Map-based interaction with trajectory data

Tese de doutoramento, Informática (Engenharia Informática), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2017With the increasing popularity of location based services and mobile tracking technologies, the collection of large amounts of spatio-temporal data became an increasingly common, easier, and more reliable task. In turn, this has emphasized the possibility of analysing georeferenced information, particularly associated with human trajectory data, to identify and understand movement patterns and activities, ultimately, supporting decision making in various contexts. In order to properly analyse and understand the spatio-temporal and the thematic properties associated with these data, adequate visualization techniques are needed. Due to the spatial properties of trajectories, map-based techniques, such as 2D static maps or 3D space-time cubes (STCs) are considered as essential tools for their visualization. However, despite the increasing number of visualization systems, the study regarding their usability, alongside the role of the human user, sometimes with a limited background in data visualization and analysis, are often neglected. In addition to the somewhat disperse, and sometimes even contradictory, results in the literature, these factors, ultimately, emphasize the lack of knowledge to support the choice of particular visualizations, and their design, in different types of tasks. This dissertation addresses these issues through three main sets of contributions, focusing on inexperienced users, in terms of data visualization and analysis: i) the characterization of the dis/advantages of existing map-based techniques (2D static maps and STCs), depending on the types of visual analysis tasks and the focus of the analysis; ii) the improvement of existing visualization techniques, either through the inclusion of additional spatial cues within the STC, or combining both types of techniques in various ways; and iii) the identification of design guidelines for trajectory data visualization, describing various considerations/criteria for the selection of different map-based visualization techniques and their possible interactive features

Visualização da relevância da informação geográfica em aplicações móveis

Tese de mestrado em Engenharia Informática (Sistemas de Informação), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2011A utilização da informação geográfica a partir de dispositivos móveis é uma área em crescente expansão e, por conseguinte, na última década, tem-se assistido a um crescimento no desenvolvimento de serviços móveis utilizando a informação geográfica, tais como serviços baseados em localização (LBS – Location Based Services) ou serviços de geovisualização móvel. Apesar deste crescimento, existem ainda diversos desafios por investigar na área da visualização de informação em dispositivos móveis. A pequena dimensão do ecrã destes dispositivos conduz a uma necessidade de filtrar e disponibilizar apenas a informação mais relevante para o utilizador. Adicionalmente, essa informação está frequentemente localizada fora da área visível no ecrã, aumentando a carga cognitiva do utilizador na realização de tarefas de pesquisa e tornando complexa a tarefa de navegação. Para a resolução do primeiro problema, têm sido propostos mecanismos para seleccionar a informação relevante baseada em informação sobre o contexto e as preferências do utilizador. Contudo, não é dada qualquer informação sobre a relevância dos objectos de interesse que se encontrem fora da área visível. Relativamente à segunda problemática, têm sido propostas algumas técnicas para a sinalização de objectos fora do ecrã, mas nenhuma delas explora a relevância dos objectos. Este trabalho descreve e avalia a técnica de visualização, denominada HaloDot, que combina a sinalização e identificação de objectos fora da área visível no ecrã (off-screen) com visualização de relevância. Os atributos de relevância baseados na cor e na transparência foram ainda aplicados a outras técnicas de visualização off-screen e comparadas com o HaloDot. Os resultados das avaliações efectuadas sugerem que a utilização da combinação da cor com a transparência é eficiente para a representação da relevância. Adicionalmente, é necessário considerar, pelo menos, três factores na decisão de escolha da técnica de visualização off-screen, nomeadamente: o número de pontos de interesse existentes, a proximidade dos pontos de interesse da área visível no ecrã e a simbologia utilizada para a representação dos pontos de interesse.The use of the geographic information from mobile devices is an area that is becoming increasingly widespread and, therefore, in the last decade, there has been a growth on the development of mobile services using geographical information, like Location Based Services (LBS) or mobile geovisualization services. Despite this growth, there are still several challenges that are worth to investigate on the field of information visualization on mobile devices. The small dimension of these devices‟ screens requires filtering mechanisms to provide only the most relevant information to the user. This information is often located off-screen, increasing the user's cognitive workload to perform search tasks and making the navigational task complex. To solve the first problem several mechanisms have been proposed to select the relevant information, based on information about the context and the user's preferences. However, it does not provide any information about the relevance of points of interest located off-screen. To solve the second problem some techniques have been proposed for the signalization of off-screen objects. None of them, however, explores the relevance of those objects. This work describes and evaluates a visualization technique, called HaloDot, which combines the signalization and identification of off-screen objects with the visualization of their relevance. HaloDot uses color and transparency to express the relevance of off-screen objects. These graphical attributes were also used in other off-screen visualization techniques, which were compared with HaloDot. The results of the performed evaluation suggest that the use of the combination of colour and transparency is efficient for the representation of the relevance. Additionally, it is necessary to take into account three factors to select an off-screen visualization technique, namely: the number of existing points of interest, the proximity of the points of interest to the on-screen area and the simbology used for the representation of the points of interest

Da resiliência à transformação pedagógica: o que aprendemos com os desafios?: práticas pedagógicas no ensino superior em Portugal

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Direct tissue-sensing reprograms TLR4+ Tfh-like cells inflammatory profile in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Funding Information: We thank Cláudia Andrade for technical support and Juliana Gonçalves for testing samples for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. We are extremely grateful to all the participants of the study and to the whole rheumatology department at Hospital Egas Moniz that made this study possible. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) PTDC/MEC-REU/29520/2017, by iNOVA4Health UID/Multi/04462 and by Portuguese Society for Rheumatology (SPR) grants to H.S. H.S. is supported by FCT through IF/01722/2013 and CEECIND/01049/2020, DAS and RCT were supported by FCT through PD/BD/137409/2018 and UID/Multi/04462, respectively. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).CD4+ T cells mediate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis through both antibody-dependent and independent mechanisms. It remains unclear how synovial microenvironment impinges on CD4+ T cells pathogenic functions. Here, we identified a TLR4+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cell-like population present in the blood and expanded in synovial fluid. TLR4+ T cells possess a two-pronged pathogenic activity whereby direct TLR4+ engagement by endogenous ligands in the arthritic joint reprograms them from an IL-21 response, known to sponsor antibody production towards an IL-17 inflammatory program recognized to fuel tissue damage. Ex vivo, synovial fluid TLR4+ T cells produced IL-17, but not IL-21. Blocking TLR4 signaling with a specific inhibitor impaired IL-17 production in response to synovial fluid recognition. Mechanistically, we unveiled that T-cell HLA-DR regulates their TLR4 expression. TLR4+ T cells appear to uniquely reconcile an ability to promote systemic antibody production with a local synovial driven tissue damage program.publishersversionpublishe

ACURÁCIA VERTICAL DE MODELOS DIGITAIS DE ELEVAÇÃO PRODUZIDOS COM DIFERENTES RESOLUÇÕES ESPACIAIS, ÁREAS DE ABRANGÊNCIA E, PROCESSOS DE GERAÇÃO – CASO DE ESTUDO PARA O ESTADO DO PARANÁ - BR

Modelos digitais do terreno (MDTs), de superfície (MDSs) ou elevação (MDEs) objetivam representar as elevações de uma determinada região. São gerados a partir de diferentes métodos, distintas resoluções espaciais e áreas de abrangência e seus dados são utilizados em projetos de engenharia e estudos ambientais. Este trabalho analisa a acurácia vertical absoluta, geral e por classes de uso, de cinco MDS/MDTs de acesso e uso gratuitos disponíveis para o estado do Paraná. A pesquisa emprega as metodologias propostas pela American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS, 2015) e pela Especificação Técnica para o Controle de Qualidade para Dados Geoespaciais (DSG, 2016). A análise consolidada (global) indicou que o MDS ALOS PALSAR é o mais indicado para projetos a serem desenvolvidos no Paraná que empreguem diferentes classes de uso. Já em áreas de vegetação, os modelos ALOS PALSAR e o MDT LAGEO devem ser priorizados. Para projetos a serem desenvolvidos em áreas abertas e não vegetadas, indica-se o uso do MDS ALOS PALSAR e, em áreas urbanas, recomenda-se o uso do MDS AW3D30. A pesquisa mostrou que a escolha de um modelo em detrimento de outro pode implicar em divergências de acurácia da ordem de até 10m e, que as diferentes classes de uso podem apresentar padrões de qualidade significativamente distintos. Ainda, que modelos regionais construídos a partir de processos de interpolação apresentam potencial para obtenção de resultados superiores aos observados nos modelos globais gratuitos. Por fim, a pesquisa revelou que a maior parte dos valores dos conjuntos de discrepância altimétrica observados não apresentaram distribuição normal, indicando que o parâmetro estatístico percentil 95 proposto pela ASPRS se mostrou mais adequado como indicativo de acurácia

Short-Term Effect in Soil Microbial Community of Two Strategies of Recovering Degraded Area in Brazilian Savanna: A Pilot Case Study

The Brazilian Cerrado is a highland tropical savanna considered a biodiversity hotspot with many endemic species of plants and animals. Over the years, most of the native areas of this biome became arable areas, and with inadequate management, some are nowadays at varying levels of degradation stage. Crop-livestock integrated systems (CLIS) are one option for the recovery of areas in degradation, improving the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soil while increasing income and mitigating risks due to product diversification. Little is known about the effect of CLIS on the soil microbial community. Therefore, we perform this pilot case study to support further research on recovering degraded areas. The bacterial and fungal soil communities in the area with CLIS were compared to an area under moderate recovery (low-input recovering - LI) and native savanna (NS) area. Bacterial and fungal communities were investigated by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing (deep rRNA sequencing). Ktedonobacteraceae and AD3 families were found predominantly in LI, confirming the relationship of the members of the Chloroflexi phylum in challenging environmental conditions, which can be evidenced in LI. The CLIS soil presented 63 exclusive bacterial families that were not found in LI or NS and presented a higher bacterial richness, which can be related to good land management. The NS area shared 21 and 6 families with CLIS and LI, respectively, suggesting that the intervention method used in the analyzed period brings microbial diversity closer to the conditions of the native area, demonstrating a trend of approximation between NS and CLIS even in the short term. The most abundant fungal phylum in NS treatment was Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota, whereas Ascomycota predominated in CLIS and LI. The fungal community needs more time to recover and to approximate from the native area than the bacterial community. However, according to the analysis of bacteria, the CLIS area behaved differently from the LI area, showing that this treatment induces a faster response to the increase in species richness, tending to more accelerated recovery. Results obtained herein encourage CLIS as a sustainable alternative for recovery and production in degraded areas

Portuguese Football Federation consensus statement 2020: nutrition and performance in football

Nutrition is an undeniable part of promoting health and performance among football (soccer) players. Nevertheless, nutritional strategies adopted in elite football can vary significantly depending on culture, habit and practical constraints and might not always be supported by scientific evidence. Therefore, a group of 28 Portuguese experts on sports nutrition, sports science and sports medicine sought to discuss current practices in the elite football landscape and review the existing evidence on nutritional strategies to be applied when supporting football players. Starting from understanding football's physical and physiological demands, five different moments were identified: preparing to play, match-day, recovery after matches, between matches and during injury or rehabilitation periods. When applicable, specificities of nutritional support to young athletes and female players were also addressed. The result is a set of practical recommendations that gathered consensus among involved experts, highlighting carbohydrates periodisation, hydration and conscious use of dietary supplements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vitamin D-related polymorphisms and vitamin D levels as risk biomarkers of COVID-19 disease severity

© The Author(s) 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Vitamin D is a fundamental regulator of host defences by activating genes related to innate and adaptive immunity. Previous research shows a correlation between the levels of vitamin D in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the degree of disease severity. This work investigates the impact of the genetic background related to vitamin D pathways on COVID-19 severity. For the first time, the Portuguese population was characterized regarding the prevalence of high impact variants in genes associated with the vitamin D pathways. This study enrolled 517 patients admitted to two tertiary Portuguese hospitals. The serum concentration of 25 (OH)D, was measured in the hospital at the time of patient admission. Genetic variants, 18 variants, in the genes AMDHD1, CYP2R1, CYP24A1, DHCR7, GC, SEC23A, and VDR were analysed. The results show that polymorphisms in the vitamin D binding protein encoded by the GC gene are related to the infection severity (p = 0.005). There is an association between vitamin D polygenic risk score and the serum concentration of 25 (OH)D (p = 0.04). There is an association between 25 (OH)D levels and the survival and fatal outcomes (p = 1.5e-4). The Portuguese population has a higher prevalence of the DHCR7 RS12785878 variant when compared with its prevalence in the European population (19% versus 10%). This study shows a genetic susceptibility for vitamin D deficiency that might explain higher severity degrees in COVID-19 patients. These results reinforce the relevance of personalized strategies in the context of viral diseases.This project was supported by the “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia”, program “Research 4 Covid-19 Apoio especial a projetos de implementação rápida para soluções inovadoras de resposta à pandemia de COVID-19”. It was also partially supported by each institution.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influência da expressão e educação físico motora no desenvolvimento da criança do 1º ciclo do ensino básico : contextos, perspetivas e participantes

