Criatividade e governança na cidade: a conjugação de dois conceitos poliédricos e complementares

Este texto foi desenvolvido no âmbito de um projeto de investigação que procura observar e interpretar formas e fluxos de governança (sociopolítica e cultural) associadas a dinâmicas criativas nas cidades. Resulta de um trabalho de reflexão teórica e crítica em torno de conceitos de base (criatividade, vitalidade e governança na cidade) e da projeção empírica de tais perspectivas em 3 territórios metropolitanos: Lisboa, São Paulo e Barcelona. Identificam-se as diferentes perspectivas em torno dos conceitos e respectivas dinâmicas de complementaridade e de conectividade entre eles; mas também as condições estruturantes e metabólicas para o desenvolvimento sustentado de criatividade na cidade de hoje, quer no que concerne às suas configurações espaciais/geográficas, mas também aos ambientes socioculturais e económicos associados. Equacionam-se ainda formas de promoção e de apoio público e privado da criatividade urbana, discutindo-se estratégias políticas e processos de governança para a sua potenciação

Genetic Land - Modeling land use change using evolutionary algorithms

Future land use configurations provide valuable knowledge for policy makers and economic agents, especially under expected environmental changes such as decreasing rainfall or increasing temperatures, or scenarios of policy guidance such as carbon sequestration enforcement. In this paper, modelling land use change is designed as an optimization problem in which landscapes (land uses) are generated through the use of genetic algorithms (GA), according to an objective function (e.g. minimization of soil erosion, or maximization of carbon sequestration), and a set of local restrictions (e.g. soil depth, water availability, or landscape structure). GAs are search and optimization procedures based on the mechanics of natural selection and genetics. The GA starts with a population of random individuals, each corresponding to a particular candidate solution to the problem. The best solutions are propagated; they are mated with each other and originate “offspring solutions” which randomly combine the characteristics of each “parent”. The repeated application of these operations leads to a dynamic system that emulates the evolutionary mechanisms that occur in nature. The fittest individuals survive and propagate their traits to future generations, while unfit individuals have a tendency to die and become extinct (Goldberg, 1989). Applications of GA to land use planning have been experimented (Brookes, 2001, Ducheyne et al, 2001). However, long-term planning with a time-span component has not yet been addressed. GeneticLand, the GA for land use generation, works on a region represented by a bi-dimensional array of cells. For each cell, there is a number of possible land uses (U1, U2, ..., Un). The task of the GA is to search for an optimal assignment of these land uses to the cells, evolving the landscape patterns that are most suitable for satisfying the objective function, for a certain time period (e.g. 50 years in the future). GeneticLand develops under a multi-objective function: (i) Minimization of soil erosion – each solution is validated by applying the USLE, with the best solution being the one that minimizes the landscape soil erosion value; (ii) Maximization of carbon sequestration – each solution is validated by applying atmospheric CO2 carbon uptake estimates, with the best solution being the one that maximizes the landscape carbon uptake; and (iii) Maximization of the landscape economic value – each solution is validated by applying an economic value (derived from expert judgment), with the best solution being the one that maximizes the landscape economic value. As an optimization problem, not all possible land use assignments are feasible. GeneticLand considers two sets of restrictions that must be met: (i) physical constraints (soil type suitability, slope, rainfall-evapotranspiration ratio, and a soil wetness index) and (ii) landscape ecology restrictions at several levels (minimum patch area, land use adjacency index and landscape contagion index). The former assures physical feasibility and the latter the spatial coherence of the landscape. The physical and landscape restrictions were derived from the analysis of past events based on a time series of Landsat images (1985-2003), in order to identify the drivers of land use change and structure. Since the problem has multiple objectives, the GA integrates multi-objective extensions allowing it to evolve a set of non-dominated solutions. An evolutive type algorithm – Evolutive strategy (1+1) – is used, due to the need to accommodate the very large solution space. Current applications have about 1000 decision variables, while the problem analysed by GeneticLand has almost 111000, generated by a landscape with 333*333 discrete pixels. GeneticLand is developed and validated for a Mediterranean type landscape located in southern Portugal. Future climate triggers, such as the increase of intense rainfall episodes, is accommodated to simulate climate change . This paper presents: (1) the formulation of land use modelling as an optimization problem; (2) the formulation of the GA for the explicit spatial domain, (3) the land use constraints derived for a Mediterranean landscape, (4) the results illustrating conflicting objectives, and (5) limitations encountered.

Botnet cluster identification

Botnets are a group of computers infected with a specific sub-set of a malware family and controlled by one individual, called botmaster. This kind of networks are used not only, but also for virtual extorsion, spam campaigns and identity theft. They implement different types of evasion techniques that make it harder for one to group and detect botnet traffic. This thesis introduces one methodology, called CONDENSER, that outputs clusters through a self-organizing map and that identify domain names generated by an unknown pseudo-random seed that is known by the botnet herder(s). Aditionally DNS Crawler is proposed, this system saves historic DNS data for fast-flux and double fastflux detection, and is used to identify live C&Cs IPs used by real botnets. A program, called CHEWER, was developed to automate the calculation of the SVM parameters and features that better perform against the available domain names associated with DGAs. CONDENSER and DNS Crawler were developed with scalability in mind so the detection of fast-flux and double fast-flux networks become faster. We used a SVM for the DGA classififer, selecting a total of 11 attributes and achieving a Precision of 77,9% and a F-Measure of 83,2%. The feature selection method identified the 3 most significant attributes of the total set of attributes. For clustering, a Self-Organizing Map was used on a total of 81 attributes. The conclusions of this thesis were accepted in Botconf through a submited article. Botconf is known conferênce for research, mitigation and discovery of botnets tailled for the industry, where is presented current work and research. This conference is known for having security and anti-virus companies, law enforcement agencies and researchers

First records of fishing gear incrustated in corals and gorgonians from the Atlantic coast of Portugal

Plastic pollution is now in the public and scientific domain as an emerging issue of global concern due to their potential effects to nature and the society. There is high evidence that plastics are now present in virtually all aquatic ecosystems and are ingested by several organisms, however, little is known about their impact on deep marine ecosystems and especially on the deep-sea reefs built by emblematic cold-water corals species. The occurrence and abundance of these organisms in the Portuguese Atlantic coast is still largely unknown. During recent sampling campaigns aiming at mapping these ecosystems in the Portuguese coast, preliminary analyses showed the presence of nylon plastic lines in the stony cup corals of Dendrophylliidae, in Dendrophilia ramea, and a hook-andline fishing gear incrustated in Gorgonian organisms, in Leptogorgia sarmentosa, collected in two different areas (north and central coastal area of Portugal, 30-50m depth). The derelict gear is mainly composed of nets, ropes and lines made of non-biodegradable plastics and have been also reported as causing tissue loss and fragmentation in corals and gorgonian habitat. This preliminary assessment reveals that the occurrence of the species in sedimentary grounds makes it especially vulnerable to bottom contact with fishing gear as bottom trawling and should be better investigated and communicated to local stakeholders. The spatial distribution of these populations, as well as a first attempt to characterize its habitat and the levels of plastics will be explored in the next months as an approach to describe the habitat’s suitability and the vulnerability for the species in the area. This is a first assessment but further studies are foreseen which include monitoring these habitats and see how they interact with fishing gears over time in these areas, which will be also presented and discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Use of Industrial Waste for the Optimization of Ceramic Construction Materials

The massive growth of the ceramic industry and the consequent demand for construction materials worldwide has motivated the search for alternative solutions aimed at reducing the use of mineral / natural resources as the main source of raw materials. One of the strategies frequently adopted by the scientific community is the reuse of industrial waste. It is beneficial not only to reduce the overexploitation of mineral resources but also to reduce the environmental, economic and social impacts resulting from their incorrect disposal/treatment and consequent deposition on land unsuitable or that purpose. Duetoconsiderationssuchasphysico-mechanical characteristics and the high production rate, two different types of industrial waste were selected for this work, ashes resulting from the burning of coal in thermoelectric power plant, commonly known as bottom ash (B), and the Marble Powder (MP). It was intended to test the technological feasibility of the manufacture of ceramic materials produced from clay mixtures containing these two residues. For this purpose, the fine fraction(<63μm)obtained from the sieving of the marbleresidue(MR)and slag(Bf)was used,aswellasacoarsergrainslagfractionrangingfrom63-125μm(Bg). The resulting test samples were subjected to a firing of 950 °C under an oxidizing atmosphere, following a primary drying process. Faced with the standard values, the new ceramic materials obtained from MP have seen their mechanical and porous characteristics decrease and increase, respectively. Atthesametime,althoughtheadditionofBinno way influenced the mechanical characteristics,a significant improvement the porous characteristic was observed. The incorporation of these residues produced a color very close to the original sample material. Keywords: industrial waste, ceramic, construction materials, bottom ash, Marble Powde

Nutritional value of the cryptophyte rhodomonas lens for artemia sp

Juvenile or adult Artemia sp. are often used as live prey for the rearing of early life stages of some crustacean, fish and cephalopod species. The improvements of both Artemia growth and its biochemical composition are key issues for the suitable use of Artemia biomass in these rearing processes. In this study we evaluated the growth and survival rates of Artemia fed with the cryptophyte Rhodomonas lens in comparison with different microalgal species commonly used in aquaculture: the prasinophyte Tetraselmis suecica, the prymnesiophyte Isochrysis galbana Parke, and the eustigmatophyte Nannochloropsis gaditana. Microalgae were cultured semicontinuously in nutrient saturated conditions and with a daily renewal rate of 30% of the volume of cultures, to obtain biomass of controlled and optimized composition. Considerable differences in Artemia growth were observed, as well as in the survival rate. At day 8 of rearing, Artemia fed R. lens had the highest length (4.9± 0.6 mm, P< 0.001), followed by individuals fed T. suecica (4.2± 0.7 mm), I. galbana (3.6± 0.7 mm) and finally those fed N. gaditana (1.5± 0.2 mm). The survival rate of Artemia fed N. gaditana (18± 3%) was much lower (P< 0.001) than values found for the remaining groups (69 to 88%). The growth rate of Artemia obtained with R. lens was in general much higher than with other microalgal diets previously reported in the literature. The higher protein content of R. lens could explain the higher growth obtained with this species, but differences of Artemia growth with the different diets could not be explained solely on the basis of the gross composition of microalgae. Factors such as cell size and digestibility all seem to contribute to the results observed. Another trial was carried out to investigate differences in Artemia growth and on its biochemical composition when fed the best two diets: R. lens or T. suecica. The fatty acid (FA) and total amino acid (AA) composition of both microalgal species and the composition of Artemia were assessed as well. As found in the first experiment individuals fed R. lens (group ARHO) grew faster than those fed T. suecica (group ATET), attaining 3.6± 0.3 mm and 3.2± 0.4 mm (P< 0.001), respectively, after 5 days of rearing. The much higher AA content obtained in R. lens may be on the basis of the higher growth obtainedwith this species. Protein and carbohydrate levels in Artemia juveniles were very similar in both groups (64– 68% of dry weight, and 8–10%, respectively). Lipid was slightly lower in ARHO (12%) than in ATET (15%, P< 0.01). Regarding the FA composition, juveniles from group ARHO contained higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 6.2%) than juveniles from ATET (4.1%, P< 0.01), whereas docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was only found in juveniles from ARHO (1.1%). Taking into account that the daily productivity of R. lens culture was higher than, or at least equal, the remaining microalgal species this cryptophyte is confirmed as an excellent diet to optimize the growth of Artemia, as well as to improve its biochemical composition

Perspetivas atuais e futuras

Introdução: A doença diverticular é uma doença crónica com um amplo espetro de sintomas que eventualmente podem agudizar, passando a definir-se como diverticulite. A prevalência da diverticulite aguda aumenta com a idade e com o aumento da esperança média de vida, sendo uma patologia associada a grandes gastos económicos. Assim, pretende-se uma revisão da literatura sobre as opções terapêuticas e perspetivas futuras desta patologia. Métodos: Pesquisa de artigos no motor de busca Pubmed, em língua inglesa, nos últimos 5 anos utilizando os termos: “diverticular disease”; “diverticulitis”; “acute”; “treatment”; “surgery”. Resultados: A análise da literatura revelou diferentes opções terapêuticas associadas aos diferentes graus de gravidade da diverticulite. No tratamento médico e para os casos mais leves, preconiza-se dieta líquida, antibioterapia e controlo da dor. Para casos mais graves, poderá ser necessário cirurgia, onde atualmente se prefere resseção e anastomose primária em detrimento do procedimento de Hartmann. Estão descritas outras opções terapêuticas que podem ser usadas em casos selecionados, como a lavagem peritoneal laparoscópica e a resseção e anastomose primária com ostomia de proteção. Conclusão: Os estudos sugerem várias opões terapêuticas para os vários estádios da doença. As guidelines atuais recomendam a não utilização de antibioterapia na doença não complicada. A laparoscopia está associada a menor morbilidade e menor tempo de internamento em relação à cirurgia aberta. A lavagem peritoneal laparoscópica tem sido desaconselhada, por maior risco de formação de abcessos intra-abdominais e de sepsis, sendo só aconselhada em casos selecionados.Introduction: Diverticular disease is a chronic disease with a wide spectrum of symptoms which can eventually complicate, being now called diverticulitis. Acute diverticulitis’ prevalence increases with age and with a longer average life expectancy led to higher costs in the health care system in Western countries. The main purpose was to review the literature on the treatment options and futures perspectives. Material and methods: Pubmed search of several articles, written in English, in the last 5 years, using the following terms: ‘’diverticular disease’’; ‘’diverticulitis’’; ‘’acute’’; ‘’treatment’’; ‘’surgery’’. Results: The literature review revealed the existence of a variety of treatments, depending on severity. In medical treatment it is recomended bowel rest, antibiotic therapy and pain control, for mild cases. For more severe cases, surgical treatment may be necessary, where ressection with primary anastomosis is currently prefered over Hartmann’s procedure. Other options are described and may be used in selected patients, like laparoscopic peritoneal lavage and ressection with primary anastomosis with loop ileostomy. Conclusion: Studies suggest several therapies for each stage of the disease. Current evidence revealed safety with no antibiotic therapy on uncomplicated acute diverticulitis. About laparoscopic surgery it has also demonstrated lower morbidity and shorter hospital stay over open surgery. Currently, the laparoscopic peritoneal lavage has been discouraged by increased intra-abdominal abscess formation and sepsis, only advised in selected patients