Application of fractional algorithms in control of a quad rotor flight

This paper studies the application of fractional algorithms in the control of a quad-rotor rotorcraft machine. The main contribution of this paper focuses in the development a flight simulator to provide the evaluation model of the quad-rotor. Several basic maneuvers are investigated, namely the elevation and the position control.N/

Removal of Paracetamol and Cu2+ from Water by Using Porous Carbons Derived from Agrowastes

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.Dende and babassu coconuts are largely used in tropical countries, namely in Brazil, for the extraction of oils from kernels. The remaining biowastes are industrially processed to produce porous carbons (PCs). PCs derived from dende and babassu biowastes and produced at an industrial scale have been characterized by textural, chemical, and ecotoxicological parameters. A commercial activated carbon (CC) of mineral origin has been used as a benchmarking material. Although the CC sample presented a higher surface area (SBET = 1083 m2/g), the PCs derived from the biowastes were richer in micropores (Vmicro = 0.25–0.26 cm3/g), while the CC carbon presented wider pore size distribution with a higher mesopore volume (Vmeso = 0.41 cm3/g). All the adsorbents used in this work have shown a non-acute ecotoxic behavior for the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (EC50-30 min > 99% v/v). The adsorbents have been tested for paracetamol and Cu2+ adsorption in mono- and bicomponent solutions. The uptake capacities of paracetamol (qe, 98–123 mg g−1) and Cu2+ (qe, 15–18 mg g−1) from monocomponent solutions were similar to the ones obtained in the bicomponent solutions, indicating no competition or cooperative effects but a site-specific adsorption. This finding represents an advantage for the removal of these adsorbates when present in the same solution as they can be adsorbed under similar rates as in the single systems. Paracetamol adsorption was related to micropore filling, π-π interactions, and H-bonding, whereas Cu2+ removal was attributed to the cation exchange mechanism and complexation to the hydroxyl groups at the carbons’ surface.publishersversionpublishe

Fractional order dynamical systems and its applications

This article illustrates several applications of fractional calculus (FC) in science and engineering. It has been recognized the advantageous use of this mathematical tool in the modeling and control of many dynamical systems. In this perspective, this paper investigates the use of FC in the following fields: Controller tuning; Electrical systems; Traffic systems; Digital circuit synthesis; Evolutionary computing; Redundant robots; Legged robots; Robotic manipulators; Nonlinear friction; Financial modeling.N/

Molecular Detection and Distribution of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. Infections in Wild and Domestic Animals in Portugal

Enteric protozoan parasites Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and, to a lesser extent, the ciliate Balantioides coli are responsible for severe human and animal intestinal disorders globally. However, limited information is available on the occurrence and epidemiology of these parasites in domestic, but especially wild species in Portugal. To fill this gap of knowledge, we have investigated G. duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and B. coli occurrence, distribution, genetic diversity, and zoonotic potential by analyzing 756 fecal samples from several wild carnivores (n=288), wild ungulates (n=242), and domestic species (n=226) collected across different areas of mainland Portugal. Overall, infection rates were 16.1% (122/756; 95% CI: 13.59–18.96) for G. duodenalis and 2.7% (20/756; CI: 1.62–4.06) for Cryptosporidium spp., while no ungulate sample analyzed yielded positive results for B. coli. Giardia duodenalis was found across a wide range of hosts and sampling areas, being most prevalent in the Iberian lynx (26.7%), the Iberian wolf (24.0%), and the domestic dog (23.9%). Cryptosporidium spp. was only identified in wild boar (8.4%), red fox (3.4%), Iberian lynx (3.3%), red deer (3.1%), and Iberian wolf (2.5%). Sequence analysis of G. duodenalis determined zoonotic assemblage A (subassemblage AI) in one roe deer sample, canine-specific assemblages C and D in Iberian wolf, red fox, and domestic dog, and ungulate-specific assemblage E in wild boar, sheep, cattle, and horse. Six Cryptosporidium species were identified: C. scrofarum in wild boar, C. canis in the Iberian wolf and red fox, C. ubiquitum in red deer and wild boar, C. felis in the Iberian lynx, and both C. ryanae and C. occultus in red deer. Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. coinfections were observed in 0.7% (5/756) of the samples. This is the first, most comprehensive, and largest molecular-based epidemiology study of its kind carried out in Portugal, covering a wide range of wild and domestic hosts and sampling areas. The detection of zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis subassemblage AI demonstrates the role of wild and domestic host species in the transmission of these agents while representing a potential source of environmental contamination for other animals and humans.A. M. Figueiredo, D. Hipólito, and J. Fernandes were supported by a PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/144582/2019, FRH/BD/144437/2019, PD/BD/150645/2020, respectively), cofinanced by the European Social Fund POPH-QREN program. A. Dashti is the recipient of a PFIS contract (FI20CIII/00002) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Universities. R. T. Torres and J. Carvalho were supported by a research contract (2021.00690.CEECIND and CEECIND/01428/2018, respectively) from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Eduardo Ferreira is funded by national funds (OE) through FCT in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in article 23, Decree-Law 57/2016. This work was supported by Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) through FCT/MCTES (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020+LA/P/0094/2020), and national funds, Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII) and Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitive ness, under project PI19CIII/00029, EcoARUn (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030310) and WildForests (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028204) projects, funded by FEDER, through COM PETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI), and by national funds (OE), through FCT/MCTES, project rWILD-COA: Ecological challenges and opportunities of trophic rewilding in Côa Valley—COA/BRB/0063/2019, funded by national funds (OE), through FCT/MCTES, LIFE WolFlux (LIFE17 NAT/PT/000554), Life + Project Iberlince (LIFE10NAT/ES/570), and Life Nature and Biodiversity Lynxconnect (LIFE 19NAT/ES/001055), funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. Additional funding was obtained by “Plano de Monitorização do Lobo Ibérico PMLDS-O–ACHLI.”S

Patient-physician discordance in assessment of adherence to inhaled controller medication: a cross-sectional analysis of two cohorts

We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.(SFRH/BPD/115169/2016) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029130 ('mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases—generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies') cofunded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Temas de investigação em direitos humanos para o século XXI

Edição comemorativa do 10.º aniversário do Mestrado em Direitos Humanos da Universidade do Minho.Este livro é uma celebração do ensino e da investigação em direitos humanos que têm vindo a ser desenvolvidos, na Escola de Direito da Universidade do Minho, há já mais de uma década. A sua publicação num momento em que se avolumam os riscos para valores fundamentais subjacentes à proteção dos direitos humanos – como a igualdade e a não discriminação, a proibição da escravatura e de tratamentos cruéis, desumanos e degradantes, a liberdade de religião ou crença, entre muitos outros –, torna-o especialmente oportuno. Os sinais de aparente retrocesso no consenso das nossas sociedades a respeito desses valores – visíveis no triunfo político de discursos abertamente racistas, xenófobos, sexistas, etc. – recordam-nos que, também no mundo ocidental, os direitos humanos são um work in progress, não um dado adquirido. Os novos riscos para a dignidade da pessoa humana associados aos avanços tecnológicos andam de par com velhas formas de subalternização e de opressão. O campo para a reflexão crítica é muito vasto. Os temas que hoje (pre)ocupam académicos, decisores políticos e ativistas de direitos humanos são também aqueles que estruturam o plano de estudos do Mestrado em Direitos Humanos da Universidade do Minho. Todos estes temas surgem ao longo do presente livro, que reúne contributos de muitos dos membros da comunidade científica e académica que o Mestrado em Direitos Humanos mobilizou e ajudou a dinamizar ao longo da última década, entre docentes do Mestrado, colaboradores em júris de provas públicas e/ou na orientação de mestrandos, oradores convidados e estudantes. Os textos aqui reunidos refletem bem as sinergias interdisciplinares, interinstitucionais e inter-nacionais que o Mestrado em Direitos Humanos foi capaz de criar, não apenas pela variedade de campos disciplinares representados – Direito, Filosofia, Relações Internacionais, Antropologia –, mas também pela participação de autores que são docentes e/ou investigadores em diversas instituições nacionais e estrangeiras, como a Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto, a Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, a Universidade Federal da Paraíba e a Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Morphological and Postural changes in the foot during pregnancy and puerperium : a longitudinal study

The aim of this study is to observe the morphological and postural changes to the foot that take place during pregnancy and the puerperium. Method: In this descriptive, observational, longitudinal study, we analysed 23 pregnant women, with particular attention to morphological and postural aspects of the foot, at three time points during and after pregnancy: in weeks 9-13 of gestation, weeks 32-35 of gestation and weeks 4-6 after delivery. The parameters considered were changes in foot length, the Foot Posture Index (FPI) and the Hernández Corvo Index, which were analysed using a pedigraph and taking into account the Body Mass Index (BMI). The same procedure was conducted in each review. Results: The statistical analyses obtained for each foot did not differ significantly between the three measurement times. A pronator-type footprint was most frequently observed during the third trimester of pregnancy; it was predominantly neutral during the postpartum period. Statistically significant differences between the measurement times were obtained in the right foot for cavus vs. neutral foot type (between the first and third trimesters and also between the first trimester and the puerperium) (in both cases, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Foot length increases in the third trimester and returns to normal in the puerperium. According to FPI findings, the third trimester of pregnancy is characterised by pronation, while the posture returns to neutrality during the postpartum period. During pregnancy, the plantar arch flattens, and this persists during the puerperium. The incidence of cavus foot increases significantly in the third trimester and in the puerperium

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio