Embedded platform for ECG biometric recognition

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia de Electrónica e Telecomunicações

A DC Voltage-Multiplier Circuit Working as a High-Voltage Pulse Generator

The intensive use of semiconductor devices enabled the development of a repetitive high-voltage pulse-generator topology from the dc voltage-multiplier (VM) concept. The proposed circuit is based on an odd VM-type circuit, where a number of dc capacitors share a common connection with different voltage ratings in each one, and the output voltage comes from a single capacitor. Standard VM rectifier and coupling diodes are used for charging the energy-storing capacitors, from an ac power supply, and two additional on/off semiconductors in each stage, to switch from the typical charging VM mode to a pulse mode with the dc energy-storing capacitors connected in series with the load. Results from a 2-kV experimental prototype with three stages, delivering a 10-mu s pulse with a 5-kHz repetition rate into a resistive load, are discussed. Additionally, the proposed circuit is compared against the solid-state Marx generator topology for the same peak input and output voltages.

A Service Integration Platform for Collaborative Networks

Integrated manufacturing constitutes a complex system made of heterogeneous information and control subsystems. Those subsystems are not designed to the cooperation. Typically each subsystem automates specific processes, and establishes closed application domains, therefore it is very difficult to integrate it with other subsystems in order to respond to the needed process dynamics. Furthermore, to cope with ever growing marketcompetition and demands, it is necessary for manufacturing/enterprise systems to increase their responsiveness based on up-to-date knowledge and in-time data gathered from the diverse information and control systems. These have created new challenges for manufacturing sector, and even bigger challenges for collaborative manufacturing. The growing complexity of the information and communication technologies when coping with innovative business services based on collaborative contributions from multiple stakeholders, requires novel and multidisciplinary approaches. Service orientation is a strategic approach to deal with such complexity, and various stakeholders' information systems. Services or more precisely the autonomous computational agents implementing the services, provide an architectural pattern able to cope with the needs of integrated and distributed collaborative solutions. This paper proposes a service-oriented framework, aiming to support a virtual organizations breeding environment that is the basis for establishing short or long term goal-oriented virtual organizations. The notion of integrated business services, where customers receive some value developed through the contribution from a network of companies is a key element.

Suporte a testes automáticos em aplicações web geradas com a OutSystems Platform

Dissertação de natureza científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática e de Computadores

A web-based platform for biosignal visualization and annotation

With the advent of wearable sensing and mobile technologies, biosignals have seen an increasingly growing number of application areas, leading to the collection of large volumes of data. One of the difficulties in dealing with these data sets, and in the development of automated machine learning systems which use them as input, is the lack of reliable ground truth information. In this paper we present a new web-based platform for visualization, retrieval and annotation of biosignals by non-technical users, aimed at improving the process of ground truth collection for biomedical applications. Moreover, a novel extendable and scalable data representation model and persistency framework is presented. The results of the experimental evaluation with possible users has further confirmed the potential of the presented framework.

Genotoxic assessment in different exposure groups working with antineoplastic agents

Antioneoplastic drugs are widely used in treatment of cancer, and several studies suggest acute and long-term effects associated to antineoplastic drug exposures, namely associating workplace exposure with health effects. Cytokinesis blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay is one promising short-term genotoxicity assays for human risk assessment and their combination is recommended to monitor populations chronically exposed to genotoxic agents. The aim of this investigation is the genotoxicity assessment in different professionals that handle cytostatics drugs. This research is case-control blinded study constituted by 46 non-exposed subjects and 44 workers that handle antineoplastic drugs, such as pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses. It was found statistically significant increases in the genotoxicity biomarkers in exposed comparising with controls (p<0.05). The findings address the need for regular biomonitoring of personnel occupationally exposed to these drugs, confirming to an enhanced health risk assessment.

Curso E-learning de sistemas multicorpo (multibody systems) para engenheiros mecânicos

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Breve caracterização da situação profissional dos licenciados em ortoprotesia pela ESTeSL entre 2004/2005 e 2012/2013

Introdução – Atualmente, devido à elevada taxa de desemprego e à emigração de jovens licenciados, estes veem a carreira e o futuro profissional comprometidos no seu país de origem. Deste modo, a existência de uma reflexão sobre a sua situação profissional poderá clarificar o futuro dos estudantes e recém-licenciados da área de ortoprotesia. Objetivos – Quantificar a situação profissional dos licenciados em ortoprotesia pela Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa (ESTeSL) e criar uma ferramenta de reflexão sobre as perspetivas profissionais futuras. Metodologia – Estudo quantitativo: aplicação de um questionário fechado online, através da plataforma LimeSurvey® ao universo dos ortoprotésicos licenciados na ESTeSL. Resultados/Discussão – A maioria dos licenciados é jovem e do sexo feminino e uma minoria possui ou está em formação pós graduada (17%). Dos inquiridos, a maioria encontra-se empregada na área da ortoprotesia (78,3%) e a taxa de desemprego situa-se em 8,7%. Constata-se uma mobilidade geográfica para o distrito de Lisboa, quer para estudos como posteriormente para o local de emprego. Conclusão – A elevada taxa de desemprego verificada nos jovens licenciados em Portugal não parece ter um impacto direto na população analisada, uma vez que a taxa de desemprego obtida e a duração da procura do primeiro emprego obtidas são ambas reduzidas; contudo a, taxa de desemprego é semelhante à de outros cursos das tecnologias da saúde. Registe-se a carência de investimento em formação pós-graduada ou de complementos de formação após a licenciatura.