Data fusion approach for eucalyptus trees identification

UIDB/00066/2020 DSAIPA/AI/0100/2018Remote sensing is based on the extraction of data, acquired by satellites or aircrafts, through multispectral images, that allow their remote analysis and classification. Analysing those images with data fusion techniques is a promising approach for identification and classification of forest types. Fusion techniques can aggregate various sources of heterogeneous information to generate value-added maps, facilitating forest-type classification. This work applies a data fusion algorithm, denoted FIF (Fuzzy Information Fusion), which combines computational intelligence techniques with multicriteria concepts and techniques, to automatically distinguish Eucalyptus trees from satellite images. The algorithm customization was performed with a Portuguese area planted with Eucalyptus. After customizing and validating the approach with several representative scenarios to assess its suitability for automatic classification of Eucalyptus, we tested on a large tile obtaining a sensitivity of 69.61%, with a specificity of 99.43%, and an overall accuracy of 98.19%. This work demonstrates the potential of our approach to automatically classify specific forest types from satellite images, since this is a novel approach dedicated to the identification of eucalyptus trees.publishersversionpublishe

Dynamic Interdomain Network Slicing for verticals in the 5Growth project

Proceedings of: IEEE Conference on Network Function Virtualization and Software Defined Networks (NFV-SDN), 9-11 Nov. 2021, Heraklion, Greece.This paper proposes and validates a Interdomain Network Slicing framework for verticals, allowing them to directly participate in the establishment and control of end-to-end Communication Services deployment across multiple inter-operator domains. The framework progresses the means made available by different standards and research initiatives to enhance service requesting and provisioning interfaces for the stakeholders involved, namely operators and verticals. The framework is validated under two different use cases, showcasing effective end-to-end service instantiation and a first assessment towards dynamic service modification capability.This work has been supported by EC H2020 5GPPP 5Growth project (Grant 856709)

Dependence on Mincle and Dectin-2 Varies With Multiple Candida Species During Systemic Infection

FUNDING SO was supported by a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society (Grant No. 099953/Z/12/Z) and by a Wellcome Trust Cross-Disciplinary Award. NG acknowledges Wellcome Trust support of a Senior Investigator (101873/Z/13/Z), Collaborative (200208/A/15/Z) and Strategic Awards (097377/Z11/Z) and the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/2). PT was funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (107964/Z/15/Z) and the UK Dementia Research Institute. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to acknowledge the NIH-sponsored Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Center (MMRRC) National System as the source of genetically altered mice (C57BL/6-Clec4et m1. 1C fg /Mmucd 031936-UCD) for use in this study. The mice were produced and deposited to the MMRRC by the Consortium for Functional Glycomics supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM62116). We also thank the Microscopy and Histology Core Facility at the University of Aberdeen for expert assistance with TEM.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

IS THERE ANY TRANSFER BETWEEN COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP AND SWIMMING TRACK START PERFORMANCE?

The aim of this study was to determine if the countermovement jump could predict swimming starts performance. Ten elite swimmers performed one maximal countermovement jump on an extensometric force platform and three maximal track start on an instrumented starting block. Results showed an inverse relationship between 15 m starting time and jump variables (r = -0.86, -0.64 and -0.92 for jump height, peak vertical force and peak power, respectively; p \u3c 0.05) and no significant correlation between relative peak vertical force and start variables. Regression equation for 15 m time prediction was defined by jump height and peak vertical force (r = 0.890, adjusted r2 = 0.734). In addition, results suggest that swimmers with higher jumps and higher peak vertical force are faster on the 15m mark when using a track start

Removal of Paracetamol and Cu2+ from Water by Using Porous Carbons Derived from Agrowastes

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.Dende and babassu coconuts are largely used in tropical countries, namely in Brazil, for the extraction of oils from kernels. The remaining biowastes are industrially processed to produce porous carbons (PCs). PCs derived from dende and babassu biowastes and produced at an industrial scale have been characterized by textural, chemical, and ecotoxicological parameters. A commercial activated carbon (CC) of mineral origin has been used as a benchmarking material. Although the CC sample presented a higher surface area (SBET = 1083 m2/g), the PCs derived from the biowastes were richer in micropores (Vmicro = 0.25–0.26 cm3/g), while the CC carbon presented wider pore size distribution with a higher mesopore volume (Vmeso = 0.41 cm3/g). All the adsorbents used in this work have shown a non-acute ecotoxic behavior for the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (EC50-30 min > 99% v/v). The adsorbents have been tested for paracetamol and Cu2+ adsorption in mono- and bicomponent solutions. The uptake capacities of paracetamol (qe, 98–123 mg g−1) and Cu2+ (qe, 15–18 mg g−1) from monocomponent solutions were similar to the ones obtained in the bicomponent solutions, indicating no competition or cooperative effects but a site-specific adsorption. This finding represents an advantage for the removal of these adsorbates when present in the same solution as they can be adsorbed under similar rates as in the single systems. Paracetamol adsorption was related to micropore filling, π-π interactions, and H-bonding, whereas Cu2+ removal was attributed to the cation exchange mechanism and complexation to the hydroxyl groups at the carbons’ surface.publishersversionpublishe

Study of the Potential of Water Treatment Sludges in the Removal of Emerging Pollutants

This research was funded by CENSE through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; UIDB/04085/2020) and through a PhD grant for Rita Dias (SFRH/BD/148793/2019). The authors are also indebted to EPAL AdVT for their financial support to this project. This work was also supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV, which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020). Maria Bernardo acknowledges Norma Transitoria DL57/2016 Contract (FCT/MCTES).Presently, water quantity and quality problems persist both in developed and developing countries, and concerns have been raised about the presence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water. The circular economy provides ways of achieving sustainable resource management that can be implemented in the water sector, such as the reuse of drinking water treatment sludges (WTSs). This study evaluated the potential of WTS containing a high concentration of activated carbon for the removal of two EPs: the steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). To this end, WTSs from two Portuguese water treatment plants (WTPs) were characterised and tested for their hormone adsorbance potential. Both WTSs showed a promising adsorption potential for the two hormones studied due to their textural and chemical properties. For WTS1, the final concentration for both hormones was lower than the limit of quantification (LOQ). As for WTS2, the results for E2 removal were similar to WTS1, although for EE2, the removal efficiency was lower (around 50%). The overall results indicate that this method may lead to new ways of using this erstwhile residue as a possible adsorbent material for the removal of several EPs present in wastewaters or other matrixes, and as such contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.publishersversionpublishe

role of female sex hormone receptors

Funding Information: Funding: This study was supported by grant IECT-FAPEMA-05796/18 and FAPEMA IECT 30/2018-IECT Saúde, by the Research Center of the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (project no. PI86-CI-IPOP-66-2017); by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI—Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program, and national funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under projects UID/AGR/04033/2020, UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and by Base Funding-UIDB/00511/2020 of the Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy—LEPABE—funded by national funds through the FCT/MCTES (PID-DAC); Project 2SMART-engineered Smart materials for Smart citizens, with reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000054, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.A growing proportion of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) are associated with infection by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). For reasons that remain largely unknown, HPV+OPSCC is significantly more common in men than in women. This study aims to determine the incidence of OPSCC in male and female HPV16-transgenic mice and to explore the role of female sex hormone receptors in the sexual predisposition for HPV+ OPSCC. The tongues of 30-weeks-old HPV16-transgenic male (n = 80) and female (n = 90) and matched wild-type male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) FVB/n mice were screened histologically for intraepithelial and invasive lesions in 2017 at the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Por-tugal. Expression of estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), progesterone receptors (PR) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) was studied immunohistochemically. Collagen remodeling was studied using picrosirius red. Female mice showed robust ERα and ERβ expression in intraepithelial and invasive lesions, which was accompanied by strong MMP2 expression and marked collagen remodeling. Male mice showed minimal ERα, ERβ and MMP2 expression and unaltered collagen patterns. These results confirm the association of HPV16 with tongue base cancer in both sexes. The higher cancer incidence in female versus male mice contrasts with data from OPSCC patients and is associated with enhanced ER expression via MMP2 upregulation.publishersversionpublishe