cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Expression of the Biofield Energy (The Trivedi Effect®) Based Herbomineral Formulation in Mouse Splenocytes
Creators: name: Callas, Russell Phillip
Publisher: name: SMN - The ScienceMedia Network
Year: 2019
Subjects: Natural Sciences

description: With the increasing popularity of herbomineral preparations in healthcare, a new proprietary herbomineral formulation was formulated with ashwagandha root extract and three minerals viz. zinc, magnesium, and selenium. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory potential of Biofield Energy Healing (The Trivedi Effect®) on the herbomineral formulation using murine splenocyte cells. The test formulation was divided into two parts. One was the control without the Biofield Energy Treatment. The other part was labelled the Biofield Energy Treated sample, which received the Biofield Energy Healing Treatment remotely by twenty renowned Biofield Energy Healers. Through MTT assay, all the test formulation concentrations from 0.00001053 to 10.53 µg/mL were found to be safe with cell viability ranging from 102.61% to 194.57% using splenocyte cells. The Biofield Treated test formulation showed a significant (p≤0.01) inhibition of TNF-α expression by 15.87%, 20.64%, 18.65%, and 20.34% at 0.00001053, 0.0001053, 0.01053, and 0.1053, µg/mL, respectively as compared to the vehicle control (VC) group. The level of TNF-α was reduced by 8.73%, 19.54%, and 14.19% at 0.001053, 0.01053, and 0.1053 µg/mL, respectively in the Biofield Treated test formulation compared to the untreated test formulation. The expression of IL-1β reduced by 22.08%, 23.69%, 23.00%, 16.33%, 25.76%, 16.10%, and 23.69% at 0.00001053, 0.0001053, 0.001053, 0.01053, 0.1053, 1.053 and 10.53 µg/mL, respectively compared to the VC. Additionally, the expression of MIP-1α significantly (p≤0.001) reduced by 13.35%, 22.96%, 25.11%, 22.71%, and 21.83% at 0.00001053, 0.0001053, 0.01053, 1.053, and 10.53 µg/mL, respectively in the Biofield Treated test formulation compared to the VC. The Biofield Treated test formulation significantly down-regulated the MIP-1α expression by 10.75%, 9.53%, 9.57%, and 10.87% at 0.00001053, 0.01053, 0.1053 and 1.053 µg/mL, respectively compared to the untreated test formulation. The results showed the IFN-γ expression was also significantly (p≤0.001) reduced by 39.16%, 40.34%, 27.57%, 26.06%, 42.53%, and 48.91% at 0.0001053, 0.001053, 0.01053, 0.1053, 1.053, and 10.53 µg/mL, respectively in the Biofield Treated test formulation compared to the VC. The Biofield Treated test formulation showed better suppression of IFN-γ expression by 15.46%, 13.78%, 17.14%, and 13.11% at concentrations 0.001053, 0.01053, 0.1053, and 10.53 µg/mL, respectively compared to the untreated test formulation. Overall, the results demonstrated that The Trivedi Effect®- Biofield Energy Healing (TEBEH) has the capacity to potentiate the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity of the test formulation. Biofield Energy may also be useful in organ transplants, anti-aging, and stress management by improving overall health and quality of life.
Despojar para melhor expor a linguagem (sobre o vazio em Dez, de Abbas Kiarostami)
Creators: name: Teixeira, Oswaldo
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: Estamos no cinema, juntos e completamente sós. Um contador, desses regressivos que servem para marcar o início de um filme, mostra o número dez; uma linha gira em torno desse número. O filme começará em aproximadamente dez segundos, de acordo com a convenção que o cinema estabeleceu e nos habituou a esperar. Mas subitamente, antes de passar para o próximo número, o marcador se detém; uma criança fecha a porta de um carro. O filme já começou? É com essa dúvida que entramos na imagem. O filme, se começou, começa num momento qualquer 1, na interrupção repentina de uma marcação do tempo.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
Interplay of bulk and surface properties for steady-state measurements of minority carrier lifetimes
Creators: name: Turek, Marko
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The measurement of the minority carrier lifetime is a powerful tool in the field of semiconductor material characterization as it is very sensitive to electrically active defects. Furthermore, it is applicable to a wide range of samples such as ingots or wafers. In this work, a systematic theoretical analysis of the steady-state approach is presented. It is shown how the measured lifetime relates to the intrinsic bulk lifetime for a given material quality, sample thickness, and surface passivation. This makes the bulk properties experimentally accessible by separating them from the surface effects. In particular, closed analytical solutions of the most important cases, such as passivated and unpassivated wafers and blocks are given. Based on these results, a criterion for a critical sample thickness is given beyond which a lifetime measurement allows deducing the bulk properties for a given surface recombination. These results are of particular interest for semiconductor material diagnostics especially for photovoltaic applications but not limited to this field.
