Internet of things

Manual of Digital Earth / Editors: Huadong Guo, Michael F. Goodchild, Alessandro Annoni .- Springer, 2020 .- ISBN: 978-981-32-9915-3Digital Earth was born with the aim of replicating the real world within the digital world. Many efforts have been made to observe and sense the Earth, both from space (remote sensing) and by using in situ sensors. Focusing on the latter, advances in Digital Earth have established vital bridges to exploit these sensors and their networks by taking location as a key element. The current era of connectivity envisions that everything is connected to everything. The concept of the Internet of Things(IoT)emergedasaholisticproposaltoenableanecosystemofvaried,heterogeneous networked objects and devices to speak to and interact with each other. To make the IoT ecosystem a reality, it is necessary to understand the electronic components, communication protocols, real-time analysis techniques, and the location of the objects and devices. The IoT ecosystem and the Digital Earth (DE) jointly form interrelated infrastructures for addressing today’s pressing issues and complex challenges. In this chapter, we explore the synergies and frictions in establishing an efficient and permanent collaboration between the two infrastructures, in order to adequately address multidisciplinary and increasingly complex real-world problems. Although there are still some pending issues, the identified synergies generate optimism for a true collaboration between the Internet of Things and the Digital Earth

Evaluation des besoins et des activités. Problématique de leur localisation. Critères, méthodes et applications pour la révision des plans de secteur. Problématique pour la mise en oeuvre des zones d'aménagement différé

Rapport final de la subvention 2001, Cinquième Volum

Relação treinador-atleta e exercício da liderança no desporto: a percepção de treinadores de alta competição

Neste artigo apresentamos os resultados de quatro entrevistas levadas a cabo com treinadores de alta competição portugueses, onde se procurou recolher informações sobre as competências necessárias para exercer a actividade de treinador, os princípios e filosofia adoptada no trabalho, as principais áreas de exercício da liderança e os valores defendidos na modalidade e na prática profissional. Os resultados permitiram verificar um acordo quanto à importância de possuírem boas competências conceptuais e pessoais, princípios claros e aceites pelos atletas, boas condições de trabalho e atletas com qualidade para a alta competição. Paralelamente, foi evidente a complexidade de tarefas assumidas na orientação dos atletas (nove dimensões do exercício da liderança). Por último, é de salientar a importância dada à obtenção dos resultados competitivos (objectivo principal) em conjunto com a análise satisfatória do trabalho realizado e a valorização do desenvolvimento pessoal, tanto no treinador como nos atletas (objectivos “periféricos”).Coach-athlete relationship and leadership practice: the perceptions of four high level competition coaches. On this article we present the results on interviewing four high level competition Portuguese coaches. The aim was to look for information on the essential coaching competences, the working principles and philosophy, the main leadership exercise areas and the defended values on sports and professional practice. The results showed the relevancy of gathering good conceptual and personal competencies, clear and accepted principals, good working conditions and qualified athletes. Also evident were the complex tasks assumed on guiding the athletes (nine leadership exercise dimensions were found). Finally, it is essential to point out the importance given to obtaining sporting results (main goal) as well as the satisfactory working analyses and the value given to coaches’ and athletes’ self-development (side goals).(undefined

Analyzing Clusters and Constellations:from Untwisting Shortened Links on Twitter Using Conceptual Graphs

The analysis of big data, although potentially a very rewardingtask, can present difficulties due to the complexity inherent to suchdatasets. We suggest that conceptual graphs provide a mechanism forrepresenting knowledge about a domain that can also be used as a usefulscaffold for big data analysis. Conceptual graphs may be used as a meansto collaboratively build up a robust model forming the skeleton of a dataanalysis project. This paper describes a case study in which conceptualgraphs were used to underpin an exploration of a corpus of tweets relatingto the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Throughthis process we will demonstrate the emerging model built up of thedata landscape involved and of the business structures that underlie thetechnical frameworks relied upon by microblogging software

Nanomolar oxytocin synergizes with weak electrical afferent stimulation to activate the locomotor CPG of the rat spinal cord in vitro.

Synergizing the effect of afferent fibre stimulation with pharmacological interventions is a desirable goal to trigger spinal locomotor activity, especially after injury. Thus, to better understand the mechanisms to optimize this process, we studied the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin (previously shown to stimulate locomotor networks) on network and motoneuron properties using the isolated neonatal rat spinal cord. On motoneurons oxytocin (1 nM-1 \u3bcM) generated sporadic bursts with superimposed firing and dose-dependent depolarization. No desensitization was observed despite repeated applications. Tetrodotoxin completely blocked the effects of oxytocin, demonstrating the network origin of the responses. Recording motoneuron pool activity from lumbar ventral roots showed oxytocin mediated depolarization with synchronous bursts, and depression of reflex responses in a stimulus and peptide-concentration dependent fashion. Disinhibited bursting caused by strychnine and bicuculline was accelerated by oxytocin whose action was blocked by the oxytocin antagonist atosiban. Fictive locomotion appeared when subthreshold concentrations of NMDA plus 5HT were coapplied with oxytocin, an effect prevented after 24 h incubation with the inhibitor of 5HT synthesis, PCPA. When fictive locomotion was fully manifested, oxytocin did not change periodicity, although cycle amplitude became smaller. A novel protocol of electrical stimulation based on noisy waveforms and applied to one dorsal root evoked stereotypic fictive locomotion. Whenever the stimulus intensity was subthreshold, low doses of oxytocin triggered fictive locomotion although oxytocin per se did not affect primary afferent depolarization evoked by dorsal root pulses. Among the several functional targets for the action of oxytocin at lumbar spinal cord level, the present results highlight how small concentrations of this peptide could bring spinal networks to threshold for fictive locomotion in combination with other protocols, and delineate the use of oxytocin to strengthen the efficiency of electrical stimulation to activate locomotor circuits

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Philosophical Underpinnings of Coaching Practice Research

Research on coaching practice has mainly been undertaken through the disciplines of psychology and sociology. Very little scrutiny has been given to the philosophical underpinnings of these disciplinary positions and how they impact on research outputs in terms of descriptions and prescriptions. This article presents an overview of some of the most cited empirical research on coaching practice and shows how discipline and meta-theory have influenced a priori the results generated. Psychological approaches informed by scientism, and sociological approaches informed by interpretivism, present a dichotomized view of coaching practice, for example, concerning its relative simplicity and order. Yet these distinct disciplinary contributions remain important to the development of the field if it is understood that they contribute different layers of information and do different types of work. Once we have the meta-theoretical tools in place the results of this pluralism can be positioned and utilized. © 2013 Copyright National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE)