Desenvolvimento de protótipo para sensorização da interface de implantes ósseos

Over the last few years there has been an increase in the number of arthroplasties performed worldwide. With the growing number of young patients performing this surgery, new technologies are required to evaluate the bone-implant interface in order to avoid revision surgeries. The present work aims to develop a prototype for sensing the bone-implant interface for multifunctional instrumented/bioelectronic implants: the network-based cosurface capacitive system with ability to be extracorporeally controlled by clinicians. This prototype is composed by both hardware and software components. The hardware can also be seen as the data acquisition system and the software is the monitor and the control system. Considering that the societal scenario did not allow the manufacture of this new system prototype, the hardware was only designed for future implementation and validation. The software is a web application that allows the clinician to monitor and control the data acquisition system. For the development of the web application it was used Django, python, HTML5, CSS, and the storage and management of data were performed with MySQL. In order to assess its performance, different simulation tests were performed: (i) monitoring tests using random bone-implant interface states, in which capacitance data was generated from a polynomial function that characterizes the average capacitance change for different bone-implant bonding states; (ii) monitoring tests simulating an increasing bonding scenario. Through the web application it is possible to analyse the data collected from the data acquisition system in two dimensional plots or three dimensional plots. This software solution was also designed to allow downloading the data to an Excel file to give the user the possibility to perform different analyses related boneimplant interface state. The project for the data acquisition system is constituted by a Raspberry Pi, an I2C multiplexer, a capacitor-to-digital converter (EVAL AD-7746), and the sensing technology. The Raspberry Pi is responsible for the TCP-IP communication with the monitoring system and the I2C communication with the capacitor-to-digital converter through the I2C multiplexer. It is also responsible for saving data in the correct database. The capacitor-to-digital converter acquires the data from the sensing technology, which is based on three different printed circuit boards, containing twelve capacitors. Thus, it is intended to prove that with a sensing system comprising a network of cosurface capacitors it is possible to acquire bone-implant interface bonding during the daily life of patients, including region and magnitude debonding dataAo longo dos últimos anos tem-se verificado um aumento do número de artroplastias realizadas mundialmente. Com o crescente número de jovens a serem submetidos a esta cirurgia, torna-se necessário desenvolver novas tecnologias para a avaliação da interface osso-implante de modo a diminuir o número de cirurgias de revisão. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um protótipo para a sensorização da interface de implantes ósseos para incorporar implantes instrumentados, constituídos por uma rede de sistemas capacitivos e com a possibilidade de ser controlada extracoporealmente por médicos especializados. O protótipo é constituído por componentes de hardware e software. O hardware consiste no sistema de aquisição de dados e o software permite o controlo e monitorização do hardware. Considerando o estado social atual não foi possível produzir o protótipo deste novo sistema de monitorização, por esse motivo o hardware foi apenas projetado de forma a ser implementado e validado futuramente. O software é uma aplicação web que permite que o médico especialista monitorize o sistema de aquisição de dados. Para o desenvolvimento deste software foi utilizado Django, python, HTML5, CSS, e a gestão e armazenamento de dados foi feita através do MySQL. A validação das funcionalidades do software foi realizada através de dois testes diferentes: (i) testes de monitorização com base em estados aleaórios da interface osso-implante, onde os valores de capacidade foram obtidos com base numa polinomial que caracteriza a variação de capacidade para diferentes estados de ligação osso-implante; (ii) simulação de um teste de aproximação do osso à estrutura capacitiva. Através da aplicação web, é possível visualizar os resultados obtidos a partir de gráficos tridimensionais e bidimensionais. O website também permite o download de um ficheiro Excel com os dados adquiridos, para o utilizador realizar análises independentes relacionadas com o estado da interface osso-implante. O projeto do sistema de aquisição de dados é constituído por um Raspberry Pi, um multiplexer I2C, um conversor analógico-digital (EVAL-AD7746) e o sistema de sensorização. O Raspberry Pi estabelece uma comunicação TCP-IP com o sistema de monitorização e uma comunicação I2C com o conversor analógico-digital através de um multiplexer I2C. Este dispositivo guarda os dados recolhidos em bases de dados. O conversor analógico-digital recolhe os dados do sistema capacitivo de sensorização, que é constituído por três placas de circiuito impresso, onde cada uma contém um total de doze condensadores. Assim, pretende-se comprovar que com um sistema constituído por uma rede de condensadores é possível fazer uma aquisição de dados relativamente ao estado da interface osso-implante durante o dia-a-dia do pacienteMestrado em Engenharia Mecânic

Collaborative Development and Testing of Task-Oriented Conversational Agents

The growing popularity of conversational agents in recent years has resulted in the widespread adoption of this technology by various websites and services, establishing them as a ubiquitous presence in our everyday lives. As a result, it has become imperative that developers have access to tools that facilitate the implementation of these agents. Moreover, the stakes for conversational agent performance continue to rise, driven by advancements in the field and higher expectations, making it so that conversational agents must be capable of evolving to meet these standards and innovations. However, the incremental implementation of agents is not a simple matter, and this difficulty is exacerbated in the context of collaborative development, where teams must work together in a seamless and efficient manner to bring their developments to completion. In order to support these accretions, a conversational agent must be built upon a flexible foundation, that properly supports the integration and modification of modular features to the main solution. Otherwise, developers will face numerous difficulties in their efforts to extend or alter their systems. This dissertation strives to address the challenges encountered by developers of com- plex task-oriented dialog systems, while ensuring the deployment of high-quality agents. It aims to mitigate the complexities inherent to collaborative incremental development, facilitate the integration of new features, and enhance the agent’s ability to provide en- gaging and natural conversations while maintaining controlled behavior. Furthermore, it intends to enable comprehensive automated testing as to detect any disruption to the agent’s expected behavior, or other unforeseen issues. The pursuit of these goals resulted in the creation of a collaborative dialog manager framework and a capture-and-replay user simulation testing tool. These contributions were developed in the context of TWIZ team’s participation in the Alexa Prize TaskBot Challenge 2, and facilitated the seamless development and comprehensive testing of their winning conversational agent.A crescente popularidade de agentes de conversação nos últimos anos resultou na ampla adoção dessa tecnologia por diversas páginas web e serviços, estabelecendo-se como uma presença ubíqua nas nossas vidas quotidianas. Como resultado de tal, tornou-se impera- tivo que developers tenham acesso a ferramentas que facilitem a sua implementação. Além de se tornarem mais frequentemente utilizados, as exigências para o seu desem- penho continuam a aumentar, impulsionadas pelos avanços na área e por expectativas mais elevadas. Desta maneira, torna-se necessário que agentes de conversação consigam evoluir para integrar essas inovações e estarem ao nível das novas expetativas. No entanto, a implementação incremental de agentes não é uma questão simples, e essa dificuldade é exacerbada no contexto de desenvolvimento colaborativo, devido à necessidade que equipas trabalhem de forma harmoniosa e eficiente de modo a conseguir concluir os seus desenvolvimentos. Para permitir estes acréscimos, um agente de conversação deve ser construído sobre uma base flexível, que suporte a integração e modificação de componen- tes modulares numa solução principal. Caso contrário, os desenvolvedores enfrentarão enumeras dificuldades na tentativa de melhorar os seus assistentes virtuais. Esta dissertação procura abordar os desafios enfrentados por developers de assistentes orientados para tarefas, procurando, ao mesmo tempo, garantir o deployment de agentes de qualidade. Visa mitigar as complexidades inerentes ao desenvolvimento incremental colaborativo, facilitar a integração de novas funcionalidades e melhorar a capacidade do agente de fornecer conversas cativantes, mas controladas. Em adição, cogita possibilitar testes automatizados abrangentes para detetar mudanças no seu comportamento ou ou- tros problemas. Para alcançar estes objetivos, foi criada uma framework colaborativa de gestão de diálogo e uma ferramenta de testes de captura e reprodução por meio de simu- lação de utilizador. Estas contribuições foram desenvolvidas no contexto da participação da equipa TWIZ no Alexa Prize TaskBot Challenge 2, e facilitaram o desenvolvimento e teste abrangente do seu agente de conversação, vencedor do concurso

Expanding the services and infrastructures offered to promote social and environmental sustainability to Planbelas : a consulting project

Mestrado Bolonha em ManagementPlanbelas é um empreendimento residencial situado em Sintra, na vila de Belas, que se diferencia não só pela qualidade das casas que oferece, mas também pelo papel fundamental que emprega no fator sustentabilidade, sendo então um grande pilar na definição da estratégia do seu negócio. Estando em constante desenvolvimento e a aumentar o seu tecido urbano, este projeto de consultoria teve como objetivo responder à questão “Pode Planbelas Ser Rentável Nos Novos Fogos?”, tendo esta tese individual se focado na temática dos serviços que fazem parte das áreas residenciais e que servem a comunidade. Tendo a sustentabilidade como guia, procurou-se recomendar uma expansão de serviços e infraestruturas em Planbelas que não só fosse de encontro ao que aos seus residentes manifestam como necessidade, mas também que siga boas práticas de sustentabilidade, quer social ou ambiental; práticas estas que se têm observado como tendências a emergir na construção da vida urbana nas áreas residenciais. A principal inspiração foi o conceito de “15 Minute City”, um modelo de planeamento das áreas residenciais que visa a construção de cidades convenientes, onde todos os serviços essenciais para os residentes estão o mais perto de si possível, acreditando que tal irá gerar sustentabilidade social e ambiental. As recomendações finais apresentadas prenderam-se com a criação de mais espaços de cariz recreativo-cultural, onde se fomenta um sentido de comunidade e pertença entre os residentes em Planbelas, e a implementação de uma horta comunitária, que irá promover um estilo de vida mais saudável e unir a comunidade num objetivo comum. A hipótese para a oferta de serviços relacionados com animais domésticos dentro de BCC não foi validada, pelo facto de poder incentivar à posse de mais animais de estimação e levar a comportamentos e situações, que já se verificaram anteriormente, e que não vão de encontro ao ambiente que se pretende criar em Planbelas e de se sobrepor a parcerias já existentes com entidades externas, sugerindo-se assim que se continue com as mesmas.Planbelas is a residential development situated in Sintra, in the village of Belas, that not only differentiates itself by the quality of housing that it offers, but also by the fundamental role that is given to the sustainability factor, which becomes a foundation for the strategy definition of its business. As it is an ever developing and growing urban area, this consulting project aimed to answer the overriding question “Can Planbelas Be Profitable In The New Dwellings?”, and this individual thesis had a particular focus on the services that are present in the residential areas and that serve the community. Having sustainability as a guideline, the goal is to recommend an expansion of services and infrastructures in Planbelas that not only answers the necessities that were manifested by the residents therein, but that also follow sustainability best practices, either social or environmental, more specifically, practices that have been showing as trends that are emerging in the construction of urban life in residential areas. The main inspiration was the concept of “15 Minute City”, an urban planning model that has as an objective the creation of cities that offer greater convenience, where all the essential amenities are as close as possible to the residents, which will ultimately generate social and environmental sustainability. The final recommendations that were presented were related to the offer of more recreational and cultural events, where a sense of community and belonging can be fostered among the residents in Planbelas, and the implementation of a community garden, which will promote an healthier lifestyle and unite the community around a common goal. The hypothesis of offering pet related services in BCC was not validated, as it could be seen as an incentive for residents to have more pets in their care and lead to behaviours and situations, that have been registered previously, that go against the environment that is wished to be preserved in Planbelas, as well as an overlap with existing partnerships with external entities that offer these kind of services; thus, the suggestion presented is to continue with the partnerships that are established for pet related services.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effects of emerging environmental contaminants on Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from drinking water in planktonic and sessile states

Concerns on the presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water sources have increased in recent years. The lack of efficient technologies to remove ECs from residual waters contributes for their appearance in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Therefore, sessile microorganisms on DWDS pipes are continuously exposed to trace concentrations of ECs. However, no data exists on the role of ECs on the resident microbiota. The present work aims to understand the effects of prolonged exposure of a bacterial strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, isolated from a DWDS, in both planktonic and biofilm states, to trace concentrations of selected ECs (antipyrineANTP; diclofenac sodium saltDCF; ibuprofenIBP; galaxolideGAL; tonalideTON; carbamazepineCBZ; clofibric acidCA; tylosinTY) on its tolerance to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and resistance to antibiotics. Pre-established S. maltophilia biofilms were exposed to ECs for 26 d. Subsequently, the planktonic behaviour of the biofilm cells grown in the presence of ECS was characterized in terms of susceptibility to NaOCl and to selected antibiotics (levofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole). Moreover, S.maltophilia was tested on its biofilm productivity in the presence of ECs (alone and mixed). These biofilms were challenged by NaOCl in order to assess the role of ECs on biofilm susceptibility. The results did not evidence remarkable effects of ECs on planktonic S. maltophilia susceptibility to NaOCl and antibiotics. However, S. maltophilia biofilm production and susceptibility to NaOCl was affected from ECs pre-exposure, particularly by the combination of different ECs (CA+CBZ, CA+IBP, CA+CBZ+IBP). S. maltophilia biofilms became more resistant to removal by NaOCl when developed in the presence of mixtures of CA+CBZ and CA+CBZ+IBP. Also, biofilm production was significantly affected. CA was present in all the combinations that altered biofilm behaviour. The overall results propose that exposure to ECs for 26days had not a huge impact on S. maltophilia planktonic antimicrobial susceptibility. Nevertheless, the prolonged exposure to some ECs altered biofilm production and tolerance to NaOCl, with a potential practical outcome of hindering DWDS disinfection. The simultaneous presence of different ECs in the environment may amplify biofilm resilience.This work was the result of the projects: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030219; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006939 (Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy – UID/EQU/00511/2013) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds, through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000005 – LEPABE-2-ECO-INNOVATION, supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Grants attributed by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT – to Inês Gomes (SFRH/BD/103810/2014) and Lúcia Simões (SFRH/BPD/81982/2011).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The potential of OXONE as an alternative disinfectant to control drinking water biofilms

UIDB/04469/2020, LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/00511/2020 and UIDP/00511/2020 (LEPABE), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); Project Biocide_for_Biofilm - PTDC/BII-BTI/30219/2017 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030219, funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT/MCTES; and FCT PhD grant awarded to Isabel Maria Oliveira (SFRH/BD/ 138117/2018).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Functional and therapeutical implications of ligand recognition by the scavenger-like lymphocyte receptors CD5 and CD6

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Genética Molecular e BiomedicinaThe CD5 and CD6 lymphocyte surface receptors are highly homologous members of the Scavenger Receptor Cystein Rich (SRCR) superfamily mainly expressed by all T lymphocytes and the B1a subpopulation of B cells. Although the ultimate function/s are far from being completely understood, CD5 and CD6 are known to play a relevant role in both lymphocyte development and differentiation by negatively modulating the survival/death-inducing intracellular signals generated during the antigen recognition. Recently, this group has developed a transgenic mouse line which expresses a soluble form of human CD5, likely blocking the ligand-receptor interactions mediated by CD5 and interfering with normal lymphocyte response. This study was aimed at furthering the study of the recombinant soluble human CD5 Transgenic(rshCD5Tg) mouse phenotypical analysis, its response to antigen stimuli and tumor implantation; the function of rshCD6 was also tested. It was observed that rshCD5Tg mice display an exacerbated immune response, likely due to a reduction in the number of T and B cells with regulatory/suppressive function (Treg, B1a, B10 cells) and the increase in effector cells (NKT, MZ B cells). In agreement with these phenotypical characteristics, the functional analysis of rshCD5Tg mice showed enhanced immune responses to Tdependent and –independent antigens, as well as enhanced anti-tumoral responses, with or without concomitant chemotherapy treatment. Importantly, both the phenotypical and functional findings could be reproduced in wild-type mice following prolonged infusion of purified exogenous rshCD5 protein. Overall, these results argue in favor of a relevant role of CD5-mediated molecular interactions in the homeostasis of functionally relevant lymphocyte subpopulations and open the possibility for CD5-based therapeutical interventions in different disease settings such as cancer, infection and immunodeficiency

Optimization of export support systems: how to promote exports from Portugal to Germany in the area of information technology and electronics

This work project focuses on developing new approaches which enhance Portuguese exports towards a defined German industry sector within the information technology and electronics fields. Firstly and foremost, information was collected and a set of expert and top managers’ interviews were performed in order to acknowledge the demand of the German market while identifying compatible Portuguese supply capabilities. Among the main findings, Industry 4.0 presents itself as a valuable opportunity in the German market for Portuguese medium sized companies in the embedded systems area of expertise for machinery and equipment companies. In order to achieve the purpose of the work project, an embedded systems platform targeting machinery and equipment companies was suggested as well as it was developed several recommendations on how to implement it. An alternative approach for this platform was also considered within the German market namely the eHealth sector having the purpose of enhancing the current healthcare service provision

Valérius growth trajectory : a case study on competitive advantage in the portuguese textile and clothing industry

This dissertation, written in a form of case study, aims to address how a firm operating in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry was able to survive the challenges posed by the dynamics felt in the industry. It serves as a teaching instrument since it provides tools for the study of a real-life situation and application of theoretical frameworks learned in class. Valérius is a Portuguese company operating in the textile and clothing industry dedicated to the production of knitwear garments for the high premium segment, being able to craft a growth trajectory over the last years. Why is Valérius able to survive while many other companies are failing? What is on the basis of its competitive advantage? The options the company made, when facing difficult decisions in order to cope with changes on the external environment, creates a set of interesting issues to address in strategy courses, to further deepen students’ knowledge on theoretical concepts. The proposed case study delivers the base for a critical analysis of the company in order to understand where lies its competitive advantage, particularly with the study of the dynamic capabilities approach.Esta dissertação, escrita na forma de um estudo de caso, tem como objetivo compreender como é que uma empresa que atua na industria têxtil e de vestuário portuguesa, conseguiu assegurar a sua sobrevivência face aos desafios da dinâmica constante sentida na indústria. Este serve como um instrumento de ensino, pois permite estudar uma situação real e posteriormente aplicar as teorias aprendidas em aula. A Valérius é uma empresa portuguesa que opera na indústria têxtil e de vestuário portuguesa, dedicada à confeção de vestuário exterior, especialmente de malhas, para o sector médio/alto. A empresa conseguiu construir uma trajetória de crescimento ao longo dos anos. Porque é que a Valérius consegue sobreviver, enquanto muitas outras empresas falharam? O que está na base da sua vantagem competitiva? As opções tomadas pela empresa, aquando de difíceis decisões, para se enquadrarem nas mudanças sentidas no ambiente externo, cria uma serie de tópicos interessantes para abordar nos cursos de estratégia, de forma a aprofundar o conhecimento dos estudantes relativamente aos conceitos teóricos. O estudo de caso aqui proposto, dá uma base para que seja feita uma análise crítica da empresa de forma a perceber de que forma é alcançada a vantagem competitiva, particularmente através do estudo das capacidades dinâmicas

Green innovation: how firms leverage capabilities, resources and complementary assets

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsEnvironmental issues are critical for business either as a constraint or an opportunity. Hence, they should be addressed by firms as a strategic priority integrated in their operations strategy. In order to do so, firms need to develop green capabilities and assets that support their green strategies. This paper discusses the green capabilities necessary to develop green innovation initiatives. It presents a framework that structures the relationship between drivers of green operations strategies, firms’ resources and green innovation as a source of competitive advantage. Case study research is used to support and extend the framework. Case study evidences validate the framework, provide additional insights and suggest new lines of research on these topics