On the end-to-end delay analysis for an IEEE 802.11P/WAVE protocol

The use of IEEE 802.11p for supporting intelligent transportation systems (ITS) allows a wide spectrum of applications providing vehicle occupants useful information related to public safety and road efficiency. The Wireless Access for Vehicular Environment (WAVE) standard is specifically tailored for delivering safety and multimedia messages in a highly dynamic vehicular communication environment. Such dynamic characteristics along with the delay critical nature of safety services turn the medium access control protocol (MAC) timings very important. Therefore, it becomes of great interest to analyze a major performance metric, the end-to-end delay.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Analysis of epistasis in human complex traits

Thousands of genetic mutations have been associated with many human complex traits and diseases, improving our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying these phenotypes. The great majority of genetic association studies have focused exclusively on the direct effects of single mutations, ignoring possible interactions (epistasis). However, since genes operate within complex networks, interactions are expected to exist. The modelling of epistasis could further biological understanding, but the detection of such effects is complicated by a vast search space. In this thesis, we present a new statistical method to detect genetic interactions affecting quantitative traits in large-scale datasets. Our approach is based on testing for an interaction between a variant and a polygenic score (PGS) comprising a group of other mutations. We develop a new computational algorithm for PGS construction, and show through simulations that this method is robust to false-positives while retaining statistical power. We apply our approach to 97 quantitative traits in the UK Biobank (UKB) and find 144 independent interactions with the PGS for 52 different traits, including important variants known to affect disease risk at the APOE, FTO and LDLR genes, for example. We also develop a test to identify, for each variant interacting with the PGS, the variants driving that interaction. This recovers previously-known interactions and identifies several novel signals, primarily for biomarker traits. An example is a large network of genes (including ABO, ASGR1, FUT2, FUT6, PIGC and TREH) affecting alkaline phosphatase levels, or an interaction between IL33 and ALOX15 impacting eosinophil count, potentially implicated in asthma. Lastly, we extend our analysis to a new dataset of imputed variation at HLA genes in the UKB and find, among others, a new interaction for glycated haemoglobin involving HLA-DQA1*03:01, an allele previously associated with diabetes. Our results demonstrate the potential for detecting epistatic effects in presently-available genomic datasets. This can allow the uncovering of key 'core' genes modulating the impacts of other regions in the genome, as well as the identification of subgroups of interacting variants of likely functional relevance

O papel da proteína sérica amiloide A3 na osteopenia durante a infeção por Mycobacterium avium

Mycobacterial infections can lead to the loss of bone mass without direct colonization of the bone. Osteopenia arises from a dysregulation of the bone turnover, due to enhanced bone degradation and/or impaired new bone formation. The indirect bone loss during infection is due to the production of immune mediators by the host upon pathogen invasion. Previous studies using a murine model of M. avium disseminated infection indicated that bone mass was decreased in an IFNγ and TNFα-dependent manner, and that Saa3 was the gene whose expression in the bone increases the most with infection. Therefore, this thesis aims to further understand the molecular mechanisms of bone loss associated to chronic mycobacterial infection and dissect the role of the serum amyloid A3 protein (SAA3) in bone degradation and bone formation. Here, we show that M. avium-infected macrophages produce soluble pro-osteoclastogenic factors (SPOFs) that increase bone resorption by osteoclasts. We identified TNFα as a SPOF produced by infected macrophages and whose production is potentiated by IFNγ. Moreover, we assessed that SAA3 is another SPOF produced by M. avium-infected macrophages in vitro and TNFα enhances Saa3 expression in infected macrophages. Likewise, we determined that in vitro differentiated osteoclasts produce SAA3 upon TNFα stimulation. Furthermore, the SAA protein stimulates osteoclastogenesis, while not enhancing their resorptive activity. However, TNFα addition increases the proportion of trenches. We further found that the conditioned media from infected macrophages had no effect on the mineralization capacity of osteoblasts and that SAA diminished it, indicating that SAA impairs osteoblastic differentiation and activity. Overall, our results highlight a possible molecular mechanism for bone loss during chronic infection, in which IFNγ, TNFα, and SAA3 are the key molecules. M. avium infection leads to the production of IFNγ, which will instruct macrophages to produce SPOFs like TNFα and SAA3. Chronic infection will increase bone destruction, as SAA and TNFα enhance the formation and activity of osteoclasts, respectively. Simultaneously, SAA protein impairs osteoblastic differentiation and activity. Our results emphasize the role of SAA proteins, particularly the SAA3 protein, as key proteins in the bone turnover process during mycobacterial infection.As infeções micobacterianas podem levar à perda de massa óssea sem que ocorra colonização direta do osso. A osteopenia resultante surge de uma desregulação do processo de remodelação óssea, quer pelo aumento da degradação do osso, quer pela diminuição da sua formação. A perda de massa óssea resultante da infeção é provocada pela produção de mediadores do sistema imune pelo hospedeiro após a entrada do agente patogénico. Estudos prévios utilizando um modelo in vivo de infeção disseminada por M. avium indicaram que a diminuição da massa óssea é dependente de IFNγ e TNFα, e que o Saa3 é o gene cuja expressão mais aumenta com a infeção nos ossos destes animais. Sendo assim, esta tese tem por objetivo aprofundar os mecanismos moleculares de perda de massa óssea associados às infeções micobacterianas e compreender o papel da proteína sérica amiloide A3 (SAA3) na degradação e formação óssea. Aqui mostramos que macrófagos infetados por M. avium produzem fatores solúveis pro-osteoclastogénicos (SPOFs) como o TNFα que aumentam a reabsorção óssea pelos osteoclastos. A produção de TNFα pelos macrófagos infetados por M. avium é estimulada pelo IFNγ. Também demonstrámos que a SAA3 é outro SPOF produzido por macrófagos infetados por M. avium in vitro, e que o TNFα aumenta a expressão de Saa3 em macrófagos infetados. Determinámos também que osteoclastos diferenciados in vitro produzem SAA3 quando estimulados com TNFα. Aferimos que a proteína SAA estimula a osteoclastogénese, ainda que não aumente a atividade de reabsorção destas células. Porém, a adição de TNFα aumenta a proporção de trincheiras. Além disso, aferimos também que o meio condicionado de macrófagos infetados não teve efeito na capacidade de mineralização dos osteoblastos e que a adição de SAA diminuiu-a, o que indica que a SAA prejudica a diferenciação dos osteoblastos e a sua atividade. No geral, os nossos resultados realçam um possível mecanismo molecular para a perda de massa óssea durante uma infeção crónica, em que o IFNγ, TNFα e SAA3 são as moléculas-chave. A infeção por M. avium leva à produção de IFNγ, que irá instruir os macrófagos a produzirem SPOFs como o TNFα e a SAA3. A infeção crónica vai levar à destruição do osso, uma vez que a SAA e o TNFα aumentam a formação e atividade dos osteoclastos respetivamente. Simultaneamente, a proteína SAA dificulta quer a diferenciação quer a atividade dos osteoblastos. Os nossos resultados enfatizam o papel das proteínas SAA, particularmente a SAA3, como proteínas chave na remodelação óssea durante a infeção por micobactérias.Mestrado em Bioquímic

The role of information format in financial decision-making : bridging psychology, neuroscience and accounting research

Mestrado em Ciências EmpresariaisA ideia de que a avaliação e as decisões financeiras dependem não só do valor real das empresas espelhada na informação contida nos relatos financeiros, mas também da forma como a mesma é apresentada tem vindo a ser empiricamente demonstrada. Contudo, sabemos ainda muito pouco sobre os mecanismos subjacentes ao impacto que o formato tem nos processos de tomada de decisão. Para compreender melhor o impacto da forma como a informação é apresentada e disponibilizada e para conseguir criar relatos financeiros mais eficientes ao nível da transmissão da informação desejada, é fundamental perceber os fatores que influenciam a aquisição, o processamento e utilização da informação financeira e contabilística. O conhecimento dos processos psicológicos e neurais que culminam na tomada de decisões e dos fatores que os influenciam requer a integração de abordagens e ferramentas de várias disciplinas e áreas do conhecimento, designadamente da economia, da psicologia, das ciências computacionais e da neurociência. O objetivo deste trabalho é rever e discutir a investigação mais recente nestes diferentes campos, em particular a relacionada com a importância da forma de apresentação da informação. Pretende-se ainda discutir a abordagem multidisciplinar que começa a emergir sob a designação de "neuroacounting", reconhecendo o seu potencial, mas também as suas limitações.The idea that not only what but also how financial accounting information is disclosed may impact financial evaluation and trading decisions has gained growing empirical support. Yet, despite its profound implications for accounting researchers and information users as well as policy regulators, we know little about the variables mediating these effects. Crucial for both understanding these effects and efficiently designing financial reports is to understand the factors that influence the sampling, processing and use of financial information. Only then we will be able to shape policy and tailor organizational processes to promote efficient use of financial information. A rich and biologically rooted understanding of how people make decisions and the factors that shape it will require integration of insights and tools from multiple disciplines including economics, psychology, computer science and neuroscience. The aim of this paper is to review and bridge research from these different fields to address the importance of presentation variables in financial decision-making. More generally, the paper reviews and discusses the emerging field of ‘neuroaccounting’ and the potential as well as the challenges of this multidisciplinary approach to tackle behavioural accounting questions

Multi-Protocol Sensor Node for Internet of Things (IoT) Applications

This paper will describe the implementation of an end-to-end IoT solution, focusing specifically in the multi-protocol sensor node using Pycom's FiPy board. A performance assessment will be presented, addressing a comparison between the different protocols (LoRa vs. Wi-Fi) in terms radio coverage, timing issues, power consumption/battery usage, among others. Further, it will be investigated the integration onto the sensor node different sensor/actuator circuit blocks for energy metering on industrial machinery as a way to optimize energy efficiency metrics. This will provide a practical use case in the field of Industry 4.0, leading to insights for power quality monitoring

Da Periferia A “Ultima Rua”: A Fronteira Entre Negros Estabelecidos E Jovens Negros Nao Integrados Na Sociedade Brasileira

We bring to this article some data concepts and thoughts we have built up during our academic researchers from UFU 2007 to Post-Graduation UNESP 2010 2018 and works with civil society in the cities of Araraquara PMA 2008 and S o Paulo CASA 2013 with young people in conflict to the law in the social political and economic dynamics built up in the Brazilian society based on the foundation of cultural diversity aroused in us questions about the condition of group vulnerability in which the re- knowledge HONNETH 2003 BAUMAN 2000 of one when we seek to understand historicity ELIAS 1994 from the critical theoretical point of view NOBRE 2003 of what these subjects are can be the key to the integration and just development of Blacks in Brazilian societ

The use of seismic wave velocities in the measurement of stiffness of a residual soil

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Civil. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200