Applying ISO/IEC 25010 standard to prioritize and solve quality issues of automatic ETL processes

The goal of any automatic process is to run without human intervention. However, it is not uncommon that unexpected issues recur, requiring repetitive human intervention in order to processes execute successfully. Such situations indicate that those processes were not designed with the necessary quality requirements to achieve the automation goal, and quality needs to be improved. This paper describes a case study of the quality improvements of several automatic ETL processes that required a growing amount of effort to ensure its successful execution. Key to the improvement process was the use of the ISO/IEC 25010 Standard for Systems and Software Quality Requirements and Evaluation to categorize all issues found. This approach proved beneficial in two important ways: first, it created a clear understanding of the overall ETL processes quality problems, second, it made obvious which issues deserved uttermost attention.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Brief survey on computational solutions for Bayesian inference

In this paper, we present a brief review of research work attempting to tackle the issue of tractability in Bayesian inference, including an analysis of the applicability and trade-offs of each proposed solution. In recent years, the Bayesian approach has become increasingly popular, endowing autonomous systems with the ability to deal with uncertainty and incompleteness. However, these systems are also expected to be efficient, while Bayesian inference in general is known to be an NP-hard problem, making it paramount to develop approaches dealing with this complexity in order to allow the implementation of usable Bayesian solutions. Novel computational paradigms and also major developments in massively parallel computation technologies, such as multi-core processors, GPUs and FPGAs, provide us with an inkling of the roadmap in Bayesian computation for upcoming years

Constraining Elko Dark Matter at the LHC with Monophoton Events

A mass dimension one fermion, also known as Elko, constitutes a dark matter candidate which might interact with photons at the tree level in a specific fashion. In this work, we investigate the constraints imposed by unitarity and LHC data on this type of interactions using the search for new physics in monophoton events. We found that Elkos which can explain the dark matter relic abundance mainly through electromagnetic interactions are excluded at the 95\%CL by the 8 TeV LHC data for masses up to 1 TeV.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Análise Retrospectiva do Protocolo de Tratamento Utilizado na Consulta Multidisciplinar de Úlcera de Perna do Hospital dos Capuchos no Período entre 2002 e 1º Semestre 2006

As úlceras de perna constituem uma importante patologia causando uma diminuição da qualidade de vida, hospitalizações frequentes e aumento da mortalidade e morbilidade. Têm uma incidência de 1% na população adulta, sendo que esta incidência atinge níveis de 10% nos escalões etários superiores a 70 anos. Cerca de 95% das úlceras são venosas, arteriais, mistas ou diabéticas, sendo as mais frequentes as úlceras venosas (70 a 80%). Com o objectivo de optimizar o tratamento e acompanhamento dos doentes com esta patologia, foi criada em 2002 uma Consulta de Referência Multidisciplinar de Úlcera de Perna, no Hospital dos Capuchos. Simultaneamente foi estabelecido um protocolo de referenciação/ tratamento com os Centros de Saúde da Unidade B da Sub-região de Saúde de Lisboa. Neste protocolo o doente é observado no contexto de uma equipa multidisciplinar. Os autores fizeram um estudo retrospectivo dos doentes observados nesta consulta no período entre 2002 e 1º semestre de 2006. Foram observados e acompanhados 294 novos doentes, tendo 80% idade superior a 60 anos. Em relação à etiologia das úlceras, 51,3% (n=151) eram venosas, 35,4% (n=104) eram diabéticas e 6,8% (n=20) eram arteriais. A área média das úlceras foi 23,9cm2 e o número médio de úlceras foi 1,6. A duração das úlceras tinha em 42,3% dos casos um período superior a 6 meses. Das 199 culturas positivas, 40,2% apresentavam Staphylococcus aureus, sendo 21,2% destes MRSA. Com o protocolo instituído, foi obtida uma taxa de cicatrização de 72,2%. 45,9% dos doentes tiveram uma cicatrização total da úlcera em menos de 2 meses, resultados estes que são muito positivos face às taxas de cicatrização de 6 meses referidas na literatura

Análise comparativa de resultados de espetrometria gama portátil em afloramentos rochosos

São comparadas estimativas de elementos obtidas por espetrometria gama portátil em afloramentos de rochas metamórficas e ígneas, assim como medições de campo e análises laboratoriais para uma das rochas ígneas consideradas, tendo em vista contribuir para a discussão da utilidade da espetrometria portátil técnica na avaliação dos ma teriaisEste trabalho foi desenvolvido no âmbito das atividades do Lab2PT- Laboratório de Paisagens, Património e Território (AUR/04509) financiado pela FCT através de fundos nacionais e quando aplicável do cofinanciamento do FEDER, no âmbito dos novos acordos de parceria PT2020 e COMPETE 2020 – POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007528.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

pH responsive biomineralization onto chitosan grafted biodegradable substrates

Bioactive composites that enable the formation of an apatite layer onto the surface are important in the development of osteoconductive biomaterials in orthopaedic applications. In this work, the surface of biodegradable and bioactive substrates, composed of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) reinforced with Bioglass , was modified by coupling chitosan to the surface, using plasma activation. The wettability of the modified films was analysed by contact angle (CA) measurements as a function of pH. It was found that this surface property changed significantly with pH. Moreover, the apatite formation on the surface upon immersion of the modified films in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution was analysed at pH 5.4 and pH 7.4 by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). It was found that such modification, together with the effect of pH, could block the formation of apatite onto the biodegradable substrate upon immersion in a simulated body fluid solution when the pH changed to 5.4. On the other hand, a dense apatite layer was formed at pH 7.4. For the unmodified substrates an apatite layer was formed at both pHs. These results suggest that the formation of apatite or possibly other kinds of minerals could be controlled by such a smart surface, in this case pH-responsive

Caracterização estrutural e paragenética do Campo Pegmatítico do Licungo (Mocuba, Moçambique): identificação de recursos base associados

Publicado em "A engenharia no combate à pobreza, pelo desenvolvimento e competitividade", ISBN 978-972-8826-19-2Geological thematic mapping in Licungo pegmatite field (Mocuba, Mozambique) has clarified the distribution of mineral resources in NYF hyperaluminous pegmatites and revealed its structural control. Two distinct spatial and deformational areas can be distinguished. In the north structural domain, large pegmatites are associated with early tangential tectonic. Besides feldspar with ceramic qualification, industrial beryl and gems are also non-systematic resources. Small pegmatite dykes predominate in the south domain and their emplacement is conditioned by later distensive phases (Dn+1 and Dn+2). Their economic interest comes from gem beryl enrichment and its crystallisation as true-blue varieties

Geological materials and external gamma radiation

A diretiva 2013/59/EURATOM pretende fixar normas de segurança para a exposição a radiações ionizantes (como a radiação gama), incluindo a regulação da comercialização de materiais de construção, podendo ter efeitos restritivos no aproveitamento económico destes. Esta diretiva define um limite para a contribuição dos materiais de construção (incluindo os materiais geológicos) para a radiação gama externa (contribuição avaliada por um índice baseado em estimativas das concentrações de átomos que emitem radiação gama). São revistos os fatores que influenciam a contribuição dos materiais geológicos para a radiação gama externa de espaços interiores, em termos gerais e no caso de estudo de um granito alterado. Os resultados são confrontados com os critérios da diretiva referida, concluindo-se que a mesma poderá ser excessivamente restritiva para os usos atualmente mais comuns da pedra natural (utilização parcial de revestimentos finos). Em situações envolvendo uma maior aplicação de material (e.g. algumas construções históricas), a perigosidade de atingir níveis de radiação acima do valor de referência indicado na diretiva é maior mas é necessário considerar fatores como o tempo de exposição e o uso de revestimentos com nível de radiação inferior ao do material considerado (com implicações em termos de valorização de materiais e opções construtivas).The directive 2013/59 / EURATOM intends to establish safety standards for exposure to ionizing radiation (such as gamma radiation), including the regulation of building materials trade (it could, hence, have restrictive effects on the economic exploitation of this materials). This directive sets a limit on the contribution of building materials (including geological materials) for external gamma radiation (contribution assessed by an index based on quantitative estimations of atoms that emit gamma radiation). The factors that influence the contribution of geological materials for external gamma radiation in interior spaces are reviewed for the general case and for the case of a weathered granite from Braga. Results are compared with the criteria of the considered directive, concluding that this directive could be excessively restrictive for the currently most common uses of natural stone (partial cladding). In situations involving the use of larger amounts of stone (e.g. some historical buildings), the hazard of reaching a radiation level above the reference level proposed in the directive are higher but one needs to consider factors such as exposure time and the use of coatings with radiation level lower than that of the considered material (this could have implications in terms of materials valorisation and constructive options).Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no âmbito das atividades do Lab2PT- Laboratório de Paisagens, Património e Território (AUR/04509) financiado pela FCT através de fundos nacionais e quando aplicável do cofinanciamento do FEDER, no âmbito dos novos acordos de parceria PT2020 e COMPETE 2020 – POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007528. O grupo de investigação CULXEO de que faz parte J. Sanjurjo-Sánchez é financiado pela Xunta de Galicia através do programa “Consolidación e estructuración de unidades de investigación competitivas — Grupo de potencial de crecimiento” (GPC2015/024).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adenocarcinoma do Úraco: Um Tumor Primário a Não Negligenciar

Urachal carcinoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm, involving the urachus, a remnant of the fetal genitourinary tract that extends from the umbilicus to the dome of the bladder. We present a 49-year-old woman with a history of pelvic discomfort and a palpable suprapubic mass. Pelvic ultrasound and magnetic resonance revealed a 55-mm midline supravesical mass, arising from the urachus and extending inferiorly through the bladder. The characteristics of the mass and its location favored the diagnosis of urachal carcinoma. There were no regional or distant metastases. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a non-cystic enteric type urachal adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this article is to present a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the urachus, describe its epidemiology and clinical features, as well as illustrate its key imaging findings along with pathologic correlationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Piezoelectric Device for Measurement and Power Harvesting Applications

Com o apoio RAADRI.With the fast growth of wireless communications between nodes/sensor units, devices installed in remote places require power energy supply solutions to assure their functionally and data communication capabilities. For these applications energy harvesting takes place as a good solution, to increase the availability of energy, in opposition to the conventional systems of energy supply. Regenerative energy sources like thermoelectric, magnetic, piezoelectric, and/or renewable sources such as photovoltaic, wind, among others, allowed the development of different powering solutions for sensor units. The purpose of this work is to characterize a piezoelectric device to measure and capture mechanical vibrations from equipments, structures and piping vibrations, as well as from other sources. The study is carried out taking into account the power supply capabilities of piezoelectric devices as a function of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration stimulus, as well as, the electrical characteristics of the load circuit