Assessment of ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations in a breeding hen building under Portuguese winter

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Procedure for Assessing the Suitability of Battery Second Life Applications after EV First Life

Using batteries after their first life in an Electric Vehicle (EV) represents an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact and increase the economic benefits before recycling the battery. Many different second life applications have been proposed, each with multiple criteria that have to be taken into consideration when deciding the most suitable course of action. In this article, a battery assessment procedure is proposed that consolidates and expands upon the approaches in the literature, and facilitates the decision-making process for a battery after it has reached the end of its first life. The procedure is composed of three stages, including an evaluation of the state of the battery, an evaluation of the technical viability and an economic evaluation. Options for battery configurations are explored (pack direct use, stack of battery packs, module direct use, pack refurbish with modules, pack refurbish with cells). By comparing these configurations with the technical requirements for second life applications, a reader can rapidly understand the tradeoffs and practical strategies for how best to implement second life batteries for their specific application. Lastly, an economic evaluation process is developed to determine the cost of implementing various second life battery configurations and the revenue for different end use applications. An example of the battery assessment procedure is included to demonstrate how it could be carried out.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 963540 and No. 963580. This funding includes funds to support research work and open-access publications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Unmanned Maritime Systems for Search and Rescue

The development of maritime unmanned tools for search and rescue operations is not a trivial task. A great part of maritime unmanned systems developed did not target such application, being more focused on environmental monitoring, surveillance or defence. In opposition to these applications, search and rescue operations need to take into account relevant issues such as the presence of people or other vessels on the water. Building upon user requirements and overall integrated components for assisted rescue and unmanned search operations (ICARUS) system architecture, this chapter addresses the development of unmanned maritime systems. It starts with an overview of the approach where a two‐tier solution was adopted to address safety issues and then proceeds to detail each of the developed technologies

Structural, mechanical, and decorative properties of sputtered TiN and Ti (N, C) films for orthodontic applications; an in vitro study

In this paper, we explore and modify the structural, mechanical, and decorative properties of films composed by TiN and Ti (N, C) with a wide range of N2 gas flow during the deposition in order to be used on orthodontic systems. The films were grown using reactive DC magnetron sputtering from a pure Ti target and customized with C pellets onto Si and stainless steel 316L substrates. The structural properties were studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, while the mechanical ones were obtained through hardness, elastic modulus, and friction coefficient. Moreover, the wear rate has been measured under an artificial saliva medium to simulate the oral cavity. The color of the films deposited onto stainless steel 316 L substrate was characterized through CIELab color code. Our findings show that the addition of N2 and C in the Ti matrix improves the mechanical properties of the films. With the increase in the amount of N2 and C, the hardness reaches a value of 739 HV, higher than the one reported in the literature (600 HV), a low value of the coefficient of elasticity (8.0 GPa), and also a low friction coefficient (0.30). Moreover, with the addition of N2 and C in the Ti films, the color of the films changes from metallic aspect until “with” gold, which means that our coatings exhibit versatile mechanical and color characteristics to be used in orthodontic wires applications.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(PIBA-2018-06

A fruticultura como alternativa para a produção familiar no âmbito do Pronaf nos municípios de Campos dos Goytacazes e São Francisco do Itabapoana — RJ.

O trabalho analisa a importância do cultivo de frutas como alternativa para o aumento de renda da agricultura familiar, no contexto dos financiamentos concedidos pelo PRONAF. Os resultados evidenciaram que o recurso financeiro foi a variável que mais limitou a escolha dos agricultores. Maracujá, goiaba e pinha foram identificadas como as melhores alternativas econômicas para os produtores familiares da região. A análise permitiu concluir que a concessão do crédito, pelo PRONAF, contribui para a melhor utilização dos recursos, para a obtenção de maior renda, bem como para a geração de empregos

Tribbles gene expression profiles in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of death due to cancer in the world. Therefore, the identification of novel druggable targets is urgently needed. Tribbles proteins belong to a pseudokinase family, previously recognized in CRC as oncogenes and potential therapeutic targets. Here, we analyzed the expression of TRIB1, TRIB2, and TRIB3 simultaneously in 33 data sets from CRC based on available GEO profiles. We show that all three Tribbles genes are overrepresented in CRC cell lines and primary tumors, though depending on specific features of the CRC samples. Higher expression of TRIB2 in the tumor microenvironment and TRIB3 overexpression in an early stage of CRC development, unveil a potential and unexplored role for these proteins in the context of CRC. Differential Tribbles expression was also explored in diverse cellular experimental conditions where either genetic or pharmacological approaches were used, providing novel hints for future research. This comprehensive bioinformatic analysis provides new insights into Tribbles gene expression and transcript regulation in CRC.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio