Build orientation optimization of car hoodvent with additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a widely used process consisting in the building of a three-dimensional (3D) object from a model projected on a computer, adding the material layer-by-layer. This technology allows the printing of complex shape objects and is being increasingly adopted by the aircraft industry, medical implants, jewelry, footwear, automotive, fashion products, among others. The build orientation optimization of 3D models has a great influence on costs and surface quality when printing three-dimensional objects. In this work, three build orientation optimization problems are studied: single objective problem, bi-objective problem and many-objective problem. To this end, three quality measures are applied: the support area, the build time and the surface roughness, for the Car Hoodvent model. First, a single-objective optimization problem is presented and solved by the genetic algorithm, obtaining optimal solutions for each objective function. Then, the study of the bi-objective optimization problem is carried out for each pair of two objectives and some representative trade-off solutions are identified. Finally, the study of the many objective optimization problem, considering the three measures optimized simultaneously, is presented with some more optimal solutions found. The bi-objective and many-objective problems are solved by a multi-objective genetic algorithm. For a better analysis and comparison of the solutions found, the Pareto fronts are used, enabling a better visualization of the solutions between the objectives. This study aims to assist the decision-maker in choosing the best part print orientation angles according to his/her preferences. The optimal solutions found confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implementation of robust multi-objective optimization in the build orientation problem

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging technology to create 3D objects layer-by-layer directly from a 3D CAD model. The build orientation is a critical issue in AM and its optimization will significantly reduce the building costs and improve object accuracy. This paper aims to optimize the build orientation problem of a 3D CAD model using a robust multi-objective approach, taking into account the staircase effect and the support area characteristics. Thus, themain objective is to obtain a robust Pareto optimal front, composed of solutions that are not quite sensitive to perturbations in the variables. In this manner, a set of robust solutions is presented as alternatives and the decision-maker can identify the compromise solutions and choose according to his/her preferences.This work has been developed under the FIBR3D project - Hybrid processes based on additive manufacturing of composites with long or short fibers reinforced thermoplastic matrix (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016414), supported by the Lisbon Regional Operational Programme 2020, under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work has been supported by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

Monitoring Vegetation Dynamics and Carbon Stock Density in Miombo Woodlands

Background The United Nation’s Program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) aims to reduce the 20% contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases from the forest sector, offering a financial value of the carbon stored in forests as an incentive for local communities. The pre-requisite for the setup of a participatory REDD + Program is the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of baseline carbon stocks and their changes over time. In this study, we investigated miombo woodland’s dynamics in terms of composition, structure and biomass over a 4-year period (2005–2009), and the Carbon Stock Density (CSD) for the year 2009. The study was conducted in the Niassa National Reserve (NNR) in northern Mozambique, which is the 14th largest protected area in the world. Results Mean tree density distributed across 79 species increased slightly between 2005 and 2009, respectively, from 548 to 587 trees ha-1. Julbernardia globiflora (Benth.) was the most important species in this area [importance value index (IVI2005= 61 and IVI2009 = 54)]. The woodlands presented an inverted J-shaped diametric curve, with 69% of the individuals representing the young cohort. Woody biomass had a net increase of 3 Mg ha-1 with the highest growth observed in Dyplorhynchus condilocarpon (Müll.Arg.) Pichon (0.54 Mg ha-1). J. globiflora had a net decrease in biomass of 0.09 Mg ha-1. Total CSD density was estimated at ca. 67 MgC ha-1 ± 24.85 with soils (average 34.72 ± 17.93 MgC ha-1) and woody vegetation (average 29.8 MgC ha-1 ± 13.07) representing the major carbon pools. The results point to a relatively stable ecosystem, but they call for the need to refocus management activities. Conclusions The miombo woodlands in NNR are representative of the woodlands in the eco-region in terms of vegetation structure and composition. They experienced net increase in woody biomass, a considerable recruitment level and low mortality. According to our results, NNR may present good potential for carbon sequestration especially in soils and woody biomass, representing an important potential carbon sink. However, further investigations are needed in order to address the contribution of this area to MRV REDD + initiatives

“Introduction. «L’ingénieur dans tous ses états»: l’essor d’un champ de recherche pluridisciplinaire et transnational”

En octobre 1980, se tenait à l’Ecomusée du Creusot, ce haut lieu symbolique d’histoire industrielle française, un colloque intitulé « Ingénieurs et société » , une grande première dans le genre. Réunie sur l’initiative du directeur de l’Ecomusée, Marcel Evrard, sous la présidence de l’historien André Thépot, une assemblée pluridisciplinaire d’experts a été invitée à réfléchir sur les origines et la nature du groupe professionnel des ingénieurs qui, malgré le nombre de travaux les mentionnant, demeuraient, selon le constat collectif des experts, d’illustres inconnus de l’histoire. Ainsi, les organisateurs ont-ils souhaité dresser le bilan des travaux sur les ingénieurs menés jusqu’alors « en ordre dispersé » à l’occasion et/ou dans le cadre d’études aux thématiques historiques connexes ciblant un domaine des techniques, un secteur de l’industrie, un champ de recherche scientifique, une aire géographique, une administration, une institution, une entreprise, une biographie d’exception, pour ne citer que les cadrages les plus fréquents. En revanche, tout symbolique que fût son rôle dans l’industrialisation aux XIXe et XXe siècles, le groupe professionnel des ingénieurs ne pouvait pas se prévaloir de référer son histoire « à un domaine historique et sociologique constitué » : il demeurait donc très difficile à catégoriser . La démarche a été sous-tendue par une prise de conscience importante, celle d’appréhender la perte de cohérence qui menaçait ce groupe professionnel sous l’impact de l’éclatement de plus en plus prononcé des domaines d’intervention, de la diversification des modes d’action et des fonctions assimilées. Désenclaver les recherches sur les ingénieurs en tant que groupe professionnel et phénomène de société, les sortir de leur confinement, leur imprimer une dynamique propre, – telle était l’ambition des promoteurs du colloque. Et l’ouvrage Ingénieurs dans la société française qui en est issu (1982), a posé les fondements d’un nouveau champ d’investigations, tant au point de vue des problématiques que des approches méthodologiques..

Polyoxazoline-Based Nanovaccine Synergizes with Tumor-Associated Macrophage Targeting and Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy against Solid Tumors

Nanovaccines; Tumor immune microenvironment; Tumor-associated macrophagesNanovacunes; Microambient immune tumoral; Macròfags associats al tumorNanovacunas; Microambiente inmune tumoral; Macrófagos asociados al tumorImmune checkpoint blockade reaches remarkable clinical responses. However, even in the most favorable cases, half of these patients do not benefit from these therapies in the long term. It is hypothesized that the activation of host immunity by co-delivering peptide antigens, adjuvants, and regulators of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β expression using a polyoxazoline (POx)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanovaccine, while modulating the tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) function within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blocking the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) can constitute an alternative approach for cancer immunotherapy. POx-Mannose (Man) nanovaccines generate antigen-specific T-cell responses that control tumor growth to a higher extent than poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-Man nanovaccines. This anti-tumor effect induced by the POx-Man nanovaccines is mediated by a CD8+-T cell-dependent mechanism, in contrast to the PEG-Man nanovaccines. POx-Man nanovaccine combines with pexidartinib, a modulator of the TAM function, restricts the MC38 tumor growth, and synergizes with PD-1 blockade, controlling MC38 and CT26 tumor growth and survival. This data is further validated in the highly aggressive and poorly immunogenic B16F10 melanoma mouse model. Therefore, the synergistic anti-tumor effect induced by the combination of nanovaccines with the inhibition of both TAM- and PD-1-inducing immunosuppression, holds great potential for improving immunotherapy outcomes in solid cancer patients.Funding: R.S.-F. and H.F.F. thank the following funding agencies for their generous support: The project that gave rise to these results has received funding from the “la Caixa” Foundation under the grant agreements LCF/PR/HR22/52420016, LCF/PR/HR19/52160021, and LCF/TR/CD20/52700005 (R.S.-F. and H.F.F). H.F.F thanks the generous financial support from The Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES) (EXPL/MED-QUI/1316/2021, PTDC/BTM-SAL/4350/2021, UTAP-EXPL/NPN/0041/2021, UIDB/04138/2020, UIDP/04138/2020). R.S.-F. thanks to the European Research Council (ERC) PoC Grant Agreement no. 101113390 and ERC Advanced Grant Agreement no. 835227, the Israel Science Foundation (1969/18), the Melanoma Research Alliance (Established Investigator Award no. 615808 to R.S.-F.), the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Professorship award (no. PROF-18-682), the Morris Kahn Foundation. B.C. is supported by the FCT-MCTES (Ph.D. Fellowship SFRH/BD/131969/2017). The authors also acknowledge the NIH Tetramer Core Facility for the provision of Adpgk tetramers, in addition to the Comparative Pathology Unit of IMM and the Histopathology Facility of IGC for supporting the histopathological study

Biological and chemical valorization potential of portuguese seaweeds: Ulva rigida, Gracilaria sp. and Fucus vesiculosus

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dry Markets and Superreplication Bounds of American Derivatives

This paper studies the impact of dry markets for underlying assets on the pricing of American derivatives, using a discrete time framework. Dry markets are characterized by the possibility of non-existence of trading at certain dates. Such non-existence may be deterministic or probabilistic. Using superreplicating strategies, we derive expectation representations for the range of arbitrage-free values of the dervatives. In the probabilistic case, if we consider an enlarged filtration induced by the price process and the market existence process, ordinary stopping times are required. If not, randomized stopping times are required. Several comparisons of the ranges obtained with the two market restrictions are performed. Finally, we conclude that arbitrage arguments are not enough to define the optimal exercise policy.N/

Exploring the Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion in the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic-Rich Chestnut Shells: A Preliminary Study

Chestnut shells (CS), the principal by-product of the chestnut processing industry, contain high concentrations of flavonoids and other polyphenols with huge interest for the nutraceuticals field. Nonetheless, the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of phytochemicals can be influenced by their digestibility, making it imperative to evaluate these activities prior to application of CS as a nutraceutical ingredient. This work aims to appraise the effects of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profiling of CS. An increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant/antiradical properties, radical scavenging capacity, and inhibition on acetylcholinesterase activity was evidenced during in vitro simulated digestion. Metabolomic profiling by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS revealed changes during the simulated digestion, particularly in phenolic compounds (46% of total compounds annotated), lipids (22%), phenylpropanoids (9%), organic acids (7%), carbohydrates (5%), nucleosides (5%), amino acids (4%), and alcohols (1%). Phenolic acids (gallic acid, syringic acid, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid) and flavonoids (epicatechin) were the major polyphenolic classes identified. The heatmap-positive correlations highlighted that the bioactivity of CS is closely related to the phenolic compounds and their bioaccessibility. These findings suggest the reuse of CS as a potential nutraceutical ingredient with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, encouraging the use of appropriate extraction and/or encapsulation techniques to enhance the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. © 2023 by the authors.</p

Humor in mathematics teaching

HUMOR: OUR VIEW FOR MATHEMATICS TEACHING Our assumptions and context. Process humor and be able to produce is clearly a sign of intelligence, revealing, when done well, complex reasoning. Humor has an important social role, assuming as a cognitive experience that as well as creating a sense of well-being, predisposes people to work and can improve the productivity of that work. Mathematics is a discipline in which the reasoning occupies a very prominent place, both as a science as a school area. At the same time, students' interest for mathematics is not always the same and some have initially not very favorable feelings (Toh, 2009; Wanzer, Frymier & Irwin, 2010). Recent curriculum changes to the teaching of mathematics have been, in most countries of the world, showing the need for students to develop skills of critical nature, such as communication, thinking and problem solving along with the acquisition of mathematical knowledge. Also in Portugal, it is claimed the importance of promoting learning that combine the construction of mathematical knowledge with its use, when performing mathematical tasks and communicating mathematical ideas and mathematical reasoning. In the early years of schooling, corresponding to primary education in many countries, the use of texts such as short stories or comics, from which we can develop challenging mathematical tasks, is reported in the literature as having potential to promote learning specified in curricular documents (Wanzer, Frymier., & Irwin, 2010). In particular, some texts focus on mathematical topics in a humorous way and to be understood, students must develop their mathematical competence. The development of mathematical tasks from stories and other humorous presents big challenges to teachers (Flores & Moreno, 2011). Our questions. In this context, we put some questions: Primary teachers use in their classes tasks or situations that present, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas? What resources do they use? Also: How to select, adapt or build texts and tasks which have, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas with didactic potential for education in the early years of schooling? If the resources for this purpose have been produced and if teachers have been sensitized for their use, are they able to integrate them in their classes? Our intentions. This research project seeks to address these questions, focused on: (i ) assessment of teachers’ practices and underlying knowledge, resources available for the use of texts with mathematical ideas presented in a humorous way; (ii) selection, adaptation and construction of mathematical tasks from texts that present, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas with didactic potential in education for the early years of schooling; and ( iii ) integration and use, by primary school teachers, of texts that present , in a humorous way, contexts for the teaching of mathematics. So, the project is organized into three tasks and as a methodological design that combines qualitative elements with quantitative elements, the first one prevailing