Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2007"
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- Textural and chemical properties of carbon xerogels for the catalytic wet air oxidation of anilinePublication . Machado, Bruno; Ribeiro, Andreia; Moreira, Ivo; Rosário, Márcio; Silva, Adrián; Gomes, Helder; Figueiredo, José; Faria, JoaquimPrevious works reporting the use of carbon materials in the oxidative treatment of aromatic compounds and of nitrogen containing compounds seem to indicate that their catalytic activity is intimately related to their surface chemistry and porous texture [1- 3]. In this work we prepared a mesoporous carbon xerogel (CX) material with a significant amount of oxygen functional groups and tested it in the Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO) of aqueous aniline solutions. A commercial activated carbon (ROX, from Norit) was used as standard for comparison purposes. The results will have predictive value in establishing relationships between structure and catalyst efficiency in CWAO.
- Local governments budgeting: a portuguese analysis of central dependencyPublication . Costa, Cláudia S.; Rodrigues, MiguelThe most recently challenges in Public Management are felt in several countries, which lead to the appearance of a set of innovative initiatives in the field of the Public Administration. This concept, more or less global (kellt, 2001), of administrative reform is known as the New Public Management and appears with the goal to improve the efficiency, the effectiveness and citizen satisfaction in public services. Is mainly based in the introduction of market type mechanism and the adoption of private management tools. It promotes the competition between public and private agents in order to succeed an improvement in service quality, at the same time that it reduces production costs (Hartley, Butler e Benington, 2002, p. 388). According to NPM models presented by Ferlie, Ashburner, Fitzgerald e Pettigrew (1996) that takes into account that there isn’t a clear definition of what it’s the NPN, the agenda of administrative reform in Portugal, is base on the two first’s models. It’s settled in politic of budgetary restriction, decentralization and atomization of Public Administration. Although it’s autonomy, the local governance also is affected by theses options of Central Administration. If in the countries of Anglo-Saxon origin, the model of reform of local power, it’s based in the adoptions of specific programs of management as the Compulsory Competitive Tendering, o Best Value, in Portugal the reality is different. The administrative modernization was made mainly by changes in the administrative organization and in the transfer of power between the different levels of Portuguese Public Administration, rather than by the implementation of specific management programs of modernization. This is due to the classic/continental administrative model which still is the Portuguese administrative mainframe. Reforms nowadays are still being implemented through financial legislation as a way of Central Administration spread reforms ideology to Local Governments. The local administration stars to win relative importance after 24 of April of 1974. This level of administration is characterized by autonomy and decentralization principles. Actually, this local power is guide by a new law of local financial. It’s relevant to analyse and debate the consequence of this new law and understand it’s proposed in a NPM reform context. This paper is based on a Master project and it seeks this objectives. This constitutes a challenge to analyse in comparison with the others the degree of bigger centrality and/or autonomy that the same ones reflected.
- Desempenho das funções dos técnicos coordenadores de análises Clínicas e saúde pública das sub-regiões de saúde do nortePublication . Rodrigues, Amélia; Ferreira, Liliana; Costa, ElísioEste trabalho tem como objectivo caracterizar e avaliar o grau de cumprimento das funções inerentes ao cargo de Técnico Coordenador (TC), exercidas por Técnicos de Analises Clinicas e Saúde Pública (TACSP) em instituições hospitalares das Sub-Regiões de Saúde do Norte e Centro de Portugal. Neste sentido foi utilizado, como método de recolha de dados, um inquérito e, como instrumento de trabalho, um questionário. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados estatisticamente. Neste estudo foram enviados 38 questionários ao mesmo número de TACSP a exercer o cargo de TC. Apenas responderam ao questionário 30, sendo a grande maioria do sexo feminino (87%) e com idades compreendias entre os 51 e os 55 anos (40%). Apenas 37% apresentavam licenciatura ou equivalente legal. 0 tempo medio na carreira destes profissionais e de 26 anos e o tempo medio de coordena<,:ao e de 11 anos. Ao nível dos recursos humanos e materiais, verificamos que a maioria dos TC exerce as suas funções sempre ou quase sempre. No entanto, foi identificado um conjunto de funções que, nunca ou quase nunca são exercidas. Estas estão sobretudo relacionadas com o planeamento e com a definição de objectivos estratégicos para o serviço. A identificação das situações de não exercício das funções por parte dos TC ira permitir futuros trabalhos em que se tente identificar as razões desse não cumprimento, e permitir que essas razões possam ser discutidas ao nível das organizações profissionais e sindicais. Para além disso possibilitara que os TC se apercebam das suas falhas e possam, eles próprios, introduzir medidas correctivas.
- Comparação das perdas de solo por erosão estimadas usando o modelo WEPP com as medidas num povoamento florestal em fase de instalaçãoPublication . Nogueira, Clotilde; Figueiredo, Tomás de; Fonseca, Felícia; Guerra, Alzira; Martins, AfonsoO presente trabalho tem como objectivo comparar os valores de perda de solo estimados através do modelo WEPP, com os medidos nos anos 2003 c 2004, em parcelas com a área de aproximadamente 14 m2 , colocadas num povoamento florestal misto de Pselldotsuga mensiezii e Castanea sativa em fase de instalação. O WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project), desenvolvido pelo Departamento de Agricultura dos Estados Unidos, representa uma tecnologia de previsão de erosão, baseada em princípios fundamentais tais como: geração estocástica do clima, teoria de infiltração, hidrologia, física do solo, desenvolvimento vegetativo, hidráulica e mecanismos de erosão.
- Practical implementation of a reduction method in semi-infinite programmingPublication . Pereira, Ana I.; Fernandes, Edite M.G.P.We present a reduction type algorithm for solving nonlinear semi-infinite programming problems. The proposed algorithm uses the simulated annealing method equipped with a function stretching technique as a multi-local procedure, and a penalty technique for the finite optimization process. To ensure global convergence, an exponential penalty merit function is reduced along each search direction. Our preliminary numerical results seem to show that the algorithm is very promising in practice.
- Reconfigurable production control systems: beyond ADACORPublication . Leitão, Paulo; Mendes, João M.; Colombo, Armando W.; Restivo, FranciscoIn the recent evolution of production control systems, the emergence of decentralized systems capable of dealing with the rapid changes in the production environment better than the traditional centralized architectures has been one of the most significant developments. The agent-based and holonic paradigms symbolize this approach, and ADACOR holonic control architecture is a successful example of such a system. In this paper, authors discusses the current challenges and the way to go in the direction of new, reconfigurable, evolvable and ubiquitous systems, able to respond to current production environment demands and variability.
- Quantitative analysis of financial indicators for municipalities: comparison between Portugal (Bragança district) and SloveniaPublication . Devjak, Srečko; Alves, Jorge; Ribeiro, Nuno A.; Monte, Ana Paula; Fernandes, Paula OdeteFrom the characterization of Local Authority financing models and structures in Portugal and Slovenia, a set of financial and generic budget indicators has been established. These indicators may be used in a comparative analysis considering, in Portugal, the Bragança District and, in Slovenia, municipalities of similar population size. The research identified significant differences, in terms of financing sources due to some discrepancy on financial models and competences of municipalities on each country.
- A strategy to prevent damages in portuguese small ruminants due to hot climate conditionsPublication . Silva, J. Santos e; Fitas da Cruz, Vasco; Barbosa, José CarlosIn some Portuguese inland regions, small ruminants can be subject to hot climate conditions, as high temperatures or heat waves. These conditions can affect animal production, mainly milk and its quality. In fact, data from revious years, shows that temperatures in Summer tend to be high, and several heat waves have occurred, with temperatures above 40 oC. To minimize the effects of these adverse climatic situations on animal production, we are carrying out a work to tackle this problem. Dans quelques régions intérieures du Portugal, les petits ruminants peuvent être sujets à des conditions climatiques chaudes, comme les températures levées ou vagues de chaleur. Ces conditions peut affecter la production animale, principalement le lait et sa qualité. En fait, les données des années précédentes, prouvent que les températures en été tendent à être de plus en plus hautes, et plusieurs vagues de chaleur se sont produites, avec les températures au-dessus du 40 oC. Pour réduire au minimum les effets de ces situations climatiques défavorables sur la production animale, nous menons à bien des travaux pour aborder ce problème.
- Influência do azoto na fisiologia da oliveira em condições de seca severaPublication . Correia, Carlos M.; Moutinho-Pereira, José; Bacelar, Eunice; Gonçalves, Berta C.C.; Arrobas, Margarida; Pavão, Francisco; Lopes, João; Cabanas, J.E.; Rodrigues, M.A.O azoto apresenta um papel primordial na acumulação de biomassa vegetal, sendo um constituinte de compostos de interesse vital, entre os quais os aminoácidos, as proteínas, os ácidos nucleicos, as hormonas e a clorofila. Neste trabalho apresentam-se resultados de um ensaio de campo com duas modalidades de azoto conduzido em olival de sequeiro de Verdeal Transmontana desde o início de 2004.
- Identification and characterization of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxinsPublication . Rodrigues, Paula; Soares, Célia; Kozakiewicz, Zofia; Paterson, Russell; Lima, Nelson; Venâncio, ArmandoAspergillus flavus is the main producer of the well known carcinogenic aflatoxins. The presence of this fungus and aflatoxins is of huge concern in terms of food safety. The identification of A. flavus is not straightforward due to similarities with closely related species (e.g. A. parasiticus and A. nomius). Also, from the biochemical point of view the closely-related species are able to produce different mycotoxins. In order to clarify the differentiation between species the identification schemes is revisited. Selective media, data from mycotoxins production and molecular biology tools are discussed in order to clarify the concept of A. flavus species.