Clinico-environmental system for personal monitoring

The ever-growing use of information and communication technologies in the past decades and the proliferation of mobile devices for monitoring vital signs and physical activity is enhancing the emergence of a new healthcare paradigm. More recently, citizens are becoming more sensible to the necessity of monitoring environmental health indicators and to its direct impact on personal health. This article proposes and describes the development of a clinico-environmental system for personal monitoring. The result is ContinuousCare, a personal healthcare information system that integrates personal smart devices with air quality monitors. The solution helps citizens to better understand their health and body activity with environmental context, aiding professional doctors with analysis tools and making available valuable data for external systems.publishe

Development and analysis of new implementations of MAC proto-cols and mobility models in LoRa networks

The technological revolution known as Internet of Things (IoT) brings together several areas of science and technology, such as data acquisition, energy consumption, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), data analyses and processing among others. IoT gets its name from the several applications, from wearables to cars connected to the network, spanning the transportation, health, electronics, water, and electricity industries. This massive addition of LoRa devices for its own application brings the problems of a shared medium such as frame collision. Additionally, as the devices are often battery powered there is a need to analyze the battery consumption. It was found that there is a lack of tools to estimate the consumption and performance of a network. In this paper, we implement new medium access control mechanisms for LoRaSim simulator, based on CSMA/CAD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance and Detection). This addition tests the influence a different access protocol has on the LoRa network and its resilience. As part of this study the new access protocol is built on the existing simulator LoRaSim to study the difference between the access protocol currently used in LoRa, an ALOHA protocol variant, CSMA/CA (CSMA with Collision Avoidance) and CSMA/CAD with the purpose of analyzing the difference in collision between protocols and the respective energy consumption in mobility scenarios

Job satisfaction: the perception of perioperative nurses from unidade local de saúde do nordeste (ULSNE)

With so many changes in the health sector, it is important to realize if nurses are satisfied in the exercise of their professional activity. Objectives: To evaluate the perception of perioperative nurses from ULSNE about satisfaction with work activity. Methods: It’s an observational, analytical and cross-sectional study using quantitative methodologies, applied to 41 perioperative nurses of Bragança, Macedo de Cavaleiros and Mirandela. The data collection instrument includes questions relating to the socio-demographic and professional characterization and the Satisfaction Scale Work (EST) (Ribeiro, 2002), which is composed by 6 dimensions: Security for the Future of the Profession (SFP), Hierarchy Support (AH), Recognition by Others of the Work Performed (ROTR), Physical Conditions of Work (CFT), Relationship with Colleagues (RC) and Satisfaction with Job (SP). Results: The population is composed of 30 women and 11 men (average age 44.05 years). 43.9% work in Bragança’s operating room (OR). There are significant differences between Academic Qualifications and SFP dimension (p = 0.036), Place Where They Work and the CFT (p = 0.000) and global scale (p = 0.001), Type of Work Schedule and SFP (p = 0.004), ROTR (p = 0.005), CFT (p = 0.004) and overall scale (p = 0.001), Social Recognition of the Profession and SFP (p = 0.06) and SP (p = 0.021). There aren’t correlations between Professional Practice Time and Professional Practice Time in OR with the 6 dimensions and the global scale. Conclusions: The place where perioperative nurses perform functions influences their job satisfaction. Nurses of Bragança’s Hospitalar Unit are those with lower satisfaction values in most of the dimensions and in the global scale

Teoria e metodologias: História e Historiografias gerais

A presente comunicação tem por objetivo evidenciar os rendimentos acadêmicos alcançados a partir da Monitoria prevista no plano de trabalho intitulado “Teoria e Metodologias: História e Historiografias Gerais”, desenvolvido durante os períodos remotos de 2020.2, 2020.4 e 2021.2 da Faculdade de História (FHT) – Campus Xinguara, da Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará (UNIFESSPA). O intuito visa demonstrar como as atividades vinculadas ao referido projeto ajudaram a melhorar os indicadores de ensino-aprendizagem, reduzir os índices de evasão nos cursos de graduação e contribuir para o êxito dos discentes no processo educacional em tela, sobretudo junto às disciplinas “Projeto de Pesquisa em História” e “História Contemporânea” (I e II). Tudo isso por meio de incentivos ao potencial de cada estudante, assegurando-lhe uma formação profissional melhor qualificada e sua plena inserção nas práticas universitárias, uma vez que, durante o semestre letivos supracitados, promoveu-se a minha cooperação com o docente coordenador do projeto, circunstância que configurou minhas tarefas como ações multiplicadoras

Ação do ácido quetomélico nas alterações hematológicas induzidas pela redução de 5/6 de massa renal em ratos

A doença renal crónica está associada com o desenvolvimento de anemia devido principalmente à diminuição da produção de eritropoetina. O ácido quetomélico (AC) é um potente inibidor seletivo da farnesil transferase e, desta forma, inibe as vias de sinalização que levam à progressão da fibrose renal. Assim, o objectivo deste trabalho foi o de estudar os efeitos do tratamento crónico com o AC nas alterações hematológicas induzidas pela redução de 5/6 de massa renal (RMR). Neste estudo foram utilizados 70 ratos machos da estirpe Wistar. Uma semana após a redução cirúrgica de 5/6 de massa renal, os animais foram divididos em quatro grupos experimentais: CO: animais em que se simulou a cirurgia e sem tratamento; CO+AC: animais em que se simulou a cirurgia e tratados com o AC; RMR: animais com RMR e não tratados; RMR+AC: animais com RMR e tratados com o AC. O tratamento foi administrado por via intraperitoneal, durante seis meses. Para o estudo hematológico procedeu-se à contagem manual, em câmara de Neubauer, do número total de eritrócitos e de leucócitos, à determinação do microhematócrio, à contagem diferencial de leucócitos e à estimativa do número total de plaquetas no esfregaço de sangue corado com Diff-Quick. Nos grupos RMR e RMR+AC observou-se um aumento estatisticamente significativo (p<0.01) do número total de eritrócitos, do microhematócrito, do número total de leucócitos e das plaquetas, em relação aos grupos CO e CO+AC. Deste modo, os resultados deste estudo sugerem que em ratos Wistar com doença renal crónica, o tratamento com o AC, durante seis meses, não diminui a gravidade da anemia, da leucocitose e da trombocitose induzidas pela redução de 5/6 de massa renal

A Comparison of AutoML Tools for Machine Learning, Deep Learning and XGBoost

This paper presents a benchmark of supervised Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) tools. Firstly, we an- alyze the characteristics of eight recent open-source AutoML tools (Auto-Keras, Auto-PyTorch, Auto-Sklearn, AutoGluon, H2O AutoML, rminer, TPOT and TransmogrifAI) and describe twelve popular OpenML datasets that were used in the benchmark (divided into regression, binary and multi-class classification tasks). Then, we perform a comparison study with hundreds of computational experiments based on three scenarios: General Machine Learning (GML), Deep Learning (DL) and XGBoost (XGB). To select the best tool, we used a lexicographic approach, considering first the average prediction score for each task and then the computational effort. The best predictive results were achieved for GML, which were further compared with the best OpenML public results. Overall, the best GML AutoML tools obtained competitive results, outperforming the best OpenML models in five datasets. These results confirm the potential of the general-purpose AutoML tools to fully automate the Machine Learning (ML) algorithm selection and tuning.Opti-Edge: 5G Digital Services Optimization at the Edge, Individual Project, NUP: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-045220, co-funded by the Incentive System for Research and Technological Development, from the Thematic Operational Program Competitiveness of the national framework program - Portugal202

Beans cultivation and water regime on soil physical attributes

Beans crop is an agricultural staple largely consumed in Brazil because it is part of the basic food of the population. Such a crop is usually grown by small growers and turns out to be of a great social and economical importance. The aim of the current manuscript was to scrutinize the effect of soil water status on its physical attributes, such as bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity, hydraulic conductivity under protected environment conditions on beans crop (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The effect of the soil physical attributes on the biological response of the plants was also investigated. The experiment was installed in March of 2016 in a greenhouse. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme with four replications. The soil moisture within the stipulated levels (14, 21, 28 and 35% at a volume basis) was monitored by a TDR. Bulk density and microporosity did show an increasing linear trend as a function of the soil moisture levels adopted, whereas total porosity and macroporosity revealed a decreasing linear tendency. The cultivar factor affected bulk density, total porosity and macroporosity. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil did not demonstrate any correlation with crop yield components and was not governed by the beans genotypes grown under protected environment conditions

The effects of long-term chaetomellic acid a administration on renal function and oxidative stress in a rat model of renal mass reduction

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic treatment with chaetomellic acid A (CAA) on oxidative stress and renal function in amodel of renalmass reduction. Methods.MaleWistar ratswere subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (RMR) or sham-operated (SO). One week after surgery, rats have been divided into four experimental groups: RMR: RMR rats without treatment (n = 14); RMR + CAA: RMR rats treated with CAA (n = 13); SO: SO rats without treatment (n = 13); and SO + CAA: SO rats treated with CAA (n = 13). CAA was intraperitoneally administered in a dose of 0.23 μg/Kg three times a week for six months. Results. RMR was accompanied by a significant reduction in catalase and glutathione reductase (GR) activity (p < 0.05) and a decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio. CAAadministration significantly increased catalase andGR activity (p < 0.05) and increased GSH/GSSG ratio, but no significant difference between the treated and nontreated groups was found in this ratio.No significant differences were found between theRMRgroups in any of the parameters of renal function.However, CAA administration slightly improves some parameters of renal function. Conclusions. These data suggest that CAA could attenuate 5/6 RMR-induced oxidative stress.The authors would like to thank Jos´e Miguel Lopez- Novoa for valuable comments and suggestions. This work is supported by European Investment Funds by FEDER/ COMPETE/POCI, Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006958, and National Funds by FCT, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under Project UID/AGR/04033/2013, and by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI, Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme, under Project POCI- 01-0145-FEDER-016728, and National Funds by FCT, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under Project PTDC/DTP-DES/6077/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wish you were here: How defaunated is the Atlantic Forest biome of its medium- to large-bodied mammal fauna?

Mammals represent the largest-bodied elements of the world’s surviving megafauna and provide several key ecosystems services, yet their populations are often under steep decline throughout the tropics. Anthropogenic defaunation is one the most important contemporary threats to modern mammal faunas. Although the Atlantic Forest biome of South America shows several clear signs of defaunation, the extent to which this biome has lost its mammal fauna remains poorly understood. Here, we collate and analyze a comprehensive body of secondary data to quantitatively assess the spatial patterns of defaunation of all medium- to large-bodied Atlantic Forest mammals which were then classed by morpho-ecological traits. We used a Defaunation Index, which was scaled-up to the entire biome using kriging interpolation, to examine the integrity of site-specific mammal faunas. We further use environmental and socioeconomic predictors to explain the drivers of defaunation. Our results show high levels of defaunation (>0.5) for most of the Atlantic Forest. Apex predators, other carnivores, large-bodied mammals and large herbivores were among the most defaunated functional groups. Remaining native vegetation cover, forest fragment size, and the largest neighboring forest remnant were the main negative predictors of defaunation. We conclude that medium- to large-bodied Atlantic Forest mammals are under high levels of threat due to historical population losses that continue today. A conservation action plan thus becomes imperative to prevent this biome from becoming an even “emptier forest”, severely compromising patterns of diversity, ecological processes and ecosystem functioning