Monitoring the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere in Portugal due to forest fires based on LSA SAF products

Ponencia presentada en: XXXIV Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XVII Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Teruel, del 29 de febrero al 2 de marzo de 2016

Aplicações dos produtos distribuídos pela LSA SAF

Ponencia presentada en: XXX Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el IX Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Zaragoza, del 5 al 7 de mayo de 2008

Estimativa da quantidade de Carbono libertado para a atmosfera em Portugal, por acção de incêndios florestais, com base em produtos LSA SAFl

Ponencia presentada en: XXXI Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XI Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Sevilla, del 1 al 3 de marzo de 2010

Comportamento do ICRIF (Índice combinado de Risco de Incendio Florestal) em diferentes condiçoes meteorológicas

Ponencia presentada en: XXXI Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XI Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Sevilla, del 1 al 3 de marzo de 2010.Forest fires are one of the most important natural risk affecting Portugal, specially over the summer time with enormous direct economical impact and, also by the indirect consequences of introducing fast changes on the land cover. The Portuguese Meteorological Institute (IM) produces a Forest Fire Risk Index, the ICRIF, combining meteorological conditions, vegetation status and structural information. The processing of 10 year of ICRIF is analysed together with the statistical classification of burned forest areas, in order to assess the quality of ICRIF results

Distributing Multipartite Entanglement over Noisy Quantum Networks

A quantum internet aims at harnessing networked quantum technologies, namely by distributing bipartite entanglement between distant nodes. However, multipartite entanglement between the nodes may empower the quantum internet for additional or better applications for communications, sensing, and computation. In this work, we present an algorithm for generating multipartite entanglement between different nodes of a quantum network with noisy quantum repeaters and imperfect quantum memories, where the links are entangled pairs. Our algorithm is optimal for GHZ states with 3 qubits, maximising simultaneously the final state fidelity and the rate of entanglement distribution. Furthermore, we determine the conditions yielding this simultaneous optimality for GHZ states with a higher number of qubits, and for other types of multipartite entanglement. Our algorithm is general also in the sense that it can optimise simultaneously arbitrary parameters. This work opens the way to optimally generate multipartite quantum correlations over noisy quantum networks, an important resource for distributed quantum technologies.Comment: More detailed calculations of the metrics and minor changes. Keywords: Quantum Internet, QLANs, Multipartite Entanglement, Entanglement Distribution, Multi-objective Routing, Quantum Network

Entanglement Routing Based on Fidelity Curves for Quantum Photonics Channels

The quantum internet promises to extend entanglement correlations from nearby neighbors to any two nodes in a network. How to efficiently distribute entanglement over large-scale networks is still an open problem that greatly depends on the technology considered. In this work, we consider quantum networks composed of photonic channels characterized by a trade-off between the entanglement generation rate and fidelity. For such networks we look at the two following problems: the one of finding the best path to connect any two given nodes in the network bipartite entanglement routing, and the problem of finding the best starting node in order to connect three nodes in the network multipartite entanglement routing. We consider two entanglement distribution models: one where entangled qubit are distributed one at a time, and a flow model where a large number of entangled qubits are distributed simultaneously. We propose the use of continuous fidelity curves (i.e., entanglement generation fidelity vs rate) as the main routing metric. Combined with multi-objective path-finding algorithms, the fidelity curves describing each link allow finding a set of paths that maximize both the end-to-end fidelity and the entanglement generation rate. For the models and networks considered, we prove that the algorithm always converges to the optimal solution, and we show through simulation that its execution time grows polynomial with the number of nodes in the network. Our implementation grows with the number of nodes with a power between $1$ and $1.4$ depending on the network. This work paves the way for the development of path-finding algorithms for networks with complex entanglement distribution protocols, in particular for other protocols that exhibit a trade-off between generation fidelity and rate, such as repeater-and-purify protocols

Semi-invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient with Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Invasive and semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. It has been described occasionally in patients with normal immunity and previous lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.</p> <p>Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare condition characterized by hyperlucency of one lung, lobe or part of a lobe due to decreased vascularity and air trapping.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a 38-year-old Portuguese, Caucasian man who is immunocompetent, with a pre-existing Swyer-James-McLeod Syndrome, a structural lung disease.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature on the relationship between these two diseases. Although rare, aspergillosis can occur in immunocompetent adults with a pre-existing lung disease other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.</p

Assessment of a Large-Scale Unbiased Malignant Pleural Effusion Proteomics Study of a Real-Life Cohort

Background: Pleural effusion (PE) is common in advanced-stage lung cancer patients and is related to poor prognosis. Identification of cancer cells is the standard method for the diagnosis of a malignant PE (MPE). However, it only has moderate sensitivity. Thus, more sensitive diagnostic tools are urgently needed. Methods: The present study aimed to discover potential protein targets to distinguish malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from other non-malignant pathologies. We have collected PE from 97 patients to explore PE proteomes by applying state-of-the-art liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify potential biomarkers that correlate with immunohistochemistry assessment of tumor biopsy or with survival data. Functional analyses were performed to elucidate functional differences in PE proteins in malignant and benign samples. Results were integrated into a clinical risk prediction model to identify likely malignant cases. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value were calculated. Results: In total, 1689 individual proteins were identified by MS-based proteomics analysis of the 97 PE samples, of which 35 were diagnosed as malignant. A comparison between MPE and benign PE (BPE) identified 58 differential regulated proteins after correction of the p-values for multiple testing. Furthermore, functional analysis revealed an up-regulation of matrix intermediate filaments and cellular movement-related proteins. Additionally, gene ontology analysis identified the involvement of metabolic pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a partial least squares regression model with an area under the curve of 98 and an accuracy of 0.92 when evaluated on the holdout test data set. Furthermore, highly significant survival markers were identified (e.g., PSME1 with a log-rank of 1.68 × 10−6 ).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sigmatropic rearrangements in 5-allyloxytetrazoles

Mechanisms of thermal isomerization of allyl tetrazolyl ethers derived from the carbocyclic allylic alcohols cyclohex-2-enol and 3-methylcyclohex-2-enol and from the natural terpene alcohol nerol were investigated. In the process of the syntheses of the three 1-aryl-5-allyloxytetrazoles, their rapid isomerization to the corresponding 1-aryl-4-allyltetrazol-5-ones occurred. The experiments showed that the imidates rearrange exclusively through a [3,3¢]-sigmatropic migration of the allylic system from O to N, with inversion. Mechanistic proposals are based on product analysis and extensive quantum chemical calculations at the DFT(B3LYP) and MP2 levels, on O-allyl and N-allyl isomers and on putative transition state structures for [1,3¢]- and [3,3¢]-sigmatropic migrations. The experimental observations could be only explained on the basis of the MP2/6-31G(d,p) calculations that favoured the [3,3¢]-sigmatropic migrations, yielding lower energies both for the transition states and for the final isomerization products

Prototype of an affordable pressure-controlled emergency mechanical ventilator for COVID-19

We present a viable prototype of a simple mechanical ventilator intended as a last resort to ventilate COVID-19 patients. The prototype implements the pressure-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation mode (PC-CMV) with settable breathing rates, inspiration/expiration time ratios and FiO2 modulation. Although safe, the design aims to minimize the use of technical components and those used are common in industry, so its construction may be possible in times of logistical shortage or disruption or in areas with reduced access to technical materials and at a moderate cost, affordable to lower income countries. Most of the device can be manufactured by modest technical means and construction plans are provided.Comment: This version differs from version 2 in that it includes toxicological and bio-safety tests and updated electronic