description: 17 pages, 3 figures
Bridging the Gap Between the Theoretical and Empirical Reorganization Energy
Creators: name: Johannes, Jonathan
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Physics--Molecular
subject: electron transfer
subject: marcus theory
subject: protein complex
subject: molecular simulations

description: Biological electron transfer (ET) reactions are fundamental to the production of energy in all living cells. Efficient, site-selective ET is crucial for effective metabolic processes to sustain life. An accurate description of the ET process through a protein complex is lacking. In particular, with the methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) and amicyanin protein complex there is a discrepancy between the theoretical and the empirical reorganization energy. Attempts at better understanding the reorganization energy of reaction involve adapting Marcus theory, the standard for simple ET reactions, by describing the reorganization energy with a two-parameter model. In this thesis I apply the two-parameter model to the MADH-amicyanin system. It does not reconcile the discrepancy between the theoretical and empirical reorganization energy. The results of this work provide insight, consistent with other systems onto which the two-parameter has been applied, into why Marcus theory breaks down.
Some examples of the behaviour of conformal geodesics
Creators: name: Tod, Paul
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Differential Geometry (math.DG)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: 53A30

description: With the aid of concrete examples, we consider the question of whether, in the presence of conformal curvature, a conformal geodesic can become trapped in smaller and smaller sets, or phrased informally: are spirals possible? We do not arrive at a definitive answer, but we are able to find situations where this behaviour is ruled out, including a reduction of the conformal-geodesic equations to quadratures in a specific non-conformally flat metric.
description: 19 pages; to appear in Jour.Geom.Phys
Cinema e Tecnologia: novas interacções
Creators: name: Viveiros, Paulo
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: O cinema interactivo e o cinema feito a partir de bancos de dados são uma consequência da invasão do multimédia e das tecnologias interactivas na produção e realização cinematográfica. Depois de tantas inovações tecnológicas ao longo da história do cinema, que anunciavam a sua morte, parece que desta vez o caso é mais sério, dado o radicalismo das alterações — o processo fotográfico como base ontológica da representação cinematográfica, é posto em causa —, nomeadamente, ao nível da narrativa, interface e concepção arquitectónica. (...)
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
New Vision for Market Square In An-namas: Urban Design for Enhancement of Town Identity and Cultural Heritage
Creators: name: Alshehri, Abdullah
Publisher: name: Environmental Design
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Architecture
subject: FOS: Civil engineering
subject: Urban Design
subject: Identity
subject: Cultural Heritage
subject: An-namas

description: Since it was felt that the present An-namas public market does not reflect either the identity or the cultural heritage of the city of An-namas, the researcher decided to take the issue as a case study. The aim of the present research is to work towards the revival and revitalization of the An-namas market in the context of the contemporary life needs. There have been some research studies done on this issue in south-western towns of Saudi Arabia; however, it is felt that these studies have not adequately dealt with urban design, place identity and cultural heritage. The objective of the present study is to examine precisely to those aspects of a public market. To achieve this objective, the following tools have been used: survey, critical analysis and site analysis. The final proposed design is the end product of the present research.
A poética do desejo na obra de João César Monteiro
Creators: name: Areal, Leonor
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: A obra ficcional de João César Monteiro desenvolve-se em duas linhas paralelas muito nítidas: a primeira formada pelos filmes que se baseiam em histórias tradicionais de fundo medieval; a segunda reunindo os filmes situados no tempo actual e de atitude irónica; tendências estas que arrumaremos em fases crono-estilísticas que orientarão esta análise. Compreender de que modo estas duas vias estão unidas por uma poética comum, apesar dos seus contrastes e aparentes contradições ideológicas 1 , é o objectivo deste artigo, que procura mostrar 2 a coerência deste “sistema de autor” guiado por um obscuro objecto de desejo , comum a todos os seus filmes. A unidade estilística desta obra acentua uma atitude poética que busca inspiração num ideário neo-romântico (emprestado de Camões e do imaginário cortês) e se define por alguns traços dominantes: a sacralização do amor carnal, a irrisão dos motivos religiosos, a atitude picaresca e irónica, o predomínio do fetiche sobre a metáfora, e uma estética simples, negligente e quase arrogante – uma poética da matéria humana.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
Estudos Fílmicos: o estado da arte (e da ciência)
Creators: name: Reia-Baptista, Vítor
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: A área de Estudos Fílmicos, assim como as áreas com designações equivalentes (por exemplo a norte-americana de «Cinema Studies») tem demonstrado, em geral, uma capacidade de estudo e de evolução investigacional, reflectindo as principais correntes de pensamento crítico que se têm afirmado, ao longo de algum tempo, em todas as áreas dos estudos culturais. No entanto, também é fácil constatar que algumas dessas correntes de reflexão e de crítica, com o passar dos tempos, acabam por fazer o seu próprio caminho, por vezes muito mais ligado às evoluções das características conjunturalmente predominantes – sejam elas de carácter essencialmente tecnológico, artístico ou sócio-cultural – do que às características mais directamente relacionadas com elementos específicos de estudo fílmico ou cinematográfico. (...)
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
The Radial Velocity Signature of Tides Raised in Stars Hosting Exoplanets
Creators: name: Arras, Phil
name: Burkart, Joshua
name: Quataert, Eliot
name: Weinberg, Nevin N.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Close-in, massive exoplanets raise significant tides in their stellar hosts. We compute the radial velocity (RV) signal due to this fluid motion in the equilibrium tide approximation. The predicted radial velocities in the observed sample of exoplanets exceed 1 m/s for 17 systems, with the largest predicted signal being ~30 m/s for WASP-18 b. Tidally-induced RV's are thus detectable with present methods. Both tidal fluid flow and the epicyclic motion of a slightly eccentric orbit produce an RV signal at twice the orbital frequency. If care is not taken, the tidally induced RV may, in some cases, be confused with a finite orbital eccentricity. Indeed, WASP-18 b is reported to have an eccentric orbit with small e=0.009 and pericenter longitude ω=-π/2. Whereas such a close alignment of the orbit and line of sight to the observer requires fine tuning, this phase in the RV signal is naturally explained by the tidal velocity signature of an e=0 orbit. Additionally, the equilibrium tide estimate for the amplitude is in rough agreement with the data. Thus the reported eccentricity for WASP-18 b is instead likely a signature of the tidally-induced RV in the stellar host. Measurement of both the orbital and tidal velocity for non-transiting planets may allow planet mass and inclination to be separately determined solely from radial velocity data. We suggest that high precision fitting of RV data should include the tidal velocity signal in those cases where it may affect the determination of orbital parameters.
description: 6 pages, 1 figure. submitted to MNRAS
Representações do gênero masculino na Mídia Impressa brasileira
Creators: name: Ghilardi-Lucena, Maria Inês
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: Este trabalho insere-se no grupo de pesquisa Discurso e Gênero, do CNPq – Brasil, e estuda o modo como a mídia tem retratado o gênero masculino, haja vista sua significativa influência na aquisição de hábitos e costumes pelos leitores. Os textos que os meios de comunicação produzem tornam-se formadores de opinião e ditam regras a serem seguidas por grande parte da população, criando a necessidade de que se faça uma leitura crítica de sua produção no mundo contemporâneo. O corpus de investigação da pesquisa é constituído de reportagens de revistas brasileiras de circulação nacional na atualidade.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
The Effects of Resistance Strength Training and Functional Strength Training on Risk Factors for Running Injury
Creators: name: Baltich, Jennifer
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Epidemiology
subject: Running
subject: Biomechanics
subject: injury

description: Reduced muscular strength and relatively larger magnitudes of movements and moments at the lower extremity joints during running have been proposed as risk factors for sustaining an injury. Some have suggested that increased movements at the joints are partially due to reduced muscular strength. However, the influence of strength training on running mechanics has yet to be evaluated in a group of novice runners, which have been shown to be particularly prone to injury. Therefore, the purposes of this thesis were to 1) compare changes in strength, running mechanics, and balance and 2) to explore injury risk for novice runners enrolled in a resistance strength training program, a functional movement strength training program or a stretching control program. One hundred and twenty nine novice runners (18-60 years old, less than two years running experience) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a “resistance” strength training group (n=43), a “functional” strength training group (n=43) or a stretching “control” group (n=43). Participants were asked to complete a home-based training program three to five times a week for the eight week training period. Following this training period, participants were asked to complete their respective training at least twice a week for a sixteen week maintenance period. Changes in strength, running mechanics, and balance pre- to post-training were compared between groups. Running injuries were self-reported and defined as any complaint sustained in relation to running that caused a restriction in running for at least one week. Eighty-six participants completed the follow up assessment (functional=34, resistance=28, control=24). Changes in lower extremity strength were similar between the training groups with all groups demonstrating strength gains at multiple lower extremity joints. Changes in running mechanics were small in magnitude and within the measurement error of the testing protocol. The functional training group demonstrated improved balance using force plate and field based measures of balance. Though exploratory in nature, injury rates were not different between the three training groups. The results of this thesis indicate that running and completing a home-based strength training program did not increase strength or reduce joint movements more than running and stretching for a group of novice runners.
title: Trainieren mit CLAUDI - Das Potential kognitiver Agenten für Simulationen und Planspiele
Creators: name: Schier, Sebastian
name: Rosenau, Lena
name: Freese, Maria
Publisher: name: DuEPublico: Duisburg-Essen Publications Online, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Year: 2017
Subjects: Simulation
Flughafenmanagement
Training
Kognitiver Agent

description: Die europäischen Flughäfen stellen eine kritische Stelle im Luftverkehrssystem dar. Hier verursachte Verspätungen können sich durch das gesamte System ausbreiten und zu größeren Störungen führen. Als eine Gegenmaßnahme wurde eine verbesserte Form des Flughafenmanagements entwickelt, nach dem die beteiligten Akteure eine gemeinsame Informationsbasis bilden und ihre Handlungen koordinieren. In den letzten Jahren wurden eine Vielzahl an unterstützenden Systemen und Verfahren für das Flughafenmanagement implementiert. Diese neuen Verfahren und Systeme generieren den Bedarf nach einem Training für das Personal des Flughafenmanagements.

