Detect and Pointing Algorithms Performance for a 2D Adaptive Antenna Array

In recent decades, we have witnessed a great progress in wireless communications. The huge amount of data that users expect to access has required an effort to increase the capacity of wireless networks. The main limitation of these communication systems is the increasing interference between channels and multipath fading. Smart antennas technology has emerged, solving some of these problems and improving the performance of wireless networks. This chapter addresses a group of algorithms, directions of arrival (DOA) and beamforming, applied to planar antenna arrays. The algorithms are simulated, and their performance is evaluated in terms of runtime, accuracy and dependence with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), applied to a smart antenna system

An Evaluation System for University-Industry Partnership Sustainability: Enhancing Options for Entrepreneurial Universities

The concept of university–industry partnership sustainability (UIPS) stands for well-adjusted progress among key players from universities and industry by sustaining their welfare, both in the present and in the future. This paper sought to develop an evaluation system for UIPS. The need for such a system is justified at three levels: the micro level (i.e., research and innovation performance, transfer and absorptive capability, and technology development), the meso level (i.e., institutional arrangements, communication networks, and local and indigenous rules) and the macro level (i.e., supply and demand, regulations, financing, taxes, culture, traditions, market, climate, politics, demographics, and technology). The UIPS evaluation system developed in this study offers the possibility of calculating a fair value of UIPS and providing recommendations for improving university–industry (U–I) partnerships. This can be of great importance for entrepreneurial universities that would like to strengthen their corporate links and/or reduce/reverse the “hollowing effect” of globalisation in disadvantaged regions. Additionally, this paper also contains discussions on the advantages, limitations, and managerial implications of this proposal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Germanium-rich chalcopyrite from the Barrigão remobilised vein deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal

Anomalously high germanium contents have been detected by means of whole-rock trace element analysis in remobilised vein type copper ores from the abandoned Barrigão mine, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Portugal. The late-Variscan brecciated copper ores consist manly of chalcopyrite, with minor tennantite, rare pyrite and arsenopyrite. The ores, investigated for elements increasingly used in several thin-film and other semiconductor high-technology applications (e.g. indium, selenium, tellurium and germanium), show germanium contents up to 280 ppm, with an average of 61 ppm from 10 samples. Electron Probe Microanalysis of Barrigão ore samples revealed that germanium is contained in chalcopyrite, with a range of 0.1 to 0.4 wt% (0.23 wt% average). High germanium contents seem to be linked to "dirty" chalcopyrite phases, showing irregular patchy zoning under the microscope and on back-scattered electron images

Impacto da ceva no sabor e coloração de filés do peixe matrinxã selvagem na bacia amazônica

Currently, in the watershed of the River Teles Pires, southern amazon (Mato Grosso), the most widely used technic to catch fishes belonging to “mantrinxa” is baiting. Most fisherman are using soybean in well-defined places to attract omnivorous fishes. The aim of our study was to evaluate potential savour and colour differences of wild matrinxãs (Brycon falcatus) caught with or without feeding. Fish were caught in 2013 during the dry period in the Teles Pires River while attracting them with soybean and in the river Cristalino, without baiting them. Both size and weight of each fish were noted and fillets were removed to be cooked using a microwave. We used a triangular test to assess potential differences in flesh taste. We also used a modified colorimetric Salmofan© method to determine coloration of each fillet. Forty-two testers were selected for the sensorial (gustative) analyse and a significant difference was found regarding taste. We also detected differences in flesh coloration, with fish from the Cristalino River presenting colouration closer to salmon shades. Results indicated that baiting fish modify both colour and savour of matrinxãs filletsActualmente, en la cuenca del río Teles Pires, norte de Mato Grosso, una de las técnicas más utilizadas por los pescadores para captura de matrinxã es la ceba. La ceba es una oferta de suplemento alimentar, en este caso, granos de soja in natura colocados en un lugar determinado para atraer principalmente a los peces omnívoros. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si existe diferencia en el sabor y el color de matrinxãs silvestres (Brycon falcatus) capturados mediante la ceba y sin la presencia de ceba. Los peces fueron colectados en la estación seca del año 2013, en el río Teles Pires, con ceba, y en el río Cristalino, sin ceba. Se anotó longitud y peso de los peces y de los de los filetes, que fueron luego congelados. Después del descongelamiento, los filetes fueron individualmente cocidos en horno micro-ondas. Para evaluar si había diferencia en el sabor de los filetes se aplicó el test triangular. Para determinar la coloración del filete, se utilizó el método modificado de la escala colorimétrica Salmofan©. En el análisis sensorial, realizado con 42 catadores se detectó diferencia significativa en el sabor, con un nivel de probabilidad de 0,5%. Visualmente también fue detectada diferencia en la coloración de los filetes, siendo los peces del río Cristalino los que presentaron mayor tendencia a tonos de salmón. Los resultados indican que la presencia de la ceba está alterando el sabor y la coloración del filete de matrinxã

Using zeta-potential measurements to quantify peptide partition to lipid membranes

© The Author(s) 2011. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com.Open Access: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.Many cellular phenomena occur on the biomembranes. There are plenty of molecules (natural or xenobiotics) that interact directly or partially with the cell membrane. Biomolecules, such as several peptides (e.g., antimicrobial peptides) and proteins, exert their effects at the cell membrane level. This feature makes necessary investigating their interactions with lipids to clarify their mechanisms of action and side effects necessary. The determination of molecular lipid/water partition constants (Kp) is frequently used to quantify the extension of the interaction. The determination of this parameter has been achieved by using different methodologies, such as UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and ζ-potential measurements. In this work, we derived and tested a mathematical model to determine the Kp from ζ-potential data. The values obtained with this method were compared with those obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy, which is a regular technique used to quantify the interaction of intrinsically fluorescent peptides with selected biomembrane model systems. Two antimicrobial peptides (BP100 and pepR) were evaluated by this new method. The results obtained by this new methodology show that ζ-potential is a powerful technique to quantify peptide/lipid interactions of a wide variety of charged molecules, overcoming some of the limitations inherent to other techniques, such as the need for fluorescent labeling.This work was partially supported by project PTDC/QUI/ 69937/2006 from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal), and by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal). JMF and MMD also thank FCT-MCTES for grants IMM/BT/37-2010 and SFRH/BD/41750/2007, respectively

Late Strunian age : a key time frame for VMS deposit exploration in the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Estimate of geological environments favorable for the formation of massive sulphide deposits is an important goal to the exploration companies working in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), the main European VMS base metals province, with giant deposits such as Neves Corvo, Aljustrel (Portugal), Rio Tinto and Tharsis (Spain). Palynostratigraphic research programs using more than 40 exploration boreholes (>30 km length) allowed the dating of the sediments of the Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (upper Devonian to upper Viséan), that host the massive sulphide deposits. Research is based on detailed palynomorphs study. Careful work was focused on dark grey and black shale units that host stockwork and massive ore mineralizations. Felsic volcanic U/Pb age data was also used to confirm the sediment age.Late Strunian (miospore biozone LN, 360.7 ± 0.7 Ma -362 Ma) sediments host the massive sulphide ore at Neves Corvo, Lousal, Caveira and Montinho, mines located in the Portuguese IPB sector. In Spain similar data was obtained at Aznalcollar and Tharsis. The agedata show a favourable geological period of ~2 Ma were paleogeographic conditions were extremely favorable to hydrothermal fluid circulation and VMS deposits formation. Late Strunian age therefore becomes one key exploration guide in IPB