3D modelling of the transmissivity of granitic rocks surrounding the old Quinta do Bispo mine | Modelação 3D da transmissividade do maciço granítico envolvente à antiga mina da Quinta do Bispo

Apresenta-se uma metodologia para caracterizar a transmissividade dos Granitos Hercínicos e Metasedimentos do Complexo Xisto-Grauváquico do maciço envolvente e subjacente à antiga área mineira de urânio da Quinta do Bispo. Inicia-se com a modelação das litologias e grau de alteração a que se segue a simulação condicional da densidade de fracturação. No final, a densidade de fracturação é convertida num modelo 3D de transmissividade por relação com os resultados dos ensaios de bombagem. The purpose of this work is to present a methodology for characterizing the transmissivity of the Hercynian granites and complex schist–greywacke metasediment rocks surrounding and underlying the old Quinta do Bispo uranium mining site. The methodology encompasses modelling of lithologies and weathering levels, followed by a conditional simulation of fracture density. Fracture density is then converted into a 3D model of transmissivity via a relationship with pumping tests.

Confirmação do modelo da estrutura 3D do vale inferior do Tejo a partir de dados de ruído sísmico ambiente

Ao longo de sua história a região do Vale Inferior do Tejo VIT foi abalada por vários sismos consideravelmente destrutivas, tendo alguns deles produzido significativas deformações nas estruturas marítimas localizadas no litoral a sudoeste do território Português; outros, moderados, foram produzidos por fontes locais, como os de 1344, 1531 e 1909. Nos últimos anos, devido à melhoria dos modelos de estrutura 3D e o desenvolvimento dos métodos numéricos, foram elaborados vários estudos de síntese de movimento forte do solo para a região do Baixo Tejo utilizando o método de diferenças finitas. Para confirmar o modelo de velocidades desta bacia usámos medidas de ruído sísmico, aplicámos um método baseado na razão espectral H/V, e, a partir destas curvas, por inversão, obtivemos um modelo de velocidades para a região estudada. Os resultados revelam uma boa concordância entre o modelo obtido e os dados geofísicos e geológicos recolhidos na mesma área._ ABSTRACT: Along his history the Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) area was shaken by several earthquakes. The largest reported had their origin in the southwestern part of Iberia. Other moderate earthquakes were produced by local sources such as the 1344, 1531 and the 1909. ln the last years, due to 3D structural model improvement and development in numerical methods, several studies have successful obtained strong-ground motion synthesis for the LVT region using finite difference method. To confirm the velocity model of the LTV sedimentary basin obtained by geophysical and geological data, we use broad-band microtremor measurements and application of the horizontal to vertical (H/V) spectral ratio method. We have obtained a velocity model for the studied region by inversion of the H/V curve. The results have good agreement geological and geophysical data.

Sviluppo di un sistema di Realta Aumentata applicato a un modello 3D della prostata, sviluppato a partire da immagini RM, al fine di facilitare la dissezione del tumore e la conservazione dei fasci neuro vascolari durante l'intervento chirurgico di prostatectomia radicale robot-assistita

La realtà aumentata (AR) è una nuova tecnologia adottata in chirurgia prostatica con l'obiettivo di migliorare la conservazione dei fasci neurovascolari (NVB) ed evitare i margini chirurgici positivi (PSM). Abbiamo arruolato prospetticamente pazienti con diagnosi di cancro alla prostata (PCa) sul base di biopsia di fusione mirata con mpMRI positiva. Prima dell'intervento, i pazienti arruolati sono stati indirizzati a sottoporsi a ricostruzione del modello virtuale 3D basato su mpMRI preoperatoria immagini. Infine, il chirurgo ha eseguito la RARP con l'ausilio del modello 3D proiettato in AR all'interno della console robotica (RARP guidata AR-3D). I pazienti sottoposti a AR RARP sono stati confrontati con quelli sottoposti a "RARP standard" nello stesso periodo. Nel complesso, i tassi di PSM erano comparabili tra i due gruppi; I PSM a livello della lesione indice erano significativamente più bassi nei pazienti riferiti al gruppo AR-3D (5%) rispetto a quelli nel gruppo di controllo (20%; p = 0,01). La nuova tecnica di guida AR-3D per l'analisi IFS può consentono di ridurre i PSM a livello della lesione dell'indice

Besnoitia besnoiti protein disulfide isomerase (BbPDI): molecular characterization, expression and in silico modelling

Besnoitia besnoiti is an apicomplexan parasite responsible for bovine besnoitiosis, a disease with a high prevalence in tropical and subtropical regions and re-emerging in Europe. Despite the great economical losses associated with besnoitiosis, this disease has been underestimated and poorly studied, and neither an effective therapy nor an efficacious vaccine is available. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an essential enzyme for the acquisition of the correct three-dimensional structure of proteins. Current evidence suggests that in Neosporacaninum and Toxoplasmagondii, which are closely related to B. besnoiti, PDI play an important role in host cell invasion, is a relevant target for the host immune response, and represents a promising drug target and/or vaccine candidate. In this work, we present the nucleotide sequence of the B. besnoiti PDI gene. BbPDI belongs to the thioredoxin-like superfamily (cluster 00388) and is included in the PDI_a family (cluster defined cd02961) and the PDI_a_PDI_a'_c subfamily (cd02995). A 3D theoretical model was built by comparative homology using Swiss-Model server, using as a template the crystallographic deduced model of Tapasin-ERp57 (PDB code 3F8U chain C). Analysis of the phylogenetic tree for PDI within the phylum apicomplexa reinforces the close relationship among B. besnoiti, N. caninum and T. gondii. When subjected to a PDI-assay based on the polymerisation of reduced insulin, recombinant BbPDI expressed in E. coli exhibited enzymatic activity, which was inhibited by bacitracin. Antiserum directed against recombinant BbPDI reacted with PDI in Western blots and by immunofluorescence with B. besnoiti tachyzoites and bradyzoites.

Sistema de visão para aterragem automática de UAV

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica Ramo de Automação e Electrónica Industrial

Upper crustal structure of Madeira Island revealed from ambient noise tomography

We present the first image of the Madeira upper crustal structure, using ambient seismic noise tomography. 16 months of ambient noise, recorded in a dense network of 26 seismometers deployed across Madeira, allowed reconstructing Rayleigh wave Green's functions between receivers. Dispersion analysis was performed in the short period band from 1.0 to 4.0 s. Group velocity measurements were regionalized to obtain 20 tomographic images, with a lateral resolution of 2.0 km in central Madeira. Afterwards, the dispersion curves, extracted from each cell of the 2D group velocity maps, were inverted as a function of depth to obtain a 3D shear wave velocity model of the upper crust, from the surface to a depth of 2.0 km. The obtained 3D velocity model reveals features throughout the island that correlates well with surface geology and island evolution. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upper crustal structure of Madeira Island revealed from ambient noise tomography

We present the first image of the Madeira upper crustal structure, using ambient seismic noise tomography. 16 months of ambient noise, recorded in a dense network of 26 seismometers deployed across Madeira, allowed reconstructing Rayleigh wave Green's functions between receivers. Dispersion analysis was performed in the short period band from 1.0 to 4.0 s. Group velocity measurements were regionalized to obtain 20 tomographic images, with a lateral resolution of 2.0 km in central Madeira. Afterwards, the dispersion curves, extracted from each cell of the 2D group velocity maps, were inverted as a function of depth to obtain a 3D shear wave velocity model of the upper crust, from the surface to a depth of 2.0 km. The obtained 3D velocity model reveals features throughout the island that correlates well with surface geology and island evolution. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Taludes rochosos. Metodologias de inspecção e de avalialição de segurança. Caso de estudo das vertentes rochosas de S. Simão

A instabilização de taludes rochosos, com consequências mais ou menos gravosas, repete-se com frequência no território nacional. Os enquadramentos destes incidentes são diversos, sendo mais comum e mais visível a sua ocorrência em taludes adjacentes a vias de comunicação. No entanto, o fenómeno repete-se também em vertentes naturais, geralmente em alturas de pluviosidade mais prolongada e intensa. No presente trabalho reveem-se conceitos associados a maciços rochosos, nomeadamente as principais classificações geotécnicas e as diferentes tipologias de instabilidade em taludes rochosos. Desenvolve-se um caso de estudo de uma vertente localizada em S. Simão, concelho de Amarante. Percorrem-se as sucessivas fases de estudo, incluindo a realização da fotografia aérea com recurso a um veículo não tripulado, a geração de um modelo 3D de elevada precisão da vertente e a caracterização e a classificação dos diferentes afloramentos rochosos. Desenvolve-se uma metodologia de inspeção com a criação de dois conjuntos de fichas e propõe-se o agravamento da classificação das anomalias perante a simultaneidade de ocorrência de anomalias de idêntica gravidade e a hierarquização dos blocos potencialmente instáveis, de acordo com os respetivos níveis de gravidade (NGB). Recorre-se ao programa de modelação da queda de blocos, “Rocfall (4.0”, da “Rocscience”, a partir de trajetórias definidas no modelo 3D gerado e propõem-se soluções de reforço e de proteção da vertente.

High strain rate constitutive modeling forhistorical structures subjected to blast loading

Doctoral Thesis Civil Engineering

Synthèse de l'évolution de la plateforme Urgonienne (Barrémien tardif à Aptien précoce) du Sud-Est de la France : facies, micropaléontologie, géochimie, géométries, paléotectonique et géomodélisation

Il y a environ 125 millions d'années, au Crétacé inférieur, la position des continents et le climat terrestre étaient bien différents de ce que l'on connait aujourd'hui. Le Sud-Est de la France, secteur de cette étude, était alors recouvert d'eau, sous un climat chaud et humide. Sur la bordure de cette étendue d'eau (appelée bassin Vocontien), qui correspond aujourd'hui aux régions de la Provence, du Vaucluse, du Gard, de l'Ardèche et du Vercors, des plateformes carbonatées, (telles que les Bahamas), se développaient. Le calcaire, formé à partir des sédiments accumulés sur ces plateformes, est appelé Urgonien. L'objectif de cette étude est de définir les facteurs qui ont influencé le développement de cette plateforme carbonatée dite « urgonienne » et dans quelle mesure. Plusieurs missions de terrain ont permis de récolter de nombreux échantillons de roche en 52 lieux répartis sur l'ensemble du Sud-Est de la France. Les observations réalisées sur le terrain ainsi que les données acquises en laboratoire (microfaune, microfacies et données géo-chimiques) ont permis, de subdiviser chacune des 52 séries urgoniennes en séquences stratigraphiques et cortèges sédimentaires. La comparaison des épaisseurs et des faciès de chaque cortège sédimentaire permet de concevoir la géométrie et l'évolution paléogéographique de la plateforme urgonienne. Les résultats de cette étude démontrent que son organisation est principalement dirigée par des failles qui ont jouées pendant le dépôt des sédiments. Sur la bordure nord du bassin Vocontien, trois failles subméridiennes contrôlent la géométrie et la répartition des environnements de dépôt. Sur sa bordure sud, ces failles synsédimentaires d'orientation N30° et N110° délimitent des blocs basculés. En tête de bloc, des séries d'épaisseurs réduites à faciès de lagon interne se sont déposées alors que les pieds de blocs sont caractérisés par des épaisseurs importantes et la présence de faciès plus externes. Ces concepts ont ensuite été testés en construisant un modèle numérique en trois dimensions de l'Urgonien du Sud-Est de la France. Sa cohérence avec les données acquises tout au long de cette étude d'une part, et sa cohérence géométrique d'autre part, valide les théories avancées. Des formations équivalentes à l'Urgonien sont réparties dans le monde entier et notamment au Moyen-Orient où elles constituent les réservoirs pétroliers les plus importants. Etre capable de caractériser les facteurs ayant influencé son architecture permet par la suite une meilleure exploitation de ses ressources énergétiques. -- Au Crétacé inférieur, l'intense activité magmatique due à la dislocation du super-continent Pangée influence fortement les conditions environnementales globales. Au Barrémien terminal et Aptien basal, période géologique dont fait l'objet cette étude, le bassin Vocontien, puis Bédoulien, recouvre le Sud-Est de la France, sous un climat chaud et humide. Sur les bordures de ces bassins, des plateformes carbonatées se mettent en place. Les sédiments qui se déposent sur ces plateformes sont à l'origine de la formation urgonienne. Afin d'étudier cette formation, une charte biostratigraphique, principalement basée sur les Orbitolinidés, et un modèle de faciès ont été développés. Les assemblages faunistiques, la succession des faciès, les observations de terrain ainsi que l'étude de signaux géochimiques ont permis le découpage séquentiel de la série urgonienne le long de 54 coupes et puis, répartis sur l'ensemble du Sud-Est de la France. Les corrélations induites par cette étude stratigraphique ont mis en évidence d'importantes variations d'épaisseur et d'environnements de dépôt au sein même de la plateforme urgonienne. Ces variations sont expliquées par le jeu de failles syn-sédimentaires qui ont compartimentées la plateforme urgonienne en blocs. Sur la bordure sud du bassin Vocontien, ces failles d'orientation N30° et N110° délimitent six blocs basculés. Au sommet du Barrémien terminal, la subsidence des blocs situés le plus au sud s'amplifie jusqu'à provoquer l'ouverture du bassin de la Bédoule au sud du secteur d'étude. Cette théorie d'évolution a ensuite été testée par l'élaboration d'un modèle numérique en trois dimensions de l'Urgonien du Sud-Est de la France. Sa cohérence avec les données acquises tout au long de cette étude d'une part, et sa cohérence géométrique d'autre part, valide les théories avancées. Des analogues de l'Urgonien sont répartis dans le monde entier et notamment au Moyen-Orient où ils représentent d'importants réservoirs pétroliers. Être capable de caractériser les facteurs ayant influencé l'architecture de l'Urgonien du Sud-Est de la France permet par la suite une meilleure exploitation de ses ressources énergétiques. -- During the Early Cretaceous epoch, intensive magmatic activity due to the dislocation of the super-continent Pangaea, highly influenced global environmental conditions, which were characterized by a warm and generally humic climate. In this context, carbonate platforms were important in tropical and subtropical shallow-water regions, and especially during the late Barremian and early Aptian, platform carbonates of so-called Urgonian affinity are widespread. In southeastern France, the Urgonian platform was part of the northern Tethyan margin and bordered the Vocontian and the Bedoulian basins. The goal of this thesis was the systematic study of the Urgonian Formation in this region, and in order to achieve this goal, a biostratigraphic chart and a facies model were developed. The faunistic assemblages, the facies succession, the field observations and the study of geochemical signals lead to a sequential subdivision of the Urgonian series along 54 sections and wells allocated in five different regions in southeastern France (Gard, Ardèche, Vercors, Vaucluse and Provence). Correlations from this stratigraphic study highlight important variations in thickness and depositional environments of the Urgonian series. These variations are explained by relative movements induced by syn-sedimentary faults, which divided the Urgonian platforms into blocks. On the southern border of the Vocontian basin, these faults, oriented N30° and N110°, delineate six tilted blocks. At the top of the upper Barremian carbonates, subsidence of the two southern blocks accelerated leading to the opening of the Bedoulian basin. The reconstruction of the sequence-stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental evolution of the Urgonian platforms was then tested by the construction of a 3D numerical model of the Urgonian formation of southeastern France. Firstly, its consistency with the data collected during this study, and secondly, its geometrical coherence validate the proposed theory. Urgonian analogs exist all over the world and particularly in Middle East where they constitute important oil reservoirs. The exact reconstruction of the major factors, which influenced the architecture of these formations, will allow for a better exploitation of these energy resources.

Towards Detecting Changes in Underwater Image Sequences

Detecting changes between images of the same scene taken at different times is of great interest for monitoring and understanding the environment. It is widely used for on-land application but suffers from different constraints. Unfortunately, Change detection algorithms require highly accurate geometric and photometric registration. This requirement has precluded their use in underwater imagery in the past. In this paper, the change detection techniques available nowadays for on-land application were analyzed and a method to automatically detect the changes in sequences of underwater images is proposed. Target application scenarios are habitat restoration sites, or area monitoring after sudden impacts from hurricanes or ship groundings. The method is based on the creation of a 3D terrain model from one image sequence over an area of interest. This model allows for synthesizing textured views that correspond to the same viewpoints of a second image sequence. The generated views are photometrically matched and corrected against the corresponding frames from the second sequence. Standard change detection techniques are then applied to find areas of difference. Additionally, the paper shows that it is possible to detect false positives, resulting from non-rigid objects, by applying the same change detection method to the first sequence exclusively. The developed method was able to correctly find the changes between two challenging sequences of images from a coral reef taken one year apart and acquired with two different cameras

Estudi dels mecanismes mecànico-químics de la fibrogènesi pulmonar

La fibrosi pulmonar idiopàtica (FPI) és una malaltia intersticial letal, d'etiologia desconeguda i per la que no es disposa de cap tractament efectiu. Creiem que l’elasticitat normal del pulmó té propietats anti-fibròtiques, de manera que la FPI només progressarà si es produeix un enduriment sostingut del teixit. Per això hem dissenyat dos assaigs que ens permetran examinar els efectes pro-fibròtics de l'enduriment extracel•lular sobre fibroblasts primaris de pulmó. Els dos assaigs d'enduriment es basen en gels de poliacrilamida 2D i en gels de col•lagen 3D. Els fibroblasts s'han cultivat en el model d'enduriment 3D en presència o absència de la citoquina pro-fibròtica TGF-β1 i s'ha analitzat com la combinació de l’enduriment extracelular i la TGF-b1 modifiquen el fenotip de les cèl.lules. Els resultats preliminars mostren canvis en l'expressió d'alguns gens en resposta a l'enduriment i al TGF-b1, així com diferències entre cel•lules normals i fibròtiques. A més, suggereixen que l'expressió de COL1A1 i MMP-1 és mecanosensible, i que la seva desregulació podria estar associada a l’enduriment anòmal característic dels pulmons amb FPI.

Rapid prototyping of compliant human aortic roots for assessment of valved stents.

Adequate in-vitro training in valved stents deployment as well as testing of the latter devices requires compliant real-size models of the human aortic root. The casting methods utilized up to now are multi-step, time consuming and complicated. We pursued a goal of building a flexible 3D model in a single-step procedure. We created a precise 3D CAD model of a human aortic root using previously published anatomical and geometrical data and printed it using a novel rapid prototyping system developed by the Fab@Home project. As a material for 3D fabrication we used common house-hold silicone and afterwards dip-coated several models with dispersion silicone one or two times. To assess the production precision we compared the size of the final product with the CAD model. Compliance of the models was measured and compared with native porcine aortic root. Total fabrication time was 3 h and 20 min. Dip-coating one or two times with dispersion silicone if applied took one or two extra days, respectively. The error in dimensions of non-coated aortic root model compared to the CAD design was <3.0% along X, Y-axes and 4.1% along Z-axis. Compliance of a non-coated model as judged by the changes of radius values in the radial direction by 16.39% is significantly different (P<0.001) from native aortic tissue--23.54% at the pressure of 80-100 mmHg. Rapid prototyping of compliant, life-size anatomical models with the Fab@Home 3D printer is feasible--it is very quick compared to previous casting methods.

The long-term survival of in vitro engineered nervous tissue derived from the specific neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) offer attractive prospective as potential source of neurons for cell replacement therapy in human neurodegenerative diseases. Besides, ESCs neural differentiation enables in vitro tissue engineering for fundamental research and drug discovery aimed at the nervous system. We have established stable and long-term three-dimensional (3D) culture conditions which can be used to model long latency and complex neurodegenerative diseases. Mouse ESCs-derived neural progenitor cells generated by MS5 stromal cells induction, result in strictly neural 3D cultures of about 120-mum thick, whose cells expressed mature neuronal, astrocytes and myelin markers. Neurons were from the glutamatergic and gabaergic lineages. This nervous tissue was spatially organized in specific layers resembling brain sub-ependymal (SE) nervous tissue, and was maintained in vitro for at least 3.5 months with great stability. Electron microscopy showed the presence of mature synapses and myelinated axons, suggesting functional maturation. Electrophysiological activity revealed biological signals involving action potential propagation along neuronal fibres and synaptic-like release of neurotransmitters. The rapid development and stabilization of this 3D cultures model result in an abundant and long-lasting production that is compatible with multiple and productive investigations for neurodegenerative diseases modeling, drug and toxicology screening, stress and aging research.

Rullakuljettimen mallinnuksen automatisointi

Tämä diplomityö käsittelee erään rullakuljettia valmistavan yrityksen suunniteluprosessin tehostamista suunnitteluautomaatilla. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli parametrisoida asiakkaan 3D-tuotemalli ja luoda erillinen käyttöliittymä, jolla mallia voidaan määrätyissä rajoissa varioida. Diplomityön tuloksena syntyi toimiva Microsoft Excelilla toteutettu suunnitteluautomaatti, jolla voitiin varioida SolidWorksilla luotua tuotemallia. Suunnitteluautomaatti päivitti mallin lisäksi myös tuotteen valmistuspiirustukset ja komponenttien valmistukseen käytettävät työstökoneiden ohjaustiedostot. Automaatin käyttö lyhensi tuotteen variointiin kuluvaa aikaa alkuperäisestä yhdestä työviikosta kahteen tuntiin, poisti suunnitteluvirheet lähes kokonaan ja vähensi yrityksen rutiinisuunnitteluun käyttämää työaikaa.