Applicability of Multispectral Imagery for Detection of Prescribed Fires and Rekindling

Forest fires are an increasingly relevant problem nowadays with the worsening of global warming’s most severe consequences. These fire occurrences, that can cause immense damage to forest ecosystems and have a great negative impact in peoples lives,begin often with rekindles. These problems can be very difficult to tackle, needing to involve a lot of people to surveil the areas at risk. A system capable of executing this surveillance protocol and alerting the fire fighting authorities of fire and possible rekindle occurrences would be extremely beneficial in these scenarios.A system aiming to achieve this goal is being implemented, composed of an UAV equipped with a multispectral camera, capturing aerial images of these areas. This dissertation presents a fire detection model to be used in prescribed fires and rekindling situations, identifying fire instances within the captured images. It makes use of the camera’s various spectral bands to highlight the areas at greatest risk and of deep learning technology to autonomously recognise these areas.Incêndios florestais são um problema cada vez mais relevante nos dias de hoje com o agravamento das consequências mais graves do aquecimento global. Estas ocorrências,que podem causar imensos danos aos ecossistemas florestais e ter um grande impacto negativo na vida das pessoas, são muitas vezes iniciadas por reacendimentos. Estes problemas podem ser muito difíceis de combater, necessitando de envolver muitas pessoas para vigiar as áreas de risco. Um sistema capaz de executar este protocolo de vigilância e alertar as autoridades de combate a incêndio sobre fogos e possíveis reacendimentos seria extremamente benéfico nestes cenários.Para alcançar este objetivo, está a ser implementado um sistema composto por um UAV, equipado com uma câmera multiespectral, que irá capturar imagens aéreas dessas áreas. Esta dissertação apresenta um modelo de detecção de incêndios para ser utilizado em situações de fogos controlados e reacendimentos, identificando ocorrências de fogo nas imagens capturadas. Faz uso das várias bandas espectrais da câmera para destacar as áreas de maior risco e de tecnologia de aprendizagem automática para reconhecer essas áreas de forma autônoma

A Ação Psicológica e os Assuntos Civis no âmbito da função de combate Comando-Missão na campanha militar do Teatro de Operações de Angola (1961-1974)

O presente trabalho de investigação apresenta como tema “A Ação Psicológica e os Assuntos Civis no âmbito da função de combate Comando-Missão na campanha militar do Teatro de Operações de Angola (1961-1974) ”, um assunto com reconhecido interesse para o Exército Português. O objetivo principal é analisar a Ação Psicológica e os Assuntos Civis à luz da função de combate Comando-Missão e sob o ponto de vista das Forças Terrestres. Para a elaboração do trabalho recorreu-se à metodologia da investigação científica utilizando o método dedutivo, apoiada em pesquisa bibliográfica e documental acerca desta temática, complementada com entrevistas a militares ex-combatentes. Assim, conclui-se que as Forças Terrestres em geral, e os Comandantes em particular, desenvolveram uma atividade relevante através do emprego da Ação Psicológica e dos Assuntos Civis, como fator multiplicador do potencial de combate. Contudo, verificou-se que o essencial na contrassubversão é o controlo das populações, sendo somente possível através da unidade de esforços entre as Autoridades Civis e militares na condução dos Assuntos Civis e da Ação Psicológica. Abstract: This research work presents the theme "The Psychological Action and Civil Affairs under the context of the warfighting function mission command in Angola military campaign theatre of operations (1961-1974)", a subject with recognized interest for the Portuguese Army. The main objective is to analyze the Psychological Action and Civil Affairs under the context of the warfighting function Mission Command and from the point of view of land forces. To produce this research work was followed the scientific research methodology using the deductive scientific method supported by bibliographic and documentary research about the theme, complemented by interviews made to military veterans. We concluded that the land forces in general, and the commanders in particular, developed a significant activity in the employment of Psychological Action and Civil Affairs, as a multiplier factor of combat power. Although, it was found that the essential of counterinsurgency is the control of populations and it is only possible through the unity of effort between the civil authorities and the military in the conduct of Civil Affairs and Psychological Action.N/

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

Perfluorinated Alcohols at High Pressure: Experimental Liquid Density and Computer Simulations

The liquid density of five liquid 1H,1H-perfluorinated alcohols (CF3(CF2)n−1CH2OH n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) was measured as a function of pressure (0.1−70 MPa) and temperature (293.15−313.15 K). The corresponding isothermal compressibility and isobaric thermal expansivity coefficients were calculated from the experimental data. The results are compared with data from the literature for the equivalent hydrogenated alcohols. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were also performed, providing molecular-level insight into the experimental results, in particular about the H-bond network of the perfluorinated alcohols and the effect of pressure on the organization of the liquid