Optimization of epidemic multicast protocols

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia InformáticaEpidemic multicast protocols, also known as gossip protocols, offer fault tolerance and good performance at large scale. Therefore, these are used in peer-to-peer (P2P) systems on the Internet and in NoSQL data management systems. Research has shown there are multiple variants of these protocols which are most efficient in certain environments and applications. Some protocols, such as Plumtree, even allow the application to configure to obtain different performance trade-offs. This dissertation aims at taking advantage of Machine Learning (ML) to configure these protocols, developing a solution that adapts in runtime to network conditions and evaluate it experimentally. The results obtained by using ML models to control the transmission strategy used when forwarding messages show that it is possible to achieve a better trade-off between bandwidth used and the time to reach the entire network. Moreover, this does not endanger the characteristics of epidemic multicast protocols, maintaining their reliability while becoming even more scalable.Os protocolos de difusão epidémica, também conhecidos como gossiping, oferecem tolerância a faltas e bom desempenho em grande escala. São por isso usados, por exemplo, em sistemas entre-pares (P2P) na Internet e em sistemas de gestão de dados NoSQL. A investigação feita mostrou que existem múltiplas variantes destes protocolos, adaptadas a diferentes ambientes e aplicações. Alguns protocolos concretos, como o Plumtree, permitem até que a aplicação faça uma configuração das suas características, de forma a obter diferentes compromissos de desempenho. Nesta dissertação apresenta-se uma abordagem que tira partido de tecnologias de aprendizagem automática para fazer a configuração destes protocolos, desenvolvendo uma solução capaz de se adaptar em runtime tendo em conta o estado atual da rede e posteriormente é feita uma avaliação da solução experimentalmente. Os resultados obtidos com os modelos que controlam a estratégia de transmissão na distribuição de mensagens demonstram ser possível alcançar um melhor compromisso entre o número de mensagens enviadas e o tempo necessário para as distribuir. Além disso, não compromete as características dos protocolos de difusão epidémica, mantendo a sua confiabilidade e tornando-se ainda mais escaláveis

Return migration and entrepreneurship: an IV approach

Double Degree. A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Master’s Degree in Management from NOVA – School of Business and Economics and a Masters Degree in Economics from Louvain School of ManagementNSBE - UN

Development of an Electronic Warfare Package

Nowadays with the development and cost reduction of unmanned vehicles, armed forces around the world have been using these systems as a replacement or complement for conventional manned systems. Because of all the advantages inherent to the use of these vehicles, there have been many possible applications for these systems. One of possible applications is its use as a vehicle for carrying an Electronic Warfare package. Electronic Warfare, since the military started using and depending on the electromagnetic spectrum to achieve their objectives, has been a major warfare area of high interest. In my thesis, I suggest the creation of an Electronic Warfare package with jamming and spoofing capacities for communication systems, designed to be implemented on an unmanned vehicle, with remote control dedicated programs. To do this, I took advantage of the Software Defined Radio technology along with the GNU Radio software, installed on a Raspberry Pi computer in order to be transportable even by small vehicles.Atualmente, com o desenvolvimento e a redução de custos dos veículos não tripulados, as forças armadas em todo o mundo têm utilizado estes sistemas como substituto ou complemento aos sistemas tripulados. Devido às vantagens inerentes à sua utilização, têm havido inúmeras aplicações para estes sistemas. Uma das possíveis aplicações é a sua utilização como veículo para transporte de um pacote de Guerra Eletrónica. A Guerra Eletrónica, desde que os militares começaram a utilizar e a depender do espetro eletromagnético para alcançar os seus objetivos, tem sido uma das principais áreas da guerra de elevado interesse. Nesta dissertação, sugiro a criação de um módulo de Guerra Eletrónica com a capacidade de efetuar empastelamento e mistificação de a sistemas de comunicações, idealizado para ser implementado num veículo não tripulado, com programas dedicados para controlo remoto. Para isto, recorri à tecnologia do Radio Definido por Software assim como ao software GNU Radio, instalado num computador Raspberry Pi por forma a poder ser transportado também por pequenos veículos

Endodontia vs. Implantologia : a decisão de preservar estruturas dentárias

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre no Instituto Universitário Egas MonizA reabilitação oral com implantes dentários tem se vindo a tornar uma prática cada vez mais comum nos últimos anos. Esta tendência é impulsionada pelos avanços na tecnologia e nos conhecimentos da resposta biológica do nosso sistema, tendo se tornado numa opção de tratamento previsível e com resultados satisfatórios , tanto a nível estético como funcional. Contudo, esta maior acessibilidade aos tratamentos com implantes tem resultado na extração e substituição de peças dentárias que, por vezes, poderia m ser preservadas. O tratamento endodôntico é uma prática com um registo histórico extensamente documentado, cujo sucesso está bem assente na literatura . No entanto, é importante notar que, tipicamente, este procedimento requer um número considerável de sessões, o que, por vezes, pode ser encarado como um desafio para o paciente. Ambas as alternativas apresentam méritos e desafios distintos, exigindo uma abordagem individualizada para cada paciente, a fim de conceber o plano de tratamento mais apropriado em consonância com as suas necessidades particulares em cada situação. Neste contexto, a presente revisão bibliográfica tem como objetivo primordial a avaliação cuidadosa das vantagens e desvantagens inerentes a ambas as modalidades de tratamento . Adicionalmente, são discutidas as precauções necessárias ao lidar com pacientes que apresentam condições mais complexas com o objetivo de simplificar o processo de escolha do tratamento mais apropriado Realizou se uma extensa pesquisa em diversas bases de dados PubMed, Scopes , Cochrane e EMBASE )), abrangendo a literatura relevante publicada desde o ano 2000 até à atualidade.Oral rehabilitation with dental implants has become an increasingly common practice in recent years. This trend is driven by advances in technology and our understanding of the biological responses of our system, making it a predictable treatment option with satisfactory results, both aesthetically and functionally. However, this increased accessibility to implant treatments has resulted in the extraction and replacement of teeth that could sometimes have been preserved. Endod ontic treatment is a practice with a extensively documented historical record, whose success is well established in the literature. However, it is important to note that, typically, this procedure requires a considerable number of sessions, which can sometimes be perceived as a challenge for the patient. Both alternatives have distinct merits and challenges, requiring an individualized approach for each patient to design the most appropriate treatment plan in line with their specific needs in each situation In this context, this literature review has the primary objective of carefully evaluating the advantages and disadvantages inherent in both treatment modalities. Additionally, precautions necessary when dealing with patients with more complex conditions are discussed, with the aim of simplifying the process of choosing the most appropriate treatment. Extensive research was conducted across various reputable databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and EMBASE), covering relevant literature published from the year 2000 to the present day

A Big Data system architecture to support the monitoring of paved roads

Today, everything is connected, including the exchange of data and the generation of new information. As a result, large amounts of data are being collected at an ever-increasing rate and in a variety of forms, a phenomenon now known as Big Data. Recent developments in information and communication technologies are driving the generation of significant amounts of data from multiple sources, namely sensors. In response to these technological advances and data challenges, this paper proposes a Big Data system architecture for paved road monitoring and implements part of this architecture on a section of road in Portugal as a case study. The challenge in the case study architecture is to collect and process sensor data in real time, at a rate of 500 records per second, producing 15 GBytes of data per day, using a real-time data stream for real-time monitoring and a batch data stream for deeper analysis. This allows users to obtain instant updates on road conditions such as the number of vehicles, loads, weather, and pavement temperatures on the road. They can monitor what is happening on the road in real time, receive alerts, and even gain insight into historical data, such as analysing the condition of structures or identifying traffic patterns.This work was also partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), under reference UIDB/04029/2020, and under the Associate Laboratory Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems ARISE, under reference LA/P/0112/2020. This work was also partly supported by the FCT under the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

Reabilitação de maxilas severamente reabsorvidas através da técnica da Abordagem Palatina

O artigo elaborado por Cawood e Howell após estudo em 300 crânios, descreve que o processo alveolar dos maxilares sofre progressiva e previsível alteração anatómica, horizontal e vertical após a perda do dente. O edentulismo torna as pessoas incapacitadas, originando dentre seus comprometimentos reflexos psicológicos e funcionais, como baixa autoestima e diminuição da eficiência mastigatória. A utilização de próteses implantossuportadas visa proporcionar condições estéticas, fonéticas e fisiológicas ao indivíduo. Em pacientes desdentados, especialmente para a maxila, a colocação de implantes é muitas vezes mais desafiador e frequentemente complicado por pós-extração desfavorável, padrões ósseos, pneumatização do seio maxilar e má qualidade do restante osso alveolar, que resulta ser mais medular e mais fino. A inserção de implantes pela abordagem palatina em combinação com técnicas minimamente invasivas, destinadas a aumentar o volume ósseo sem o uso da colheita de ossos, e é uma alternativa válida entre as opções para a reabilitação da mandíbula superior

Improved lignocellulolytic enzyme production and antioxidant extraction using solid-state fermentation of olive pomace mixed with winery waste

Olive pomace is characterized by its low nutritional value and high phenolic content, which hinders its direct use as animal feed, fertilizer, or as a substrate in bioprocesses such as solidstate fermentation (SSF). A possible strategy for bioprocessing olive pomace by SSF is the mixture of olive mill wastes with other wastes produced in the same region, such as winery wastes. This may improve the production of bioactive compounds like enzymes and antioxidant phenolics. A simplexcentroid design was used to evaluate the use of olive mill and winery wastes alone or in combination as a substrate for SSF with Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus ibericus. Synergistic effects of combinations of crude olive pomace (COP), exhausted olive pomace (EOP), vine trimming shoots (VTS), and exhausted grape marc (EGM) were observed in the production of xylanases, cellulases, glucosidases, and in the variation in total phenolics and antioxidant activity of SFF extracts. A multiple response optimization was carried out, leading to the following optimal mixture of substrates: for A. niger, 23% (w/w) COP, 30% EGM, 33% VTS, 14% EOP; for A. ibericus, 30% EGM, 36% VTS, 34% EOP. The scaleup to tray bioreactor with optimal substrate made it possible to achieve the maximum xylanase, cellulase, and glucosidase production of 189.1 ± 26.7, 56.3 ± 2.1 and 10.9 ± 0.8 U/g, respectively. The antioxidant activity of fermented wastes was also improved 2.2fold as compared with unfermented wastes. Thus, a combination of olive mill and winery wastes in SSF is a potential strategy to increase their value and to develop a circular strategy in these industries. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.José Manuel Salgado was supported by grant CEB/N2020 – INV/01/2016 from Project ‘BIOTECNORTE – Underpinning Biotechnology to foster the north of Portugal bioeconomy’ (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004). This study was supported by SPO3 project, reference POCI-010145-FEDER-030377, funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), by the InovFeed project, reference MAR-02.01.01- FEAMP-0111. This study was supported by the FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and by the BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000004) funded by the ERDF under the scope of North 2020 – Northern Regional Operational Program. Helena Fernandes and Carolina Castro were supported by PhD grant SFRH/BD/131219/2017 and post-doctoral grant SFRH/BDP/114942/2016, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), respectivelyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Solid-state fermentation as green technology to improve the use of plant feedstuffs as ingredients in diets for european sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles

This study aimed to evaluate the utilization by juvenile European sea bass of a SSFed PF mixture with Aspergillus niger CECT 2088. A 22-day digestibility and a 50-day growth trial were performed testing four diets, including 20 or 40% of an unfermented or SSFed PF mixture (rapeseed, soybean, rice bran, and sunflower seed meals, 25% each). SSF of the PF added cellulase and β-glucosidase activity to the diets. Mycotoxin contamination was not detected in any of the experimental diets except for residual levels of zearalenone and deoxynivalenol (100 and 600 times lower than that established by the European Commission Recommendation-2006/576/EC). In diets including 20% PF, SSF did not affect growth but increased apparent digestibility coefficients of protein and energy, feed efficiency, and protein efficiency ratio. On the contrary, in diets including 40% PF, SSF decreased growth performance, feed intake, feed and protein efficiency, and diet digestibility. SSF decreased the intestinal amylase activity in the 40% SSFed diet, while total alkaline proteases decreased in the 20% and 40% SSFed diets. Hepatic amino acid catabolic enzyme activity was not modulated by SSF, and plasma total protein, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were similar among dietary treatments. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of moderate levels of the SSFed PF, up to 20%, improves the overall feed utilization efficiency without negatively impacting European sea bass growth performance. The replacement of PF with the SSFed PF mixture may contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of aquaculture production.Simple Summary: The rapid growth of the world’s population has increased the demand for seafood, leading to the expansion of aquaculture to fulfill these needs and reduce the pressure on wild fish stocks. Plant feedstuffs (PFs) are often used as the main protein source in aquafeeds due to their wide availability and low cost. However, PFs usually contain high levels of non-starch polysaccharides that limit their utilization in aquafeeds, mainly for carnivorous fish. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a cost-effective technological process that may reduce anti-nutritional factor levels while improving nutrient digestibility and the production of several bioactive compounds, enhancing feedstuffs’ nutritional value in aquafeeds. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of using a PF mixture (rapeseed, soybean, rice bran, and sunflower seed meals, 25% each) solid-state fermented (SSFed) with Aspergillus niger CECT 2088 at two inclusion levels (20% and 40%) on European sea bass juveniles’ growth performance, feed digestibility, digestive and catabolic enzyme activity, and plasma metabolites. Overall, the SSFed PF mixture improved the overall feed digestibility, and utilization efficiency, when included at balanced level (20%) without negatively impacting fish growth performance, but not at the higher level (40%).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDB/04423/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDP/04423/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. 2020.05525.BDFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. SFRH/BD/115870/2016Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. SFRH/BD/137919/2018Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. SFRH/BD/143614/201

Solid-state fermentation of distiller’s dried grains with solubles improves digestibility for european seabass (dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles

Aquaculture requires new, economical, and eco-friendly protein sources to replace traditional fisheries and plant ingredients. Using agriculture by-products as protein sources would reduce land-based feed production pressure and waste production, promoting a circular economy and sustainable aquaculture. Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is the main by-product of bioethanol production. Corn DDGS has a high protein level, but its high fiber content limits its use as a feed ingredient, particularly for carnivorous fish. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) uses lignocellulosic-rich substrates, such as DDGS, for microbial growth in the near absence of water, promoting enzyme production that degrades the lignocellulosic matrix, increasing free reducing sugars, protein, and antioxidant levels of the substrate. In the present work, the SSF of corn DDGS with Aspergillus carbonarius, A. ibericus, and A. uvarum was tested. Then, the digestibility of the most promising fermented DDGS (in terms of upgraded nutritional composition) was tested by including it in a reference diet (70% of a reference diet; 48% crude protein; 15% crude lipids) for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles (171 g averaged weight; trial duration of 52 days). Among the fungi tested, Aspergillus ibericus led a generally higher upgrading of the DDGS nutritional composition, leading to a high amount of protein (from 42.7 to 49.7 g N/kg DM), phenolic compounds (1.49 to 4.86 mg/g caffeic acid equivalents), free sugars (9.5 to 31.9 mg/g), and enzyme production (45 U/g and 68 U/g of cellulase and xylanase, respectively), and a high reduction in acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber content (up to 29 and 43%, respectively). Compared to the unfermented DDGS, fermented DDGS presented increased protein, lipids, starch, and energy digestibility, while phosphorous digestibility was similar. Compared to the reference diet, dietary inclusion of unfermented or fermented DDGS increased trypsin and chymotrypsin activities. The activity of digestive enzymes was not affected by the inclusion of fermented DDGS, except for amylase activity, which was lower with the fermented DDGS than with the unfermented DDGS diet. In conclusion, SSF of DDGS enhanced its nutritional value, increasing DDGS digestibility when included in diets for European seabass juveniles.This research was funded by the R&D&I project MB4Aqua, reference FCT.2022.06587.PTDC from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and by the structural projects CEBpest (UIDB/04469/2020) and LABBELS (LA/P/0029/2020). Diogo Filipe was supported by a grant reference 2020.05525info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio