Induction of defence responses by cinnamomins against Phytophthora cinnamomi in Quercus suber and Quercus ilex subs. rotundifolia

The strong association between Phytophthora cinnamomi and the mortality and decline of Quercus suber and Q. ilex subsp. rotundifolia has been known for two decades. The ability of elicitins secreted by this pathogen to trigger defence responses in these Quercus against itself was evaluated in this work. Biomass quantification by quantitative real-time PCR revealed a significant decrease in pathogen colonization of Q. suber roots after 24 h pre-treatment with α- and β-cinnamomin. In Q. suber and Q. ilex roots pre-treated with α-cinnamomin, hyphae were unable to reach and colonize the vascular cylinder and showed cytoplasmic disorganization in all the roots observed as contrasted with non-pre-treated roots. The pathogen was restricted to the intercellular spaces of the cortical parenchyma and the concomitant accumulation of electron dense materials was observed in contact with the hyphae. Furthermore, ROS (reactive oxygen species) production and the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase were compared in infected and non-infected Quercus roots in time course trials. There was a significant increase in the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2 •-) and an enhanced activity of the enzymes in infected roots was observed at each time point. When comparing with elicitin non-treated roots, the α-cinnamomin-treated roots in interaction with P. cinnamomi showed a decrease in ROS accumulation and an increase of the enzyme activities. The overall results were consistent with an induction by the cinnamomins which initiated defence responses against the pathogen invasion of roots. Finally, elicitins were immunolocalized in the contact zone of P. cinnamomi hyphae with epidermal host cells, plasmalemma outer cytoplasm and around the intracellular hyphae in the vacuoles of invaded epidermal cells

Uso da prototipagem rápida no projecto e produção de motores de combustão interna

Os motores de combustão interna são constituídos por peças de elevada complexidade, tal como a cabeça do motor. Nesta peça existem várias condutas (admissão, escape, arrefecimento), vários postiços (sedes e guias das válvulas de admissão e escape) e vários acessórios estão a ela ligada ou fazem dela parte, tal como a vela e todo o sistema de distribuição constituído por árvore de cames, balanceiros, válvulas e molas. Com tal complexidade torna-se difícil fazer o projecto, mas principalmente efectuar a produção da peça. Em particular as condutas constituem zonas de difícil acesso para remoção de material, e impõem limitações de execução. A prototipagem rápida pode ajudar tanto na fase de projecto como na de produção. Técnicas diferentes de prototipagem rápida foram aplicadas à produção de peças fundidas, de modo a serem aplicadas no motor.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCI/EME/59186/2004

Conceiving Competitive Arrangements For Public Transport

Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Full-scale ab initio 3D PIC simulations of an all-optical radiation reaction configuration at 1021W/cm210^{21}\mathrm{W/cm^2}

Using full-scale 3D particle-in-cell simulations we show that the radiation reaction dominated regime can be reached in an all optical configuration through the collision of a $\sim$1 GeV laser wakefield accelerated (LWFA) electron bunch with a counter propagating laser pulse. In this configuration radiation reaction significantly reduces the energy of the particle bunch, thus providing clear experimental signatures for the process with currently available lasers. We also show that the transition between classical and quantum radiation reaction could be investigated in the same configuration with laser intensities of $10^{24}\mathrm{W/cm^2}$

Engine design using rapid prototyping techniques

An internal combustion engine was designed in ProEngineer. The aim of this project was to develop a proposefull tool enabling the rapid design/development of the required engine. The first non-working model was built using a rapid prototyping machine. A visual analysis of the engine head model shown various fields where improvements could be made on the engine design. Therefore, the head was re-designed taking that into account. The second phase of the project involves the actual production of low cost direct casting moulds straight from the engine design. Design and manufacture integration now possible through Rapid Prototyping techniques enabled drastic reductions of the design-development-casting process effort.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Programa Operacional Ciência e Inovação (POCI)

Regenerative braking potencial and energy simulations for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle under real driving conditions

There are several possible configurations and technologies for the powertrains of electric and hybrid vehicles, but most of them will include advanced energy storage systems comprising batteries and ultra-capacitors. Thus, it will be of capital importance to evaluate the power and energy involved in braking and the fraction that has the possibility of being regenerated. The Series type Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SPHEV), with electric traction and a small Internal Combustion Engine ICE) powering a generator, is likely to become a configuration winner. The first part of this work describes the model used for the quantification of the energy flows of a vehicle, following a particular route. Normalised driving-cycles used in Europe and USA and real routes and traffic conditions were tested. The results show that, in severe urban drivingcycles, the braking energy can represent more than 70% of the required useful motor-energy. This figure is reduced to 40% in suburban routes and to a much lower 18% on motorway conditions. The second part of the work consists on the integration of the main energy components of an S-PHEV into the mathematical model. Their performance and capacity characteristics are described and some simulation results presented. In the case of suburban driving, 90% of the electrical motor-energy is supplied by the battery and ultra-capacitors and 10% by the auxiliary ICE generator, while on motorway these we got 65% and 35%, respectively. The simulations also indicate an electric consumption of 120 W.h/km for a small 1 ton car on a suburban route. This value increases by 11% in the absence of ultra-capacitors and a further 28% without regenerative braking.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - MIT-Pt/EDAMSMS/0030/200

Operação Urbana Consorciada, Insegurança Jurídica e Segregação Sócio Espacial: o Caso de Niterói/RJ

Operación Urbana Consorciada es un instituto de derecho urbanístico brasileño promulgado en 2001 en la Ley Federal 10.257, bajo la influencia de dos matrices teóricas: la francesa y la angloamericana. El instituto actúa por primera vez en 2009 en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro, en el área portuaria, en el proyecto “Porto Maravilha”, con más de 800 hectáreas. En 2013 los mismos emprendedores, por una parte, replicaron este proyecto en el área central del municipio vecino, Niterói, con la finalidad de generar al gobierno ingresos de alrededor de mil millones de reales con la venta de Certificados de Potencial Adicional de Construcción (Cepac) de 1.200.000 m2, y por otra, financiar la campaña electoral de 2012. Se pretende demostrar cómo este caso se aleja del referencial teórico del instituto, por subvertir su finalidad. Finalmente, el gobierno municipal, para diluir la resistencia al proyecto, limitó el potencial constructivo al 60% de lo permitido en el Plan Director, induciendo así el costo per cápita de la infraestructura a casi el doble en relación a aquel potencial máximo, además de mostrar la inseguridad jurídica. Por este motivo, mantenerse en el área quedaría muy difícil para aquellas familias con ingresos mensuales de hasta 2 salarios (40% de la población actual del área), evidenciándose que la elitización del área central de la ciudad no sería el mero impacto social del emprendimiento, sino la verdadera finalidad de la propia iniciativa de los socios privados del gobierno municipal.Consortium Urban Operation is an institute of Brazilian urban planning law, which was enacted in 2001 by Federal Law 10.257, under the influence of two theoretical matrices: French and Anglo-American. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the first time the institute is applied is in 2009, in the port area, in the project “Porto Maravilha”, with more than 800 hectares. In 2013, the same entrepreneurs replicated the project in the central area of the neighboring municipality, Niterói, in order to generate to the government, whose 2012 electoral campaign was financed by them, a revenue of around R$1 billion by sale of Certificates of Additional Building Potential (Cepac, in portuguese) of 1,200,000 m2. It is intended to demonstrate how this case distances itself from the theoretical reference of the institute, by subverting its purpose. After all, the municipal government, in order to reduce the social resistance to the project, limited the building potential to 60$1 bilhão com a venda de Certificados de Potencial Adicional de Construção (Cepac) de 1.200.000 m2. Pretende- se demonstrar como esse caso distancia-se do referencial teórico do instituto, por subverter sua finalidade. Afinal, o governo municipal, para diminuir resistência ao projeto, limitou o potencial construtivo a 60% do permitido no Plano Diretor, induzindo, assim, o custo per capita da infraestrutura a quase o dobro em relação àquele potencial máximo, além de insegurança jurídica. Por esse motivo, manter-se na área ficaria muito difícil para aquelas famílias com renda mensal de até 2 salários (40% da população atual da área), evidenciando-se que a elitização da área central da cidade não seria mero impacto social do empreendimento, mas a verdadeira finalidade da iniciativa dos parceiros privados do governo municipal

Price forecasting in the day-ahead Iberian electricity market using a conjectural variations Arima model

Price forecast is a matter of concern for all participants in electricity markets, from suppliers to consumers through policy makers, which are interested in the accurate forecast of day-ahead electricity prices either for better decisions making or for an improved evaluation of the effectiveness of market rules and structure. This paper describes a methodology to forecast market prices in an electricity market using an ARIMA model applied to the conjectural variations of the firms acting in an electricity market. This methodology is applied to the Iberian electricity market to forecast market prices in the 24 hours of a working day. The methodology was then compared with two other methodologies, one called naive and the other a direct forecast of market prices using also an ARIMA model. Results show that the conjectural variations price forecast performs better than the naive and that it performs slightly better than the direct price forecast

The role of emergent processing technologies in tailoring plant protein functionality: New insights

Background Plant proteins possess promising technological-functional properties that can be used for the development of innovative protein systems. Following the global requirements of environmentally friendly politics, green and cost-effective processing technologies, such as ohmic heating and high pressure processing are of great interest. These technologies have demonstrated their potential to modify protein structure and therefore their function, opening interesting possibilities for the design of functional food systems. However, these innovations must also include nutritional and health/wellness aspects, such as the interaction with other food components, and the behavior in the gastrointestinal tract (digestibility and bioavailability). Scope and approach This review addresses the most promising technological-functional attributes of plant proteins, as well as considerations and strategies needed for the development of innovative food systems. New insights will also be provided on how emerging processing technologies such as ohmic heating and high pressure processing can affect the behavior of proteins. The processing effects in proteins structure and in their technological-functional properties and ultimately in the biofunctional and nutritional aspects of foods made therefrom will be critically discussed. Key findings and conclusions Fundamental research regarding the relationship between structural modifications and functionality of more conventional proteins is still required. Furthermore, additional research is necessary on proteins from less studied sources, highlighting those displaying both functional and quality parameters of interest. Emergent processing technologies can help guaranteeing the quality and preservation of foods, as well as act as effective tools to develop technological-functional attributes of food proteins ensuring nutritional and health/wellness aspects.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER 000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Ac knowledgments are also due to University of Aveiro and FCT/MCT for the financial support for LAQV-REQUIMTE research Unit (FCT UIDB/50006/2020) through national funds and, where applicable, co financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. Zita Avelar acknowledges the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for its fellowship SFRH/BD/146347/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio