Traffic Lights Control Prototype Using Wireless Technologies

This paper presents a traffic lights control prototype using wireless technologies, i.e., Arduino and XBee technologies, with at least 1 km range. The algorithm and the grid also allow flow of information between message boards and multiple wireless sensors networks in an interconnected system. The communication range between the points of interest can be changed according to the needs of each network, so that this prototype can be applied almost everywhere. The prototype in this paper allows great flexibility allowing the network to adapt to local failures or unforeseen cases. Even the control center can be moved to other place without large drawbacks, especially when compared to all the bunch of cables used in point to point connections

Landmarks of Economic Terminology: The First Portuguese Translation of Elémens du commerce

The history of languages is closely related to the history of other human activities. Ideally, hypotheses that are designed for linguistic questions on independent grounds should help to consolidate theories in other knowledge fields, such as the history of ideas. This paper deals with the first Portuguese translation of Forbonnais’s Elémens du commerce, considering it as a lexical corpus. The linguistic analysis aims to contribute to the general knowledge about this text and its translations. Furthermore, a lexical analysis of Portuguese data can also be understood in the broader context of Romance languages. To this end, we analysed three linguistic expressions, perceived to be representative casestudies: identifying circulação as a terminological loan, the terminological use of a common word (i.e. género vs denrées) and the contrast between terms from different languages (e.g. matéria prima vs matière première). Translations are obvious tools for communicating new ideas. Carrying out linguistic analyses of translations can help to document how ideas take shape. Furthermore, translation studies provide linguistic evidence that is essential for the study of terminology from a diachronic and interlinguistic standpoint. Data provided by translated texts helps to clarify the date when neologisms were first introduced in a given language. It also helps to identify possible sources of words and to decode the meaning behind lexical innovation. This paper is an example of the output of a contrastive lexicographic approach to Forbonnais’s text.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Energy Household Forecast with ANN for Demand Response and Demand Side Management

This paper presents a short term load forecasting with artificial neural networks. Despite the great imprevisibility, it is possible to forecast the electricity consumption of a household with some accuracy, similarly to that the electricity utilities can do to an agglomerate of households. Nowadays, in an existing electric grid, it is important to understand and forecast household daily or hourly consumption with a reliable model for electric energy consumption and load profile. Demand response programs required this information to adequate the profile of energy load diagram to generation. In the short term load forecasting model, artificial neural networks were used, with a consumption records database. The results show that the artificial neural networks approach provides a reliable model for forecasting household electric energy consumption and load profile. To do so and using smart devices such as cyber-physical systems monitoring, gathering and computing in real time a database with weekdays and weekend, can improve forecasts results for the next hours, a strong tool for Demand Response and Demand Side Management

Wireless technologies for Controlling a Traffic Lights Prototype

This paper presents a traffic light control system based on wireless communication technologies. Traffic density is increasing at an alarming rate in developing countries which calls for intelligent dynamic traffic light control systems to replace the conventional manual and time based ones. The approach followed in this paper is based in a secure wireless sensor network to feed real time data to the intelligent traffic light control. A physical prototype was implemented for experimental validation. The physical prototype showed robustness against local failures or unforeseen cases showing that the communication between modules keeps an acceptable packets received ratio

Traffic Light Using Multiple Wireless Technologies

This paper presents the study and experimental tests for the viability analysis of using multiple wireless technologies in urban traffic light controllers in a Smart City environment. Communication drivers, different types of antennas, data acquisition methods and data processing for monitoring the network are presented. The sensors and actuators modules are connected in a local area network through two distinct low power wireless networks using both 868 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. All data communications using 868 MHz go through a Moteino. Various tests are made to assess the most advantageous features of each communication type. The experimental results show better range for 868 MHz solutions, whereas the 2.4 GHz presents the advantage of self-regenerating the network and mesh. The different pros and cons of both communication methods are presented

Manipulação de resultados e a divulgação de resultados non GAAP

O presente trabalho teve como principal objectivo identificar as principais características das empresas que divulgam resultados non GAAP e investigar a relação existente entre a decisão de divulgar este tipo de medidas e a manipulação de resultados através de smoothness1. Para ser possível mensurar a manipulação de resultados, a forma de cálculo utilizada baseou-se no modelo de Francis et al. (2003). Uma das principais causas identificadas para que as empresas divulguem resultados non GAAP, é a importância de atingir as expectativas dos analistas financeiros. Os mercados criam pressão para que as empresas atinjam determinado desempenho, e as empresas divulgam estas medidas para responder a essas expectativas. Através da construção de um modelo de regressão múltipla foi possível demonstrar que quando uma empresa recorre à manipulação de resultados há uma tendência para divulgar resultados non GAAP. Outro resultado surpreendente desta pesquisa sugere que em países onde o sistema de protecção legal de investidores é mais forte, e onde existe uma regulação mais efectiva por parte das entidades, existe maior tendência para as empresas divulgarem resultados non GAAP. Esta situação pode ser explicada uma vez que nestes países há maior pressão para alcançar as expectativas dos analistas e apresentar bom desempenho ao mercado Brown et al. (2005).This work had as main objective to identify the main characteristics of companies that disclose non GAAP earnings and investigate the relationship between the decision to disclose this type of measures and the manipulation of results through smoothness. To be able measure the earnings manipulation, the way of calculation used was based on the model of Francis et al. (2003). One of the main causes identified for companies disclose non GAAP earnings, is the importance of achieving the expectations of analysts. The market creates enormous pressure to companies reach determined performance, and the companies disclose these measures to respond to these expectations. Through the construction of a multiple regression model was possible to demonstrate that when a company uses the earnings manipulation there is a tendency to disclose non GAAP earnings. Another surprising result of this research suggests that in countries where the legal investors protection system is stronger, and where there is an adjustment more effective by the entities, there is a greater tendency for companies to disclose results non GAAP. This situation can be explained due to the fact that in these countries exists more pressure to achieve analyst’s expectations and present good performance to the market, Brown et al. (2005)

Upgrading a legacy manufacturing cell to IoT

Many industries, like aeronauting construction are still equipped with legacy machines and are not keen to change old, however fully functional, equipment to new ones. Hence, an upgrade must be found to cope the legacy and fully functional machines to IOT technologies. This paper is a contribution to embrace those challenges in a new IoT architecture able to support the creation of solutions for Smart Industries. Internet of Things is increasing acceptance and the infrastructure for them is becoming available. This leads to an insurgence on investments and development of new dedicated IoT infrastructures. Industries need to adapt quickly to this constant technological evolution, implementing measures and connecting machines and robots at critical points to the Internet, instrumenting them using the concept of IoT, with the major goal of implementing a flexible, secure, easy to maintain and capable to evolve infrastructure, when legacy equipment is involved. The availability of machines and other critical assets directly affects the effectiveness of manufacturing operations. The architecture design offers security, flexibility, simplicity of implementation and maintenance, and is resilient to failures or attacks and technologically independent. Field tests are reported to evaluate key aspects of the proposed architecture

Wireless networks for traffic light control on urban and aerotropolis roads

This paper presents a traffic lights system based on wireless communication, providing a support infrastructure for intelligent control in smart cities and aerotropolis scope. An aerotropolis is a metropolitan subregion which infrastructure is centered around an airport [1]. Traffic intensity is increasing all over the world. Intelligent dynamic traffic lights system control are sought for replacing classic conventional manual and time based systems. In this work a wireless sensors network is designed and implemented to feed real time data to the intelligent traffic lights systems control. A physical prototype is implemented for experimental validation outside laboratory environment. The physical prototype shows robustness against unexpected issues or local failures. Results are positive in the scope of the experiences made and promising in terms of extending the tests to larger areas

O efeito da dieta na sobrevivência e no desenvolvimento esquelético e digestivo de larvas e juvenis de peixe-zebra Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822)

Dissertação mest., Biologia Marinha, Universidade do Algarve, 2009Zebrafish is a freshwater teleost which, due to several biological and genetic characters, has been widely used as a vertebrate model in a variety of research fields, with great potential in molecular biology. As a consequence of the increasing interest in zebrafish, the optimization of its rearing conditions becomes essential, such as the determination of a standardized feeding regime appropriate to this species’. Four different dietary regimes, composed of rotifers Brachionus sp., Artemia nauplii and inert food (Cyclop-eezeTM e BeneluxNV), were carried out. The effect of diet in zebrafish larvae and juvenile fish was evaluated by the determination of the survival and growth parameters as well as by the analysis of the development at the tissue, cellular and molecular levels in three distinct developmental stages. For that, histological, gene expression and immunohistochemical tools applied to molecular markers of the skeletal development (matrix Gla protein – mgp – and osteocalcin – oc) and digestive tract development (amylase and trypsin) were used. The assessment of bone remodeling regions and a histological analysis of the digestive system were also carried out. The obtained data suggest that rotifers are not appropriate for the larval requirements of this species, presenting the lowest survival and growth values. These data were also supported at the molecular level. Artemia nauplii and a weaning to inert food at 15 days post fertilization does not seem to be, also, an appropriate feeding regime. Comparatively, a diet composed exclusively by Artemia nauplii presented higher development-related parameters. These data suggest that this is a suitable food regime, as it has been argued by several authors. A daily mixture of foods also seems to be suitable to zebrafish healthy development. This work showed that, in zebrafish early development Artemia nauplii should used as food and could be, possibly, supplemented with other foods to obtain better results

Home energy forecast performance tool for smart living services suppliers under an energy 4.0 and CPS framework

Industry 4.0 is a paradigm consisting of cyber-physical systems based on the interconnection between all sorts of machines, sensors, and actuators, generally known as things. The combination of energy technology and information and technology communication (ICT) enables measure ment, control, and automation to be performed across the distributed grid with high time resolution. Through digital revolution in the energy sector, the term Energy 4.0 emerges in the future electric sector. The growth outlook for appliance usage is increasing and the appearance of renewable energy sources on the electric grid requires strategies to control demand and peak loads. Potential feedback for energy performance is the use of smart meters in conjunction with smart energy man agement; well-designed applications will successfully inform, engage, empower, and motivate con sumers. This paper presents several hands-on tools for load forecasting, comparing previous works and verifying which show the best energy forecasting performance in a smart monitoring system. Simulations were performed based on forecasting of the hours ahead of the load for several households. Special attention was given to the accuracy of the forecasting model for weekdays and weekends. The development of the proposed methods, based on artificial neural networks (ANN), pro vides more reliable forecasting for a few hours ahead and peak loads.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio