Smart mobility: a mobile approach

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the key ingredients for the realization of Smart Cities. IoT devices are essential components of the Smart Cities infrastructure, as they can provide information collected from the environment through sensors or allow other systems to reach out and act on the world through actuators. IoT data collection, however, is not limited to sensors and machines, but to data from social networks, and the web. Social networks have a huge impact on the amount of data being produced daily, becoming an increasingly central and important data source. The exploitation of these data sources, combined with the growing popularity of mobile devices, can lead to the development of better solutions to improve people’s quality of life. This paper discusses how to take advantage of the benefits of mobile devices and the vast range of information sources and services, such as traffic conditions, and narrow, closed or conditioned roads data. The proposed system uses a real-time collection, organization, and transmission of traffic and road conditions data to provide efficient and accurate information to drivers. With the purpose of supporting and improving traffic data collection and distribution, an Android application was developed to collect information about extraordinary events that take place in a city, providing warnings and alternative routes to drivers and helping them to improve their time management. The developed solution also exploits the existing gaps in other applications, implementing a more specific solution for the Madeira Island traffic condition problems.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The Complete Nucleotide Sequences of the 5 Genetically Distinct Plastid Genomes of Oenothera, Subsection Oenothera: II. A Microevolutionary View Using Bioinformatics and Formal Genetic Data

A unique combination of genetic features and a rich stock of information make the flowering plant genus Oenothera an appealing model to explore the molecular basis of speciation processes including nucleus–organelle coevolution. From representative species, we have recently reported complete nucleotide sequences of the 5 basic and genetically distinguishable plastid chromosomes of subsection Oenothera (I–V). In nature, Oenothera plastid genomes are associated with 6 distinct, either homozygous or heterozygous, diploid nuclear genotypes of the 3 basic genomes A, B, or C. Artificially produced plastome–genome combinations that do not occur naturally often display interspecific plastome–genome incompatibility (PGI). In this study, we compare formal genetic data available from all 30 plastome–genome combinations with sequence differences between the plastomes to uncover potential determinants for interspecific PGI. Consistent with an active role in speciation, a remarkable number of genes have high Ka/Ks ratios. Different from the Solanacean cybrid model Atropa/tobacco, RNA editing seems not to be relevant for PGIs in Oenothera. However, predominantly sequence polymorphisms in intergenic segments are proposed as possible sources for PGI. A single locus, the bidirectional promoter region between psbB and clpP, is suggested to contribute to compartmental PGI in the interspecific AB hybrid containing plastome I (AB-I), consistent with its perturbed photosystem II activity

Wet Chemical Treatment of Solar Grade CZ Silicon Prior to Surface Passivation

We have performed a systematic variation of the wet chemical oxidation and the subsequent oxide etching steps during the cleaning of Czochralski CZ single crystalline silicon wafers prior to surface passivation. The optimization of these preconditioning steps was carried out on saw damage etched or textured Si wafers subsequently passivated by amorphous silicon nitride a SiNx H or chemical passivation by an iodine ethanol I E solution. Measuring the carrier lifetime using the spatially resolved microwave detected photoconductance decay, we monitored the impact of the wet chemical surface conditioning on the surface morphology and wafer base doping type. For damage etched surfaces in alkaline potassium oxide solutions and passivated by iodine ethanol, an optimum surface passivation is obtained by omitting the last water rinse as used in the standard clean and adding a hot water treatment as final step in the cleaning procedure. While this results was found for both p type and n type wafers, suggesting that the passivation mechanism is based on the saturation of dangling bonds, a strong dependence on the doping type was observed for the passivation by a SiNx H. Prior to passivation by a SiNx H, the best preconditioning for n type was achieved by adding a hot water treatment and subsequent etching of the oxide by hydrofluoric acid HF . For p type however, no improvement was achieved with respect to the standard cleaning step. This dependency on the base doping type could be attributed to the passivation mechanism of a SiNx H based on the field effect. By employing ammonium fluoride as final etching solution instead HF, followed by hot water treatment, compared to the standard treatment, an improvement of the lifetime can be observed for both surface structures, indicating that the surface micro roughness can be reduced and the contamination can be remove

A survey of STI policies and programmes in Europe: preliminary results

Objectives: A survey was conducted to assess the adequacy of sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention and control policies and programmes in the European region (including the central Asian republics). Methods: An adapted World Health Organization (WHO) model questionnaire was sent to ministry of health officials in all 45 countries of Europe and central Asia. The questionnaire included questions on STI programme structure; STI case management; the different types and levels of services, including public and private service providers; partner notification and screening policies; services for vulnerable populations; monitoring and supervision; surveillance and research. Results: Western European countries largely leave STI prevention and care to individual practitioners. Licensed providers exist at all levels of care, and access to consultations and treatment is usually free of charge. In the newly independent states (NIS), by contrast, programme efforts emphasise state guidance and supervision of local providers rather than individual practitioners. Access to services is limited in that in several NIS, only public sector specialists are licensed to treat STI. Formerly free of charge policies have been severely eroded. While in western Europe access to condoms appears to be good, in the NIS there are many fewer condom outlets. Regionwide, in 40% of countries the distribution of condoms is part of STI consultations. Conclusions: Non-availability of affordable high quality STI services, including STI treatment and condoms, may be one of the causes for the much higher STI prevalence in parts of eastern Europe and NIS than in western Europe