Iterative Depth-First Search for Fully Observable Non-Deterministic Planning

Fully Observable Non-Deterministic (FOND) planning models uncertainty through actions with non-deterministic effects. Existing FOND planning algorithms are effective and employ a wide range of techniques. However, most of the existing algorithms are not robust for dealing with both non-determinism and task size. In this paper, we develop a novel iterative depth-first search algorithm that solves FOND planning tasks and produces strong cyclic policies. Our algorithm is explicitly designed for FOND planning, addressing more directly the non-deterministic aspect of FOND planning, and it also exploits the benefits of heuristic functions to make the algorithm more effective during the iterative searching process. We compare our proposed algorithm to well-known FOND planners, and show that it has robust performance over several distinct types of FOND domains considering different metrics

Micobiota do solo de uma área de duna na restinga da Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.

Este trabalho avaliou a micobiota do solo de uma duna nos terços inferior, médio e superior de encosta, localizada na Restinga da Marambaia, RJ. A área de estudo com aproximadamente 500 m2 está dividida em três terços, com a vegetação variando de arbustiva a arbórea. Foi delimitada uma gleba de dimensões de 50 x 50 m, onde foram abertas cinco minitrincheiras até a profundidade de 10 cm para coleta, sendo coletadas três amostras compostas formadas a partir da reunião de cinco amostras simples para análise do solo e caracterização da micobiota. A fertilidade do solo indicou que o terço inferior apresentou maiores teores de alumínio e menores de nutrientes. As unidades formadoras de colônias de fungos variaram de 4,6 x 103 a 9 x 104 ufc.g-1. Quarenta e nove fungos, num total de 85 isolados, pertencentes a 13 gêneros e 32 espécies foram identificados. Os gêneros mais frequentes foram Penicillium, Aspergillus e Trichoderma. A maior riqueza ocorreu no terço médio, porém uma espécie (Trichoderma pseudokoningi) foi comum entre as áreas. Este trabalho sugere que a Restinga da Marambaia apresenta grande diversidade fúngica

Solvent-free process for the development of photocatalytic membranes

PTDC/EAM-AMB/30989/2017.This work described a new sustainable method for the fabrication of ceramic membranes with high photocatalytic activity, through a simple sol-gel route. The photocatalytic surfaces, prepared at low temperature and under solvent-free conditions, exhibited a narrow pore size distribution and homogeneity without cracks. These surfaces have shown a highly efficient and reproducible behavior for the degradation of methylene blue. Given their characterization results, the microfiltration photocatalytic membranes produced in this study using solvent-free conditions are expected to effectively retain microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi that could then be inactivated by photocatalysis.publishe

Novel submerged photocatalytic membrane reactor for treatment of olive mill wastewaters

POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007265A new hybrid photocatalytic membrane reactor that can easily be scaled-up was designed, assembled and used to test photocatalytic membranes developed using the sol–gel technique. Extremely high removals of total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, phenolic and volatile compounds were obtained when the hybrid photocatalytic membrane reactor was used to treat olive mill wastewaters. The submerged photocatalytic membrane reactor proposed and the modified membranes represent a step forward towards the development of new advanced treatment technology able to cope with several water and wastewater contaminants.publishersversionpublishe

Penetrating Bladder Trauma: A High Risk Factor for Associated Rectal Injury

Demographics and mechanisms were analyzed in prospectively maintained level one trauma center database 1990–2012. Among 2,693 trauma laparotomies, 113 (4.1%) presented bladder lesions; 51.3% with penetrating injuries (n=58); 41.3% (n=24) with rectal injuries, males corresponding to 95.8%, mean age 29.8 years; 79.1% with gunshot wounds and 20.9% with impalement; 91.6% arriving the emergence room awake (Glasgow 14-15), hemodynamically stable (average systolic blood pressure 119.5 mmHg); 95.8% with macroscopic hematuria; and 100% with penetrating stigmata. Physical exam was not sensitive for rectal injuries, showing only 25% positivity in patients. While 60% of intraperitoneal bladder injuries were surgically repaired, extraperitoneal ones were mainly repaired using Foley catheter alone (87.6%). Rectal injuries, intraperitoneal in 66.6% of the cases and AAST-OIS grade II in 45.8%, were treated with primary suture plus protective colostomy; 8.3% were sigmoid injuries, and 70.8% of all injuries had a minimum stool spillage. Mean injury severity score was 19; mean length of stay 10 days; 20% of complications with no death. Concomitant rectal injuries were not a determinant prognosis factor. Penetrating bladder injuries are highly associated with rectal injuries (41.3%). Heme-negative rectal examination should not preclude proctoscopy and eventually rectal surgical exploration (only 25% sensitivity)

Chapter Management of Wine Aroma Compounds: Principal Basis and Future Perspectives

Wine’s aroma is defined by volatile and non-volatile compounds that contribute to its make-up. The complex variety of volatile compounds, coming from grapes, interact with other non-volatile substances of the wine as precursors of wine’s aroma, known as primary aromas, which give the aroma of the young wine. The volatile compounds present in the skin and in the grape juice change according to the grape variety. Most of wine volatile compounds responsible for aroma are linked to sugars and they initially form odorless glycosides. Through the process of hydrolysis, they are reverted into an aromatic form. Chemical reactions among these compounds occur during the fermentation and in the first months of a wine’s existence, triggering fast and multiple modifications in wine’s aroma at this point. As wine ages and matures, changes and development in aroma will continue to take place but at a slower and more gradual pace. The study of the compounds responsible for aroma and flavor, as well as their correlation with the wine quality, is ongoing. Improving the knowledge of wine aromatic compounds could increase the risk of its potential adulteration; however, consumers prefer wine for its natural origin, so this scenario is unlikely in the future

Direct oral anticoagulants in cirrhosis: Rationale and current evidence.

Cirrhosis is a major health concern worldwide with a complex pathophysiology affecting various biological systems, including all aspects of haemostasis. Bleeding risk is mainly driven by portal hypertension, but in end-stage liver disease it is further increased by alterations in haemostatic components, including platelet function, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Concurrently, patients with cirrhosis are prone to venous thromboembolic events (VTE) because of the altered haemostatic balance, in particular an increase in thrombin generation. In patients with cirrhosis, vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are currently the standard of care for VTE prevention, with VKA also being standard of care for stroke prevention in those with atrial fibrillation. However, direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) could have specific advantages in this patient population. Clinical experience suggests that DOAC are a safe and possibly more effective alternative to traditional anticoagulants for the treatment of VTE in patients with compensated cirrhosis. In addition, emerging data suggest that primary prophylactic treatment with anticoagulants may improve clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis by reducing the risk of hepatic decompensation. The selection of the most appropriate DOAC remains to be clarified. This review focuses on the rationale for the use of DOAC in patients with cirrhosis, the specific effects of the different DOAC (as assessed by in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies), as well as clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis on DOAC

POTENTIAL OF MULTISPECTRAL IMAGES TAKEN BY SENSORS EMBEDDED IN UAVS FOR MONITORING THE COFFEE CROP IRRIGATION

Leaf Water Potential (LWP) is an indicator widely used to understand water relations in a coffee tree. Monitoring water potential is a challenge for remote sensing using low-cost multispectral cameras, with images taken by remotely piloted aircraft. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of a low-cost camera to discriminate different water treatments in the coffee tree. In addition, the accuracy of models to estimate LWP in the coffee crop was evaluated. The results showed that the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) vegetation index was able to discriminate 61.6 % more plots in a drought regime than the Near-InfraRed (NIR) band in the rainfall regime. For LWP, the architecture that presented the best performance in the detection of water stress was for the first flight (SMOreg algorithm using as predictor variables all bands, Red, Green, and NIR, and the NDVI vegetation index) with RMSE value of 0.1880 and RMSE% of 34.18. For the second flight (Random Tree algorithm, using as predictor variables all bands and NDVI) with RMSE (0.0520) and RMSE% (32.00) values