Das Institut für Flugführung des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt erforscht unter Anderem simulationsbasierte Trainingsansätze für das Flughafenmanagement. Durch Serious Games (Planspiele) oder Human-In-The-Loop Simulationen sollen die Akteure im Flughafenmanagement geschult werden. Ein komplexer Trainingsteil ist der Umgang mit nicht-kooperativen Verhaltensweisen. In diesem Fall greift das Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt auf Pseudoakteure zurück, die entsprechend gegebener Regeln nicht-kooperativ kommunizieren und agieren. Ein Nachteil dieses Verfahrens ist die reduzierte Reproduzierbarkeit von Trainingsläufen. Aus diesem Grund hat das Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt den kognitiven Agenten „CLAUDI“ (Collaborative Learning Assistent for User Defined Interactions) umgesetzt. Im Rahmen dieses Beitrages wird die erste prototypische Implementierung und die Validierung an Hand von aufgezeichneten Situationen und in einer Human-In-The-Loop Simulation beschrieben.
Investigating the role of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, Apollon, in the regulation of autophagy in breast cancer cells
Creators: name: Hannigan, Adrienne Michelle
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2012

description: Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a lysosomal process for degrading cytoplasmic proteins and organelles for maintenance of homeostasis as well as for bioenergetic and biosynthetic needs. During nutrient deprivation and chemotherapy, both tumour-related stresses, autophagy is upregulated. The molecules and pathways involved in the regulation of autophagy in response to these stresses are still not well understood. Several recent studies have uncovered links between components of autophagy and apoptosis. As there is increasing evidence indicating that many anti-cancer therapeutics affect both autophagy and apoptosis, it is critical to identify the relationships between these pathways to develop more rational therapies. A previous study identified several Drosophila melanogaster genes with autophagy-regulating functions. One of these genes was dBruce, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) gene family, which was found to negatively regulate autophagy in Drosophila cells in vitro and in vivo. The mammalian homologue of dBruce, Apollon, is overexpressed in several cancers, and Apollon knockdown has been shown to sensitize some cancer cells to chemotherapy. These findings led to the suggestion that Apollon may be a promising target for cancer therapy. As autophagy has been shown to play a role in cancer development and treatment, a link between Apollon and autophagy may have clinical implications. My hypothesis in this study was that Apollon, the human homologue of dBruce, is a negative regulator of autophagy in human breast cancer cells. I tested this hypothesis using three different breast cancer cell lines, SKBR3, BT474 and MCF-7, to determine whether Apollon knockdown had an effect on autophagy under fed or starved conditions. After Apollon knockdown, MCF-7 and SKBR3 cells showed a significant increase in GFP-LC3 and/or MDC puncta under both fed and starved conditions. Further analysis in MCF-7 cells confirmed that Apollon knockdown led to an induction of the complete autophagy process as determined by two autophagy flux assays. These results show that reducing Apollon expression induces autophagy and thus Apollon is a negative regulator of autophagy in human breast cancer cell lines. Further studies will be required to determine whether Apollon knockdown-induced autophagy would be beneficial for cancer therapy.
The Emission from Inner Disk and Corona in the Low and Intermediate Spectral States of Black Hole X-ray Binaries
Creators: name: Qiao, Erlin
name: Liu, B. F.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Recent observations reveal that a cool disk may survive in the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) for some black hole X-ray binaries in the canonical low/hard state. The spectrum is characterized by a power law with a photon index $Γ\sim 1.5-2.1$ in the range of 2-10 keV and a weak disk component with temperature of $\sim 0.2$ keV. In this work, We revisit the formation of such a cool, optically thick, geometrically thin disk in the most inner region of black hole X-ray binaries at the low/hard state within the context of disk accretion fed by condensation of hot corona. By taking into account the cooling process associated with both Compton and conductive processes in a corona, and the irradiation of the hot corona to the disk, we calculate the structure of the corona. For viscosity parameter $α=0.2$, it's found that the inner disk can exist for accretion rate ranging from $\dot M \sim 0.006-0.03 \dot M_{\rm Edd}$, over which the electron temperatures of the corona are in the range of $1-5\times 10^9\ \rm K$ producing the hard X-ray emission. We calculate the emergent spectra of the inner disk and corona for different mass accretion rates. The effect of viscosity parameter $α$ and albedo $a$ ($a$ is defined as the energy ratio of reflected radiation from the surface of the thin disk to incident radiation upon it from the corona) to the emergent spectra are also presented. Our model is used to explain the recent observations of GX 339-4 and Cyg X-1, in which the thin disk may exist at ISCO region in the low/hard state at luminosity around a few percent of $L_{\rm Edd}$. It's found that the observed maximal effective temperature of the thermal component and the hard X-ray photon index $Γ$ can be matched well by our model.
description: Accepted for publication by ApJ
Fiedler-Ptak scaling in max algebra
Creators: name: Sergeev, Sergei
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Rings and Algebras (math.RA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 15A80, 15B48, 15A27, 15A21

description: This is essentially the text of my talk on Fiedler-Ptak scaling in max algebra delivered in the invited minisymposium in honor of Miroslav Fiedler at the 17th ILAS Conference in Braunschweig, Germany.
description: 9 pages, 5 figures
Warm Spitzer Photometry of XO-4b, HAT-P-6b and HAT-P-8b
Creators: name: Todorov, Kamen O.
name: Deming, Drake
name: Knutson, Heather A.
name: Burrows, Adam
name: Sada, Pedro V.
name: Cowan, Nicolas B.
name: Agol, Eric
name: Desert, Jean-Michel
name: Fortney, Jonathan J.
name: Charbonneau, David
name: Laughlin, Gregory
name: Langton, Jonathan
name: Showman, Adam P.
name: Lewis, Nikole K.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We have analyzed Warm Spitzer/IRAC observations of the secondary eclipses of three planets, XO-4b, HAT-P-6b and HAT-P-8b. We measure secondary eclipse amplitudes at 3.6μm and 4.5μm for each target. XO-4b exhibits a stronger eclipse depth at 4.5μm than at 3.6μm, which is consistent with the presence of a temperature inversion. HAT-P-8b shows a stronger eclipse amplitude at 3.6μm, and is best-described by models without a temperature inversion. The eclipse depths of HAT-P-6b can be fitted with models with a small or no temperature inversion. We consider our results in the context of a postulated relationship between stellar activity and temperature inversions and a relationship between irradiation level and planet dayside temperature, as discussed by Knutson et al. (2010) and Cowan & Agol (2011), respectively. Our results are consistent with these hypotheses, but do not significantly strengthen them. To measure accurate secondary eclipse central phases, we require accurate ephemerides. We obtain primary transit observations and supplement them with publicly available observations to update the orbital ephemerides of the three planets. Based on the secondary eclipse timing, we set upper boundaries for e cos(ω) for HAT-P-6b, HAT-P-8b and XO-4b and find that the values are consistent with circular orbits.
description: 8 pages, 5 Tables and 11 Figures in emulateapj format. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
Mulheres, crianças e neutros: representações de género na linguagem sinalética
Creators: name: Bessa, Pedro
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: The paper intends to reflect upon the way pictography, as used in modern signage, far from being (as it was said to be, during the modernist optimism of the 70s) a sort of "universal", intuitive language, on the contrary seems to have some limitations as a communication form. Not only signage pictography does not have an universal reach once it is, as every other language, historically located in a particular cultural context, but its own "universalistic" pretensions, demanding high degrees of redundancy, tends to lead into the defective use of caricature and stereotype, as communication forms. One also finds the systematic use of the generic male form, or false neuter : frequency of occurrence of male pictograms is much higher than female ones, males being used to represent the people. Our study is based on a contents analysis of 49 signage systems; 2 808 pictograms and signs on the whole, from which 767 showing human figure were selected.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
Preparation of Carbon-tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anodes for Direct Utilization of CH4 using Microwave Irradiation
Creators: name: Islam, Shamiul
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Engineering--Chemical
subject: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
subject: Anode
subject: Direct utiliziation
subject: Methane
subject: Carbon tolerance
subject: Microwave irradiation

description: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are highly efficient electrochemical devices that directly convert the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity. The conventional Ni/YSZ anode of SOFC accumulates carbon when operated in CH4. The accumulated carbon at the anode degrades cell performance and eventually damages the anode microstructure. In this thesis, the effect of experimental parameters on carbon accumulation was identified and subsequently carbon-tolerance enhancing materials such as Cu and BaO were added to the Ni/YSZ anodes by microwave irradiation. First, the effect of experimental parameters such as the quality of sealing, current, humidity of the fuel, and the current collector configuration on carbon accumulation was studied. The salient results showed that variations in any of these experimental parameters could significantly increase or decrease the amount of carbon accumulation on the Ni/YSZ anodes. Thus, it is emphasised that for the purpose of comparing different anode materials, cells should be tested under similar, if not identical, experimental conditions. After perfecting the standard procedures for fabrication and testing of SOFC button cells, the microwave irradiation technique was used to deposit Cu nanoparticles on the Ni/YSZ anode of an electrolyte-supported SOFC. The advantage of using the microwave irradiation method is the reduced time required for anode preparation. The irradiation times are on the order of seconds in comparison to impregnation that usually requires multiple steps and hours if not days for the preparation of similar anodes. However, Cu is not thermally stable at the SOFC testing temperature of 1073 K. This preliminary study with Cu paves the way for using the microwave technique to incorporate BaO, which helps adsorb H2O and gasify carbon deposits from the Ni surface. With the conventional technique (impregnation), BaO is distributed both on the Ni and YSZ grains. The BaO is stable on Ni but diffuses into YSZ causing a volume expansion of YSZ, which is problematic for the long term performance. The microwave technique was developed to selectively deposit BaO on Ni and these cells perform as well electrochemically as conventional Ni/YSZ anodes in CH4 and accumulate less carbon when operated in CH4 at 1073 K.
Representações e práticas de recepção dos Media Informativos: uma abordagem empírica qualitativa
Creators: name: Horta, Ana Maria
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: Com base num conjunto de entrevistas realizadas junto de indivíduos com qualificações académicas muito diferenciadas, procura-se demonstrar como diversas disposições sociais, incorporadas a respeito quer da posição na estratificação social quer do jornalismo, estão relacionadas com as representações e as práticas individuais no âmbito da recepção dos media.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
Improving Inverter Efficiency at Low Power Using a Reduced Switching Frequency
Creators: name: Hossain Loba, Tahsina
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Energy
subject: Engineering--Electronics and Electrical
subject: Engineering--Mechanical
subject: Inverter Efficiency
subject: Switching Frequency
subject: Low Power

description: The inverter is a major component of a renewable energy system and its performance affects the overall performance of the system. For typical household applications in rural areas, often there is need to operate at low power conditions where inverter efficiency can drop dramatically. Efficient operation at low power is important especially for stand-alone solar systems in developing countries where system cost must be kept low. In this thesis, the impact of switching frequency upon switching loss for a SPWM inverter is investigated. Results, from mathematical modeling, simulation and experimental implementation, show the same trend that reducing the switching frequency reduces switching loss at low power levels thus improves inverter efficiency. This may result in a reduced PV module size requirement and thus lower system cost. The inverter proposed in the thesis operates efficiently at low power (e.g. 9W) as well as at rated power conditions (e.g. 200W).
Metastability in reversible diffusion processes I. Sharp asymptotics for capacities and exit times
Creators: name: Bovier, Anton
name: Eckhoff, Michael
name: Gayrard, Véronique
name: Klein, Markus
Publisher: name: Weierstrass Institute
Year: 2002
Subjects: subject: Metastability
subject: diffusion processes
subject: potential theory
subject: capacity
subject: exit times
subject: 82C44
subject: 60K35

description: We develop a potential theoretic approach to the problem of metastability for reversible diffusion processes in potentials F given by a smooth function with finitely many local minima. In analogy to previous work in discrete Markov chains, we show that metastable exit times from the attractive domains of the minima of F can be related, up to multiplicative errors that tend to one when the noise strength tends to zero to the capacities of suitably constructed sets. We show that this capacities can be computed, again up to multiplicative errors that tend to one, in terms of local characteristics of F at the starting minimum and the relevant saddle points. As a result, we are able to give the first rigorous proof of the classical Eyring-Kramers formula in dimension larger than 1. The estimates on capacities make use of their variational representation and monotonicity properties of Dirichlet forms. The methods developed here are extensions of our earlier work on discrete Markov chains to continuous diffusion processes.
Ligações perigosas: a relação máquina-ser humano na Publicidade
Creators: name: Fontes, Carlos
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: A espécie humana está à beira de uma nova relação com a máquina. Desenvolvimentos nas areas da robótica, biometria, inteligencia artificial e outras tecnologias de ponta sugerem que num futuro mais ou menos próximo os seres humanos conviverão com máquinas inteligentes de uma forma mais intìma e acentuada do que até agora. Este trabalho descreve a ideologia sobre a relação ser humano-máquina subjacente na publicidade impressa em revistas Americanas e Portuguesas. O trabalho conclui que a nova ideologia cyborgiana se insere numa lógica capitalista emergente em que o relacionamento intímo do ser humano com a máquina será um factor importante num incremento da vigilancia electronica, na crescente mercadorização do corpo, do tempo e da experiência individuais, e da extensão e criação de novas formas de trabalho e de consumo.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
PS-wave processing in complex land settings: statics correction, wave-mode separation, and migration
Creators: name: Guevara, Saul
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Geophysics
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: seismic exploration
subject: S-wave
subject: land surface
subject: topography
subject: near-surface layer
subject: Pre-stack Depth Migration
subject: mode separation
subject: statics correction
subject: uphole survey

description: This thesis concerns processing issues with elastic waves in complex land settings characterized by rough topography and geological structures with irregular geometry and proposes some solutions. It is focused on PS-waves (converted from P to S at the reflection point). The near-surface layer (NSL) is addressed first. An uphole field experiment using explosive sources, located at a surface 2D-3C seismic line, allowed detailed local analysis of the NSL S-wave velocity (Vs) model. S-waves generated by the sources were identified, from which a local Vs model was obtained. Analogous S-waves were also identified on the surface seismic line (which is not usually expected). Tomographic inversion of S-wave refractions from the seismic line enabled the generation of a NSL Vs model for the complete line. However, because of the line sampling, it lacked the critical low velocity of the shallowest zone provided by the uphole. Statics correction for PS waves is focused on next. This is a demanding processing effort for PS waves, due to the S-wave properties in the NSL. A new statics correction method is proposed, based on the cross-correlation of traces from adjacent receivers, assuming that the only delay time is the receiver statics. This method, termed CRGS (for Common Receiver Gather Statics), was first tested and validated on synthetic data, after which it was applied to real data with encouraging results. This new method overcomes shortcomings of other methods currently used since, in addition to being automatic, it requires neither velocity information nor identification of PS reflections. Topography and wave-mode separation are also addressed. A wave-mode separation method is proposed which considers the free-surface effect for a zone with rough topography and lateral variations in its elastic properties. This method was tested on synthetic data with promising results. Finally, PreStack Depth Migration (PreSDM) methods are tested for PP and PS-waves in the presence of topography. Two scalar PreSDM methods, Kirchhoff and PSPI (for phase shift plus interpolation), were implemented. The resulting images on synthetic data with and without wave-mode separation proved their reliability for accurately locating seismic events.
Ubiquitous torsional motions in type II spicules
Creators: name: De Pontieu, B.
name: Carlsson, M.
name: van der Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe
name: Rutten, R. J.
name: Hansteen, V. H.
name: Watanabe, H.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Spicules are long, thin, highly dynamic features that jut out ubiquitously from the solar limb. They dominate the interface between the chromosphere and corona and may provide significant mass and energy to the corona. We use high-quality observations with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope to establish that so-called type II spicules are characterized by the simultaneous action of three different types of motion: 1. field-aligned flows of order 50-100 km/s, 2. swaying motions of order 15-20 km/s, and 3. torsional motions of order 25-30 km/s. The first two modes have been studied in detail before, but not the torsional motions. Our analysis of many near-limb and off-limb spectra and narrow-band images yields strong evidence that most, if not all, type-II spicules undergo large torsional modulation and that these motions, like spicule swaying, represent Alfvenic waves propagating outward at several hundred km/s. The combined action of the different motions explains the similar morphology of spicule bushes in the outer red and blue wings of chromospheric lines, and needs to be taken into account when interpreting Doppler motions to derive estimates for field-aligned flows in spicules and determining the Alfvenic wave energy in the solar atmosphere. Our results also suggest that large torsional motion is an ingredient in the production of type-II spicules and that spicules play an important role in the transport of helicity through the solar atmosphere.
description: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters
Study of forbidden atomic transitions on $D_2$ line using Rb nano-cell placed in external magnetic field
Creators: name: Hakhumyan, G.
name: Leroy, C.
name: Mirzoyan, R.
name: Pashayan-Leroy, Y.
name: Sarkisyan, D.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: By experimental exploration of the so-called $λ$-Zeeman technique based on Rb nano-cell use we reveal for the first time a strong modification of the probability of the $^{87}$Rb, $D_2$ line $F_g=1 \rightarrow F_e=0, 1, 2, 3$ atomic transitions, including forbidden $F_g=1, m_F =0 \rightarrow F_e=1, m_F =0$ and $F_g=1, m_F =-1 \rightarrow F_e=3, m_F =-1$ transitions (these are forbidden transitions when $B = 0$) in a strong external magnetic field $B$ in the range of 100 - 1100 G. For $π$-polarized exciting diode laser radiation ($λ= 780$ nm) these forbidden transitions at $B > 150$ G are among the strongest atomic transitions in the detected transmission spectra. Frequency shifts of the individual hyperfine transitions versus magnetic field are also presented: particularly, $F_g=1, m_F =+1 \rightarrow F_e=1, m_F =+1$ atomic transition has a unique behavior, since its frequency remains practically unchanged when $B$ varies from 100 to 1100 G. Developed theoretical model well describes the experiment.
description: 12 pages
Imagem da Imigração e Minorias Étnicas nos Media
Creators: name: Santos, Clara Almeida
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: Qual é a imagem dos imigrantes e das minorias étnicas veiculada pelos órgãos de comunicação social portugueses? Esta é a pergunta a que se pretende responder através da análise das peças (sobre macrotema da imigração e minorias étnicas) recolhidas em oito jornais (Público, Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias,Capital, Correio da Manhã, 24 Horas, Expresso e O Independente) e em três canais de televisão (RTP, SIC e TVI, apenas no período de primetime). Ao longo de 2004 foram recolhidas 1791 peças de imprensa e 312 peças de televisão. Esta amostra (exaustiva e que se pretende que seja representativa da totalidade de peças acerca do referido tema) foi posteriormente submetida a uma grelha de análise constituída por 25 variáveis, agrupadas em três grandes campos: Forma, Conteúdo e Discurso. A primeira grande conclusão resulta da comparação dos dados obtidos em televisão com os dados obtidos em imprensa, com interpretação das diferenças, muitas das quais fruto da própria natureza do meio analisado. Igualmente interessente é a constatação que resulta do cruzamento dos dados obtidos nos meios considerados como sendo de referência e nos meios considerados mais populares, quer na imprensa quer em televisão. Também nas questões da imigração estas diferenças são inegáveis, sobretudo ao nível do formato das peças, dos subtemas tratados, mas também das fontes citadas nas peças. Os resultados obtidos podem ser cotejados com os que se reportam a 2003, já que a mesma análise foi levada a cabo nesse ano. Uma das mais significativas diferenças diz respeito aos temas mais tratados – embora o Crim e continue a ser o tema que mais peças reúne, verifica-se que existe uma tendência para outro tipo de temáticas, de pendor mais positivo, sobretudo nos jornais considerados como sendo de referência, nomeadamente a questão da Integração.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”
Impact of supernova dynamics on the νp-process
Creators: name: Arcones, A.
name: Fröhlich, C.
name: Martínez-Pinedo, G.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study the impact of the late time dynamical evolution of ejecta from core-collapse supernovae on νp-process nucleosynthesis. Our results are based on hydrodynamical simulations of neutrino wind ejecta. Motivated by recent two-dimensional wind simulations, we vary the dynamical evolution during the νp-process and show that final abundances strongly depend on the temperature evolution. When the expansion is very fast, there is not enough time for antineutrino absorption on protons to produce enough neutrons to overcome the β-decay waiting points and no heavy elements beyond A=64 are produced. The wind termination shock or reverse shock dramatically reduces the expansion speed of the ejecta. This extends the period during which matter remains at relatively high temperatures and is exposed to high neutrino fluxes, thus allowing for further (p,γ) and (n,p) reactions to occur and to synthesize elements beyond iron. We find that the νp-process starts to efficiently produce heavy elements only when the temperature drops below ~3 GK. At higher temperatures, due to the low alpha separation energy of 60Zn (S_α = 2.7 MeV) the reaction 59Cu(p,α)56Ni is faster than the reaction 59Cu(p,γ)60Zn. This results in the closed NiCu cycle that we identify and discuss here for the first time. We also investigate the late phase of the νp-process when the temperatures become too low to maintain proton captures. Depending on the late neutron density, the evolution to stability is dominated by βdecays or by (n,γ) reactions. In the latter case, the matter flow can even reach the neutron-rich side of stability and the isotopic composition of a given element is then dominated by neutron-rich isotopes.
description: 12 pages, 11 figures, submitted to ApJ
Wall of Fame
Creators: name: Cairrão, Álvaro Miguel Da Costa Lima
Publisher: name: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação
Year: 2005

description: Pretendo com este estudo entender o fenómeno do graffiti, desde o ponto de vista pessoal, social, cultural e lúdico. Para o efeito, efectuamos um levantamento do graffiti existente na área do Grande Porto, ou seja, nos concelhos da Maia, Gaia, Matosinhos, Porto e Gondomar, bem como entrevistas aos writers. Para além dos dados primários obtidos, utilizamos determinadas fontes secundárias, que complementaram o entendimento do movimento de génese hip hop. Não devemos continuar a viver fazendo de conta que esta manifestação/comunicação gráfica e escrita não existe. Precisamos de saber mais sobre graffiti para o entender e descodificar. Não devemos criticar e marginalizar aquilo que não percebemos. Por essa ordem de razões, entendo ser original e pertinente, trazer para uma reunião científica uma abordagem com algum detalhe desta forma de comunicação que todos os dias as pessoas observam de soslaio com um olhar mais ou menos incrédulo, mais ou menos crítico. Mais do que olhar… devemos ver, e por isso propomos esta análise, fazendo referência às suas técnicas, materiais, linguagem, motivações e objectivos desta forma criativa e marginal ou marginalizada de comunicar.
description: SOPCOM: Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, 2005: 4º SOPCOM: “Repensar os Media: Novos Contextos da Comunicação e da Informação”