%; mulheres: 52,6%). Relativamente à qualidade de vida, obteve-se a média mais elevada nas subescalas das relações sociais, psicológico, meio ambiente, geral e físico. Os valores dos resultados da avaliação do risco de abuso (H-S/EAST) indicaram alta prevalência de situações de risco potencial, risco de abuso directo e vulnerabilidade ao abuso. Quanto à eliciação do abuso ou negligência a adultos idosos obtiveram-se resultados que determinam que a maioria da amostra possui um ou mais indicadores de abuso (entre 0 a 6) sendo as formas mais frequentes o abuso emocional e a negligência, seguindo-se o abuso financeiro e o abuso físico. Concluiu-se que quanto maior o risco de maus-tratos menor a qualidade de vida do idoso. Universidade da Madeira - Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia da Madeira

Da reflexão sobre maus tratos na pessoa idosa, propôs-se estudar as características psicométricas do Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test, validada nos EUA por Neale, Hwalek, Sengstock, Scott e Stahl (1990); analisar a influência da capacidade funcional da pessoa idosa na percepção dos maus tratos, através do Índice de Barthel; como também, analisar a influência da discriminação social da pessoa idosa na percepção dos maus tratos, através do Ageism Survey. Optou-se por uma investigação quantitativa do tipo transversal, exploratória e descritiva. Amostra foi do tipo probabilística, estratificada por concelho e aleatória por freguesias, constituída por 342 pessoas com idade igual ou superior a 65 anos; conscientes e orientadas no tempo e no espaço, sem défice cognitivo, inscritas nos centros de saúde da RAM e não institucionalizadas. A média de idade é de 74.59 anos e 69.9% pertencem ao género feminino. Todas as correlações obtidas através do coeficiente de correlação r de Pearson são estatisticamente significativas e positivas nas várias dimensões das escalas dos maus tratos (H-S/EAST e QEEA). Pode afirmar-se que os idosos com maior risco de abuso apresentam também indicadores de abuso físico, emocional, negligência e abuso financeiro. No que diz respeito à capacidade funcional, observam se correlações significativas e negativas com as situações potenciais de abuso e com os indicadores de abuso físico e emocional, ou seja, esta variável tende a evoluir em sentido oposto das restantes. Assim, os idosos mais dependentes percepcionam níveis mais elevados de situações potenciais de abuso e de indicadores de abuso físico e emocional. Pode concluir-se ainda, que relativamente à discriminação social as correlações mais elevadas verificam-se quando os idosos percepcionam maior risco de abuso directo, de situações potenciais de abuso e de indicadores de abuso emocional. Contudo, verifica-se que são propensos a evidenciar mais experiências de discriminação social relacionadas com a idade avançada, os idosos com maior percepção de indicadores de abuso físico, financeiro e negligência. Com estes resultados pretende-se contribuir para uma melhor compreensão do fenómeno, e intervir de forma eficiente junto da pessoa idosa na prevenção, intervenção e, se necessário, encaminhar para profissionais especializados na área. In order to evaluate ill-treatments on the elderly, the psychometric characteristics by Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test, validated in the USA by Neale, Hwalek, Sengstock, Scott and Stahl (1990) were proposed to be studied; the influence of the functional capacity of the elderly and their perception of ill treatments through Barthel`s index was analysed, as well as the influence of social discrimination on the elderly and their perception of ill-treatments through the Ageism Survey. A quantitative investigation of transversal type, exploratory and descriptive was chosen. The sample was of a probabilistic type, stratified by councils and aleatory by towns, was composed by 342 people of 65 years of age and over; conscious and oriented in time and space, with no cognitive deficit, enrolled in local health centers of the Autonomous Region of Madeira and who were not institutionalised. The age range is of 74.59 years of which 69.9% are females. All correlations obtained through the correlative coefficient r by Pearson are statistically significant and positive in the various dimensions of scales of ill-treatments (H-S/EAST and QEEA). It can be affirmed that the elderly with a higher risk of abuse also present indicators of physical, emotional, negligence and financial abuse. Concerning the functional capacity, significant and negative correlations were observed with the potential situations of abuse and with the indicators of both physical and emotional abuse, that is, this variable tends to evolve in the opposite from the rest. Thus, the elderly who are more dependent perceive higher levels of situations which are potentially of abuse and of indicators of both physical and emotional abuse. It can be concluded that in relation to social discrimination the higher correlations can be verified when the elderly perceive a higher risk of direct abuse, of potential situations of abuse and of indicators of emotional abuse. Nevertheless, it was verified that the older they are, the more they are faced with social discrimination, a higher perception of physical abuse financial and negligence. The aim of these results is to contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon and to be able to intervene efficiently next to the elderly in the prevention, intervention and, if necessary, to lead the elderly to professionals specialised in this area.