Application-Driven design to extend WSN lifetime

he lifetime of a WSN depends on the energy of the nodes. As soon as nodes run out of energy, they get disconnected from the WSN. This paper proposes an Application Driven solution that increases the WSN lifetime by limiting the routing and forwarding functions of the network mainly to nodes running the same applications. The solution is evaluated against AODV, and the results obtained show gains of about 30%info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

G-fire station : fire simulation from desktop to grid

CROSS-Fire is a research project, funded by the Portuguese NGI and led by UMinho, and focused on topics related to decision making to control forest fires and on the porting to the grid of FireStation - a fire growth simulation application. G-FireStation exploits Grid capabilities in order to have a faster execution, to manage large data input/output files, to create a large data base of simulation results and to allow the interactive control of the simulations through a graphical user interfaceFC

Impactos territoriais de processos de cooperação transfronteiriça : caso de estudo : Elvas e Badajoz

A cooperação transfronteiriça é vista na União Europeia como um modelo de integração territorial e como uma alternativa para o desenvolvimento das regiões de fronteira, devido ao seu afastamento em relação aos grandes centros urbanos. No início da década de 90 foi lançado o programa do INTERREG tendo em vista a maior permeabilidade da fronteira e o desenvolvimento destes territórios, entre os quais o das regiões do Alto Alentejo e da Extremadura. A grande proximidade territorial entre Elvas e Badajoz permitiu desde sempre relações de cooperação mais ou menos intensas e consentidas, mesmo antes da abertura da fronteira, motivadas sobretudo pela diferença de valor entre as duas moedas. Contudo, com a entrada conjunta dos países ibéricos na CEE (1986), essas relações intensificaram-se ao nível do comércio, do emprego, do turismo, do lazer e da procura de serviços. Impactos territoriais como a procura e utilização conjunta de infraestruturas e de espaços públicos pelas populações das duas cidades, a promoção e realização de espetáculos culturais, a prática de cross-border shopping, a procura de uma segunda residência, em ambos os lados da fronteira, e a tendência para uma urbanização contínua no futuro, justificaram a criação da Eurocidade Elvas-Badajoz (2013). Esta iniciativa tem como principais objetivos promover a conceção, gestão e prestação conjunta de serviços, desenvolver projetos de cooperação em áreas de interesse comum, estimular a cooperação entre empresas e atrair investimentos geradores de novos postos de trabalho. No entanto os desafios para ambas as cidades prendem-se com a existência de um quadro jurídico e legal distinto que tem condicionado algumas das ações ou iniciativas e o desenvolvimento territorial conjunto ainda carece de uma proposta estratégica.In European Union, cross-border cooperation is seen as a model of territorial integration and as an alternative to the development of border regions, because of their distance from the major urban centers. In the early 90s, it was started the INTERREG program with a view to a greater permeability of the border and the development of these territories, including the regions of Alto Alentejo and Extremadura. The territorial proximity between Elvas and Badajoz has always allowed cooperative relations more or less intense and consenting, even before the opening of the border, motivated mainly by the difference in value between the two currencies. However, with the joint entrance of the Iberian countries in the CEE (1986), these relations have intensified themselves at the level of trade, employment, tourism, leisure and demand for services. Territorial impacts such as the demand and joint use of infrastructure and public spaces by the populations of both cities, the promotion and performance of cultural events, the practice of cross-border shopping, the search for a second home, on both sides of the border, and the trend of continued urbanization in the future, justified the creation of the Eurocity Elvas-Badajoz (2013). This initiative has as main objectives the promotion of the design, management and joint provision of services, the development of cooperation projects in areas of common interest, the stimulation of cooperation between enterprises and the attraction of investments that generate new jobs. However, the challenges to both cities are linked to the existence of a distinct juridical and legal framework that has conditioned some of the actions or initiatives, and the joint territorial development still lacks a strategic proposal

In-season internal and external training load quantification of an elite European soccer team

Elite soccer teams that participate in European competitions need to have players in the best physical and psychological status possible to play matches. As a consequence of congestive schedule, controlling the training load (TL) and thus the level of effort and fatigue of players to reach higher performances during the matches is therefore critical. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to provide the first report of seasonal internal and external training load that included Hooper Index (HI) scores in elite soccer players during an in-season period. Nineteen elite soccer players were sampled, using global position system to collect total distance, high-speed distance (HSD) and average speed (AvS). It was also collected session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) and HI scores during the daily training sessions throughout the 2015-2016 in-season period. Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10) and collected according to the number of days prior to a one-match week. Total daily distance covered was higher at the start (M1 and M3) compared to the final mesocycle (M10) of the season. M1 (5589m) reached a greater distance than M5 (4473m) (ES = 9.33 [12.70, 5.95]) and M10 (4545m) (ES = 9.84 [13.39, 6.29]). M3 (5691m) reached a greater distance than M5 (ES = 9.07 [12.36, 5.78]), M7 (ES = 6.13 [8.48, 3.79]) and M10 (ES = 9.37 [12.76, 5.98]). High-speed running distance was greater in M1 (227m), than M5 (92m) (ES = 27.95 [37.68, 18.22]) and M10 (138m) (ES = 8.46 [11.55, 5.37]). Interestingly, the s-RPE response was higher in M1 (331au) in comparison to the last mesocycle (M10, 239au). HI showed minor variations across mesocycles and in days prior to the match. Every day prior to a match, all internal and external TL variables expressed significant lower values to other days prior to a match (p<0.01). In general, there were no differences between player positions. Conclusions: Our results reveal that despite the existence of some significant differences between mesocycles, there were minor changes across the in-season period for the internal and external TL variables used. Furthermore, it was observed that MD-1 presented a reduction of external TL (regardless of mesocycle) while internal TL variables did not have the same record during in-season match-day-minus.: The authors state that there were no salaries’ fund from a tobacco company. Also, the authors are not aware of any competing interests. This project was supported by the National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/DTP/04045/2013)—and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER) allocated by European Union through the COMPETE 2020 Programme (POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006969)—competitiveness and internationalization (POCI). All funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Welcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In-season training load quantification of one-, two- and three-game week schedules in a top European professional soccer team

Top European soccer teams that play in UEFA competitions often participate in one, two- or three-games per week. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure optimal match-day performance and full recovery. The aim of this study was to quantify internal and external training load (TL) within five microcycles: M1 and M2 - one-game weeks; M3 and M4 - two-game weeks; M5 - three-game week). Thirteen elite soccer players participated in this study. A global positioning system (GPS) was used to measure the total distance covered and distances of different exercise training zones (1-5), the session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE) scores and the amount of creatine kinase (CK) created during daily training sessions for the 2015-2016 in-season period. The data were analysed with respect to the number of days prior to a given match. The main results indicate that there was a significant difference in training intensity for zone 1 between M2 and M4 (4010.2 ± 103.5 and 4507.6 ± 133.0 m, respectively); a significant difference in training intensity for zone 3 between M1 and M5 (686.1 ± 42.8 and 801.2 ± 61.2 m, respectively); a significant difference in the duration of the training sessions and matches between M2 and M5 (69.2 ± 2.1 and 79.6 ± 2.3) and M3 and M5 (69.7 ± 1.0 and 79.6 ± 2.3); and finally, there was a significant difference in CK between M3 and M2 (325.5 ± 155.0 and 194.4 ± 48.9). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in TL in the last day prior to a match, for all microcycles and all variables. There was no significant difference with respect to s-RPE. This study provides the first report of daily external and internal TLs and weekly accumulated load (training sessions and match demands) during one, two, and three-game week schedules in a group of elite soccer players. Expected significant differences are found in daily and accumulated loads for within- and between-game schedules. A similar pattern is exhibited for one- and two-game week microcycles regarding the day before the match, which exhibits a decrease in all variables. Despite the different number of games played per week, TL remain similar between microcycles for zone 2 and 5, plus s-RPE.This project was supported by the National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/DTP/04045/2013) and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER) allocated by European Union through the COMPETE 2020 Programme (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006969)—competitiveness and internationalization (POCI). The authors disclose funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Welcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); and other(s).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of Different Recovery Times on Internal and External Load During Small-Sided Games in Soccer

Background: The ability to maintain a high intensity of exercise over several repetitions depends on recovery from previous exercises. This study aimed to identify the effects of different recovery times on internal and external load during small-sided soccer games. Hypothesis: An increase in recovery time will increase the external training load and decrease the internal exercise load, which will result in a greater physical impact of the exercise. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Level of evidence: Level 2. Methods: Twenty male semiprofessional soccer players participated in the present study. They performed the same exercise (5-a-side game format) continuously (1 × 18 minutes) and repeatedly/fractionated (3 × 6 minutes) with different recovery times (30 seconds, 1 minute, 1.5 minutes, and 2 minutes). Their internal load (ie, average heart rate (HR) and maximum HR) and external load (ie, total distance, maximum speed, and ratio meters) were measured using an HR band and an inertial device equipped with a global positioning system, respectively. Results: The manipulation of recovery times induced differences in the internal and external load. For the same total duration, the external and internal load indicators exhibited higher values during the fractionated method, particularly with short recovery periods. Conclusion: The application of small-sided soccer games with different recovery times induced varying responses in training load. To maintain high physical performance and high training load, the fractional method with short recovery periods (ie, 30 seconds) should be used. In contrast, to carefully manage players' efforts and decrease response to training load, continuous or fractional methods with longer recovery periods (ie, 1-2 minutes) should be used. Clinical relevance: The proper prescription of recovery time between exercises facilitates enhanced training efficiency and optimized performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Commutation Angle Maps Evaluation for Magnet Arrangements of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines in Electric Vehicles

© 2021 IEEE. This is the accepted manuscript version of a conference paper which has been published in final form at 10.1109/SEST50973.2021.9543397The commutation angle, γ , of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor's (IPMSM) vector diagram, plays an important role in compensating the back electromotive force; both under load phase current variations and/or when an extended speed range, being near the constant power range, is required by the application. This commutation angle is defined as the angle between the fundamental of the phase current and the fundamental of the back-emf. It can be utilized to provide a compensating effect in IPMSMs. This is due to the reluctance torque component being dependent on the phase current before the extended speed range. A real-time maximum torque per current and voltage strategy is employed to find the trajectory and optimum commutation angles, γ , where the level of accuracy depends on the application and available computational speed. A magnet volume reduction is proposed in this paper to minimize the permanent magnet mass to motor torque density, whilst maintaining the phase current below its maximum rated value. A mapping of γ allows the determination of the optimum angles as shown in this paper. The 3rd generation Toyota Prius IPMSM is considered the reference motor, where only the rotor configuration is altered to allow for an individual assessment. The electric vehicle's performance during acceleration and deceleration using various IPMSM rotor configurations is evaluated for a given four-wheel-drive vehicle. The powertrain uses two single-gear onboard, under standard drive cycles.Peer reviewe

A multi-layer probing approach for video over 5G in vehicular scenarios

Fifth generation (5G) technologies are becoming a reality throughout the world. In parallel, vehicular networks rise their pace in terms of utilization; moreover, multimedia content transmissions are also getting an always increasing demand by their users. Besides the promised performance of 5G networks, several questions still arise among the community: are these networks capable of delivering high quality video streaming services in moving scenarios? What is the relationship between the network conditions and the video quality of experience? To answer to the previous questions, in this paper we propose a multi-layer probing approach able to assess video transmissions over 5G and 4G, combining data from all layers of a communication model, relating events from its origin layers. The probe's potential is thoroughly evaluated in two distinct video streaming use cases, both targeting a vehicular scenario supported by cellular 4G and 5G networks. Regarding the probe's performance, we show that a multitude of performance and quality indicators, from different stack layers, can be obtained. As for the performance of 4G and 5G networks in video streaming scenarios, the results have shown that the 5G links show a better overall performance in terms of video quality-of-experience, granting lower delays and jitter conditions, thus allowing video delay to be diminished and segment buffering to be better performed in comparison to 4G, while still showing adaptability in lightly traffic-saturated vehicular-to-vehicular scenarios.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio