Synchronized events in mobile systems physically nearby

The advances and convergence of information technology and communication technologies in mobile devices, enables the creation of ubiquitous applications for these devices. In this paper, we propose a system capable of producing a certain coordinate effect between the mobile devices of the spectators present at an event

Combining similarity functions and majority rules for multi-building, multi-floor, WiFi positioning

Fingerprint is one of the most widely used methods for locating devices in indoor wireless environments and we have witnessed the emergence of several positioning systems aimed for indoor environments based on this approach. However, additional efforts are required in order to improve the performance of these systems so that applications that are highly dependent on user location can provide better services to its users. In this work we discuss some improvements to the positioning accuracy of the fingerprint-based systems. Our algorithm ranks the information about the location in a hierarchical way by identifying the building, the floor, the room and the geometric position. The proposed fingerprint method uses a previously stored map of the signal strength at several positions and determines the position using similarity functions and majority rules. In particular, we compare different similarity functions to understand their impact on the accuracy of the positioning system. The experimental results confirm the possibility of correctly determining the building, the floor and the room where the persons or the objects are at with high rates, and with an average error around 3 meters. Moreover, detailed statistics about the errors are provided, showing that the average error metric, often used by many authors, hides many aspects on the system performance.This work was supported by the FEDER program through the COMPETE and the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), within the context of projects SUM – Sensing and Understanding human Motion dynamics (PTDC/EIA-EIA/113933/2009) and TICE.Mobilidade (COMPETE 13843)

Superfluid Bosons and Flux Liquids: Disorder, Thermal Fluctuations, and Finite-Size Effects

The influence of different types of disorder (both uncorrelated and correlated) on the superfluid properties of a weakly interacting or dilute Bose gas, as well as on the corresponding quantities for flux line liquids in high-temperature superconductors at low magnetic fields are reviewed, investigated and compared. We exploit the formal analogy between superfluid bosons and the statistical mechanics of directed lines, and explore the influence of the different "imaginary time" boundary conditions appropriate for a flux line liquid. For superfluids, we discuss the density and momentum correlations, the condensate fraction, and the normal-fluid density as function of temperature for two- and three-dimensional systems subject to a space- and time-dependent random potential as well as conventional point-, line-, and plane-like defects. In the case of vortex liquids subject to point disorder, twin boundaries, screw dislocations, and various configurations of columnar damage tracks, we calculate the corresponding quantities, namely density and tilt correlations, the ``boson'' order parameter, and the tilt modulus. The finite-size corrections due to periodic vs. open "imaginary time" boundary conditions differ in interesting and important ways. Experimental implications for vortex lines are described briefly.Comment: 78 pages, RevTex, 4 figures included (sorry, there are no ps-files for the remaining 2 figures; if needed, please send mail to [email protected]); brief erratum appended (2 pages

Inclusão no mercado de trabalho de jovens provindos de Projeto Social

Trabalho apresentado no 31º SEURS - Seminário de Extensão Universitária da Região Sul, realizado em Florianópolis, SC, no período de 04 a 07 de agosto de 2013 - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.Motivados pela crescente demanda e exigência do mercado de trabalho por jovens qualificados e com conhecimento básico em aplicativos computacionais utilizados no dia a dia de empresas, bem como, do ambiente operacional Windows©, foi estabelecida a parceria ente UTFPR - Câmpus Medianeira e Sanem. Na Sanem (Sociedade de Amparo ao Necessitado Medianeirense) desenvolve-se o PROJOVEM adolescente, que é uma parceria do Governo Federal e Prefeitura Municipal, que visa auxiliar famílias beneficiadas pelo programa Bolsa Família. Este trabalho tem como objetivo, analisar o resultado deste projeto por meio da inclusão no mercado de trabalho, dos jovens que participaram do projeto de inclusão digital. Observou-se que os resultados obtidos foram relevantes e satisfatórios, porém, investimentos, principalmente em novos equipamentos e tecnologias, são essenciais para se manter ou melhorar os resultados

New insights for identification of clinical isolates of Trichophyton rubrum using MALDI-TOF MS

Dermatophytoses are the most common fungal infection worldwide with a nondespicable impact in health-care costs. Trichophyton rubrum is an antropophilic dermatophyte species very well adapted to human host causing chronic and slowly progressing disease on keratinised tissues. It is the causative agents of about 70% of all human dermatophytoses. Besides their distribution all over the world this species is by far, the most frequently isolated species on onychomycosis and tinea pedis. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis has already been used as a rapid technique in the identification and classification of microorganisms. It has progressively been incorporated as a technique in the polyphasic approach to improve the accuracy of the microbial identification issue. This technique has also been used as a tool for the fast identification of filamentous fungi with clinical relevance including dermatophytes. In this study twenty clinical dermatophyte isolates were analysed using a polyphasic approach that was based on macro- and micro-morphologies, biochemistry, molecular biology using ITS 1-4 sequencing data and primers M13, (GACA)4 and (AC)10 for typing and, MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Eighteen of these clinical dermatophyte isolates were collected from human nails. The remaining 2 isolates were the reference strain T. rubrum ATCC MYA-4438 that was used as positive control and the strain T. mentagrophytes ATCC MYA-4439 that was used as out-group. Preliminary results based on macroand micro-morphologies indicated that all isolates were T. rubrum. These results were confirmed by molecular biology and MALDI-TOF MS techniques. For molecular approach 16 T. rubrum isolates were clustered in a single group with 100% of genotypic homology of the ITS1-4 region. Moreover, 2 remaining T. rubrum isolates were found having 98% of homology in this region. Similar clusters were found for M13 and (GACA)4 primers. In contrast, (AC)10 was not discriminative. MALDI-TOF MS analysis corroborates with morphological and molecular identifications. Nine T. rubrum isolates were clustered on a single group evidencing 100% similarity and the remaining T. rubrum isolates were distributed over the MALDI-TOF MS dendrogram showing phenotypic variability. MALDI-TOF MS shown to be as good as molecular biology and, moreover, rapid, low-cost and accurate alternative tool for identification and strain typing of T. rubrum clinical isolates. Analysis of mass spectra profiles provided new insights in the proteomic approach for strain typing of clinical isolates of T. rubrum. As a matter of consequence, MALDI-TOF MS can be suitable as point-of-care diagnostic for dermatophytoses.European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013), Research Infrastructures action, under the grant agreement No. FP7-228310 (EMbaRC project

Delta multicopy integration for improved β-galactosidase production in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The β-galactosidase industrial production is hampered by the high costs associated with its production and purification. One way to improve the overall productivity of galactosidase β-galactosidase fermentation system would be to use continuous high-cell-density systems. Among these, the ones that use flocculent cells are surely attractive due to its simplicity and low cost. We have previously reported the construction of a flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain secreting high levels of Aspergillus niger β-galactosidase. Due to the cell flocculation characteristics, the recombinant yeast may be used in a high-cell-density system operating in continuous mode. However, when operating at high dilution rates we have observed some plasmid instability which led to a decrease in the β-galactosidase production. With this work we aim at obtaining stable yeast transformants with at least the same β-galactosidase production level of the previously constructed strain1'1 (construction based on an epissomal plasmid) but with enhanced stability which would allow to increase the enzyme productivity in the continuous system. For that, the lacA gene from A. niger (coding to β-galactosidase) was integrated into the genome of the flocculent yeasts S. cerevisiae NCYC 869 and S. cerevisiae NCYC 869-A3 (ura) using integrative vectors with a G418 and ura3 marker, respectively. The repeated cromossomal δ sequences of the yeasts were employed as target sites for the integration. The S. cerevisiae NCYC 869 integrants were selected by resistance to the aminoglycoside G418 (0.2-1.5 g/I) while for the auxothrophic strain S. cerevisiae NCYC869-A3 the selection of integrants was made on minimal medium. Some transforming colonies that presented a deep blue tonality (due to the presence of the X-gal in the plates of selective medium) were randomly selected for growth in nonselective liquid media containing lactose or glucose. Different levels of β-galactosidase expression were observed independently of the selection marker used. For ones that presented more enzyme activity, expression levels of β-galactosidase, cell growth and substrate consumption were found to be similar with the previous y constructed strain (with a 2μ-based plasmid). Unexpectedly, the flocculation of the original strains was affected by the integration. The most flocculants were from transformation using the ura3 marker selection system and the second ones were from transformation using 1.5 g/I G418 as selective marker. Nevertheless, all transformants were less flocculent when compare with the original strain. Transformants genetic characterization by Southern analysis confirmed the multicopy tandem integration pattern. For the analysed transformants, one or two different integration sites were observed. For the most promising transformants, physiological and genetic characterization is being conducted in order to select for a new recombinant strain to be used in a continuous high-cell-density β-galactosidase producing system

Production of β-galactosidase from recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on lactose

Improved productivity and costs reduction in fermentation processes may be attained by using flocculating cell cultures. The production of extracellular heterologous β-galactosidase by recombinant flocculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, expressing the lacA gene (coding for β-galactosidase) of Aspergillus niger under the ADHI promotor and terminator in a bioreactor was studied. The effects of lactose concentration and yeast extract concentration on β-galactosidase production in a semi-synthetic medium were analysed. The extracellular β-galactosidase activity increased linearly with increasing initial lactose concentrations (5–150 g dmˉ³ ). β-Galactosidase production also increased with increased yeast extract concentration. During the entire fermentation, no accumulation of the hydrolysed sugars, glucose and galactose, was observed. The catabolic repression of the recombinant strain when cultured in a medium containing equal amounts of glucose and galactose was confirmed. In complete anaerobiosis, the fermentation of lactose resulted in a very slow fermentation pattern with lower levels of β-galactosidase activity. The bioreactor operation together with optimisation of culture conditions (lactose and yeast extract concentration) led to a 21-fold increase in the extracellular β-galactosidase activity produced when compared with preliminary Erlenmeyer fermentations

Interface optical phonons in spheroidal dots: Raman selection rules

The contribution of interface phonons to the first order Raman scattering in nanocrystals with non spherical geometry is analyzed. Interface optical phonons in the spheroidal geometry are discussed and the corresponding Frohlich-like electron-phonon interaction is reported in the framework of the dielectric continuum approach. It is shown that the interface phonon modes are strongly dependent on the nanocrystal geometry, particularly on the ellipsoid's semi-axis ratio. The new Raman selection rules have revealed that solely interface phonon modes with even angular momentum are allowed to contribute to the first order phonon-assisted scattering of light. On this basis we are able to give an explanation for the observed low frequency shoulders present in the Raman cross-section of several II-VI semiconductor nanostructures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure