Preservation of vernacular schist masonry farm walls

This paper complements the information presented at the CIAV2013 on vernacular build- ings in northern Portugal, and addresses the topic of masonry walls in the rural areas of the northwestern Portuguese coastline. These walls are structural schist masonry constructions, built using ancient tech- niques and locally available resources. The result is a territory built for agricultural exploration, and a landscape imprinted with past social hierarchies and structures. Using the information gathered by the fieldwork study, the paper will present studies on masonry walls with different morphologies, construction materials and building techniques employed. The information presented aims to contribute to enlighten researchers and technicians about these building specificities, to increase the scarce available literature about schist’s potential as construction material, and to enhance the importance of the cultural value of this particular kind of heritage

The vernacular house between the Cávado and the Ave, Portugal

Publicado em "Vernacular heritage and earthen architecture : contributions for sustainable development", ISBN 978-1-138-00083-4With acknowledged authenticity and cultural heritage value, rural vernacular construction of Entre-Douro-e-Minho represents the results of the centuries-old relation between men and available natural resources. Abandoned or victim of armful interventions, this unique heritage acquired economi- cal value by the growing interest on rural environment and life. It represents a mean to economical and social boosting of these depressed areas, but at the same time exposing them to the threatening lack of knowledge and property speculation. In order to protect and prevent future damages to this fragile herit- age, it’s fundamental the study and identification of its identity and technical-constructive key features. This paper presents the results of a fieldwork study performed between the Cávado and Ave rivers, which aimed to identify morfo-typologies, materials and construction techniques of the existent schist heritage. The data collected aims to contribute to its preservation and to assist technicians in future rehabilitation projects in the area

Survey and characterization of corbelled dome architecture in Northwestern Portugal

The act of overlaying stones to build masonry structures is one of mankind’s most intuitive and resourceful achievements. Masonry buildings can be found all over the world, built with a wide diversity of materials and serving for all kind of purposes. In rural northwestern Portugal, in a granitic highland landscape of scarce resources, for centuries, local farmers used masonry in order to make the territory suitable for farming. In their effort to increase production and, by doing so, to improve their living conditions, a specific mountain agro-pastoral system was developed. Supported by communitarian labour, this system was based on terrace farming and temporary mountain plateau settlements, called brandas, composed of granite corbelled dome buildings. In spite of its perfect adaptation to the harsh local conditions, this heritage’s morphological and typological diversity and constructive inventiveness is endangered due to decades of rural exodus and, thus requiring urgent study and protection. The research project aims to study this heritage from morphological, typological and constructive points of view, with the objective of proposing guidelines towards its preservation. To achieve the established goals, a four stage based methodology was established. Literature review and fieldwork surveys were performed in the first stage, in order to identify possible case studies. On the second stage, an exhaustive geometrical survey and a case study analysis were undertaken and complemented with the local granite’s physical and mechanical characterization. The third stage aims to do an overall structural safety evaluation of the corbelled domes, based on numerical analysis. In the final stage, consolidation and preservation guidelines to safeguard this architectural heritage will be proposed. This paper presents the results of the first stage, along with a glimpse of the second stage.The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Municipality of Arcos de Valdevez, for all the support given, and to the Equipa de Sapadores Florestais do Gabinete Técnico Florestal do Município e da Associação Floresta Atlântica. The first and fifth authorswishto express theirgratitude to the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation for the scholarshipsgranted (SFRH/BD/ 86704/2012 and SFRH/BD/112646/2015).This work was supported by FCT, within ISISE, project UID/ECI/04029/2013

Electroweak Corrections to the Top Quark Decay

We have calculated the one-loop electroweak corrections to the decay t-> bW+, including the counterterm for the CKM matrix elements V(tb). Previous calculations used an incorrect delta V(tb) that led to a gauge dependent amplitude. However, since the contribution stemming from delta V(tb) is small, those calculations only underestimate the width by roughly one part in 10^5.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

The construction of the transhumance territory of the Gerês-Xurés: Vernacular heritage identification, analysis and characterization

In order to ensure survival, the rural populations of the Gerês-Xurés mountain range transboundary region developed, over centuries, a very specific system of vertical transhumance. Focus on making the most out of their natural landscape harsh conditions, human intervention shaped the territory, and gave birth to the existent and very authentic vernacular heritage, that has in the corbelled dome building technologies one of its most characteristic identity features. In the pursuit of fertile land, villages were scattered in small and compact settlements, built at lower altitude and occupied all year long. The surrounding mountain’s slopes were turned into farming terraces, and the high-altitude plateaus were for livestock and farming, thru temporary settlements built in corbelled dome structures. These vital points were interconnect by a dense network of paths and masonry walls. Although the resemblance between most of the region permanent settlements, the temporary nuclei, due to each mountain particular features, show a large morphological and functional diversity, from complex structures, like the “brandas” or the “brandas e inverneiras” system, to very simple pasture areas, like the “currais”. Understanding the high potential of this endanger vernacular heritage is a key point for its preservation, as well as its recognition by the scientific community and society in general. A previous study aimed at the “brandas” morphological and constructive characterization was presented at the Rehabend 2016. This follow-up study is focus on, in a first level, the identification and characterization of the general system main features, and, in a second level, the evaluation of this vernacular heritage main preservation threats. The research, based on case studies analysed thru fieldwork surveys, geometrical and constructive, and literature support, allowed to identify the main morphological and typological features related to the heritage elements that take part in this occupation system, and are discussed in this paper.Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation for the scholarships granted (SFRH/BD/ 86704/2012 and SFRH/BD/112646/2015). This work was supported by FCT, within ISISE, project UID/ECI/04029/201

Sensitive bi-enzymatic biosensor based on polyphenoloxidases–gold nanoparticles–chitosan hybrid film–graphene doped carbon paste electrode for carbamates detection

A bi-enzymatic biosensor (LACC–TYR–AuNPs–CS/GPE) for carbamates was prepared in a single step by electrodeposition of a hybrid film onto a graphene doped carbon paste electrode (GPE). Graphene and the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were morphologically characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and laser Doppler velocimetry. The electrodeposited hybrid film was composed of laccase (LACC), tyrosinase (TYR) and AuNPs entrapped in a chitosan (CS) polymeric matrix. Experimental parameters, namely graphene redox state, AuNPs:CS ratio, enzymes concentration, pH and inhibition time were evaluated. LACC–TYR–AuNPs–CS/GPE exhibited an improved Michaelis–Menten kinetic constant (26.9 ± 0.5 M) when compared with LACC–AuNPs–CS/GPE (37.8 ± 0.2 M) and TYR–AuNPs–CS/GPE (52.3 ± 0.4 M). Using 4-aminophenol as substrate at pH 5.5, the device presented wide linear ranges, low detection limits (1.68×10− 9 ± 1.18×10− 10 – 2.15×10− 7 ± 3.41×10− 9 M), high accuracy, sensitivity (1.13×106 ± 8.11×104 – 2.19×108 ± 2.51×107 %inhibition M− 1), repeatability (1.2–5.8% RSD), reproducibility (3.2–6.5% RSD) and stability (ca. twenty days) to determine carbaryl, formetanate hydrochloride, propoxur and ziram in citrus fruits based on their inhibitory capacity on the polyphenoloxidases activity. Recoveries at two fortified levels ranged from 93.8 ± 0.3% (lemon) to 97.8 ± 0.3% (orange). Glucose, citric acid and ascorbic acid do not interfere significantly in the electroanalysis. The proposed electroanalytical procedure can be a promising tool for food safety control

Classification of kinematic and electromyographic signals associated with pathological tremor using machine and deep learning.

Peripheral Electrical Stimulation (PES) of afferent pathways has received increased interest as a solution to reduce pathological tremors with minimal side effects. Closed-loop PES systems might present some advantages in reducing tremors, but further developments are required in order to reliably detect pathological tremors to accurately enable the stimulation only if a tremor is present. This study explores different machine learning (K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest and Support Vector Machines) and deep learning (Long Short-Term Memory neural networks) models in order to provide a binary (Tremor; No Tremor) classification of kinematic (angle displacement) and electromyography (EMG) signals recorded from patients diagnosed with essential tremors and healthy subjects. Three types of signal sequences without any feature extraction were used as inputs for the classifiers: kinematics (wrist flexion-extension angle), raw EMG and EMG envelopes from wrist flexor and extensor muscles. All the models showed high classification scores (Tremor vs. No Tremor) for the different input data modalities, ranging from 0.8 to 0.99 for the f1 score. The LSTM models achieved 0.98 f1 scores for the classification of raw EMG signals, showing high potential to detect tremors without any processed features or preliminary information. These models may be explored in real-time closed-loop PES strategies to detect tremors and enable stimulation with minimal signal processing steps

ABO-Incompatible Liver Transplantation in Acute Liver Failure: A Single Portuguese Center Study

INTRODUCTION: ABO-incompatible liver transplantation (ABOi LT) is considered to be a rescue option in emergency transplantation. Herein, we have reported our experience with ABOi LT including long-term survival and major complications in these situations. PATIENT AND METHODS: ABOi LT was performed in cases of severe hepatic failure with imminent death. The standard immunosuppression consisted of basiliximab, corticosteroids, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. Pretransplantation patients with anti-ABO titers above 16 underwent plasmapheresis. If the titer was above 128, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was added at the end of plasmapheresis. The therapeutic approach was based on the clinical situation, hepatic function, and titer evolution. A rapid increase in titer required five consecutive plasmapheresis sessions followed by administration of IVIG, and at the end of the fifth session, rituximab. RESULTS: From January 2009 to July 2012, 10 patients, including 4 men and 6 women of mean age 47.8 years (range, 29 to 64 years), underwent ABOi LT. At a mean follow-up of 19.6 months (range, 2 days to 39 months), 5 patients are alive including 4 with their original grafts. One patient was retransplanted at 9 months. Major complications were infections, which were responsible for 3 deaths due to multiorgan septic failure (2 during the first month); rejection episodes (4 biopsy-proven of humoral rejections in 3 patients and 1 cellular rejection) and biliary. CONCLUSION: The use of ABOi LT as a life-saving procedure is justifiable in emergencies when no other donor is available. With careful recipient selection close monitoring of hemagglutinins and specific immunosuppression we have obtained acceptable outcomes