Decision support system for accessing costs and risks of connected and autonomous vehicles as mobility service in urban contexts

A predicted increase of connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in our roads paved the way for new opportunities and challenges towards the promotion of sustainable mobility. However, the impacts of CAVs on the road environment and its implications are widely dependent on technological choices and public policy [1,2]. Therefore, this research (PhD Workplan) intends to assess whether CAVs could be effective mobility solutions for improving social, economic and environmental efficiency [4]. This question will be addressed by developing a decision support tool driven by comprehensive data analysis and modelling processes. The outputs achieved will integrate a tool that will support transport system’s planning and the implementation of urban strategies to introduce CAVs [3,5]. Thus, the research’s main focus encompasses the development of a model-driven decision support system (DSS) that allows assessing the costs and risks of implementing CAVs in urban context [3,4]. Three specific research objectives are assumed: I) Predicting impacts of CAVs operation in urban contexts, by analyzing cost-efficiency, transportation demand and mobility patterns considering market penetration scenarios of CAVs in Portugal; II) Conceiving a hybrid transport planning tool to assess possible restrictions to CAVs on different types of links through field data testing and simulating scenarios using a microscopic traffic model. Data will support the development of a macroscopic model for a full network assessment performance; III) Developing a multidimensional decision tool directed to a wide range of stakeholders, both from public or private sectors, to compute the benefits, costs, constraints and risks of implementing CAVs on urban mobility systems. Preliminary results from different urban arterials indicate that CAVs can have negative or negligible impacts in some urban contexts. However, if the impact on the traffic flow’s energy performance is considered into the internal car following algorithm, global energy savings of up to 12% can be achieved.publishe

Could CAVs be future eco-driving agents to influence the environmental performance of road traffic?

Connected Autonomous vehicle (CAVs) could be an environmental boon or disaster, depending on public policy [1]. At operational level, CAV technologies are expected to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions per unit of distance thanks to more gradual acceleration and deceleration patterns [2] and fewer stop-and-go movements [3]. Under a likely transitional stage of co-existence of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and conventional vehicles (CVs), this study explores the potential effects of CAVs to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and pollutant emissions in different road types based on improved operational parameters. For that purpose, CAVs were assumed to behave as eco-driving agents to influence the environmental performance of overall traffic. A microscopic traffic and emission model platform was applied to simulate a European medium-sized city during the morning peak period. Three roadway sections, including motorway, rural and urban, were selected to evaluate in detail the impact of CAVs in different roads types and over multiple CAVs penetration rates (MPR) to address the following questions: 1) What is the potential reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions resulting from CAVs operating in different road typologies? 2) How can network-wide emissions and fuel consumption vary according to different MPR of CAVs? 3) May CAVs significantly influence the energetic and environmental performance of CVs on different road types? Results allow assessing the main research questions defined, concretely: 1) CAVs impacts were particularly beneficial for the environment in the road segment “national road”, with emission reductions up to 12%. In the urban corridor, the impacts were shown to be detrimental due to an inefficient configuration of the car following adjustment parameters (CFAP) in the local context and a slight increase in the capacity of the upstream intersections. At the motorway level operating at low volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio, impacts are negligible. Nevertheless, an optimization of the speed to 90 km/h allows reductions up to 18% of CO2 and 32% of NOx. 2) In sections outside the urban context, the environmental impacts resulting from the presence of CAVs are positive, following a strong linear relationship and in line with higher MPR. 3) CAVs showed to significantly influence the energetic and environmental performance of CVs ranging from 3 to 13%. These results suggest that even CAVs will be predominantly fully electric in the near future, the impact on network-wide emissions should be taken into account and adjusted to different driving scenarios.publishe

Uso de medicamentos em gestantes

Antecedentes/Objetivos: O uso de medicamentos por gestantes deve ser considerado um problema de saúde pública (Carmo, 2003; Baldon et al, 2006). É um comportamento de alto risco terapêutico com elevados riscos potenciais, sobretudo, para o feto, mas também para a gestante (Olesen et al, 1999; Oliveira & Fonseca, 2006). Os efeitos sobre o feto dependem do fármaco ou substância, da paciente, da época de exposição durante a gestação, da frequência e da dose total, resultando potencialmente em teratogenia ou com consequências farmacológicas e toxicológicas diversas (Sorensen & De Jong-Van, 1997). Foram objetivos desta investigação determinar a prevalência do uso de medicamentos por gestantes em 2 Centros Hospitalares do Norte de Portugal, avaliando se existe relação entre as características maternas, fonte de indicação e os resultados obtidos pelas gestantes na sua experiência com medicamentos. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo transversal, observacional e analítico. A recolha de dados foi feita de Março a Maio de 2012. Todas as gestantes foram convidadas a participar, independentemente, do tempo de gestação. Participaram, nesta investigação, 125 gestantes. Resultados: Verificou-se que 79,2% das gestantes declararam utilizar pelo menos um medicamento, destas 5,1% fizeram-no sem prescrição médica. O Ferro (45%) e o Ácido Fólico (25%) foram os mais consumidos, porém, medicamentos considerados de risco para o feto também foram utilizados, nomeadamente, Atarax (2%), Minocin (1%), Omeprazol (1%), Amoxicilina (1%) e Cartia (1%). O trimestre gestacional foi o único parâmetro que registou diferenças na toma de medicação, sendo que foram as gestantes que se encontravam no terceiro trimestre de gravidez as que mais recorreram ao consumo de medicamentos (85,3%). Conclusiones: Embora o consumo de medicamentos durante a gestação seja uma realidade, esta tendência tem vindo a diminuir ao longo dos anos. Como medidas a serem tomadas na tentativa de reduzir o consumo de medicamentos não prescritos, sugere-se a realização de campanhas educativas em saúde e a partilha de informação que alerte para os riscos e contraindicações, bem como, a orientação sobre medidas alternativas não farmacológicas que poderão ser adotadas pelas gestantes

Kaolin and salicylic acid alleviate summer stress in rainfed olive orchards by modulation of distinct physiological and biochemical responses

In a changing world, the search for new agronomic practices that help crops to maintain and/or increase yields and quality is a continuous challenge. We aim to evaluate kaolin (KL) and salicylic acid (SA) effectiveness as summer stress alleviating agents through physiological, biochemical and immunohistochemical analysis. Olive trees (Olea europaea L. cv. Cobrançosa) grown under rainfed conditions were sprayed with 5% KL and 100 μM SA, at the beginning of summer, during two consecutive years. KL enhanced relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance (gs) net photosynthesis (A) and leaf indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) signal, and decreased leaf sclerophylly, secondary metabolites and non-structural carbohydrates accumulation and abscisic acid (ABA).The trees treated with SA showed changes on IAA and ABA dynamics, and an enhancement in RWC, gs, A, soluble proteins, and leaf P and Mg concentrations during the summer. Notably, KL and SA also allowed a faster restauration of the physiological functions during stress relief. In sum, KL and SA foliar sprays alleviated the negative effects induced by summer stress in olive trees performance, by modulation of distinct physiological and biochemical responses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Alteração do comprimento do passo durante a transposição de obstáculos em tarefas de movimentação de cargas na construção civil

A Construção Civil tem sido o sector que regista maior incidência de acidentes fatais a nível mundial. Diversos estudos têm sido efectuados no sentido de compreender as causas que contribuem para a ocorrência de elevados índices de sinistralidade neste sector. Todavia, o contributo da movimentação manual de cargas, para a ocorrência de quedas na Construção Civil, tem sido descurado. No presente artigo procedeu-se, através de simulação laboratorial, ao estudo da influência da movimentação manual de cargas para a ocorrência de acidentes em operações envolvendo a transposição de obstáculos em obra. Verificou-se que o comprimento de passo e a passada do pé de avanço são alterados com o transporte de carga, aumentando a probabilidade de ocorrência de acidentes envolvendo quedas

DSAS-6 Organizes a Tube-like Centriole Precursor, and Its Absence Suggests Modularity in Centriole Assembly

Centrioles are microtubule-based cylindrical structures that exhibit 9-fold symmetry and facilitate the organization of centrosomes, flagella, and cilia [1]. Abnormalities in centrosome structure and number occur in many cancers 1, 2. Despite its importance, very little is known about centriole biogenesis. Recent studies in C. elegans have highlighted a group of molecules necessary for centriole assembly 1, 3. ZYG-1 kinase recruits a complex of two coiled-coil proteins, SAS-6 and SAS-5, which are necessary to form the C. elegans centriolar tube, a scaffold in centriole formation 4, 5. This complex also recruits SAS-4, which is required for the assembly of the centriolar microtubules that decorate that tube 4, 5. Here we show that Drosophila SAS-6 is involved in centriole assembly and cohesion. Overexpression of DSAS-6 in syncitial embryos led to the de novo formation of multiple microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). Strikingly, the center of these MTOCs did not contain centrioles, as described previously for SAK/PLK4 overexpression [6]. Instead, tube-like structures were present, supporting the idea that centriolar assembly starts with the formation of a tube-like scaffold, dependent on DSAS-6 [5]. In DSAS-6 loss-of-function mutants, centrioles failed to close and to elongate the structure along all axes of the 9-fold symmetry, suggesting modularity in centriole assembly. We propose that the tube is built from nine subunits fitting together laterally and longitudinally in a modular and sequential fashion, like pieces of a layered “hollow” cake

Low Serum Levels of DKK2 Predict Incident Low-Impact Fracture in Older Women

There are currently no robust noninvasive markers of fragility fractures. Secreted frizzled related protein-1 (sFRP-1), dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) and DKK2, and sclerostin (SOST) inhibit Wnt signaling and interfere with osteoblast-mediated bone formation. We evaluated associations of serum levels of sFRP-1, DKK1, DKK2, and SOST with incident low-impact fracture and BMD in 828 women aged ≥65 years from EpiDoC, a longitudinal population-based cohort. A structured questionnaire during a baseline clinical appointment assessed prevalent fragility fractures and clinical risk factors (CRFs) for fracture. Blood was collected to measure serum levels of bone turnover markers and Wnt regulators. Lumbar spine and hip BMD were determined by DXA scanning. Follow-up assessment was performed through a phone interview; incident fragility fracture was defined by any new self-reported low-impact fracture. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze fracture risk adjusted for CRFs and BMD. During a mean follow-up of 2.3 ± 1.0 years, 62 low-impact fractures were sustained in 58 women. A low serum DKK2 level (per 1 SD decrease) was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in fracture risk independently of BMD and CRFs. Women in the two lowest DKK2 quartiles had a fracture incidence rate of 32 per 1000 person-years, whereas women in the two highest quartiles had 14 fragility fractures per 1000 person-years. A high serum sFRP1 level was associated with a 1.6-fold increase in fracture risk adjusted for CRFs, but not independently of BMD. Serum levels of SOST (r = 0.191; p = 0.0025) and DKK1(r = -0.1725; p = 0.011) were correlated with hip BMD, but not with incident fragility fracture. These results indicate that serum DKK2 and sFRP1 may predict low-impact fracture. The low number of incident fractures recorded is a limitation and serum levels of Wnt regulators should be further studied in other populations as potential noninvasive markers of fragility fractures. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.publishersversionpublishe

Kaolin spray induces changes in ABA and IAA immunodistribution in olive leaves.

The climate change scenarios predicted the accentuation of drought and high temperature events during the summer season in the Mediterranean region, coming up harmful consequences to important crops of this region, such as olive tree (Olea europaea L.). Stress conditions often stimulate changes in plants production, distribution or signal transduction of phytohormones as a response, then modifying their physiology and biochemistry. Kaolin (KL) is a reflecting clay that applied on leaves surface reduce the common damages promoted by heat load and high irradiance levels, being important to test its effect on olive tree hormonal dynamics and physiological parameters. Olive trees of a rainfed orchard in Northeast Portugal, were sprayed with kaolin 5% (KL) and water (C). The immunodistribution of two hormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and indoleacetic acid (IAA), and some physiological and growth responses were accessed. The ABA signal was substantially more pronounced than the IAA signal in all the analyzed leaves, concomitant with the stressful conditions of which these plants were subjected. In general, ABA signal showed a uniform distribution throughout the leaf in both treatments. However, its intensity was higher in C than in KL-sprayed leaves, reflecting the better water status and higher stomatal conductance of the last plants. While in C leaves was observed a uniform distribution of IAA signal trough the leaf limb and an almost absence of signal in the main vascular tissues, in KL-sprayed leaves was observed a higher signal intensity in the main vascular tissues and upper palisade parenchyma. These data suggest its transport and an active growth in KL plants, concomitant with the higher increase of canopy volume. Thus, immunodetection appears to be an efficient tool to understand the translocation of IAA and ABA in plants treated with abiotic stress alleviating products and clarify their role in regulating the physiological responses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Kaolin and salicylic acid alleviate summer stress effects on rainfed olive orchards through distinct physiological and biochemical processes

In a changing world, the search for new agronomic practices that help crops to maintain and/or increase yields and quality is a continuous challenge. Olive trees cultivated under rainfed conditions were sprayed with 5% kaolin (KL) and 100 μM salicylic acid (SA) during two consecutive years in the beginning of the summer season. Exogenous KL enhanced relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance (gs) net photosynthesis (A) and IAA immunodetection, and decreased leaf sclerophylly, secondary metabolites and non-structural carbohydrates accumulation, ABA signal and DNA methylation, contributing to higher growth and yield. The plants treated with SA showed an enhancement in RWC, gs, A, soluble proteins, IAA, ABA and DNA methylation immunodetection and leaf P and Mg concentrations during the summer, leading to higher yield. Thus, KL and SA alleviated some of the negative effects induced by summer stress in olive tree performance, allowing a faster restauration of the physiological functions during the stress relief and leading to higher yieldsThis work was funded by the INTERACT project – “Integrative Research in Environment, Agro-Chains and Technology”, no. NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000017, in its lines of research entitled ISAC, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through NORTE 2020 (North Regional Operational Program 2014/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio