Repeatability and Reproducibility of Peripapillary Choroidal Thickness Using a Medical Image-Processing Software

Although choroid has been shown to have a vital role in the pathophysiology of many ocular diseases, its role in the pathogenesis of several other conditions remains uncertain. The authors propose a novel methodology to establish a more accurate Peripapillary Choroidal Thickness (PPCT), using an image-processing software. This study sought to evaluate the reproducibility and repeatability of PPCT evaluation with ImageJ software in healthy volunteers. Forty-eight eyes of 24 volunteers were subjected to PPCT area determination, after imaging acquisition and recording with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) Heidelberg Spectralis®, during two different sessions, by two blinded assessors. The age of the subjects was 29.2 ± 4.5 years (mean ± SD). The Coefï¬cient of Repeatability (CR) average measurements of PPCT area was 17.06 mm2 and 9.48 mm2 correspondingly, for the ï¬rst and second examiners. Intra-class Correlation Coefï¬cient (ICC) was 0.994 (95% CI 0.989 to 0.997) and 0.998 (95% CI 0.997 to 0.999). Inter-observer Concordance Correlation Coefï¬cient (CCC) was 0.998 (95% CI 0.996 to 0.999) for both examiners. Intra-observer CCC ranged from 0.997 (95% CI 0.996 to 0.999) to 0.998 (95% CI 0.997 to 0.999), correspondingly, for the first and second examiners. The PPCT quantification by means of the proposed methodology showed good inter- and intra-observer agreement for both operators, indicating feasibility and good reproducibility of the proposed methodology. This approach might be used in different clinical settings and potentially contributes to elucidation of the choroid role in ocular pathology

Multifunctional land use in the renewal of harbour areas: patterns of physical distribution of the urban functions

Being one of the most representative spatial processes of the last 30 years, which frequently occur in strategic parts of the cities and justify special financing investments, the operations of renewal of harbour areas can be seen as a laboratory of contemporary urban design. In the context of the activity developed by the IFHP Working Party on Multifunctional and Intensive Land Use, these operations are also an high potential field of research, justifying its closer analysis, as it has been done in the last two years with the technical visits to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Oslo, and now to Barcelona. Focusing on the multifunctional use of spaces, this paper analyses several operations of renewal of harbour areas, trying to identify the urban design solutions adopted in those operations regarding the physical distribution of the proposed urban functions. The case-study comparative analysis is the applied method, based on which are identified: (1) the different urban functions present on these operations, and; (2) the concept under which these different functions are disposed in the area and combined between themselves. The hypothesis is that it can be established a general classification on the forms how different functions are combined in these operations. The paper previously distinguishes two types of functions, regarding the relative its importance in the area: the dominant urban functions and the located urban functions. The dominant urban functions are those functions that generally dominate an urban area, although it can contain located urban functions within its perimeter on specific locations, e.g., residential areas, offices and shopping areas, industrial areas, public equipment areas and special use areas. The located urban functions are those specific functions that aren't dominating functions and exist within the perimeter of a dominant urban function, e.g., schools, museums, public services, local shopping's and others. The papers defines which are the frequent groups of dominant urban functions and of located urban functions in the analysed operations of renewal of harbour areas

ANÁLISE DO DISPOSITIVO MECÂNICO DIFERENCIAL

The equipment connecting the wheels to the engine is a part on the rear axle (if the vehicle is a rear wheel drive) called the Differential, which distributes the torque generated by the engine to the transmission axles equally. In this work we try to expose from the idea of creating the differential until its internal operation. Although the creation of the differential was attributed to the french inventor Onesiforo Pecqueur in 1827 (workshop manager at the Conservatoire des arts et des arts in Paris), his application in a motor vehicle was in the early 1900s. Basically all differential components, except the differential case, are some kind of bevel gear. A basic differential consists of pinion, crown, satellites, planetary gears and differential box. Non-sports vehicles generally use the open differential. This applies the same torque on both rear wheels. Like any mechanical assembly the differential is not free from problems arising from the efforts generated by the transmission of the torque of the motor with the friction between the parts.O equipamento que faz a conexão das rodas ao motor é uma peça no eixo traseiro (caso o veículo seja de tração traseira) chamado Diferencial, que distribui por igual o torque gerado pelo motor aos semieixos de transmissão. Neste trabalho tenta-se expor desde a ideia de criação do diferencial até seu funcionamento interno. Embora a criação do diferencial seja atribuída ao inventor francês Onesiforo Pecqueur em 1827 (chefe de oficina no Conservatório de Artes e Ofícios de Paris), a aplicação dele em um veículo a motor foi no início dos anos 1900. Basicamente todos os componentes do diferencial, exceto a caixa do diferencial, são algum tipo de engrenagem cônica. Um diferencial básico é composto por pinhão, coroa, engrenagens satélites, engrenagens planetárias e caixa do diferencial. Os veículos não esportivos utilizam de maneira geral o diferencial aberto. Este aplica o mesmo torque em ambas as rodas traseiras. Como todo conjunto mecânico o diferencial não está livre de problemas provenientes dos esforços gerados pela transmissão do torque do motor com o atrito entre as peça

A developing agenda for Lisbon within the twenty-first century

UID/SOC/04647/2013Divided by interdisciplinary realms of application, both climate change and urbanism are ultimately bound together by cause-and-effect in our ever mutable cities. Although suggested that cities are changing faster than Mankind have been able to adjust out thinking, the yearly dissemination scientific data on climatic change is continually improving the efficiency of urbanism to tackle new looming paradigms. Respectively, it is considered that urbanism encounters its greatest opportunities in this uncertain 'third modernity', where flexible approaches such as 'what if?' scenarios allow urbanism to continuously uphold the ever evolving identity and continuum within eventful horizons. This collaboration between these two interrelating realms of contemporary practice is currently being applied upon the case of Lisbon, where regional and local climate change scenarios are assessed in terms of their potential territorial impacts. This originated the opportunity to evaluate how the city components and functioning within its waterfronts shall be affected by climate change. Resultantly, and embedded within its niche, urbanism presents a new creative laboratory where flexible and innovative urban adaptation strategies can be developed to counter-act the impending impacts upon Lisbon within the XXI century.publishersversionpublishe

Impact behaviour of safety shoe high strength steel parts

This study presents results on the dynamic response of safety toe cap models made of high-strength steel. The structural response to impact loading conditions under normative requirements was properly related to tap the potential of lightweight design for significant reduction of thickness. A fully martensitic steel grade was selected, and numerical models were used to study extensive plastic deformation and strain-rate dependence. Material properties were modelled using the Cowper-Symonds models. The numerical simulation was developed using ANSYS explicit dynamics software and was compared to an experimental standard testing of final prototypes. The numerical modelling approach analysed different friction models seeking to better describe collapsing behaviour. A local stiffening toe cap model with high energy absorption efficiency was validated.The support from the Project S3 – Safety Slim Shoe, FCOMP-01-0202- FEDER-018458 and ICC – Lavoro is acknowledged

From Fundamental Strings to Small Black Holes

We give evidence in favour of a string/black hole transition in the case of BPS fundamental string states of the Heterotic string. Our analysis goes beyond the counting of degrees of freedom and considers the evolution of dynamical quantities in the process. As the coupling increases, the string states decrease their size up to the string scale when a small black hole is formed. We compute the absorption cross section for several fields in both the black hole and the perturbative string phases. At zero frequency, these cross sections can be seen as order parameters for the transition. In particular, for the scalars fixed at the horizon the cross section evolves to zero when the black hole is formed

La ribera entre proyectos : formación y transformación del territorio portuario, a partir del caso de Lisboa

La «ribera entre proyectos» es un trayecto por la ribera industrial, investigada a partir del caso de Lisboa, en sus dos momentos de formación territorial y de transformación urbanística.Mostrándose como una ribera plural - en el espacio y en el tiempo -, configurada por una multiplicidad de espacios con lógicas propias, esta ribera en singular está, al final, compuesta por diversas riberas localizadas en territorios de características distintas, preexistentes o ganados al río, sobre el agua o, en determinado momento, alejada del río.Es, también, una ribera que, habiendo sido inicialmente ocupada por la industria de la ciudad, por la actividad del puerto y por la nueva infraestructura de accesibilidad a ambos, sufrió dinámicas de utilización variables a lo largo del tiempo.La investigación se centra en la identificación de un conjunto de patrones comunes en la formación y transformación de la ribera a partir del periodo industrial, elegidos a partir del caso de estudio (Lisboa) y comprobados con recurso a cuatro casos de trabajo (las riberas de Rótterdam, Shangai, Duisburgo y Hamburgo).A partir del trayecto por el territorio y por diversas fuentes primarias y secundarias, de la primera parte del trabajo resulta la propuesta de definición de siete procesos de formación de la ribera industrial, identificando para cada uno el periodo temporal en que predominan, concretamente:1. La formación edificio a edificio;2. La estructura de muelle, calle y almacén;3. El crecimiento espontáneo sobre el viario o el ferrocarril;4. El proyecto de la compañía industrial;5. El plan general del puerto delante de la ciudad;6. La parcelación industrial;7. El gran complejo industrial autónomo.La segunda propuesta de un cuerpo conceptual realizado a partir de una abstracción de la lectura de los casos se refiere a los procesos de transformación de la ribera en el periodo post-industrial, proponiéndose:A. La transformación a la escala del proyecto de arquitectura;B2a. El proyecto de los grandes equipamientos de la ribera;B1. La transformación de la compañía industrial;B2b. La transformación del espacio industrial como nuevo tejido urbano;B2c. El proyecto del espacio público de frente-río;C. La transformación de la ribera de jurisdicción portuaria;D1. El proyecto especial;D2. El proyecto de metrópolis.En estos ocho procesos de transformación también fue posible elegir un conjunto de dimensiones urbanísticas que marcaron una presencia común en los ejemplos estudiados.El trayecto por las varias partes y momentos de la ribera asume que, antes de más, cada ejemplo es un ejemplo y cada caso estudiado es diferente de los demás.El recorrido por el caso de Lisboa y de los cuatro casos de trabajo es así, antes que nada, un recorrido por las distintas formas deformación y transformación de este territorio de origen industrial.El título y el contenido de las dos parte de la investigación refleja esa dualidad; "formas" corresponde al análisis de distintos ejemplos en cinco casos distintos, cada cual con sus características propias, y "procesos" marca la tentativa, que conlleva siempre un componente reductor, de sistematizar esas realidades en un cuadro común.Con la definición de estos patrones comunes - que no constituyen un dato absoluto o una matriz indispensable -, los procesos de formación y transformación de la ribera del periodo industrial podrán utilizarse para apoyar la lectura de este territorio en otras ciudades portuarias de río.Como herramienta de trabajo, este cuadro conceptual pasa a estar disponible para informar otras riberas, siguiendo siempre el presupuesto de partida, presente en su propia abstracción, de que cada ciudad portuaria de río es un caso particular donde no todos los procesos ocurren y donde los que se manifiestan encuentran sus propias formas.The «ribera entre proyectos» (riverfront between projects) studies the industrial riverfront based on the Lisbon case, focusing on both moments of its territorial formation and urban transformation.Being a plural riverfront - plural in space and plural in time - it is composed of multiple spaces with its own logic and distinct characteristics, being its preexistent areas or spaces conquered by the river, located by water or separated from the river somewhere in time.Firstly occupied by the industry of the city, by the port or by the new infrastructure of accessibility to both, this riverfront has known variable dynamics of use through time.The research focus on the identification of a group of common patterns in the formation and transformation of the riverfront starting in the industrial period; these patterns are identified in the Lisbon case study and confirmed in four other cases - the riverfronts of Rotterdam, Shanghai, Duisburg and Hamburg.Studying the territory and its several primary and secondary fonts, the first part of the project proposes the definition of seven processes of formation of the industrial riverfront, identifying for each its predominant period in time:1. The formation building by building;2. The structure of pier, street and warehouse;3. The spontaneous growth supported by corridors of accessibilities (streets and railway);4. The project of the industrial company;5. The master plan of the port in front of the city;6. The industrial allotment;7. The large and autonomous industrial complex.The second conceptual definition resulting from the abstraction of the cases studied refers to the processes of transformation of the post-industrial riverfront, being proposed:A. The transformation at the scale of the project of architecture;B2a. The project of the large public equipment of the riverfront;B1. The transformation of the industrial company;B2b. The transformation of the industrial space as new urban fabric;B2c. The project of the public space in the riverfront;C. The transformation of ports riverfront jurisdiction;D1. The special project;D2. The metropolitan project.The eight processes of transformations allow the identification of a group of urban dimensions which have a common presence in the studied examples.The study of several parts and moments of the riverfront assumes, from the beginning, that each example is unique and each case in different from the others.The study of the Lisbon case and of the other four cases is, therefore, firstly the study of the distinct forms of the formation and transformation of this territory of the industrialization.The title and the content of the two parts of the investigation reflect this duality: "forms" corresponds to the analysis of the distinct examples in five different cases, each one with its own characteristics, and "processes" marks the essay of systematization of the different realities in common patterns - with its necessary component of reduction.With the definition of these common patterns - which are neither an absolute data or and indispensable matrix -, the processes of formation and transformation of the industrial riverfront can be used to support the interpretation of this specific territory in other river-port cities.As a tool, this conceptual structure is available to inform the work in other riverfronts, always assuming the supposition that guided its own definition: each river-port city is a specific case in which not all the defined processes occur and where the ones that might be identified have their own forms.Postprint (published version