Genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction of Polaromonas sp. strain JS666: analysis of cDCE degradation rates and design of experiments for bioremediation improvement

Release of chloroethene compounds into the environment often results in groundwater contamination, which puts people at risk of exposure by drinking contaminated water. cDCE (cis-1,2-dichloroethene) accumulation on subsurface environments is a common environmental problem due to stagnation and partial degradation of other precursor chloroethene species. Polaromonas sp. strain JS666 apparently requires no exotic growth factors to be used as a bioaugmentation agent for aerobic cDCE degradation. Although being the only suitable microorganism found capable of such, further studies are needed for improving the intrinsic bioremediation rates and fully comprehend the metabolic processes involved. In order to do so, a metabolic model, iJS666, was reconstructed from genome annotation and available bibliographic data. FVA (Flux Variability Analysis) and FBA (Flux Balance Analysis) techniques were used to satisfactory validate the predictive capabilities of the iJS666 model. The iJS666 model was able to predict biomass growth for different previously tested conditions, allowed to design key experiments which should be done for further model improvement and, also, produced viable predictions for the use of biostimulant metabolites in the cDCE biodegradation

Noise: sound reactive fashion

Sound and noise have an important influence in our daily lives. They can positively or negatively change our quality of life. Given the idea that it is harder to ignore what we see, rather than what we hear, the team developed a garment that senses environmental noise and shows it through lighting, to make people aware of the noise around them. The garment chosen was a jacket, with a deliberately provocative design. It is the authors’ intention to study the integration of lighting in garments for more subtle ways of expression, in other context, such as health monitoring, sports or social interaction.FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, project UID/CTM/00264/2013

Development of dry textile electrodes for electromiography: a comparison between knitted structures and conductive yarns

The paper presents a practical approach concerning the design, implementation and testing of dry textile electrodes for surface electromyography purposes. Several knitted structures were designed and knitted with conductive yarns, in order to compare the influence of the fabric structure in the electrode performance. The effect of the type of conductive yarn was also studied by comparing three different yarns. It was found that the textile electrodes perform well for sEMG acquisition, with a clear depiction of the muscle activity produced. There are significant differences between the structures tested and there is also some influence from the yarn used.This work is supported by Portuguese National Funding, through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in the framework of project EHRPhysio PTDC/DTP-DES/1661/2012 and project UID/CTM/00264/2013

Envelhecimento ativo: apostar no presente, melhorar o futuro

O programa Diabetes em Movimento® teve como objetivo melhorar o controlo glicémico, o risco cardiovascular e a qualidade de vida dos participantes.N/

Textile-based pressure sensors for step detection: a preliminary assessment

This paper presents the development and performance assessment of textile-based sensor based on a three layer architecture for the step detection. Two different transducing elements (EeonTex™ LG-SLPA and velostat) and electrodes (Satatex Techniktex P-130 and Elitex yarns) were selected for the construction of the sensors. The performance of the resulting sensors was assessed based on a dynamometer cyclic compression/decompression test with different compressions loads and at different speeds. Additionally, a real-life experiment was conducted to evaluate the sensor response during walking. The results show that all sensors configurations have a non-linear resistance-force relation. The best sensor configuration for the step detection was the combination of EeonTex™ LG-SLPA as a transducing element and the Elitex yarns for the electrodes. In this configuration, the resistance magnitude varies in an order of hundreds of kohms between the stance and the swing phases.This work was partially financed by FEDER funds through the Competitively Factors Operational Programme—COMPETE and by national founds through FCT -Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136 and Project PEstOE/EEI/UI0319/2014. Authors would like to thanks André Paiva and Sérgio Branco for their collaboration in sensors production and data acquisition, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dinâmica da tricotagem : estudo da dinâmica da tensão de entrada do fio e sua aplicação em controlo de qualidade

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Têxtil.Nesta dissertação procurou estudar-se a dinâmica da tensão de entrada do fio em teares de malha de trama jersey e sua utilização no controlo de qualidade, nomeadamente na detecção e identificação de defeitos. Um dos problemas mais graves na produção de malha é o aparecimento de defeitos que originam elevados prejuízos, ao nível da produtividade do tear e ao nível do produto. Embora exista já um elevado número de sistemas de detecção de defeitos, bastante eficazes, estes não são capazes de detectar todo o tipo de defeitos, e não fornecem informações suplementares sobre o funcionamento do tear. Estes sistemas baseiam-se na detecção de defeitos a partir da análise dos elementos tricotadores e da malha produzida. A preocupação sobre o controlo da tensão de entrada expressa na bibliografia sugeriu a proposta da monitorização deste parâmetro como abordagem possível ao problema da detecção de defeitos. Após a concepção, desenvolvimento e implementação de um sistema de medida destinado à recolha de informações e processamento da tensão de entrada do fio, procedeu-se a um conjunto de experiências com o objectivo de estudar três situações: melhor compreensão da variação da tensão de entrada; detecção, identificação e localização de defeitos; análise de anomalias do tear. A relação entre a tensão de entrada do fio e alguns factores que influenciam o processo de tricotagem foi estudada. A análise espectral foi utilizada para se tentar interpretar certas anomalias detectadas no tear a partir da tensão de entrada do fio. A constatação da possibilidade de detecção e identificação de defeitos motivou o estudo e proposta de métodos automáticos para a detecção de defeitos. Dos estudos realizados chama-se a atenção para a análise de grupos efectuada, na tentativa de classificar automaticamente os defeitos, partindo das características da tensão de entrada do fio durante a formação da laçada, e a proposta de uma medida que resume o funcionamento do tear em termos de produção da malha por fileira. Propôs-se ainda a utilização de cartas de controlo como meio de monitorização do funcionamento do tear.The main goal of this work is the study of yarn input tension dynamics on circular knitting machines and its possible use in quality control, namely, for detection and identification of defects on knitted fabrics, and general functioning of the circular knitting machine. A major problem in the production of knitted fabrics is the presence of defects. When there happen, significant losses occur both to productivity (because the machine has to be stopped) and to the product itself, since the desired quality is no attained. The research work developed up to now has been conducted to surveillance devices that can be separated in two categories: detection of defective knitting elements and detection of fabric faults. Unfortunately, these solutions don’t give enough information, related to the general functioning of the knitting machine and are very specialised, for they detect only a few types of defects. The importance of controlling the yarn input tension is stressed in many works and suggests its use as a feasible approach to detect defects, due to its capability of representing the knitting process behaviour. After the development and implementation of the measuring system used to record and analyse all the information acquired from the knitting machine, a batch of experiments was conducted in order to study the variability of the yarn input tension, the feasibility to detect, locate and identify the defects simulated, and the possibility to diagnose some knitting machine malfunctions. In this study the relationship between some factors related with the knitting process and the yarn-input tension were considered, in order to evaluate their influence on defects waveforms. Due to the circular knitting machine unique characteristics, spectral analysis was considered as a mean to determine some of the knitting machine malfunctions. Automatic means to detect defects are presented and discussed, namely, cluster analysis applied to loop parameters, which are used to characterize the defects, and a measure for evaluating the knitting machine performance, resuming a knitted wale to a single value. Finally, some discussion is made around the use of control charts as a means to monitor the knitting machine performance

Comparison of compression stockings in the laboratory and by wear trial

This work is about compression stockings and their influence on the human body together with the sportive performance. In this paper the basics of compression in the medical area as well as in the sportive field will be presented. Five compression stockings were tested. In order to choose the right socks, a detailed inquiry about the currently available compression stockings on the market was conducted. The stockings were tested with the dynamometer and pressure sensor in the laboratory and furthermore all the socks were tested by running trials in the gym on the treadmill. The most important details and facts as well as the results of the laboratory investigations and the running tests will be presented in this paper.This work was financed by FEDER funds through the Competitivity Factors Operational Program - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136

Property evaluation of diabetic socks used to prevent diabetic foot syndrome

Diabetes is a chronic disease which is increasing during the past years. Studies state that in 2025 the number of patients around the world will approximately be the double. Due to the complications promoted by diabetes, the patient looses sensitivity, but at the same time injuries are more complicated to be healed. Special care must take place with diabetic feet, namely by using proper shoes and socks, in order to avoid exceeding friction, sudation, high temperature, among other relevant factors. One of the most serious problems for diabetic patients is called diabetic foot syndrome, that when neglected, can become dramatic, because in extreme cases, amputation of the foot may occur. In this research we studied several socks, made with new and advanced materials and diversified knitted structures, focusing on socks commercially available and specially designed for diabetic patients, in order to understand what would be the most adequate combination of structure and fibres that would give the adequate results in terms of l properties using different equipment and to foreseen the possibility of indicating the most appropriate material/sock for the different existing diabetic foot syndromes.(undefined

Comparison and testing of compression stockings for sport activities in the laboratory

This work is about comparing and testing compression stockings and their influence on the human body. In this paper the basics of compression in the medical area as well as in the sportive field will be presented. The sportive compression works the same way like the compression therapy of the medicine area and has the same conditions for a healthy and correctly using. The sportswear with compression effect has an anatomically adjusted pressure profile, which based on a pair of pants, is most powerful at the ankle and decreases continuously up to the thigh. The closer one gets to the heart, the less pressure is required. There are many different types of socks for specific sport fields and it does not matter if it is an outdoor or indoor sport or for summer or winter. Five compression stockings were tested. In order to choose the right socks, a detailed inquiry about the currently available compression stockings on the market was conducted. The stockings were tested with several testing equipment existing in our facilities of the Center of Textile Sciences and Technology. The lab tests show that the stockings B and D has the best performance. The weakest in all test is stocking E. We can conclude that the compression effect of the stockings stabilizes the muscles and because of this the musculature isn´t so much stressed, increasing the recovery of the muscles.This work is financed by FEDER funds through the Competitivity Factors Operational Program - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136