Assessing the geometry and tuning properties of historical timbilas through non-destructive reverse engineering techniques

Timbilas are xylophones finely manufactured and tuned by the Chopi people from Mozambique. In the context of a research project, we aim at assessing the construction and acoustical features of a set of historical instruments by developing non-destructive characterization techniques based on reverse engineering, with main objectives to assess their original tuning and musical scale. In this thesis, we present the methodology and workflow that have been developed for the study of the collection of historical timbilas of the National Museum of Ethnology of Lisbon, which is the world's largest collection of the Mozambican instrument. In a first stage, contactless geometrical measurements were performed on a ninebar timbila by using 3D scanning Technology, resulting in a detailed geometrical description of the instrument bars. In a second stage, the 3D collected geometrical data was used as input to Finite Element computations in order to calculate the modal frequencies and mode shapes of each bar of the instrument. Results stemming from our modal computations were compared with modal data obtained from vibrational measurements, proving the efficiency of the proposed approach. Final stage was using the data as input for developing a sound synthesis model for recreating the sound of the timbila bars.Timbilas são xilofones cuidadosamente construídos e afinados pelos Chopes, povo de Moçambique que cultiva uma das mais importantes tradições musicais do sul da África. No contexto de um projeto interdisciplinar de investigação, objetivamos avaliar as características geométricas e acústicas de alguns exemplares históricos, desenvolvendo técnicas não-destrutivas de caracterização baseadas num processo de engenharia reversa, com o principal objetivo de avaliar a afinação e a escala musical de um conjunto de instrumentos. A metodologia desenvolvida consiste no levantamento preciso da geometria das barras a partir de tecnologia de imagens scanner 3D, resultando numa descrição detalhada de sua morfologia. Num segundo passo, realizamos cálculos modais a partir de um modelo por Elementos Finitos 3D construido a partir dos dados coletados, a fim de calcular as frequências modais e formas vibratórias das principais ressonâncias de cada barra do instrumento. Os resultados dos cálculos modais foram finalmente comparados com os valores de parâmetros modais identificados a partir de medições vibratórias, demonstrando a utilidade e eficácia da metodologia proposta. O estágio final foi a utilização dos dados para criar um modelo de síntese sonora para as barras da timbila

ENVIE Co-ordination action on indoor air quality and health effects; WP3 Final report – Characterisation of spaces and source

Human exposure to environmental pollutants occurs via various pathways. For many pollutants, especially the volatile ones, air exposure is the dominant pathway. Exposure via air occurs both outdoors and indoors, with diverse types of indoor spaces playing a role, e.g., home, workplace, and passenger cabins of means of transportation. In average people spend over 90% of their time indoors, that percentage being particularly high for some specific groups as new-born, elderly, disabled or sick people. The global exposure to air contaminants is therefore drastically determined by indoor conditions. It is now well established that indoor air pollution contributes significantly to the global burden of disease of the population. For a majority of indoor air contaminants, particularly in the presence of common indoor sources, however, indoor concentrations usually exceed outdoor concentrations, for some pollutants even with an indoor/outdoor ratio of 10 or 20. Emissions are identified, accordingly to the EnVIE approach and grouped into four categories: building materials and related sources, including dampness and moulds; ventilation, natural and mechanical, including, or not, heating, cooling and humidification/ dehumidification; consumer products, furnishing, cleaning and household products; and occupant activities. Emission of chemical substances from construction materials and products in buildings to the indoor air have been reported and reviewed for a wide range of substances, including those formed during secondary reactions, causing complaints of irritation and odour. During the last two decades there has been increasing advances in construction technology that have caused a much greater use of synthetic building materials. Whilst these improvements have led to more comfortable buildings, they also provide indoor environments with contaminants in higher concentrations than are found outside. Wood and cork are now frequently used as a building product for floor coverings, because the material is often regarded as “natural” and “healthy”. However, industrial products, even based on natural raw materials, may contain a number of artificial ingredients and the chemical emissions will strongly depend on the type of additives and the manufacturing process. Modern interior paints are usually based on a polymeric binder. In order to fulfil requirements on e.g., durability, paint contains various functional chemicals. Water-borne paints usually also contains small amounts of approved biocides. Polymeric binders with a very low content of residual monomers have been developed for paint. Besides the release of substances to the indoor air due to primary emission, damp building materials may give rise to volatile substances formed during secondary reactions. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are now receiving much more attention than heretofore. The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems as providers, among others, of services of cleaning and dilution of pollutants in the indoor air are also recognized as potential pollution sources. Several studies have shown that the prevalence of SBS symptoms is often higher in air conditioned buildings than in buildings with natural ventilation. 8 The outdoor air introduced indoors through either ventilation systems or natural means is also an important and not always controllable source for the intake of some outdoor pollutants. Outdoor air used for ventilation may also be source of pollution containing particulate matter, particulates of biological origin (microorganisms, pollen, etc.) and various gases like NOx and O building structures which is a driving force for the airflows which will transport to indoors water vapour and gaseous or particulate contaminants. Volatile organic compounds are emitted from a wide variety of household and consumer products with emission rates that are strongly dependent on the type of application and are distributed over several orders of magnitude. A number of product classes are identified and information on ingredients and available data on emissions from individual products are presented. Human activities and the associated use of products encompass a wide range of indoor sources involving release of inorganic gases, particles and organic compounds as a consequence of the activity. For some releases such as with air fresheners the release is a necessary part of the activity to achieve the intended effect whereas for others, such as the release of combustion fumes from a gas appliance, the purpose of the action (in this case generation of heat) is different from the emission. Combustion processes are an important source of a range of air pollutants as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulates and associated inorganic and organic chemicals, organic vapours e.g. formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and benzene. Sources of these are present in both ambient and indoor environments. The concentrations present in the ambient air provide a baseline for the level of pollutant found indoors as this air enters indoors by processes of infiltration and ventilation. However, the concentration indoors will be modified by processes of sorption to surfaces and chemical reaction depending on the chemical and physical properties of the pollutant and internal surfaces. People themselves are a source of emissions of chemicals and gases, notably CO range of organic compounds that are referred to as body odours. The removal of such body odours is a prime objective of ventilation in order to achieve a satisfactory indoor environment. WP3 aims at to characterize spaces and sources in order to understand where and how to act to guarantee good IAQ. From the two strategies for good IAQ, source control and ventilation, the precautionary principle suggests that first priority shall be given to source control, avoiding, mitigating or simply managing sources of emissions. An overview of all policies on IAQ or related to IAQ, existing or in preparation, directly related to indoor air sources, but also covering outdoor air and industrial emissions, which could affect indirectly IAQ is made. Considering the presented it could be concluded that IAQ is yet poorly regulated at EU level, and in view of that some recommendations are made. The recommendations on policies have taken into account the existing related to IAQ policies such as new EU policies on chemicals (REACH; 2006/121/EC), consumer products (GPSD; 2001/95/EC), construction products (CPD; 89/106/EC) and energy performance of buildings (EPBD; 2002/91/EC) all refer to IAQ issues - suggesting that they could, and probably should, contribute to IAQ policy development and advocate an integrative and comprehensive policy approach centred

Smart Cities Initiative: how to foster a quick transition towards local sustainable energy systems

The European Commission has recently launched the Smart Cities Initiative to demonstrate and disseminate how to foster a quick transition towards local sustainable energy systems. Within this initiative, the three main challenges faced by pioneering cities, are to reduce or modify the demand for energy services, to improve the uptake of energy efficient technologies and to improve the uptake of renewables in the urban environment. We find that enough resources will need to be provided to a significant number of pioneering cities, and propose that the initiative would allocate these resources through project competition, rewarding innovation, ambition and performance, which have been ingredients of success at Member State level.Smart Cities; sustainable local energy systems; city authority incentives; EU energy policy

