Fuzzy Ensembles for Embedding Adaptive Behaviours in Semi-Autonomous Avatars in 3D Virtual Worlds

Semi-autonomous avatars should be both realistic and believable. The goal is to learn from and reproduce the behaviours of the user-controlled input to enable semi-autonomous avatars to plausibly interact with their human-controlled counterparts. A powerful tool for embedding autonomous behaviour is learning by imitation. Hence, in this paper an ensemble of fuzzy inference systems cluster the user input data to identify natural groupings within the data to describe the users movement and actions in a more abstract way. Multiple clustering algorithms are investigated along with a neuro-fuzzy classifier; and an ensemble of fuzzy systems are evaluated.

O microfitoplâncton e possível interferência no crescimento da dourada (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus, 1758) em tanques de aquacultura semi-intensiva

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Especialização em Aquacultura e Pescas, Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Universidade do Algarve, 2008

Definição do modo de operação, descontínuo ou semi-descontínuo, para produção de bioetanol utilizando um novo substrato misto pela levedura Kluyveromyces sp.

Dissertação de mestrado, Engenharia Biológica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

An analysis of bimanual actions in natural feeding of semi-wild chimpanzees

Objective The objective of the current study was to investigate the lateral dominance for a bimanually coordinated natural feeding behavior in semi-wild chimpanzees. Materials and Methods We investigated strychnos spp. fruit consumption behaviors in semi-wild chimpanzees as an ecologically comparable feeding behavior to those found in cerebral lateralization studies of non-primate species. Video recordings of thirty-three chimpanzees were assessed while they consumed hard-shelled strychnos fruits. We explored statistical and descriptive measures of hand dominance to highlight lateralized patterns. Results Statistical evaluation of feeding bouts revealed a group-level right-handed bias for bimanual coordinated feeding actions, however few individuals were statistically lateralized. Descriptive analyses revealed that the majority of individuals were lateralized and possessed a right-handed bias for strychnos feeding behavior. Discussion The results provide empirical evidence in supports of an early evolutionary delineation of function for the right and left hemispheres. The present findings suggest that great apes express an intermediate stage along the phylogenetic trajectory of human manual lateralization.

Endothelialization of chitosan porous conduits via immobilization of a recombinant fibronectin fragment (rhFNIII7–10)

The present study aimed to develop a pre-endothelialized chitosan (CH) porous hollowed scaffold for application in spinal cord regenerative therapies. CH conduits with different degrees of acetylation (DA; 4% and 15%) were prepared, characterized (microstructure, porosity and water uptake) and functionalized with a recombinant fragment of human fibronectin (rhFNIII7–10). Immobilized rhFNIII7–10 was characterized in terms of amount (125I-radiolabelling), exposure of cell-binding domains (immunofluorescence) and ability to mediate endothelial cell (EC) adhesion and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Functionalized conduits revealed a linear increase in immobilized rhFNIII7–10 with rhFNIII7–10 concentration, and, for the same concentration, higher amounts of rhFNIII7–10 on DA 4% compared with DA 15%. Moreover, rhFNIII7–10 concentrations as low as 5 and 20 lgml 1 in the coupling reaction were shown to provide DA 4% and 15% scaffolds, respectively, with levels of exposed cell-binding domains exceeding those observed on the control (DA 4% scaffolds incubated in a 20 lgml 1 human fibronectin solution). These grafting conditions proved to be effective in mediating EC adhesion/cytoskeletal organization on CH with DA 4% and 15%, without affecting the endothelial angiogenic potential. rhFNIII7–10 grafting to CH could be a strategy of particular interest in tissue engineering applications requiring the use of endothelialized porous matrices with tunable degradation rates.

Semi-destructive in situ tests as support to the assessment of a conservation process

This paper refers to the assessment on site by semi-destructive testing (SDT) methods of the consolidation efficiency of a conservation process developed by Henriques (2011) for structural and non-structural pine wood elements in service. This study was applied on scots pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.) degraded by fungi after treatment with a biocidal product followed by consolidation with a polymeric product. This solution avoids substitutions of wood moderately degraded by fungi, improving its physical and mechanical characteristics. The consolidation efficiency was assessed on site by methods of drill resistance and penetration resistance. The SDT methods used showed good sensitivity to the conservation process and could evaluate their effectiveness. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of 2-oxazoline-based hydrogels and porous polyester microparticles in scCO2

Thesis submitted to Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia from Universidade Nova de Lisboa in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the obtention of the degree of Master of Science in Biotechnology

Osmolality of Elemental and Semi-Elemental Formulas Supplemented with Nonprotein Energy Supplements

Elemental and semi-elemental formulas are used to feed infants with short bowel syndrome, who may not be able to tolerate feeds of more than 310 mOsm kg(-1). The present study aimed to measure the osmolality of elemental and semi-elemental formulas at different concentrations, with and without the addition of nonprotein energy supplements.

Contra os semi-sábios — notas sobre a racionalidade nos Pensamentos de Pascal

Ao longo dos Pensamentos, Pascal expressa a sua antipatia filosófica por alguns tipos de pensadores. Um desses tipos de pensadores corresponde à figura do "demi-savant". Os "demi-savants", ou semi-sábios, caracterizam-se essencialmente por uma pretensão de saber fracassada: são homens que julgam estar na posse de um saber que na verdade não possuem. O objectivo desta investigação é fixar, com o maior detalhe possível, o que está em causa na denúncia dos semi-sábios — um aspecto pouco trabalhado no âmbito dos estudos sobre o pensamento de Pascal. A primeira parte da investigação consiste assim na delimitação formal da categoria semi-sábios. Quais são as notas definitórias destes pensadores? Que tipo de erro está em jogo na sua atitude? Que opiniões fazem de alguém um semi-sábio? Estas perguntas acabam rapidamente por nos levar a outras, que dizem directamente respeito à tentativa de determinação do poder de fogo da razão humana. Com efeito, o fundamento filosófico da crítica aos semi-sábios é o diagnóstico arrasador que Pascal faz da capacidade da nossa razão na tarefa do conhecimento — de tal modo que estudar o problema que os semi-sábios representam é estudar sob um determinado ângulo o problema geral da procura da verdade. Nesse sentido, depois de esclarecido o significado da designação semi-sábio, analisamos dois argumentos apresentados nos Pensamentos que visam contestar a compreensão habitualmente constituída acerca das possibilidades do homem na tarefa do conhecimento. Procuramos ainda, por último, desfazer possíveis equívocos quanto à fixação da posição de Pascal no campo da epistemologia. Embora haja poucas referências aos semi-sábios nos textos que compõem os Pensamentos, trata-se de uma figura que funciona como ponto de cruzamento de vários aspectos relevantes de um problema que está no centro do projecto apologético de Pascal: o problema do modo de apuramento da verdade.

The reasons behind the progression in PISA scores: An education production function approach using semi-parametric techniques

Research Masters

Phonon spectra and thermodynamic properties of rare gas solids based on empirical and semi-empirical (ab initio) two-body potentials : a comparative study /

We study the phonon dispersion, cohesive and thermal properties of raxe gas solids Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, using a variety of potentials obtained from different approaches; such as, fitting to crystal properties, purely ab initio calculations for molecules and dimers or ab initio calculations for solid crystalline phase, a combination of ab initio calculations and fitting to either gas phase data or sohd state properties. We explore whether potentials derived with a certain approaxih have any obvious benefit over the others in reproducing the solid state properties. In particular, we study phonon dispersion, isothermal ajid adiabatic bulk moduli, thermal expansion, and elastic (shear) constants as a function of temperatiue. Anharmonic effects on thermal expansion, specific heat, and bulk moduli have been studied using A^ perturbation theory in the high temperature limit using the neaxest-neighbor central force (nncf) model as developed by Shukla and MacDonald [4]. In our study, we find that potentials based on fitting to the crystal properties have some advantage, particularly for Kr and Xe, in terms of reproducing the thermodynamic properties over an extended range of temperatiures, but agreement with the phonon frequencies with the measured values is not guaranteed. For the lighter element Ne, the LJ potential which is based on fitting to the gas phase data produces best results for the thermodynamic properties; however, the Eggenberger potential for Ne, where the potential is based on combining ab initio quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, produces results that have better agreement with the measured dispersion, and elastic (shear) values. For At, the Morse-type potential, which is based on M0ller-Plesset perturbation theory to fourth order (MP4) ab initio calculations, yields the best results for the thermodynamic properties, elastic (shear) constants, and the phonon dispersion curves.

Perturbing the impulse activity of a single identified neuron augments the formation of long-term memory in a molluscan semi-intact preparation /

The aim of this study was to investigate the neural correlates of operant conditioning in a semi-intact preparation of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Lymnaea learns, via operant conditioning, to reduce its aerial respiratory behaviour in response to an aversive tactile stimulus to its open pneumostome. This thesis demonstrates the successful conditioning of na'ive semiintact preparations to show learning in the dish. Furthermore, these conditioned preparations show long-term memory that persists for at least 18 hours. As the neurons that generate this behaviour have been previously identified I can, for the first time, monitor neural activity during both learning and long-term memory consolidation in the same preparation. In particular, I record from the respiratory neuron Right Pedal Dorsal 1 (RPeD 1) which is part of the respiratory central pattern generator. In this study, I demonstrate that preventing RPeDl impulse activity between training sessions reduces the number of sessions needed to produce long-term memory in the present semi-intact preparation.