Towards the simulation of cooperative perception applications by leveraging distributed sensing infrastructures

With the rapid development of Automated Vehicles (AV), the boundaries of their function alities are being pushed and new challenges are being imposed. In increasingly complex and dynamic environments, it is fundamental to rely on more powerful onboard sensors and usually AI. However, there are limitations to this approach. As AVs are increasingly being integrated in several industries, expectations regarding their cooperation ability is growing, and vehicle-centric approaches to sensing and reasoning, become hard to integrate. The proposed approach is to extend perception to the environment, i.e. outside of the vehicle, by making it smarter, via the deployment of wireless sensors and actuators. This will vastly improve the perception capabilities in dynamic and unpredictable scenarios and often in a cheaper way, relying mostly in the use of lower cost sensors and embedded devices, which rely on their scale deployment instead of centralized sensing abilities. Consequently, to support the development and deployment of such cooperation actions in a seamless way, we require the usage of co-simulation frameworks, that can encompass multiple perspectives of control and communications for the AVs, the wireless sensors and actuators and other actors in the environment. In this work, we rely on ROS2 and micro-ROS as the underlying technologies for integrating several simulation tools, to construct a framework, capable of supporting the development, test and validation of such smart, cooperative environments. This endeavor was undertaken by building upon an existing simulation framework known as AuNa. We extended its capabilities to facilitate the simulation of cooperative scenarios by incorporat ing external sensors placed within the environment rather than just relying on vehicle-based sensors. Moreover, we devised a cooperative perception approach within this framework, showcasing its substantial potential and effectiveness. This will enable the demonstration of multiple cooperation scenarios and also ease the deployment phase by relying on the same software architecture.Com o rápido desenvolvimento dos Veículos Autónomos (AV), os limites das suas funcional idades estão a ser alcançados e novos desafios estão a surgir. Em ambientes complexos e dinâmicos, é fundamental a utilização de sensores de alta capacidade e, na maioria dos casos, inteligência artificial. Mas existem limitações nesta abordagem. Como os AVs estão a ser integrados em várias indústrias, as expectativas quanto à sua capacidade de cooperação estão a aumentar, e as abordagens de perceção e raciocínio centradas no veículo, tornam-se difíceis de integrar. A abordagem proposta consiste em extender a perceção para o ambiente, isto é, fora do veículo, tornando-a inteligente, através do uso de sensores e atuadores wireless. Isto irá melhorar as capacidades de perceção em cenários dinâmicos e imprevisíveis, reduzindo o custo, pois a abordagem será baseada no uso de sensores low-cost e sistemas embebidos, que dependem da sua implementação em grande escala em vez da capacidade de perceção centralizada. Consequentemente, para apoiar o desenvolvimento e implementação destas ações em cooperação, é necessária a utilização de frameworks de co-simulação, que abranjam múltiplas perspetivas de controlo e comunicação para os AVs, sensores e atuadores wireless, e outros atores no ambiente. Neste trabalho será utilizado ROS2 e micro-ROS como as tecnologias subjacentes para a integração das ferramentas de simulação, de modo a construir uma framework capaz de apoiar o desenvolvimento, teste e validação de ambientes inteligentes e cooperativos. Esta tarefa foi realizada com base numa framework de simulação denominada AuNa. Foram expandidas as suas capacidades para facilitar a simulação de cenários cooperativos através da incorporação de sensores externos colocados no ambiente, em vez de depender apenas de sensores montados nos veículos. Além disso, concebemos uma abordagem de perceção cooperativa usando a framework, demonstrando o seu potencial e eficácia. Isto irá permitir a demonstração de múltiplos cenários de cooperação e também facilitar a fase de implementação, utilizando a mesma arquitetura de software

Learning roadmap studio : new approaches and strategies for efficient learning and training processes

Learning systems have emerged in a set of different information systems, oriented for different kinds of organizations and institutions, such as learning management systems, knowledge management systems and learning content management systems, which can be integrated or merged with others. From past experience, it has been denoted that strategies and pedagogical processes are tasks that can be created, enriched and boosted by actors who participate in learning and training processes: course managers, teachers and students. The challenge posed to the different actors involved also accelerates the changes that have been happening in education and training, empowering a society based on knowledge. Initiatives such as eLearning (EU Comission 2000), eLearningEurope, eTwinning and Education Observatories are an evidence of this challenge. Platforms, applications, tools and systems must respond to challenges that those actors face nowadays: heterogeneous target audiences, in terms of student profiles, number of participants, differentiated contents and schedules to achieve knowledge, outcomes and competences. Thus, a prototype application, named Learning Roadmap Studio (LRMS), has been developed and deployed at Aveiro Norte Polytechnic School of the University of Aveiro, in order to suppress gaps in learning processes and to power better learning and training. It represents a new challenge for the University of Aveiro for higher education and is already being tested. At its core is the concept of “learning roadmaps” that act upon two fundamental axes: education and learning. For the teachers, it aims at becoming a self-supporting tool that stimulates the organization and management of the course materials (lectures, presentations, multimedia content, and evaluation materials, amongst others). For the students, the learning roadmap aims at promoting self-study and supervised study, endowing the pupil with the capabilities to find the relevant information and to capture the concepts in the study materials. The outcome will be a stimulating learning process together with an organized management of those materials. It is not intended to create new learning management systems. Instead, it is presented as an application that enables the edition and creation of learning processes and strategies, giving primary relevance to teachers, instead of focusing on tools, features and contents

Avaliação do risco-benefício dos bifosfonatos em mulheres com osteoporose da pós-menopausa

Trabalho final de mestrado integrado em Medicina, área cientifica de Ginecologia, apresentado à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraA osteoporose da pós-menopausa é um problema major de saúde pública que pode afectar cerca de 20 % destas mulheres. A maioria destes casos carece de tratamento farmacológico, e os bifosfonatos são, actualmente, os agentes de primeira linha no tratamento deste distúrbio esquelético. Este trabalho tem por objectivo proceder à avaliação do perfil risco-benefício dos bifosfonatos na terapêutica da osteoporose da pós-menopausa. Para isso, procedeu-se à análise de artigos científicos e de revisão acerca desta temática. Os artigos consultados foram publicados entre 2004-2010. Os bifosfonatos são uma classe de fármacos, podendo ser agrupados em bifosfonatos não-aminados e aminados (alendronato, risendronato, ibandronato, pamidronato e ácido zolendrónico). Apenas estes últimos têm interesse farmacológico e clínico, em virtude da sua maior potência relativa. São fármacos cuja absorção gastrointestinal é muito reduzida; contudo, a biodisponibilidade após administração endovenosa é muito maior. São inibidores da actividade osteoclástica, actuando especificamente nestas células. Assim, ao reduzirem a reabsorção óssea, promovem o aumento subsequente da sua densidade mineral. Segundo diversos estudos, os bifosfonatos previnem a perda de massa óssea, preservam a estrutura do osso, reduzem a sua fragilidade e o risco de fracturas. Revelaram-se mais eficazes que os restantes tratamentos alternativos para a osteoporose da pós-menopausa. Estão disponíveis bifosfonatos orais (alendronato, risendronato e ibandronato) e endovenosos (ibandronato, pamidronato, ácido zolendrónico). Existem formulações orais diárias, orais intermitentes e infusões endovenosas. Estas duas últimas formulações estão associadas a uma maior adesão a longo prazo e, por conseguinte, maior redução do risco de fracturas: associam menor frequência das administrações, menor incómodo e menor incidência de efeitos secundários digestivos. São, portanto, os esquemas preferidos pelas doentes. Apresentam alguns efeitos secundários, principalmente do foro gastrointestinal. Estes afectam negativamente a adesão ao tratamento, mas podem ser minimizados se administrados correctamente, ou optando pelos esquemas intermitentes ou endovenosos. A osteonecrose dos maxilares foi recentemente reconhecida como um efeito secundário dos bifosfonatos, e a relação de causa-efeito está bem estabelecida. É um efeito adverso grave que tem limitado a prescrição dos bifosfonatos a estas mulheres. Contudo, de uma forma geral, são fármacos seguros e bem tolerados. São igualmente os agentes com a melhor relação custo-benefício. Os bifosfonatos são geralmente os agentes terapêuticos de primeira linha para a maioria das mulheres em pós-menopausa com osteoporose, devido à sua elevada potência, eficácia, bom perfil de segurança e boa relação custo-benefício.Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major public health problem. It affects 20 % of postmenopausal women. Most of these cases require pharmacological intervention, and bisphosphonates are now the primary agents for the treatment of this skeletal disorder. This report aims to evaluate the risks and the benefits of bisphosphonates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. So, I analyzed scientific and revision articles concerned on this theme that were published between 2004 and 2010. Bisphosphonates are drugs that can be classified in two distinct groups: non-nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (alendronate, risendronate, ibandronate, pamidronate and zolendronic acid). Given the fact that the latter ones are more potent than the former, only nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates are used in clinical practice. Their gastrointestinal absorption is very poor; however, their bioavailability, after intravenous administration, is very high. Bisphosphonates are potent osteoclasts inhibitors, reducing bone resorption, and increasing bone mineral density. According to various studies, bisphosphonates prevent bone mass loss, preserve its structure and reduce the fracture risk in vertebral and non-vertebral sites. They are considered as the more efficient drugs for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. There are oral bisphosphonates (alendronate, risendronate, ibandronate) and intravenous bisphosphonates (ibandronate, pamidronate, zolendronic acid). These drugs may be administrated in daily oral, intermittent oral and intermittent intravenous regimens. Intermittent regimens are more convenient for most of postmenopausal women than daily oral regimens: they require a less number of complex administrations and limit the risk of digestive adverse effects. Bisphosphonates have some side effects; gastrointestinal adverse effects are the most common ones, and they reduce patient’s adherence to the treatment. Nevertheless, their prevalence can be reduced if they are taken correctly, or eliminated if intravenous bisphosphonates are given. The osteonecrosis of the jaws is a well recognized adverse effect that was recently attributed to the use of these drugs. It’s a severe undisarable effect that has limited the prescription of bisphosphonates for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, bisphosphonates are considered safe and well tolerated drugs. They are the most cost-effective drugs for this disorder, providing the most benefit at the lowest cost. Bisphosphoantes are now a standard treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis, due to their high potency, effectiveness, safety and good cost-effectiveness relation

Multi­Factor and Continuous Verification of Identity during Remote Assessments and Individual Personalized Interactions

Authentication is one of the most important aspects of the present society. Almost everything people do has a technological aspect. If systems are not implemented correctly and safely, namely by access control via authentication, several aspects of (cyber)security and privacy can be exploited by ill-intentioned people. Unauthorised access can be made in multiple ways, pretending to be another user is one of them. This dissertation aims at the creation of a system prototype that can verify if the logged-in user is the actual person using the system. This is achieved utilising behavioural biometrics, such has keyboard and mouse dynamics, to collect interactions with the system and machine learning to predict if the collected information matches the person one says to be. In case the algorithm detects an anomaly, the computer locks itself, so that only authorised people with true access to the computer can re-log in.A Autenticação é um dos aspetos mais importantes da sociedade atual. Quase todas as ações concretizadas pelas pessoas que a compõem têm um aspeto tecnológico. Caso os sistemas não sejam implementados segura e corretamente, nomeadamente através do controlo de acesso via autenticação, vários aspetos de (ciber)segurança e privacidade podem ser violados por pessoas mal intencionadas. Este acesso pode dar-se de muitas formas, sendo uma delas fazendo-se passar por um outro utilizador. Esta dissertação visa a criação de um protótipo de sistema que consiga verificar a identidade do utilizador autenticado no sistema. Esta verificação será concretizada através da análise de biométricas comportamentais, neste caso, dinâmicas de rato e teclado, para realizar a coleta de interações com o sistema e aprendizagem automática para prever, através da informação coletada, se esta corresponde à pessoa autenticada. Caso o algoritmo detete uma anomalia, o computador irá bloquear, de modo a que apenas pessoas autorizadas consigam fazer uma reautenticação

CAPM for project finance using the portuguese public-private partnerships road sector

Mestrado em FinançasNeste artigo, usando o Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) e o Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), propõe-se uma discussão das taxas de desconto apropriadas para as parcerias público-privadas (PPPs) Portuguesas no sector rodoviário, nomeadamente na perspectiva dos investidores privados. O cálculo do custo dos capitais próprios é realizado através de duas metodologias: usando dados de empresas comparáveis e com o uso de dados públicos (Damodaran Online) sobre o setor dos transportes a nível europeu. Para além disso, concluímos que o cálculo do custo dos capitais próprios através do CAPM depende muito dos grandes níveis de alavancagem dos projectos PPP. As taxas de desconto obtidas são depois sujeitas a testes econométricos (OLS), em relação à influência de existir ou não uma maioria de accionistas estrangeiros, do tipo de pagamento ser num esquema de disponibilidade e das yields das Obrigações do Tesouro Portuguesas a 10 anos (spreads vs. Alemanha). Concluímos que as taxas de desconto apropriadas (WACC) deverão situar-se no intervalo entre os 6 e os 8% e a existência de uma maioria estrangeira ao nível dos accionistas está associada a um menor risco dos projectos e custos dos capitais próprios mais baixos, ao nível de significância de 10%.In this article, using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), we propose the discussion of the appropriate discount rates for the case of Portuguese public private partnerships (PPPs) in the road sector, namely from the perspective of private sector investors. Calculation of the cost of equity is performed using two different methodologies: a comparable firms approach and with the use of publicly available data (Damodaran Online) on the European transportation sector. Furthermore, we find that the CAPM cost of equity is very dependent on the high leverage of PPP projects. The computed discount rates are later subjected to econometric (OLS) testing, regarding the influence of having a foreign shareholder majority, of the availability payment scheme and of Portuguese Treasury 10 year bond yields (spreads vs. Germany). We find that the appropriate discount rates (WACC) should be in the range of 6 to 8% and that the existence of foreign shareholders is associated with lower project risk and lower costs of equity, at 10% significance level

Simulated visually-guided paw placement during quadruped locomotion

Autonomous adaptive locomotion over irregular terrain is one important topic in robotics research. In this article, we focus on the development of a quadruped locomotion controller able to generate locomotion and reaching visually acquired markers. The developed controller is modeled as discrete, sensory driven corrections of a basic rhythmic motor pattern for locomotion according to visual information and proprioceptive data, that enables the robot to reach markers and only slightly perturb the locomotion movement. This task involves close-loop control and we will thus particularly focus on the essential issue of modeling the interaction between the central nervous system and the peripheral information in the locomotion context. This issue is crucial for autonomous and adaptive control, and has received little attention so far. Trajectories are online modulated according to these feedback pathways thus achieving paw placement. This modeling is based on the concept of dynamical systems whose intrinsic robustness against perturbations allows for an easy integration of sensory-motor feedback and thus for closed-loop control. The system is demonstrated on a simulated quadruped robot which online acquires the visual markers and achieves paw placement while locomotes

Bankruptcy resolution : an empirical investigation of debtor-in-possession financing, exit financing and corporate governance

This dissertation investigates the impact of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing and exit financing on the resolution of corporate bankruptcy. In order to accomplish the objective this study uses a large sample of bankrupt firms that filed for chapter 11 in the United States over the period 1998-2009. The analysis shows that the presence of post-petition financing is associated with an improvement of the odds of reorganization, with successful emergence from bankruptcy and an increase of the time spent in bankruptcy, effectively buying time to negotiate a successful restructuring. It also studies the effect on corporate governance by investigating top management turnover

An integrated formal methods tool-chain and its application to verifying a file system model

Tool interoperability as a mean to achieve integration is among the main goals of the international Grand Challenge initiative. In the context of the Verifiable file system mini-challenge put forward by Rajeev Joshi and Gerard Holzmann, this paper focuses on the integration of different formal methods and tools in modelling and verifying an abstract file system inspired by the Intel (R) Flash File System Core. We combine high-level manual specification and proofs with current state of the art mechanical verification tools into a tool-chain which involves Alloy, VDM++ and HOL. The use of (pointfree) relation modelling provides the glue which binds these tools together.Mondrian Project funded by the Portuguese NSF under contract PTDC/EIA-CCO/108302/200

Alloy meets the algebra of programming: a case study

Relational algebra offers to software engineering the same degree of conciseness and calculational power as linear algebra in other engineering disciplines. Binary relations play the role of matrices with similar emphasis on multiplication and transposition. This matches with Alloy’s lemma “everything is a relation” and with the relational basis of the Algebra of Programming (AoP). Altogether, it provides a simple and coherent approach to checking and calculating programs from abstract models. In this paper, we put Alloy and the Algebra of Programming together in a case study originating from the Verifiable File System mini-challenge put forward by Joshi and Holzmann: verifying the refinement of an abstract file store model into a journaled (FLASH) data model catering to wear leveling and recovery from power loss. Our approach relies on diagrams to graphically express typed assertions. It interweaves model checking (in Alloy) with calculational proofs in a way which offers the best of both worlds. This provides ample evidence of the positive impact in software verification of Alloy’s focus on relations, complemented by induction-free proofs about data structures such as stores and lists.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Constructed wetlands as an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment systems: a review

As águas residuais apresentam um elevado teor de nutrientes, como fósforo, azoto, e matéria orgânica que podem causar problemas ambientais nas massas de água, se não forem tratadas de forma eficiente. A utilização de leitos húmidos construídos (LHC) como método de tratamento de águas residuais tem vindo a expandir-se, dada a necessidade de diminuição dos custos operacionais e utilização de métodos de tratamento mais sustentáveis. Os leitos húmidos construídos além do tratamento das águas residuais, também promovem outras funções, como a conservação da biodiversidade e dos seus habitats, a regulação do clima do ciclo hidrológico e o uso público. Os leitos híbridos nasceram da necessidade de melhorar a eficiência de tratamento e consistem na conjugação de vários tipos de tratamento individuais num só sistema. Os LHC permitem reduzir os impactes da atividade humana relacionados com as águas residuais. Este artigo apresenta uma revisão da diversidade de LHC’s existentes.Wastewater has a high content of nutrients, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic matter can cause environmental problems in water bodies, if not treated efficiently. The use of Constructed Wetlands (CW’s) as a wastewater treatment method has been expanding, given the need to reduce operating costs and use more sustainable treatment methods. CW’s in addition to wastewater treatment also promote other functions, such as the conservation of biodiversity and its habitats, the regulation of the climate, the hydrological cycle and public use. Hybrid beds were born out of the need to improve treatment efficiency and consist in the conjugation of several individual treatment types into one system. CW’s reduce the impact of human activity on wastewater. This paper presents a review of the diversity of existing wetted beds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio