Comparação entre os sistemas de informação adquiridos e os desenvolvidos na Força Aérea

Os Sistemas de Informação (SI) que a Força Aérea (FA) explora são maioritariamente desenvolvidos internamente mas, com a redução cada vez maior do Orçamento para a Defesa, é fundamental um maior rigor na gestão de recursos e o aproveitamento de sinergias com o mundo civil, particularmente na área das Tecnologias de Informação (TI). A decisão de optar por SI comerciais é muitas vezes determinada por aspetos como a necessidade de reduzir custos, assegurar flexibilidade ou acompanhar o desenvolvimento tecnológico. Neste contexto esta investigação tem por objeto os SI utilizados pela FA e visa verificar em que medida é mais vantajoso para a FA continuar a desenvolver os SI que explora, ou se deverá privilegiar a sua aquisição garantindo sempre o cabal cumprimento da missão. Os resultados revelam que a experiência passada com SI comerciais é negativa, os custos elevados e a satisfação dos requisitos operacionais e prazos nem sempre foram atingidos, o que conduz à conclusão que a FA deverá continuar a desenvolver SI em todas as áreas em que os requisitos internos para um SI não tenham uma afinidade forte com o que existe disponível comercialmente. Abstract: Most of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) Information Systems currently in use are developed in-house, but with Defence Budget cuts it is imperative that Human Resources become thoroughly managed and synergies with the civilian world are established, particularly in the Information Technology field. The decision for commercial Information Systems is most of the time determined by the need to reduce costs, assure flexibility or keep up with technology. In this context this research aims to substantiate what is more adequate for the PoAF, continue to develop its Information Systems or give way to a commercial approach , never neglecting the PoAF main goal, its mission. The results show that previous experience with commercial Information Systems have been negative, the costs were high, and the operational requisites and deadlines many times have not been fulfilled. This leads to the conclusion that the PoAF should continue to develop its Information Systems in all the areas in which a commercial solution with identical requisites cannot be found.

Resistivity image beneath an area of active methane seeps in the west Svalbard continental slope

The Arctic continental margin contains large amounts of methane in the form of methane hydrates. The west Svalbard continental slope is an area where active methane seeps have been reported near the landward limit of the hydrate stability zone. The presence of bottom simulating reflectors (BSR) on seismic reflection data in water depths greater than 600 m suggests the presence of free gas beneath gas hydrates in the area. Resistivity obtained from marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data provides a useful complement to seismic methods for detecting shallow hydrate and gas as they are more resistive than surrounding water saturated sediments. We acquired two CSEM lines in the west Svalbard continental slope, extending from the edge of the continental shelf (250 m water depth) to water depths of around 800 m. High resistivities (5-12 Ωm) observed above the BSR support the presence of gas hydrate in water depths greater than 600 m. High resistivities (3-4 Ωm) at 390-600 m water depth also suggest possible hydrate occurrence within the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) of the continental slope. In addition, high resistivities (4-8 Ωm) landward of the GHSZ are coincident with high-amplitude reflectors and low velocities reported in seismic data that indicate the likely presence of free gas. Pore space saturation estimates using a connectivity equation suggest 20-50% hydrate within the lower slope sediments and less than 12% within the upper slope sediments. A free gas zone beneath the GHSZ (10-20% gas saturation) is connected to the high free gas saturated (10-45%) area at the edge of the continental shelf, where most of the seeps are observed. This evidence supports the presence of lateral free gas migration beneath the GHSZ towards the continental shelf.

Development of new analytical procedures of isotope geochemistry by mass spectrometry. Application to the study of high-pressure metamorphic rocks from the Iberian Massif

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DEVELOPMENT OF LI+ AND NA+ CONDUCTING CERAMICS AND CERAMIC STRUCTURES FOR USE IN SOLID STATE BATTERIES

A solid state lithium metal battery based on a lithium garnet material was developed, constructed and tested. Specifically, a porous-dense-porous trilayer structure was fabricated by tape casting, a roll-to-roll technique conducive to high volume manufacturing. The high density and thin center layer (< 20 μm) effectively blocks dendrites even over hundreds of cycles. The microstructured porous layers, serving as electrode supports, are demonstrated to increase the interfacial surface area available to the electrodes and increase cathode loading. Reproducibility of flat, well sintered ceramics was achieved with consistent powderbed lattice parameter and ball milling of powderbed. Together, the resistance of the LLCZN trilayer was measured at an average of 7.6 ohm-cm2 in a symmetric lithium cell, significantly lower than any other reported literature results. Building on these results, a full cell with a lithium metal anode, LLCZN trilayer electrolyte, and LiCoO2 cathode was cycled 100 cycles without decay and an average ASR of 117 ohm-cm2. After cycling, the cell was held at open circuit for 24 hours without any voltage fade, demonstrating the absence of a dendrite or short-circuit of any type. Cost calculations guided the optimization of a trilayer structure predicted that resulting cells will be highly competitive in the marketplace as intrinsically safe lithium batteries with energy densities greater than 300 Wh/kg and 1000 Wh/L for under $100/kWh. Also in the pursuit of solid state batteries, an improved Na+ superionic conductor (NASICON) composition, Na3Zr2Si2PO12, was developed with a conductivity of 1.9x10-3 S/cm. New super-lithiated lithium garnet compositions, Li7.06La3Zr1.94Y0.06O12 and Li7.16La3Zr1.84Y0.16O12, were developed and studied revealing insights about the mechanisms of conductivity in lithium garnets.

Use of acoustic telemetry techniques to understand the individual variability in movement ecology of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, in natural conditions, around Bimini Islands, Bahamas: a comparison study with preliminary personality traits observed in mesocosms

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2016

Synthesis of porous graphene/TiO2 by use of recycled graphite

Graphene-based nanomaterials are a kind of new technological materials with high interest for physicists, chemists and materials scientists. Graphene is a two-dimensional (2-D) sheet of carbon atoms in a hexagonal configuration with atoms bonded by sp2 bonds. These bonds and this electron configuration provides the extraordinary properties of graphene, such as very large surface area, a tunable band gap, high mechanical strength and high elasticity and thermal conductivity [1]. Graphene has also been investigated for preparation of composites with various semiconductors like TiO2, ZnO, CdS aiming at enhanced photocatalytic activity for their use for photochemical reaction as water splitting or CO2 to methanol conversion [2-3]. In this communication, the synthesis of porous graphene@TiO2 obtained from a powder graphite recycled, supplied by ECOPIBA, is presented. This graphite was exfoliated, using a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) and sonication. Titanium(IV) isopropoxide was used as TiO2 source. After removing the surfactant with a solution HCl/n-propanol, a porous solid is obtained with a specific area of 358 m2g-1. The solid was characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, EDX and TEM. Figure 1 shows the graphene 2D layer bonded with nanoparticles of TiO2. When a water suspension of this material is exposed with UV-vis radiation, water splitting reaction is carried out and H2/O2 bubbles are observed (Figure 2)

Impact of comorbidities and gender on the use of coronary interventions in patients with high-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of gender and comorbidity on use of coronary interventions in patients diagnosed with high-risk non-ST-segment acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS). BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend the use of coronary angiography for all patients diagnosed with NSTEACS with high-risk features, except in the presence of severe comorbidities. However, little is understood about the relationship between gender, comorbidity, and the use of coronary interventions. METHODS: Retrospective analyses of the Victorian Admitted Episodes Data Set (VAED) including all patients diagnosed with NSTEACS with high-risk features on their first admission for ACS between June 2007 and July 2009. Hierarchical logistic regression models and correspondence analyses were used to understand the relationship between gender, comorbidities, and the use of coronary interventions. RESULTS: Out of 16,771 NSTEACS patients with high-risk features, 6,338 (38%) were female. Females were older than males (aged ≥75: 62% vs 39%, p < 0.001) and more likely to have multiple comorbidities (≥2: 66% vs 59%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, females were more likely to receive no coronary intervention than males with a similar number of comorbid conditions (no comorbidities: OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.28-2.05; 1 comorbidity: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.44-1.93; 2 comorbidities: OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.66-2.23; ≥3 comorbidities: OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.27-1.60). CONCLUSIONS: Lower rates of coronary intervention in females persisted after adjusting for number of comorbidities which suggests that gender may bias decisions regarding referral for coronary intervention in high-risk NSTEACS independent of other factors.

Technology use and teenagers diagnosed with high-functioning Autism: in and across differentiated spaces

This chapter investigates how social uses of technology situated within specific differentiated spaces enable youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to counter pre-conceived notions of autism as a form of limitation. In particular, we explore the richly layered, complex and creative lives that are enacted by young people who attend The Lab, an Australian-based technology club for youth diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).

Rapid identification and differentiation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis types by use of real-time PCR and high-resolution melt analysis of the MAP1506 locus

High-resolution melt (HRM) analysis can identify sequence polymorphisms by comparing the melting curves of amplicons generated by real-time PCR amplification. We describe the application of this technique to identify Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis types I, II, and III. The HRM approach was based on type-specific nucleotide sequences in MAP1506, a member of the PPE (proline-proline-glutamic acid) gene family.

Landscape Patterns of Permafrost Disturbance and Degradation in the Canadian High Arctic

Intensification of permafrost disturbances such as active layer detachments (ALDs) and retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) have been observed across the circumpolar Arctic. These features are indicators of unstable conditions stemming from recent climate warming and permafrost degradation. In order to understand the processes interacting to give rise to these features, a multidisciplinary approach is required; i.e., interactions between geomorphology, hydrology, vegetation and ground thermal conditions. The goal of this research is to detect and map permafrost disturbance, predict landscape controls over disturbance and determine approaches for monitoring disturbance, all with the goal of contributing to the mitigation of permafrost hazards. Permafrost disturbance inventories were created by applying semi-automatic change detection techniques to IKONOS satellite imagery collected at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO). These methods provide a means to estimate the spatial distribution of permafrost disturbances for a given area for use as an input in susceptibility modelling. Permafrost disturbance susceptibility models were then developed using generalized additive and generalized linear models (GAM, GLM) fitted to disturbed and undisturbed locations and relevant GIS-derived predictor variables (slope, potential solar radiation, elevation). These models successfully delineated areas across the landscape that were susceptible to disturbances locally and regionally when transferred to an independent validation location. Permafrost disturbance susceptibility models are a first-order assessment of landscape susceptibility and are promising for designing land management strategies for remote permafrost regions. Additionally, geomorphic patterns associated with higher susceptibility provide important knowledge about processes associated with the initiation of disturbances. Permafrost degradation was analyzed at the CBAWO using differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR). Active-layer dynamics were interpreted using inter-seasonal and intra-seasonal displacement measurements and highlight the importance of hydroclimatic factors on active layer change. Collectively, these research approaches contribute to permafrost monitoring and the assessment of landscape-scale vulnerability in order to develop permafrost disturbance mitigation strategies.

Investigating the use of IELTS in determining employment, migration and professional registration outcomes in healthcare and early chidlhood education in Australia

Focusing on two professional fields that are critical to Australia’s future – health and early childhood education – the study provides key insights into the many challenges facing overseas-trained professionals and international graduates transitioning into the Australian labour market.The study highlights the complex language requirements in the professions of medicine, nursing and early childhood education and explores the implications for stakeholders. Employers require graduates to have high-level English language skills, and universities are increasingly expected to ensure international students graduate with the required English language proficiency.Finally, the study highlights the many challenges facing overseas-trained/international graduates transitioning into the labour market. For participants in this study, the challenges of working in their profession in Australia are many and varied. These challenges include workplace discrimination, isolation and extreme frustration when unable to work in their area of qualification.

Distribution modelling of wild rabbit hunting yields in its original area (S Iberian Peninsula)

In this work we used the information of the Annual Hunting Reports (AHRs) to obtain a high-resolution model of the potential favourableness for wild rabbit harvesting in Andalusia (southern Spain), using environmental and land-use variables as predictors. We analysed 32,134 AHRs from the period 1993/2001 reported by 6049 game estates to estimate the average hunting yields of wild rabbit in each Andalusian municipality (n5771). We modelled the favourableness for obtaining good hunting yields using stepwise logistic regression on a set of climatic, orographical, land use, and vegetation variables. The favourability equation was used to create a downscaled image representing the favourableness of obtaining good hunting yields for the wild rabbit in 161 km squares in Andalusia, using the Idrisi Image Calculator. The variables that affected hunting yields of wild rabbit were altitude, dry wood crops (mainly olive groves, almond groves, and vineyards), temperature, pasture, slope, and annual number of frost days. The 161 km squares with high favourableness values are scattered throughout the territory, which seems to be caused mainly by the effect of vegetation. Finally, we obtained quality categories for the territory by combining the probability values given by logistic regression with those of the environmental favourability function.

Evaluation of water use, yield and water productivity of a high-density orchard (cv. Cobrançosa) subjected to different irrigation regimes – An account of four years

The impact of different irrigation scheduling regimes on the water use, yield and water productivity from a high-density olive grove cv. Cobrançosa in southern Portugal was assessed during the irrigation seasons of 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The experiments were conducted in a commercial olive orchard at the Herdade Álamo de Cima, near Évora (38o 29' 49.44'' N, 7o 45' 8.83'' W; alt. 75 m) in southern Alentejo, Portugal. The orchard was established with 10-year old Cobrançosa trees in grids of 8.0 x 4.2 m (300 trees ha-1) in the E-W direction, and experiments conducted on a shallow sandy loam Regosoil Haplic soil. From mid-May to the end of September the orchard was irrigated and three plots were subjected to one of two irrigation treatments: a control treatment A, irrigated to replace 100% ETc, a moderate deficit irrigation treatment B irrigated to 70% of ETc, and a more severe deficit irrigation treatment C that provided for approximately 50% of ETc. Daily tree transpiration rates were obtained by continuously monitoring of sap flow in representative trees per treatment. Among the irrigated treatments, water use efficiency (WUE, ratio of water used to irrigation- water applied) of treatment C was the highest, with a value of 0.89, being treatment B slightly lower, with a WUE of 0.76. Olive harvest for 2012 was an exceptional “on year”. Bearing yields showed contrasting differences within years where an “on year” was followed by an “off year”. In 2011 and 2012 treatment B yields were 41 and 50% higher than treatment C, respectively. In 2013 treatment B yield was 45% higher than yield of the fully irrigated treatment A, and treatment C showed practically the same yield than treatment A. In the “on year” of 2014 treatment B averaged 48% higher yield than treatment C. Treatment B farm irrigation water productivity (WPI-Farm, ratio of yield to water applied) was the highest among all treatments. Treatment A showed the lowest conversion efficiency of all treatments, indicating treatment B as the adequate deficit irrigation treatment for our Cobrançosa orchard

Movements of Diplodus sargus (Sparidae) within a Portuguese coastal Marine Protected Area: Are they really protected?

Mark-recapture tagging and acoustic telemetry were used to study the movements of Diplodus sargus within the Pessegueiro Island no-take Marine Protected Area (MPA), (Portugal) and assess its size adequacy for this species' protection against fishing activities. Therefore, 894 Diplodus sargus were captured and marked with conventional plastic t-bar tags. At the same time, 19 D. sargus were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored by 20 automatic acoustic receivers inside the no-take MPA for 60 days. Recapture rate of conventionally tagged specimens was 3.47%, most occurring during subsequent marking campaigns. One individual however was recaptured by recreational fishermen near Faro (ca. 250 km from the tagging location) 6 months after release. Furthermore, three specimens were recaptured in October 2013 near releasing site, one year after being tagged. Regarding acoustic telemetry, 18 specimens were detected by the receivers during most of the study period. To analyse no-take MPA use, the study site was divided into five areas reflecting habitat characteristics, three of which were frequently used by the tagged fish: Exterior, Interior Protected and Interior Exposed areas. Information on no-take protected area use was also analysed according to diel and tidal patterns. Preferred passageways and permanence areas were identified and high site fidelity was confirmed. The interaction between tide and time of day influenced space use patterns, with higher and more variable movements during daytime and neap tides. This no-take MPA proved to be an important refuge and feeding area for this species, encompassing most of the home ranges of tagged specimens. Therefore, it is likely that this no-take MPA is of adequate size to protect D. sargus against fishing activities, thus contributing to its sustainable management in the region.