Desenvolvimento de um sistema de gestão técnica centralizado

A building management system has user confort and comodity, as well as reduction of energy consumption, as its main goals. To accomplish this, it is necessary to integrate sensors and actuators as to control and retrieve information about the physical processes of a building. These processes include control over illumination and temperature of a room, and even access control. The information, after processed, allows a more intelligent and efficient way of controlling electronic and mechanical systems of a building, such as HVAC and illumination, while also trying to reduce energy expenditure. The emergence of IoT allowed to increment the number of low level devices on these systems, thanks to their cost reduction, increased performance and improved connectivity. To better make use of the new paradigm, it is required a modern system with multi-protocol capabilities, as well as tools for data processing and presentation. Therefore, the most relevant industrial and building automation technologies were studied, as to define a modern, IoT compatible, architecture and choose its constituting software platforms. InfluxDB, EdgeX Foundry and Node-Red were the selected technologies for the database, gateway and dashboard, respectively, as they closely align with the requirements set. This way, a demonstrator was developed in order to assess a systems’s operation, using these technologies, as well as to evaluate EdgeX’s performance for jitter and latency. From the obtained results, it was verified that, although versatile and complete, this platform underperforms for real-time applications and high reading rate workloads.Um Sistema de Gestão Centralizado tem por objetivo aumentar a comodidade e conforto dos utilizadores de um edifício, ao mesmo tempo que tenta reduzir os consumos energéticos do mesmo. Para isso, torna-se necessário integrar sensores e atuadores para controlar e recolher informação acerca dos processos físicos existentes. Nestes processos estão incluídos a iluminação e temperatura de, por exemplo, uma sala, ou até controlo de acesso. Esta informação, após processamento, permite, de uma maneira mais inteligente e eficiente, controlar os sistemas eletrónicos e mecânicos de um edifício, tais como os sistemas de AVAC ou iluminação, tentando, simultaneamente, diminuir gastos energéticos. O aparecimento do IoT, tornou possível o aumento do número de dispositivos de baixo nível nestes sistemas, graças à redução de custo e aumento de performance e conectividade que estes têm sofrido. Para melhor usufruir deste paradigma, é necessário um sistema moderno, com capacidade de conexão multi-protocolo e ferramentas para processamento e apresentação de informação. Neste sentido, fez-se um estudo das tecnologias mais relevantes da área da automação industrial e de edifícios, de modo a definir uma arquitetura moderna compatível com IoT e a escolher as plataformas de software que a constituem. InfluxDB, EdgeX Foundry e Node-Red foram as tecnologias escolhidas para a base de dados, gateway e dashboard, respetivamente, por serem as que mais se aproximaram dos requisitos definidos. Assim, foi desenvolvido um demonstrador que permitiu verificar o funcionamento de um sistema com a utilização destas tecnologias, assim como avaliar a performance da plataforma EdgeX em termos de jitter e latência. Verificou-se a partir dos resultados obtidos, que embora versátil e completa, esta plataforma ficou aquém do que se pretendia, tanto para aplicações real-time, como para as que necessitem de uma taxa de leitura de sensores elevada.Mestrado em Engenharia Eletrónica e Telecomunicaçõe

Plasticity of resting state brain networks in recovery from stress

Chronic stress has been widely reported to have deleterious impact in multiple biological systems. Specifically, structural and functional remodeling of several brain regions following prolonged stress exposure have been described; importantly, some of these changes are eventually reversible. Recently, we showed the impact of stress on resting state networks (RSNs), but nothing is known about the plasticity of RSNs after recovery from stress. Herein, we examined the "plasticity" of RSNs, both at functional and structural levels, by comparing the same individuals before and after recovery from the exposure to chronic stress; results were also contrasted with a control group. Here we show that the stressed individuals after recovery displayed a decreased resting functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), ventral attention network (VAN), and sensorimotor network (SMN) when compared to themselves immediately after stress; however, this functional plastic recovery was only partial as when compared with the control group, as there were still areas of increased connectivity in dorsal attention network (DAN), SMN and primary visual network (VN) in participants recovered from stress. Data also shows that participants after recovery from stress displayed increased deactivations in DMN, SMN, and auditory network (AN), to levels similar to those of controls, showing a normalization of the deactivation pattern in RSNs after recovery from stress. In contrast, structural changes (volumetry) of the brain areas involving these networks are absent after the recovery period. These results reveal plastic phenomena in specific RSNs and a functional remodeling of the activation-deactivation pattern following recovery from chronic-stress, which is not accompanied by significant structural plasticity.We are thankful to all study participants. Jose M. Soares, Paulo Marques, and Nadine C. Santos are supported by fellowships of the project SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2; Fernanda Marques is supported by the fellowship SFRH/BPD/33379/2008 funded by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). The work was supported by SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2

Stress-induced changes in human decision-making are reversible

Appropriate decision-making relies on the ability to shift between different behavioral strategies according to the context in which decisions are made. A cohort of subjects exposed to prolonged stress, and respective gender- and age-matched controls, performed an instrumental behavioral task to assess their decision-making strategies. The stressed cohort was reevaluated after a 6-week stress-free period. The behavioral analysis was complemented by a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to detect the patterns of activation in corticostriatal networks ruling goal-directed and habitual actions. Using structural MRI, the volumes of the main cortical and subcortical regions implicated in instrumental behavior were determined. Here we show that chronic stress biases decision-making strategies in humans toward habits, as choices of stressed subjects become insensitive to changes in outcome value. Using functional imaging techniques, we demonstrate that prolonged exposure to stress in humans causes an imbalanced activation of the networks that govern decision processes, shifting activation from the associative to the sensorimotor circuits. These functional changes are paralleled by atrophy of the medial prefrontal cortex and the caudate, and by an increase in the volume of the putamina. Importantly, a longitudinal assessment of the stressed individuals showed that both the structural and functional changes triggered by stress are reversible and that decisions become again goal-directed.We acknowledge the discussions with Eduardo Ferreira, Rui Costa and Osborne Almeida. We also thank Jaime Rocha for discussions on neuroimaging assessment. We are thankful to all the study participants. JMS and NCS are supported by a fellowship of the project SwitchBoxFP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2 and FM by the fellowship SFRH/BPD/33379/2008 funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). The work was supported by FCT - PTDC/SAU-NSC/111814/2009 and SwitchBox-FP7HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2

Stress impact on resting state brain networks

Resting state brain networks (RSNs) are spatially distributed large-scale networks, evidenced by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Importantly, RSNs are implicated in several relevant brain functions and present abnormal functional patterns in many neuropsychiatric disorders, for which stress exposure is an established risk factor. Yet, so far, little is known about the effect of stress in the architecture of RSNs, both in resting state conditions or during shift to task performance. Herein we assessed the architecture of the RSNs using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a cohort of participants exposed to prolonged stress (participants that had just finished their long period of preparation for the medical residence selection exam), and respective gender- and age-matched controls (medical students under normal academic activities). Analysis focused on the pattern of activity in resting state conditions and after deactivation. A volumetric estimation of the RSNs was also performed. Data shows that stressed participants displayed greater activation of the default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), ventral attention (VAN), sensorimotor (SMN), and primary visual (VN) networks than controls. Importantly, stressed participants also evidenced impairments in the deactivation of resting state-networks when compared to controls. These functional changes are paralleled by a constriction of the DMN that is in line with the pattern of brain atrophy observed after stress exposure. These results reveal that stress impacts on activation-deactivation pattern of RSNs, a finding that may underlie stress-induced changes in several dimensions of brain activity.JMS, NCS and PM are supported by fellowships of the project SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2; FM is supported by the fellowship SFRH/BPD/33379/2008 funded by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). The work was supported by SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Advancements in on-line monitoring and control of parameters in knitting and sewing processes

This paper presents a summary of the developments in process control in textile processes at the University of Minho, by a multidisciplinary research group involving three different departments (Textile, lectronic and Mechanical Engineering). The studies target the automatic process parameter monitoring and control in the areas of industrial sewing and knitting.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

Molecular determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide activity

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged in late 2019 and quickly spread worldwide, resulting in over 125 million infections and 2.7 million deaths as of March 2021 accordingly to the World Health Organization. Despite the great advances achieved by the scientific community in providing crucial information about this virus, we are still far from completely understanding it. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, meaning that it is encapsulated by a lipid membrane, which needs to be fused to the host membrane to begin the infection process. Fusion between viral and host membrane is catalyzed by the spike (S) glycoprotein. The S-protein is composed of essential elements for the infection mechanism, namely the receptor-binding domain known to bind to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 during the viral entry pathway. Another important region, known as the fusion peptide (FP), plays an essential part in the fusion mechanism, by inserting into and disturbing the host membrane. There is still not a consensus among scientists in terms of the fusion peptide location on the S-protein sequence, with two major candidate regions having been proposed. We recently used a machine learning-based tool developed by us to identify viral FPs with accuracies over 85%. With this tool a putative FP, previously suggested in the literature, has been identified, as well as other proposals including the requirement of more than one FP. To further address this question, we are performing a systematic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 putative FPs, using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, which provide a detailed perspective of how these peptides insert and interact with the membrane. In parallel, we are characterizing these systems experimentally. Additionally we are exploring therapeutic strategies targeting these regions. Given the major role of the FP in the virus infection process, this work provides relevant insights and contributes to the fight against COVID-19.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TERT promoter mutations in pancreatic endocrine tumours are rare and mainly found in tumours from patients with hereditary syndromes

One of the hallmarks of cancer is its unlimited replicative potential that needs a compensatory mechanism for the consequential telomere erosion. Telomerase promoter (TERTp) mutations were recently reported as a novel mechanism for telomerase re-activation/expression in order to maintain telomere length. Pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) were so far recognized to rely mainly on the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. It was our objective to study if TERTp mutations were present in pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET) and could represent an alternative mechanism to ALT. TERTp mutations were detected in 7% of the cases studied and were mainly associated to patients harbouring hereditary syndromes. In vitro, using PET-derived cell lines and by luciferase reporter assay, these mutations confer a 2 to 4-fold increase in telomerase transcription activity. These novel alterations are able to recruit ETS transcription factor members, in particular GABP-α and ETV1, to the newly generated binding sites. We report for the first time TERTp mutations in PETs and PET-derived cell lines. Additionally, our data indicate that these mutations serve as an alternative mechanism and in an exclusive manner to ALT, in particular in patients with hereditary syndromes.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; Norte 2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Norte project: (“Advancing cancer research: from basic knowledgment to application” - grant: NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029); Associate Laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education: (I3S)

Expressão e análise antigênica da proteína RTP36 recombinante da amostra São Paulo de Ehrlichia canis para testes sorológicos

Ehrlichia canis is the main etiological agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), a globally canine infectious disease. In Brazil, CME is considered to be endemic, and its prevalence can reach 65% in some states. The diagnosis of ehrlichiosis is important for treatment and epidemiological purposes. The E. canis TRP36 (Tandem Repeat Protein) protein elicits the earliest acute-phase antibody response observed during the course of the disease. This study aimed to generate the recombinant TRP36 protein from E. canis São Paulo strain and to evaluate its potential as a tool for the serologic diagnosis of CME. The E. canis São Paulo isolate was cultivated in DH82 lineage cells, and its genomic DNA was obtained. The bacterial DNA fragment encoding the entire ORF of TRP36 was cloned into the pBAD/Thio-TOPO vector and transformed into Escherichia coli DH10B competent cells with the trp36-bearing plasmid for protein expression. To evaluate the protein antigenicity, 16 canine serum samples were previously tested (by PCR and the commercial SNAP4Dx serological test). The results were in accordance with the SNAP4Dx test. Experiments using this recombinant protein as an antigen, targeting the development of a serologic test based on ELISA methodology, are the next step to produce a reliable, affordable and useful diagnostic tool for CME in Brazil.Ehrlichia canis é o principal agente etiológico da erliquiose monocítica canina (EMC), uma doença infecciosa canina globalmente dispersa. No Brasil, a EMC é considerada endêmica, e a infecção pode atingir 65% em cães em alguns estados. O diagnóstico de erliquiose é importante para fins de tratamento e epidemiológicos. A proteína TRP36 de E. canis leva a uma resposta humoral com produção de anticorpos em fase aguda, encontrada durante o curso da doença. O objetivo deste estudo foi obter a proteína TRP36 recombinante da amostra São Paulo de E. canis e avaliar seu potencial como ferramenta para o diagnóstico sorológico da CME. O isolado de E. canis São Paulo foi cultivado em células da linhagem DH82 e o DNA genômico foi obtido. O fragmento de DNA bacteriano que codifica toda a ORF de TRP36 foi clonado no vetor pBAD / Thio-TOPO e transformado em células competentes Escherichia coli DH10B, com o plasmídeo portador de trp36 para expressão de proteínas. Para avaliar a antigenicidade da proteína, 16 amostras de soro canino foram previamente analisadas (por PCR e teste sorológico comercial SNAP4Dx). Os resultados estavam de acordo com o teste SNAP4Dx. Os experimentos que utilizam essa proteína recombinante como antígeno, visando ao desenvolvimento de um teste sorológico baseado no ELISA, são o próximo passo para produzir um teste de diagnóstico confiável, acessível e útil para o diagnóstico da EMC no Brasil

Arbustus unedo essence: morphological and genetic characterization of the strawberry tree of Castelo de Paiva

O medronheiro é um arbusto da região mediterrânica que pode ser encontrada por todo o país. Ao contrário do que verifica na região sul do país, no concelho de Castelo de Paiva é atribuída uma reduzida importância económica a esta espécie. Com o intuito de preservar e potenciar a produção desta espécie e contribuir para a dinamização da economia do concelho, procedeu-se à caracterização morfológica e genética de uma amostra da população de medronheiros de Castelo de Paiva. A caracterização morfológica e genética foi realizada para um total de 10 genótipos. Para tal recolheram-se 70 folhas aleatoriamente em cada árvore. Em 40 folhas mediu-se o comprimento, largura, comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco, peso seco e determinou-se a área foliar. Dos caracteres morfológicos analisados, aqueles que se revelaram mais úteis na distinção dos vários genótipos foram: comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco e peso seco. As restantes 30 folhas foram utilizadas para a caracterização genética. Esta caracterização foi realizada recorrendo a um marcador de DNA, ISSR. Os 5 primeiros exemplaresutilizados na técnica de ISSR demonstraram-se polimórficos. Os resultados da caracterização genética sugerem que a variabilidade genética na população é média a alta.The strawberry tree is a shrub native in the Mediterranean region and it can be found throughout Portugal. Unlike the case in the southern region of the country, in Castelo de Paiva a minor economic importance is given to this species. In order to preserve, to enhance the production of this species and to contribute to the boosting of the economy of the region, we proceeded to the characterization of a small sample population of this fruit tree of Castelo de Paiva in what concerns to its morphology and genetics. The morphological and genetic characterization was performed for a total of 10 genotypes. For this, 70 leaves were randomly collected from each tree. For 40 leaves, it was measured the length, the width, the peduncle length, the wet weight, the dry weight and determined the leaf area. Of the morphological characteristics analyzed, the ones that proved most useful in distinguishing the various genotypes were: the length peduncle, the wet weight and the dry weight. The remaining 30 leaves were used in the genetic characterization. This characterization was performed using a DNA marker, the ISSR. The 5 primers used in the ISSR technique proved to be polymorphic. The results from the genetic characterization suggest that variability in population genetics is medium to high

A ciência-cidadã ao serviço da mudança: o exemplo do projeto A Minha Praia

Vencedor da 1ª edição do Orçamento Participativo Portugal (2017), A Minha Praia é um projeto de monitorização ambiental que pretende sensibilizar para a conservação do meio marinho e estimular hábitos de consumo responsáveis, através de ações de ciência cidadã e civismo ambiental.SFRH/BGCT/135195/2017info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio