Efficient Haplotype Inference with Pseudo-Boolean Optimization

Abstract. Haplotype inference from genotype data is a key computational problem in bioinformatics, since retrieving directly haplotype information from DNA samples is not feasible using existing technology. One of the methods for solving this problem uses the pure parsimony criterion, an approach known as Haplotype Inference by Pure Parsimony (HIPP). Initial work in this area was based on a number of different Integer Linear Programming (ILP) models and branch and bound algorithms. Recent work has shown that the utilization of a Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) formulation and state of the art SAT solvers represents the most efficient approach for solving the HIPP problem. Motivated by the promising results obtained using SAT techniques, this paper investigates the utilization of modern Pseudo-Boolean Optimization (PBO) algorithms for solving the HIPP problem. The paper starts by applying PBO to existing ILP models. The results are promising, and motivate the development of a new PBO model (RPoly) for the HIPP problem, which has a compact representation and eliminates key symmetries. Experimental results indicate that RPoly outperforms the SAT-based approach on most problem instances, being, in general, significantly more efficient

Tão perto do silêncio: memória, performance e exílio entre refugiados e requerentes de asilo em Portugal (documentário)

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Antropologia – Culturas VisuaisTão perto do silêncio acompanha os ensaios, as representações e o dia a dia de um grupo de refugiados e requerentes de asilo em Portugal que dinamizam um grupo de teatro amador para reflectir sobre e dar visibilidade à sua experiência enquanto exilados. Enquanto documentário procura contestar representações visuais (e mediáticas) tendencialmente hegemónicas dos refugiados como eternas vítimas, enredados entre as memórias traumáticas de um passado violento e os processos burocráticos de um sistema de asilo pouco sensível às suas vulnerabilidades

Cape Verde's Strategic Agricultural Development Plan (Horizon 2015): an assessment of its contributions to the development of the Archipelago

O Plano Estratégico de Desenvolvimento Agrícola (PEDA) 2004-2015 e subsequentes planos de Ação (PA`s), tinham como intenção o aumento e diversificação da produção agrícola, combatendo a pobreza e melhorando a segurança alimentar. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o PEDA e seus PA`s em duas dimensões: verificar em que medida os objetivos dos planos traduziam as necessidades do território; avaliar os resultados da sua implementação. Metodologicamente, recorreu-se aos conceitos de relevância, coerência interna e externa e, ainda, um exercício exploratório de avaliação dos seus resultados. Os nossos resultados sugerem que o PEDA e os PA`s refletiam as necessidades do Arquipélago nos objetivos gerais/estratégicos definidos. Contudo a incipiência do diagnóstico, a ausência de metas e a não hierarquização de prioridades, condicionaram a eficácia da sua implementação. Concluiuse sobre a necessidade de aprofundar a definição dos objetivos, de forma a não comprometer a sua eficácia e impactes.The Strategic Plan for Agricultural Development (PEDA) 2004-2015 and subsequent Plans of Action (PA's), had as their main intention the increase and diversification of agricultural production, combating poverty, and improving food security. This work aimed to evaluate the PEDA and its PA's in two dimensions: verify how their objectives reflected the needs of the territory; evaluate the results of their implementation. Methodologically, is supported in the concepts of relevance, internal and external coherence, and also an exploratory exercise to evaluate its results. Our results suggest that the PEDA and the PA's reflected the needs of the Archipelago in the general/strategic objectives defined. However, the incipiency of the diagnosis, the lack of definition of goals, and the lack of a hierarchy of priorities conditioned the effectiveness of their implementation. It concludes that the degree of achievement of objectives must be precise, not to compromise their effectiveness and impacts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobilidade social e empoderamento: a percepção das mulheres beneficiárias do programa Bolsa Família em Minas Gerais

Esse trabalho teve como objetivo analisar os efeitos relacionados à mobilidade social e ao empoderamento das beneficiárias do Programa Bolsa Família em Minas Gerais. Foram utilizados procedimentos metodológicos analíticos, em um estudo de caso múltiplo com abordagem quantitativa. Foi realizada a validação dos constructos de mobilidade social e empoderamento, permitindo-se mensurar a intensidade da relação entre essas diferentes dimensões. Os resultados demonstram a melhoria significativa na vida das beneficiárias, o que pode possibilitar ascendência social. Contudo, observou-se, como fator limitante, o baixo grau de escolaridade das beneficiárias, mostrando-se a necessidade de conexão dos programas sociais com atividades educacionais e de geração de trabalho e renda, para inserção das mulheres no mercado de trabalho. Dessa forma, considera-se que o Programa Bolsa Família pode influenciar significativamente tanto no empoderamento quanto na mobilidade social das beneficiárias. Ademais, a articulação com atividades educacionais e produtivas pode avigorar os resultados de políticas públicas que defendam a justiça social e a diminuição das desigualdades existentes entre gêneros e classes sociais.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar los efectos relacionados con la movilidad social y el empoderamiento de los beneficiarios de Bolsa Familia en Minas Gerais. Los procedimientos analíticos metodológicos fueron utilizados en un estudio de casos múltiples con un enfoque cuantitativo para validar los constructos de la potenciación y la movilidad social, lo que le permite medir la intensidad de la relación entre estas diferentes dimensiones. Los resultados demuestran una mejora significativa en las vidas de los beneficiarios como resultado de recibir el beneficio, lo que les permite ascenso social. Sin embargo, se señaló como un factor limitante del bajo nivel de educación de los beneficiarios, destacando la necesidad de conexión con los programas sociales y actividades educativas para generar empleo e ingresos para la integración de las mujeres en el mercado laboral. Por lo tanto, se considera que el Programa Bolsa Família pueda afectar significativamente a la movilidad social y el empoderamiento de los beneficiarios; por otra parte, si los beneficiarios son coordinados con las instituciones educativas y productivas, los impactos esperados pueden ser fortalecidos a través de la implementación de políticas públicas que defiendan la justicia social y la reducción de las desigualdades entre los géneros y clases sociales.This study aims to analyze the effects related to social mobility and empowerment of the beneficiaries from the Bolsa Familia Program in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Analytical procedures were applied in a multiple case study with a quantitative approach. The validation of constructs of empowerment and social mobility enables us to measure the intensity of the relationship between different dimensions. The result shows that the Bolsa Família program allows the social ascendancy of its beneficiaries. However, it was noted that the beneficiaries’ low level of education is a limiting factor. In order to insert women into the labor market it is necessary to associate the Bolsa Família program with other social programs relating to income, education and employment generation. Thus, the Bolsa Família program is able to influence both social mobility and empowerment of its beneficiaries. The Bolsa Família program in association with other social programs (income, education and employment generation) can improve public policies’ results related to social justice, gender and social inequality.Revista do Serviço Público - RSP, v. 62, n. 4, p. 449-465Políticas Públicas e SociaisSociedade. Gênero. FamíliaISSN eletrônico: 2357-8017ISSN impresso: 0034-924

HELENA HERA LIDAR ENGINEERING MODEL ALTIMETER DESIGN

The AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) is a collaboration between NASA DART mission and ESA Hera mission. The aim is to study asteroid deflection through a kinetic collision. For this mission two spacecrafts will be developed DART provided by NASA and HERA provided by ESA. DART spacecraft will collide with Didymoon, while the orbit change is monitored by ground stations. HERA spacecraft will study the post impact scenario. The HERA spacecraft is composed by the main spacecraft and two small CubeSats. HERA will study the asteroid with imaging, Radar, Satellite-to-Satellite Doppler tracking, Lidar, Seismometry and Gravimetry. We report a first iteration on the LIDAR instrument that we called HELENA (HERA LIDAR ENGINEERING MODEL ALTIMETER). HELENA is a TOF altimeter that provides time tagged distances and velocity measurements. The instrument can be used to support near asteroid navigation and provides scientific information (e.g. asteroid 3D topography, fall dawn velocity).The development of this instrument is done in the frame of an ESA activity. The LIDAR design comprises a microchip laser and a low noise sensor. The synergies between these two technologies enable the development of a compact instrument for range measurements of up to 20 km. We report the LIDAR design, namely, optics, opto-mechanics and electronics

The BepiColombo Environment Radiation Monitor, BERM

The BepiColombo Environment Radiation Monitor (BERM) on board the European Space Agency's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), is designed to measure the radiation environment encountered by BepiColombo. The instrument measures electrons with energies from similar to 150 keV to similar to 10 MeV, protons with energies from similar to 1.5 MeV to similar to 100 MeV, and heavy ions with Linear Energy Transfer from 1 to 50 MeV.mg(-1).cm(2). BERM is operated continuously, being responsible for monitoring the radiation levels during all phases of the mission, including the cruise, the planetary flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, and the Hermean environment. In this paper, we describe the scientific objectives, instrument design and calibration, and the in-flight scientific performance of BERM. Moreover, we provide the first scientific results obtained by BERM during the BepiColombo flyby of Earth in April 2020, and after the impact of a solar energetic particle event during the cruise phase in May 2021. We also discuss the future plans of the instrument including synergies with other instruments on the BepiColombo and on other missions.Peer reviewe

Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of portuguese olive oil

The main goal of this paper was to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of olive oil production in Portugal. A life-cycle model and inventory were implemented for the entire production process, including a comprehensive analysis of olive cultivation, olive oil extraction, packaging, and distribution. Data originates from five differently-sized Portuguese olive growers and from a total of six olive oil mills, representing the three extraction processes in use: three-phase extraction, two-phase extraction, and traditional pressing. The results show that the GHG intensity lies in the range 1.8-8.2 kg CO2eq/liter and that the main contributors were fertilizers (production and field emissions). Efficient use of fertilizers thus seems to be a key factor for mitigating the GHG intensity of olive oil production

Calcium levels and calcium:available phosphorus ratios in diets for white egg layers from 42 to 58 weeks of age

The experiment was conducted to determine the nutritional requirement of calcium and the best calcium:available phosphorus ratio for commercial layers at the post-laying peak. A total of 324 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were utilized in the period from 42 to 58 weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, composed of three levels of calcium (39, 42 and 45 g/kg) and three calcium:phosphorus ratios (12.12:1; 10.53:1; and 9.30:1), totaling nine treatments with six replications and six birds per experimental unit. There was no significant effect from the calcium levels × calcium:phosphorus ratio interaction for any of the variables studied. The calcium levels and the calcium:phosphorus ratios did not affect the variables performance or egg and bone quality. At the evaluation of the calcium:phosphorus balance, as the levels of calcium of the diet were raised, the intake of calcium and phosphorus and the contents of mineral matter and calcium in the excreta increased linearly, and the retention of calcium by birds decreased linearly. With the reduction of the calcium:phosphorus ratios of the diet, intake, retention and excretion of phosphorus by layers increased. Diets containing calcium at 39 g/kg and a calcium:phosphorus ratio of 12.12:1, corresponding to an increase in calcium of 3.51 g/bird/day and available phosphorus of 289 mg/bird/day, meet the requirements of calcium and available phosphorus of white egg layers in the period from 42 to 58 weeks of age

HERA LIDAR INSTRUMENT DEVELOPEMENT

The AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) is a collaboration between NASA DART mission and ESA Hera mission. The aim is to study asteroid deflection through a kinetic collision. For this mission two spacecrafts will be developed DART provided by NASA and HERA provided by ESA. DART spacecraft will collide with Didymoon, while the orbit change is monitored by ground stations. HERA spacecraft will study the post impact scenario. The HERA spacecraft is composed by the main spacecraft and two small CubeSats. HERA will study the asteroid with imaging, Radar, Satellite-to-Satellite Doppler tracking, Lidar, Seismometry and Gravimetry. We report a first iteration on the LIDAR instrument that we called HELENA (HERA LIDAR ENGINEERING MODEL ALTIMETER). HELENA is a TOF altimeter that provides time tagged distances and velocity measurements. The instrument can be used to support near asteroid navigation and provides scientific information (e.g. asteroid 3D topography, fall dawn velocity).The development of this instrument is done in the frame of an ESA activity. The LIDAR design comprises a microchip laser and a low noise sensor. The synergies between these two technologies enable the development of a compact instrument for range measurements of up to 20 km. We report the LIDAR design, namely, optics, opto-mechanics and electronics