Vigilância da costa marítima utilizando radar de abertura sintética

Nesta tese apresenta-se uma nova técnica para solucionar a problemática da estimação de velocidade de embarcações em Radar de Abertura Sintética (SAR). A solução proposta combina duas técnicas já publicadas introduzindo como inovação, a Transformada de Radon. Esta transformada vai permitir estimar a posição do rasto que a embarcação gera à medida que se vai deslocando. Com a posição do objecto calculada é então possível estimar a sua distância ao rasto e assim a velocidade em range. Esta estimativa é limitada pelo Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) utilizado na missão SAR. Para a velocidade em azimute é usada uma técnica de Multilook que vai executar uma correlação cruzada entre dois look’s consecutivos. Esta operação permite estimar o desvio que um alvo sofreu de um look para outro. Medindo a frequência central de cada look utilizado é possível estimar a velocidade em azimute.

Genotoxicity biomarkers: application in histopathology laboratories

Most cancers results from man-made and natural environmental exposures (such as tobacco smoke; chemical pollutants in air, water, food, drugs; radon; and infectious agents) acting in concert with both genetic and acquired characteristics. It has been estimated that without these environmental factors, cancer incidence would be dramatically reduced, by as much as 80%-90%. The modulation of environmental factors by host susceptibility was rarely evaluated. However, within the past few years, the interaction between environmental factors and host susceptibility factors has become a very active area of research. Molecular biology as a tool for use in epidemiological studies has significant potential in strengthening the identification of cancers associated with environmental exposures related to lifestyle, occupation, or ambient pollution. In molecular epidemiology, laboratory methods are employed to document the molecular basis and preclinical effects of environmental carcinogenesis. Molecular epidemiology has become a major field of research and considerable progress has been made in validation and application of biomarkers and its greatest contribution has been the insights provided into interindividual variation in human cancer risk and the complex interactions between environmental factors and host susceptibility factors, both inherited and acquired, in the multistage process of carcinogenesis.

Naturally occurring radioactive materials: a method for assessing the risk of exposure

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) are materials that are found naturally in the environment and contain radioactive isotopes that can cause negative effects on the health of workers who manipulate them. Present in underground work like mining and tunnel construction in granite zones, these materials are difficult to identify and characterize without appropriate equipment for risk evaluation. The assessing methods were exemplified with a case study applied to the handling and processing of phosphoric rock where one found significant amounts of radioactive isotopes and consequently elevated radon concentrations in enclosed spaces containing these materials. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London.