Ffau—framework for fully autonomous uavs

Nr. 024539 (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024539) under grant agreement No 783221 UID/EEA/00066/2019Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), although hardly a new technology, have recently gained a prominent role in many industries being widely used not only among enthusiastic consumers, but also in high demanding professional situations, and will have a massive societal impact over the coming years. However, the operation of UAVs is fraught with serious safety risks, such as collisions with dynamic obstacles (birds, other UAVs, or randomly thrown objects). These collision scenarios are complex to analyze in real-time, sometimes being computationally impossible to solve with existing State of the Art (SoA) algorithms, making the use of UAVs an operational hazard and therefore significantly reducing their commercial applicability in urban environments. In this work, a conceptual framework for both stand-alone and swarm (networked) UAVs is introduced, with a focus on the architectural requirements of the collision avoidance subsystem to achieve acceptable levels of safety and reliability. The SoA principles for collision avoidance against stationary objects are reviewed and a novel approach is described, using deep learning techniques to solve the computational intensive problem of real-time collision avoidance with dynamic objects. The proposed framework includes a web-interface allowing the full control of UAVs as remote clients with a supervisor cloud-based platform. The feasibility of the proposed approach was demonstrated through experimental tests using a UAV, developed from scratch using the proposed framework. Test flight results are presented for an autonomous UAV monitored from multiple countries across the world.publishersversionpublishe

Ultrafast nonlinear effects in organic compounds and organic hybrids materials

Synthesis and solution-processing of specialized chemical compounds can facilitate the fabrication of nano-electronic devices. Many of these emerging applications require organic materials with well-characterized optical properties, specifically, large two-photon absorption (2PA) and nonlinear optical (NLO) responses. The most common strategy to achieve a strong second order nonlinear optical response is to link donor and acceptor moieties on opposite ends of a π-conjugated aromatic spacer. This configuration promotes spatial charge transfer and a strong difference in dipole moments between the ground and excited electronic states. Individual organic molecules, tailor made following this strategy, can often exhibit exceptionally large intrinsic nonlinear optical properties, but the translation to a macroscopic electro-optic activity is often extremely difficult. Roughly more than 80% of all π-conjugated organic molecules crystallize in centrosymmetric space groups producing materials with no second order bulk susceptibility. Our group has demonstrated that is possible overcome this restriction by embedding organic molecules, which normally crystallize in centrosymmetric structures, into nanostructured polymeric matrix. Recently, we observed greatly enhance the nonlinearities of nominally weak nonlinear materials when insert in a polymeric nanofibers, one-dimensional nanostructures. These types of nanostructures are attracting attention because of the unique optical interactions that arise from their sub wavelength size. To explore this phenomena in detail we take advantage of our state of the art custom built Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscope (FLIM). The temporal resolution of the FLIM is about 25 picoseconds and less than a 1 micron of spatial resolution. This system allows us to monitor the effects of nano-structured environments and their localized optical response. Other systems of current interest in our research group are graphene quantum dots both in solution and dispersed in a thin film of PVA, the interaction of excited dye molecules with a single layer graphene surface and tailor designed molecules for two photon absorption in the near infrared portion of the spectrum.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Damage Assessment in Composite Laminates - A Fractal Approach

This work focuses on the assessment of the damaged area originated by drilling of composite laminates. A batch of carbon/epoxy plates was cut into test coupons and drilled under different conditions regarding feed rate and spindle speed. The use of enhanced radiography allowed the determination and assessment of the damaged area. Besides the damage assessment, other mathematical functions were used, like fractals, to characterize the damaged area. Finally the plates were mechanically tested for correlation of results

Neuromielite longitudinalmente extensa: dificuldades diagnósticas e terapêuticas

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Humor in mathematics teaching

HUMOR: OUR VIEW FOR MATHEMATICS TEACHING Our assumptions and context. Process humor and be able to produce is clearly a sign of intelligence, revealing, when done well, complex reasoning. Humor has an important social role, assuming as a cognitive experience that as well as creating a sense of well-being, predisposes people to work and can improve the productivity of that work. Mathematics is a discipline in which the reasoning occupies a very prominent place, both as a science as a school area. At the same time, students' interest for mathematics is not always the same and some have initially not very favorable feelings (Toh, 2009; Wanzer, Frymier & Irwin, 2010). Recent curriculum changes to the teaching of mathematics have been, in most countries of the world, showing the need for students to develop skills of critical nature, such as communication, thinking and problem solving along with the acquisition of mathematical knowledge. Also in Portugal, it is claimed the importance of promoting learning that combine the construction of mathematical knowledge with its use, when performing mathematical tasks and communicating mathematical ideas and mathematical reasoning. In the early years of schooling, corresponding to primary education in many countries, the use of texts such as short stories or comics, from which we can develop challenging mathematical tasks, is reported in the literature as having potential to promote learning specified in curricular documents (Wanzer, Frymier., & Irwin, 2010). In particular, some texts focus on mathematical topics in a humorous way and to be understood, students must develop their mathematical competence. The development of mathematical tasks from stories and other humorous presents big challenges to teachers (Flores & Moreno, 2011). Our questions. In this context, we put some questions: Primary teachers use in their classes tasks or situations that present, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas? What resources do they use? Also: How to select, adapt or build texts and tasks which have, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas with didactic potential for education in the early years of schooling? If the resources for this purpose have been produced and if teachers have been sensitized for their use, are they able to integrate them in their classes? Our intentions. This research project seeks to address these questions, focused on: (i ) assessment of teachers’ practices and underlying knowledge, resources available for the use of texts with mathematical ideas presented in a humorous way; (ii) selection, adaptation and construction of mathematical tasks from texts that present, in a humorous way, mathematical ideas with didactic potential in education for the early years of schooling; and ( iii ) integration and use, by primary school teachers, of texts that present , in a humorous way, contexts for the teaching of mathematics. So, the project is organized into three tasks and as a methodological design that combines qualitative elements with quantitative elements, the first one prevailing

A tutorial

PM003/2016. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)The capabilities of bioanalytical mass spectrometry to (i) detect and differentiate viruses at the peptide level whilst maintaining high sample throughput and (ii) to provide diagnosis and prognosis for infected patients are presented as a tutorial in this work to aid analytical chemists and physicians to gain insights into the possibilities offered by current high-resolution mass spectrometry technology and bioinformatics. From (i) sampling to sample treatment; (ii) Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization- to Electrospray Ionization -based mass spectrometry; and (iii) from clustering to peptide sequencing; a detailed step-by-step guide is provided and exemplified using SARS-CoV-2 Spike Y839 variant and the variant of concern SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B.1.1.7 lineage), Influenza B, and Influenza A subtypes AH1N1pdm09 and AH3N2.publishersversionpublishe

Use of antipsychotic drugs. A multicentric study of inpatients with acute psychotic disorders

Com o objectivo de caracterizar o padrão e os determinantes de utilização de fármacos antipsicóticos por via intra-muscular em indivíduos hospitalizados por perturbação psicótica aguda, efectuou-se um estudo retrospectivo de 244 indivíduos, admitidos em sete unidades hospitalares de internamento psiquiátrico. Foram seleccionados dois grupos, IM (Intra Muscular) e PO (Via Oral), que nos primeiros três dias de internamento receberam respectivamente medicação antipsicótica por via intramuscular ou por via oral, tendo-se explorado as eventuais diferenças nas áreas demográfica, clínica e terapêutica (com revisão dos casos aos 6 e 12 meses após a alta hospitalar). Os dois grupos foram homogéneos quanto à idade, raça, sexo, idade do início da doença e diagnóstico, tendo-se verificado um número maior de internamentos compulsivos no grupo IM. As perturbações psicóticas mais prevalentes em ambos os grupos foram a esquizofrenia e a perturbação bipolar, não se tendo encontrado qualquer associação entre os diagnósticos iniciais e a via de administração dos fármacos. O tempo de hospitalização foi igual entre grupos, embora nos doentes do grupo IM tivesse sido necessário tomar medidas de precaução especiais com maior frequência. A medicação ansiolítica foi superior no grupo PO nos dias um e dois de hospitalização e igual nos dois grupos no dia três e no dia de alta. A terapêutica anticolinérgica foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. O número de novas hospitalizações, bem como a percentagem de doentes a utilizar medicação antipsicótica, ansiolítica e anticolinérgica, foi semelhante nos dois grupos após 6 e 12 meses de seguimento. Neste estudo, a presença de agitação psicomotora e de comportamentos agressivo/destrutivo na fase inicial do internamento no grupo IM (incluindo o primeiro contacto, maioritariamente feito no serviço de urgência) foram os elementos estatisticamente determinantes da utilização da via intramuscular para a administração dos fármacos antipsicóticos. With the objective of determining the pattern and decision making process in using antipsychotic drugs in patients admitted to hospital for acute psychotic disorder we have made a retrospective analysis in 244 in-patients in 7 hospitals for mental disorders. We have selected two groups, IM and PO, that in the first three days of internment have received either intravenous antipsychotic medication or oral medication; the demographical, clinical and therapeutical differences have been considered (with a review of the cases at 6 and 12 months after discharge from hospital). Homogeneity was considered regarding age, race, gender, age at the onset of the disease and diagnosis; in the IM group there were a larger number of compulsive admissions. The most prevalent psychotic disorders in both groups were schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; with no association being made between the initial diagnosis and drug administration. The hospitalization period was the same for both groups, although in the patients in the IM group the need for special precautions was more frequent. Medication with anxiolytics was higher in the PO group on day 1 and 2 of the hospitalization and the same for the two groups on day 3 and on discharge. The number of new admissions, as well as the percentage of patients taking antipsychotic, anxiolytic and anticholinergic medication was similar in both groups after a period of 6 and 12 months follow-up. In this study, agitation and aggressive/destructive behaviours in the initial phase of hospitalization in the IM group (including the first contact, most of the times on admission at the ER) were statistically significant factors for the use of intramuscular administration of antipsychotic drugs.publishersversionpublishe

Interwoven migration narratives: identity and social representations in the Lusophone world

First published online: 17 Oct 2016This article provides an exploratory analysis of the life narratives of migrants in the Portuguese-speaking world. By interweaving the life experiences of eight participants in three thematic clusters – ‘shared past’, language and sense of community – we propose a critique of the deep-seated idea of the Lusophone space as a community constructed by the harmonious conviviality of different countries and people. Drawing on contributions from cultural studies, social psychology, anthropology and sociology, we first aim to give voice to the human subjects who embark on migrations and then to understand how the engendered process of identity construction is framed by their social world, simultaneously reframing it. Thus, we aim at shedding light on the ways in which aspects of the political discourses on Lusophony are used (and are instrumental) to the migrants’ identity narrative (re)construction.This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia: [Grant Number PTDC/CCI-COM/105100/2008]

Axial Concentration Profiles and NO Flue Gas in a Pilot-Scale Bubbling Fluidized Bed Coal Combustor

Atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed coal combustion of a bituminous coal and anthracite with particle diameters in the range 500-4000 ím was investigated in a pilot-plant facility. The experiments were conducted at steady-state conditions using three excess air levels (10, 25, and 50%) and bed temperatures in the 750-900 °C range. Combustion air was staged, with primary air accounting for 100, 80, and 60% of total combustion air. For both types of coal, high NO concentrations were found inside the bed. In general, the NO concentration decreased monotonically along the freeboard and toward the exit flue; however, during combustion with high air staging and low to moderate excess air, a significant additional NO formation occurred near the secondary air injection point. The results show that the bed temperature increase does not affect the NO flue gas concentration significantly. There is a positive correlation between excess air and the NO flue gas concentration. The air staging operation is very effective in lowering the NO flue gas, but there is a limit for the first stage stoichiometry below which the NO flue gas starts rising again. This effect could be related with the coal rank

Production of drinking water using a multi-barrier approach integrating nanofiltration: a pilot scale study

A multi-barrier system was studied for the production of drinking water with high chemical and microbiological quality. The integration of nanofiltration (NF) and ultraviolet (UV) photolysis was tested at pilot scale in a surface water treatment plant. The NF membranes tested, Desal DK and NF270, allow for the production of permeates with high quality standards, although the membrane with higher molecular weight cut-off (NF270) revealed to be the best option for surface water treatment due to its higher permeability. The NF270 membrane was also efficient to deliver high quality water, even under high pollutant concentrations, making possible to operate with water recovery rates as high as 98%. Extensive studies were performed in the water treatment plant where the proposed system was tested at three locations of the drinking water production line. Seeking to achieve the best compromise between high recovery rate, high retention of chemicals and microorganisms as well as preventing operational problems (flux decline and fouling), it was found that the integrated system should be placed after the conventional sand filtration, operating at a 91% recovery rate. Under the selected conditions – TMP of 8 bar and recovery rate of 91% – it is possible to operate at constant permeability without flux decline for a period of 15 days, after which a gentle CIP procedure is recommended. Membrane fouling was also investigated and the major foulant classes identified were proteins, polysaccharides and humic acids. A cleaning protocol was also tested and the impact of each cleaning step on the recovery of permeability evaluated