Integration of ROS navigation stack with dynamic environment information in gazebo simulation

Sensing the environment is a crucial task that robots have to perform to navigate autonomously. Furthermore, it must be well executed to make navigation safer and collision- free. As autonomous mobile robots are being deployed in several applications, they often encounter dynamic habitats, where sensing and perceiving the environment becomes harder. This work proposes integrating a wireless sensor network with the Robotic Operating System to incorporate data into layered costmaps used by the robot to navigate, feeding the algorithms with advanced information about the territory. The architecture was tested in simulation, where we could validate the structure and collect data showing improved paths calculated and reduced computational load through better parametrization. Thus, this strategy ensures that the advanced information about the environment has improved the navigation process.The authors are grateful to the Research Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI) for sharing its facilities and material, and also to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support as mentioned earlier.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Utilization of Biomarkers to Study the Grazing Behavior of Herbivore Species

Knowledge on diet selection of different herbivore species under each specific vegetation community is essential to develop and apply appropriate management decisions for each grazing system in order to, simultaneously, have a more efficient and sustainable utilization of pasture resources and the best animal performance level. In this chapter, traditional and more recent methodologies that can be used for studying diet selection of both domestic and wild herbivores are briefly presented, identifying the main advantages and limitations of their use. Particular emphasis is given to the utilization of epicuticular compounds, namely alkanes, long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols, as faecal markers. The validation of their use is presented taking into account studies performed with different animal species under controlled conditions. The main advantages and shortcomings for their application to field studies with grazing animals are highlighted. Data indicate that the combination of these epicuticular compounds seems promising to overcome the enumerated constraints, allowing its application to more complex vegetation communities

Contribution to Local Landscape Units definition in OTALEX II

OTALEX II is the Territorial and Environmental Observatory of Alentejo (Portugal) and Extremadura (Spain), co-financed by POCTEP, developed with the cross-border collaboration of several Portuguese and Spanish bodies. It is composed of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) created in 2007, SDI-OTALEX (www.ideotalex.eu), which is an exchange platform for geographic information and Webmapping services among project partners. The integration of environmental indicators such as landscape indicators, for the characterization and monitoring of the Alentejo Extremadura area is one of the most relevant components of the project. This paper reports the achievements in defining Local Landscape Units (LLU) for a pilot area of Central Alentejo – the Pardiela river basin. The methodological approach applied Geographic Information System tools to integrate soils, geomorphology and land cover. The land cover map applies the CORINE Land Cover Legend Level 5 to Central Alentejo at a scale of 1 : 10,000. This map contains variables related to vegetation, hydrology (streams and water bodies) and human settlements (buildings, equipment, roads). The validation of the results obtained for LLU with previously defined Landscape Units and potential vegetation mapping confirm the reliability and replicability of the present methodology for similar territories

Atividade física e saúde mental. Efeitos de um programa de exercício físico em sujeitos com diagnóstico clínico de perturbações do humor e psicóticas

Através da realização desta investigação objetivamos estudar a influência que o programa de exercício tem na saúde física e mental de sujeitos com diagnóstico de perturbações de humor e psicóticas, nomeadamente, em indicadores antropométricos, na função cardiorrespiratória, no grau de satisfação com a vida, na vitalidade, na autoestima global, no fator positivo dos estados de humor (vigor) e num dos fatores negativos dos estados de humor (depressão). Desta forma, equacionamos a seguinte hipótese: a atividade física melhora a saúde dos sujeitos, existindo diferenças significativas nas variáveis antropométricas, fisiológicas e psicológicas em estudo entre o início e o fim do programa, bem como, entre os sujeitos do grupo experimental e do grupo placebo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Autonomous RPCs for a Cosmic Ray ground array

We report on the behaviour of Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) developed for muon detection in ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) experiments. The RPCs were developed for the MARTA project and were tested on field conditions. These RPCs cover an area of $1.5 \times 1.2\,{m^2}$ and are instrumented with 64 pickup electrodes providing a segmentation better than $20\,$cm. By shielding the detector units with enough slant mass to absorb the electromagnetic component in the air showers, a clean measurement of the muon content is allowed, a concept to be implemented in a next generation of UHECR experiments. The operation of a ground array detector poses challenging demands, as the RPC must operate remotely under extreme environmental conditions, with limited budgets for power and minimal maintenance. The RPC, DAQ, High Voltage and monitoring systems are enclosed in an aluminium-sealed case, providing a compact and robust unit suited for outdoor environments, which can be easily deployed and connected. The RPCs developed at LIP-Coimbra are able to operate using a very low gas flux, which allows running them for few years with a small gas reservoir. Several prototypes have already been built and tested both in the laboratory and outdoors. We report on the most recent tests done in the field that show that the developed RPCs have operated in a stable way for more than 2 years in field conditions.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2017), Busan, South Korea. Presented by R. Concei\c{c}\~{a}o. 8 page

Effect of cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp) Stover dietary inclusion level on total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients in growing rabbits

[EN] Although agro-industrial co-products have low economic value as foods for human consumption, they may have potential value as animal feedstuffs. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of cowpea stover inclusion in rabbits’ diet on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. A total of 180 animals were randomly assigned to 3 treatments (CS0, CS2 or CS4, with no inclusion, 20 or 40 g/kg of cowpea stover, respectively). Animal performance was evaluated between the 53rd and 67th d of age in 48 animals per treatment. The coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and gross energy were measured between 63 to 67 d of age in 12 animals per treatment. Results showed that, in general, CTTAD values were not affected by the inclusion of cowpea stover. Nevertheless, a trend towards a decrease in crude protein digestibility (P=0.0848) was observed when including cowpea stover. This had a negative influence on digestible protein (P=0.0240) and on the ratio between digestible protein and digestible energy (P=0.0231) for diet CS4. Rabbits showed normal figures for growth rate (on av. 46.8 g/d), feed intake (on av. 168.3 g/d) and feed conversion ratio (on av. 3.61). Future studies should assess the possibility of incorporating higher levels of cowpea stover while analysing the economic impact of this inclusion.This work received support by the European Project EUROLEGUME (Seventh Research Framework Programme of the European Union – FP7 research project no. 613781) and by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI– Operational Competitiveness and Internationalisation Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2019. Ederson Andrade is recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the CAPES Foundation (grant number BEX-13521/13-6).Andrade, EA.; Rodrigues, MAM.; Ribeiro, L.; Mendes, CQ.; Ferreira, LMM.; Pinheiro, V. (2019). Effect of cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp) Stover dietary inclusion level on total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients in growing rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 27(1):15-20. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2019.10450SWORD1520271Anele U.Y., Sudekum K.H., Arigbe O.M., Luttgenau H., Oni A.O., Bolaji O.J., Galyean M.L. 2012. Chemical composition, rumen degradability and crude protein fractionation of some commercial and improved cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) haulm varieties. Grass Forage Sci., 67: 210-218. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.2011.00835.xAnele U.Y., Sudekum K.H., Hummel J., Arigbede O.M., Oni A.O., Olanite J.A., Bottger C., OJO V.O., Jolaosho A.O. 2011. 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Effects of ambient temperature and photoperiod on flowering time in faba bean. Crop Pasture Sci., 68: 893-901. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP17187De Blas J.C., Mateos G.G. 2010. Feed formulation. In: Nutrition of Rabbit 2nd ed., De Blas, J. C., Wiseman, J. (ed.). CABI, Wallingford, UK, 222-232. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845936693.0222De Blas, J.C., Ferrer P., Rodríguez C.A., Cerisuelo A., García-Rebollar P., Calvet S., Farias C. 2018. Nutritive value of citrus co-products in rabbit feeding. World Rabbit Sci., 26: 7-14. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2018.7699Foster J.L., Adesogan A.T., Carter J.N., Blount A.R., Myer R.O., Phatak S.C. 2009. Intake, digestibility, and nitrogen retention by sheep supplemented with warm-season legume hays or soybean meal. J. Anim. Sci., 87: 2891-2898. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1637García J., Carabaño R., Pérez-Alba L., de Blas J.C. 2000. Effect of fiber source on cecal fermentation and nitrogen recycled through cecotrophy in rabbits. J. 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Evolución de los deltas submarinos de los ríos Guadalfeo y Adra en respuesta a las variaciones de los aportes sedimentarios

The Guadalfeo and the Adra submarine deltas off the northern coast of the Alboran Sea have been built up under the direct influence of short and mountainous rivers. The area is subjected to strong climatic seasonality, with sporadic winter torrential floods and high summer aridity. In addition numerous anthropogenic activities have affected these systems, mostly during the last two centuries. In order to decode the influence of climatic variability and anthropogenic impacts on sediment supplies during the recent past, five sediment cores were collected from the Guadalfeo and Adra submarine deltas. Benthic foraminiferal and sedimentological analyses, combined with radiocarbon dating, were performed. The impact of torrential floods alternating with periods of low rainfall or dry periods were recorded in the Adra and Guadalfeo prodeltas. Periods with low abundance of benthic foraminifera and high amounts of coarse-grained sediments, were interpreted as the result of enhanced sediment supply to the shelf triggered by major flood events. On the other hand, periods with high amounts of fine-grained sediments and high abundances of colonizers and opportunistic foraminiferal species indicate the establishment of new environments with distinct ecological constraints. These environments were driven by lower sediment supplies during low rainfall or dry periods. The most recent sedimentation seems to reflect the human interventions in the rivers basins, such as deviation of the main river courses and dams construction, which reduced the sediment input and promoted the deposition of shallow-water submarine deltas.Versión del edito