How to avoid legal problems in cases of nerve injury due to dental implants

During the surgical and implant procedures, there is considerable risk of injury to oral nerves. The dental surgeon must recognize clinical signs of the main nerve lesions that might occur following surgical or dental implant procedures, and take the necessary precautions to prevent them. Objective: The aim of this manuscript was to describe a legal case of clinical paresthesia due to alveolar nerve compression following an implant placement, revising the types of nerve lesions of surgical-implant etiology, and advise the dental professional against clinical and legal flaws. Case report: In this case, a female patient underwent oral rehabilitation, including the placement of an osseointegrated implant in the lower left first molar region. After the setting of the device, the patient presented paresthesia on the left mentonian region and buccal mucosa of elements 34, 33 and 32 and, dissatisfied with the situation, she appealed to justice and requested the responsibility of the professional. Conclusion: It is important to discuss that prevention continues to be the key issue when it comes to avoiding clinical, ethical or legal repercussions. Practicing adequate diagnosis and treatment planning and conducting the necessary complementary exams are essential, allied to previously patients’ signed consent

O APORTE SEDIMENTAR ÀS PRAIAS DA CIGANA E DO CARDOSO, CABO DE SANTA MARTA, SANTA CATARINA, BRASIL

O Cabo de Santa Marta (Laguna/SC) marca uma brusca mudança na orientação do litoral sul do Brasil. O vento NE é predominante ao longo do ano e incide da terra para o mar nas praias ao sul do cabo, o que representa um fator de entrada de sedimentos no sistema praial, juntamente com o aporte pela deriva litorânea e a contribuição continental da drenagem da região. No presente trabalho propõe-se uma análise integrada da dinâmica sedimentar na porção emersa e submersa das praias da Cigana e do Cardoso, através da; (i) caracterização do clima de ventos e o potencial de deriva eólica na região; (ii) análise das mudanças históricas no campo de dunas e na linha de costa; e (iii) avaliação do regime de ondas e transporte sedimentar pela deriva litorânea. Os resultados demonstraram uma significativa diminuição na área de dunas móveis entre 1938 e 2012, devido ao aumento em áreas de dunas estabilizadas pela vegetação, de planícies de deflação e de áreas urbanizadas. Nesse mesmo período a linha de costa apresentou uma tendência geral de retrogradação com taxas acima de 0,5 m/ano, intensificada a partir de 1978. O processo de estabilização das dunas móveis provavelmente ocasionou uma diminuição do aporte eólico ao sistema praial nas últimas décadas. Esse processo pode ter alterado o equilíbrio sedimentar das praias da Cigana e do Cardoso, tornando-as dependentes principalmente do suprimento da deriva litorânea. O modelo proposto para o transporte longitudinal gerado pelas ondas indicou que há um limite divergente entre células costeiras nesse setor da costa, o que não propicia o aporte de sedimentos marinhos para as praias de estudo. Dessa forma, além de ser um local sob influência de correntes de deriva com sentidos opostos, a presença do cabo se configura como uma barreira física ao transporte de sedimentos provenientes de células costeiras ao norte da área

CONCERTO AL PIANO. SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSFORMATIONS

Concerto AL Piano, in Alessandria at the NW of Italy, is one of the 58 integrated energy demonstration sites promoted by the European Commission within the 6th and 7th Framework Programme. Concerto AL Piano is aimed at demonstrating the economic and social benefits in investing in energy saving and renewable energy in urban regeneration. The project includes a mix of interventions: the renovation of existing social housing, the construction of new eco-buildings and the provision of a cogeneration district heating, integrated in the urban environment

Searching new proposals for medical teaching (social sciences contributions)

Pesquisa recente da CINAEM (Comissão Interinstitucional de Avaliação do Ensino Médico) aponta falhas na formação dos médicos brasileiros: deficiente formação ética e humanística; especialização precoce; preparo inadequado para o trabalho com a comunidade e para o atendimento às demandas da população. A formação de profissionais que atendam às exigências de um mercado extremamente competitivo e, ao mesmo tempo, engajados na realidade onde deverão atuar, é tarefa que se impõe a todos aqueles que pretendem colaborar na formação das novas gerações, nesta época marcada por profundas mudanças sociais.Recent research come out by CINAEM (Interinstitucional Comission to Evaluate Medical Students) brought out faults in the teaching and training of Brazilian medical students: deficient ethic and humanistic background; early  specialization not well prepared to deal with local communities considering actual community demand population. The training of professionals in an extremely competitive market, and at the same time conscious of the present social reality should be a matter of concern to be which addressed by those involved in the preparation of new generations in our age, marked by great special changes

Reducing burden of disease from residential indoor air exposures in Europe (HEALTHVENT project)

Background: The annual burden of disease caused indoor air pollution, including polluted outdoor air used to ventilate indoor spaces, is estimated to correspond to a loss of over 2 million healthy life years in the European Union (EU). Based on measurements of the European Environment Agency (EEA), approximately 90 % of EU citizens live in areas where the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for air quality of particulate matter sized < 2.5 mm (PM2.5) are not met. Since sources of pollution reside in both indoor and outdoor air, selecting the most appropriate ventilation strategy is not a simple and straightforward task. Methods: A framework for developing European health-based ventilation guidelines was created in 2010-2013 in the EU-funded HEALTHVENT project. As a part of the project, the potential efficiency of control policies to health effects caused by residential indoor exposures of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), outdoor bioaerosols, volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon oxide (CO) radon and dampness was estimated. The analysis was based on scenario comparison, using an outdoor-indoor mass-balance model and varying the ventilation rates. Health effects were estimated with burden of diseases (BoD) calculations taking into account asthma, cardiovascular (CV) diseases, acute toxication, respiratory infections, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results: The quantitative comparison of three main policy approaches, (i) optimising ventilation rates only; (ii) filtration of outdoor air; and (iii) indoor source control, showed that all three approaches are able to provide substantial reductions in the health risks, varying from approximately 20 % to 44 %, corresponding to 400 000 and 900 000 saved healthy life years in EU-26. PM2.5 caused majority of the health effects in all included countries, but the importance of the other pollutants varied by country. Conclusions: The present modelling shows, that combination of controlling the indoor air sources and selecting appropriate ventilation rate was the most effective to reduce health risks. If indoor sources cannot be removed or their emissions cannot be limited to an accepted level, ventilation needs to be increased to remove remaining pollutants. In these cases filtration of outdoor air may be needed to prevent increase of health risks

“Elefante Colorido: que história?” Relatos da pequena trajetória de uma dupla de contadores de história em Pelotas.

O trabalho aqui apresentado é um relato sobre a experiência de se tornar um Micro Empreendedor Individual (MEI) na expectativa de formalizar uma dupla de contadores de histórias e de teatro, que atende, principalmente, o público infantil. O empreendimento surge de um desejo de unir a experiência dos integrantes em contar histórias com os conhecimentos adquiridos quando alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Teatro da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. A necessidade do surgimento da Elefante Colorido se deu enquanto os sócios ainda eram alunos do referido curso, pois perceberam que, infelizmente, o teatro voltado para o público infantil é tratado com menos importância e, por isso, resolveram pesquisar conteúdos desse universo. O artigo traz uma prefação sobre os empreendedores e suas perspectivas, sucede com uma breve explicação sobre os tipos de contadores de histórias - os de tradição oral, que surgem nos tempos primitivos e os contemporâneos, que se apropriam de obras para desenvolver seu trabalho. Decorre apresentando sucintamente características empreendedoras e relatando o trabalho que a Elefante Colorido desenvolve atualmente na cidade de Pelotas e perspectivas para a mesma, além de propor uma ligação com a utilização da contação de histórias em escolas, numa perspectiva de arte-educação