A formação global da criança, na qual se integra a formação motora, deve ocupar um lugar de relevância na escola atual. Neste espaço, os alunos constroem o seu próprio conhecimento, e ao vivenciarem as aprendizagens de forma lúdica, potenciam o desenvolvimento de outras competências. O presente Relatório Final de Estágio encontra-se dividido em duas partes distintas: as reflexões críticas das práticas em contexto e o trabalho de investigação. Na primeira parte é apresentada uma apreciação crítica das práticas em contexto prático, nomeadamente na educação pré-escolar e do ensino do 1.º CEB. Na segunda parte damos a conhecer o trabalho de investigação, baseado num estudo de natureza quantitativa realizado no contexto de 1.º CEB de um Agrupamento de Escolas de Aveiro e de um Agrupamento de Escolas de Viseu que visa compreender a influência da Expressão e Educação Físico-Motora no desenvolvimento global da criança. Para o efeito, recorremos a autores de referência e à legislação em vigor, assim como, em termos empíricos, as respostas aos questionários dirigidos aos professoras do 1.º CEB. Os resultados encontrados apontam para o seguinte conjunto de principais conclusões: 1.º os professores atribuem muita importância às práticas motoras, constituindo-se como um fator fundamental para o desenvolvimento integral e harmonioso da criança; 2.º a Expressão e Educação Físico-Motora não têm sido uma realidade nas escolas do estudo, os professores apresentam como principais causas: a falta de condições de materiais, espaciais e de equipamentos como também a necessidade de formação, quer a nível da formação inicial quer a nível da formação contínua; 3.º os agrupamentos, as escolas e os professores devem estar implicados nos diferentes contextos nos quais circula a criança e que são promotores de formação e desenvolvimento, tanto ao nível dos quadros letivos e curriculares como também nos de enriquecimento curricular e nos projetos mais lúdicos e de recreação; 4.º a Expressão e Educação Físico-Motora deve assumir claramente o seu carácter formativo, onde a iniciativa e responsabilidade na organização deve ir ao encontro das aspirações das crianças e de toda a comunidade educativa.The overall formation of the child, in which the motor formation is integrated, must occupy a place of relevance in the present school. In this space, students construct their own knowledge, and when they experience learning in a playful way, they foster the development of other skills. This Final Internship Report is divided into two distinct parts: the critical reflections of the practices and the research work. The first part presents a critical appraisal of practices in a practical context, namely in pre-school education and 1st cycle education (1st CEB). In the second part it is presented the research work, based on a quantitative study carried out in the context of 1st CEB in two schools from Aveiro and Viseu Portuguese Grouping of Schools that aims to understand the influence of physical-motor expression in the overall development of the child. To this end, authors of reference and legislation in force, as well as, in empirical terms, the answers to the questionnaires addressed to the teachers of the 1st CEB were used as methodology to reach the desirable goal. The results lead to the following set of main conclusions: 1) teachers attach great importance to motor practices, constituting as a fundamental factor for the integral and harmonious development of the child; 2) physical-motor expression have not been a reality in the schools of the study, the main causes of teachers are: the lack of material, space and equipment conditions as well as the need for training, both in training Initial or continuing training; 3) groups, schools and teachers must be involved in the different contexts in which the child circulates and are promoters of training and development, both in terms of school and curricular frameworks as well as curriculum enrichment and more playful projects and recreation; 4) expression and physical-motor education must clearly assume its formative character, where the initiative and responsibility in the organization must meet the aspirations of the children and the entire educational community

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio