Pasture and croplands play an important role in Brazil's economic and political scenarios, once its PIB (Raw Internal Product) is mainly based on what is exported from the rural production, such as meat and soybean, and government, with its regulations, is part-responsible for the establishment and maintaining of the conditions so that the trades can go well. In addition, these two types of land use correspond together to aprox. one third of the country extension. Moreover, frequently lands occupation is subject of discussion concerning its potential use for the reason of conflicts including Brazilian traditional communities, landless people and big farmers. Considering it, mapping pasture and croplands accurately is crucial for the country administration, in both economic and political spheres. Certainly, remote sensing is the very manner to tackle this issue, although this may not be an easy task due to the spectral similarity between these patterns. This work, hence, aims to distinct pasture from croplands in an experimental subset area of Brazilian Cerrado biome, using remote sensing metric images derived from one-year time series of the Landsat 8 products. In order to achieve this goal, we utilized six bands of the OLI sensor and calculated seven metrics, attaining a compiled dataset with 42 layers. We performed an object-based supervised classification with the Random Forest algorithm, considering both spectral and geometrical attributes. Results showed global accuracy of 80%, with Kappa index of 0.6, and the potential time series have in separating targets spectrally similar.
Pasture and croplands play an important role in Brazil's economic and political scenarios, once its PIB (Raw Internal Product) is mainly based on what is exported from the rural production, such as meat and soybean, and government, with its regulations, is part-responsible for the establishment and maintaining of the conditions so that the trades can go well. In addition, these two types of land use correspond together to aprox. one third of the country extension. Moreover, frequently lands occupation is subject of discussion concerning its potential use for the reason of conflicts including Brazilian traditional communities, landless people and big farmers. Considering it, mapping pasture and croplands accurately is crucial for the country administration, in both economic and political spheres. Certainly, remote sensing is the very manner to tackle this issue, although this may not be an easy task due to the spectral similarity between these patterns. This work, hence, aims to distinct pasture from croplands in an experimental subset area of Brazilian Cerrado biome, using remote sensing metric images derived from one-year time series of the Landsat 8 products. In order to achieve this goal, we utilized six bands of the OLI sensor and calculated seven metrics, attaining a compiled dataset with 42 layers. We performed an object-based supervised classification with the Random Forest algorithm, considering both spectral and geometrical attributes. Results showed global accuracy of 80%, with Kappa index of 0.6, and the potential time series have in separating targets spectrally similar.
This paper offers a characterization of fundamental limits on the classification and reconstruction of high-dimensional signals from low-dimensional features, in the presence of side information. We consider a scenario where a decoder has access both to linear features of the signal of interest and to linear features of the side information signal; while the side information may be in a compressed form, the objective is recovery or classification of the primary signal, not the side information. The signal of interest and the side information are each assumed to have (distinct) latent discrete labels; conditioned on these two labels, the signal of interest and side information are drawn from a multivariate Gaussian distribution that correlates the two. With joint probabilities on the latent labels, the overall signal-(side information) representation is defined by a Gaussian mixture model. By considering bounds to the misclassification probability associated with the recovery of the underlying signal label, and bounds to the reconstruction error associated with the recovery of the signal of interest itself, we then provide sharp sufficient and/or necessary conditions for these quantities to approach zero when the covariance matrices of the Gaussians are nearly low rank. These conditions, which are reminiscent of the well-known Slepian–Wolf and Wyner–Ziv conditions, are the function of the number of linear features extracted from signal of interest, the number of linear features extracted from the side information signal, and the geometry of these signals and their interplay. Moreover, on assuming that the signal of interest and the side information obey such an approximately low-rank model, we derive the expansions of the reconstruction error as a function of the deviation from an exactly low-rank model; such expansions also allow the identification of operational regimes, where the impact of side information on signal reconstruction is most relevant. Our framework, which offers a principled mechanism to integrate side information in high-dimensional data problems, is also tested in the context of imaging applications. In particular, we report state-of-the-art results in compressive hyperspectral imaging applications, where the accompanying side information is a conventional digital photograph. ; This work was supported in part by the (PIDDAC) for Future Health/Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto under Grant NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000068, funded by the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through the Programa Operacional do Norte, in part by the National Funds, through FCT/MEC (PIDDAC), in part by the Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme under Grant IE120996, in part by AFOSR, in part by ARO, in part by DARPA, in part by DOE, in part by NGA, and in part by ONR. F. Renna was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie under Grant 655282. M. R. D. Rodrigues was supported by EPSRC under Grant EP/K033166/1.
High moisture content, relative humidity, temperature and environment rich in oxygen (O2) are the main factors for tree nuts to get infected by fungi and so aflatoxins (AFLs) contaminated. During storage and commercialization dry Brazil nuts packs need to maintain their safety and quality. Modified atmospheres in storage (macro-environment) and packaging (micro-environment) have been used to prolong food shelf life by reducing O2 concentration with inhibitory gases or, more recently, by adding O2 absorber pads. This work reports the application of O2 atmosphere reducing methods on stored shelled Brazil nut packs aiming fungi and AFL degradation as well as hygienic conditions improvements. The methods applied were: (a) ozone - O3, (b) carbon dioxide - CO2 and (c) O2 absorber pads with and without vacuum. Nuts were submitted to microbiological tests (fungi, aflatoxigenic strains, yeast and bacteria), moisture content and AFLs analysis. From all O2 reducing atmosphere evaluated, the best performance was obtained with O3. A reduction on fungi growth (1.8 x 104 cfu.g-1 to 2.6 x 10 cfu.g-1) and yeast destruction after the first month of storage were registered. Also O3 was the only nut treatment that was able to degrade AFLs. None of the spiked (AFLs: 15 ppb) nut samples O3 treated had AFLs detected up to the LOQ of the method (0.36 μg.kg-1 for AFB1+AFB2+AFG1+AFG2) i.e., much lower than the allowed by the European Union regulation (MRL: 4 and 2 ppb for total and AFB1, respectively), thus producing safer nuts. All other treatments stabilized and/or inhibited microorganisms growth. Add CO2 and O2 pads played an important role on nut quality. Further study will be carried out in order to adjust O3 concentration and application conditions for longer period of storage.
Abstract. A general methodology for the probabilistic evaluation of landslide hazard is applied, taking in account both the landslide susceptibility and the instability triggering factors, mainly rainfall. The method is applied in the Fanhões-Trancão test site (north of Lisbon, Portugal) where 100 shallow translational slides were mapped and integrated into a GIS database. For the landslide susceptibility assessment it is assumed that future landslides can be predicted by statistical relationships between past landslides and the spatial data set of the predisposing factors (slope angle, slope aspect, transversal slope profile, lithology, superficial deposits, geomorphology, and land use). Susceptibility is evaluated using algorithms based on statistical/probabilistic analysis (Bayesian model) over unique-condition terrain units in a raster basis. The landslide susceptibility map is prepared by sorting all pixels according to the pixel susceptibility value in descending order. In order to validate the results of the susceptibility ana- lysis, the landslide data set is divided in two parts, using a temporal criterion. The first subset is used for obtaining a prediction image and the second subset is compared with the prediction results for validation. The obtained prediction-rate curve is used for the quantitative interpretation of the initial susceptibility map. Landslides in the study area are triggered by rainfall. The integration of triggering information in hazard assessment includes (i) the definition of thresholds of rainfall (quantity-duration) responsible for past landslide events; (ii) the calculation of the relevant return periods; (iii) the assumption that the same rainfall patterns (quantity/duration) which produced slope instability in the past will produce the same effects in the future (i.e. same types of landslides and same total affected area). The landslide hazard is present as the probability of each pixel to be affected by a slope movement, and results from the coupling between the susceptibility map, the prediction-rate curve, and the return periods of critical rainfall events, on a scenario basis. Using this methodology, different hazard scenarios were assessed, corresponding to different rain paths with different return periods.
Stem cell therapies hold potential to stimulate tendon regeneration and homeostasis, which is maintained in response to the native mechanical environment. Activins are members of the mechano-responsive TGF-β superfamily that participates in the regulation of several downstream biological processes. Mechanosensitive membrane receptors such as activin can be activated in different types of stem cells via magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) through remote magnetic actuation resulting in cell differentiation. In this work, we target the Activin receptor type IIA (ActRIIA) in human adipose stem cells (hASCs), using anti-ActRIIA functionalized MNPs, externally activated through a oscillating magnetic bioreactor. Upon activation, the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 is induced allowing translocation of the complex to the nucleus, regulating tenogenic transcriptional responses. Our study demonstrates the potential remote activation of MNPs tagged hASCs to trigger the Activin receptor leading to tenogenic differentiation. These results may provide insights toward tendon regeneration therapies. ; The authors acknowledge the financial support from the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020, under the TEAMING Grant agreement No 739572 - The Discoveries CTR. This article is also a result of the project (Accelerating tissue engineering and personalized medicine discoveries by the integration of key enabling nanotechnologies, marine-derived biomaterials and stem cells), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). ...
Ti1−xCux thin films were produced by the glancing angle deposition technique (GLAD) for resistance temperature measurements. The deposition angle was fixed at α = 0° to growth columnar structures and α = 45° to growth zigzag structures. The Ti-to-Cu atomic concentration was tuned from 0 to 100 at.% of Cu in order to optimize the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) value. Increasing the amount of Cu in the Ti1−xCux thin films, the electrical conductivity was gradually changed from 4.35 to 7.87 × 105 Ω−1 m−1. After thermal "stabilization," the zigzag structures of Ti1−xCux films induce strong variation of the thermosensitive response of the materials and exhibited a reversible resistivity versus temperature between 35 and 200 °C. The results reveal that the microstructure has an evident influence on the overall response of the films, leading to values of TCR of 8.73 × 10−3 °C−1 for pure copper films and of 4.38 × 10−3 °C−1 for a films of composition Ti0.49Cu0.51. These values are very close to the ones reported for the bulk platinum (3.93 × 10−3 °C−1), which is known to be one of the best material available for these kind of temperature-related applications. The non-existence of hysteresis in the electrical response of consecutive heating and cooling steps indicates the viability of these nanostructured zigzag materials to be used as thermosensitive sensors. ; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013 and Project PTDC/EEI-SII/5582/2014. A. Ferreira and C. Lopes thanks the FCT for Grant SFRH/BPD/102402/2014 and SFRH/BD/103373/2014. The authors thank financial support from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK Program ...
The objective of this work is to evaluate the associations between the intellectual capital of technology-based incubators in the sustainability of incubated companies located in Portugal. For this purpose, the methodological strategy employed was the survey, and to test the hypotheses the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling PLS-SEM method was applied from a sample of 82 incubated company managers. The results show that the intellectual capital of the incubator company has a direct and positive relationship with the innovative capacity, satisfaction, and sustainability of the incubated company. In turn, the incubated company's innovative capacity has a direct and positive impact on sustainability itself. In addition, both the sustainability of the incubated company and its levels of satisfaction with the incubated company has a positive and direct impact on its competitive success. The management implications include the perception that the greater the effort to improve the human capital, structural capital, and relational capital of the incubated companies, the better will be the results achieved in supporting companies, helping start-ups develop sustainably and competitively in the market.
Combined sewer systems are often unable to respond adequately to rising water volumes draining from urban areas during rainfall events, resulting in frequent direct discharges into receiving waters and floods, with severe environmental and economic impacts. Despite stricter legislation on pollution control and flood risk assessment, there are still some challenges regarding the development of early warning systems based on water quality issues and fully integrated models. An innovative, real-time urban warning system for flooding and pollution events was built for the Alcântara basin (the largest in Lisbon), to provide timely information to wastewater management entities and to civil protection services. The platform provides real-time access to monitoring data and, based on 48-hour precipitation forecasts, predicts the performance of the system through the integrated use of mathematical models for both drainage network and estuary. Predictions are automatically compared and validated with on-line data. This paper presents the overall design of the system and main results obtained thus far. The analysis of the system shows the ability of the integrated models to represent the main spatial and temporal patterns observed, effectively predicting the system response to precipitation events and estimating volumes discharged into the water bodies and their average pollution loads. Furthermore, the overall results strongly indicate UV-Vis spectra to be reliable for TSS and COD estimation in sewer systems. ; f7 ; p10 ; DHA/GTI
Background Surgery is the main modality of cure for solid cancers and was prioritised to continue during COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aimed to identify immediate areas for system strengthening by comparing the delivery of elective cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of lockdown versus light restriction. Methods This international, prospective, cohort study enrolled 20 006 adult (≥18 years) patients from 466 hospitals in 61 countries with 15 cancer types, who had a decision for curative surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and were followed up until the point of surgery or cessation of follow-up (Aug 31, 2020). Average national Oxford COVID-19 Stringency Index scores were calculated to define the government response to COVID-19 for each patient for the period they awaited surgery, and classified into light restrictions (index 60). The primary outcome was the non-operation rate (defined as the proportion of patients who did not undergo planned surgery). Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to explore the associations between lockdowns and non-operation. Intervals from diagnosis to surgery were compared across COVID-19 government response index groups. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04384926. Findings Of eligible patients awaiting surgery, 2003 (10·0%) of 20 006 did not receive surgery after a median follow-up of 23 weeks (IQR 16–30), all of whom had a COVID-19-related reason given for non-operation. Light restrictions were associated with a 0·6% non-operation rate (26 of 4521), moderate lockdowns with a 5·5% rate (201 of 3646; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·77–0·84; p<0·0001), and full lockdowns with a 15·0% rate (1775 of 11 827; HR 0·51, 0·50–0·53; p<0·0001). In sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for SARS-CoV-2 case notification rates, moderate lockdowns (HR 0·84, 95% CI 0·80–0·88; p<0·001), and full lockdowns (0·57, 0·54–0·60; p<0·001), remained independently associated with non-operation. Surgery beyond 12 weeks from diagnosis in patients without neoadjuvant therapy increased during lockdowns (374 [9·1%] of 4521 in light restrictions, 317 [10·4%] of 3646 in moderate lockdowns, 2001 [23·8%] of 11 827 in full lockdowns), although there were no differences in resectability rates observed with longer delays. Interpretation Cancer surgery systems worldwide were fragile to lockdowns, with one in seven patients who were in regions with full lockdowns not undergoing planned surgery and experiencing longer preoperative delays. Although short-term oncological outcomes were not compromised in those selected for surgery, delays and non-operations might lead to long-term reductions in survival. During current and future periods of societal restriction, the resilience of elective surgery systems requires strengthening, which might include protected elective surgical pathways and long-term investment in surge capacity for acute care during public health emergencies to protect elective staff and services. Funding National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit, Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, Medtronic, Sarcoma UK, The Urology Foundation, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Background Surgery is the main modality of cure for solid cancers and was prioritised to continue during COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aimed to identify immediate areas for system strengthening by comparing the delivery of elective cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of lockdown versus light restriction. Methods This international, prospective, cohort study enrolled 20 006 adult (≥18 years) patients from 466 hospitals in 61 countries with 15 cancer types, who had a decision for curative surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and were followed up until the point of surgery or cessation of follow-up (Aug 31, 2020). Average national Oxford COVID-19 Stringency Index scores were calculated to define the government response to COVID-19 for each patient for the period they awaited surgery, and classified into light restrictions (index 60). The primary outcome was the non-operation rate (defined as the proportion of patients who did not undergo planned surgery). Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to explore the associations between lockdowns and non-operation. Intervals from diagnosis to surgery were compared across COVID-19 government response index groups. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04384926. Findings Of eligible patients awaiting surgery, 2003 (10·0%) of 20 006 did not receive surgery after a median follow-up of 23 weeks (IQR 16–30), all of whom had a COVID-19-related reason given for non-operation. Light restrictions were associated with a 0·6% non-operation rate (26 of 4521), moderate lockdowns with a 5·5% rate (201 of 3646; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·77–0·84; p<0·0001), and full lockdowns with a 15·0% rate (1775 of 11 827; HR 0·51, 0·50–0·53; p<0·0001). In sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for SARS-CoV-2 case notification rates, moderate lockdowns (HR 0·84, 95% CI 0·80–0·88; p<0·001), and full lockdowns (0·57, 0·54–0·60; p<0·001), remained independently associated with non-operation. Surgery beyond 12 weeks from diagnosis in patients without neoadjuvant therapy increased during lockdowns (374 [9·1%] of 4521 in light restrictions, 317 [10·4%] of 3646 in moderate lockdowns, 2001 [23·8%] of 11827 in full lockdowns), although there were no differences in resectability rates observed with longer delays. Interpretation Cancer surgery systems worldwide were fragile to lockdowns, with one in seven patients who were in regions with full lockdowns not undergoing planned surgery and experiencing longer preoperative delays. Although short-term oncological outcomes were not compromised in those selected for surgery, delays and non-operations might lead to long-term reductions in survival. During current and future periods of societal restriction, the resilience of elective surgery systems requires strengthening, which might include protected elective surgical pathways and long- term investment in surge capacity for acute care during public health emergencies to protect elective staff and services. Funding National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit, Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, Medtronic, Sarcoma UK, The Urology Foundation, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research.