In vitro exposure of acer negundo pollen to atmospheric levels of SO2 and NO2: effects on allergenicity and germination

In the last years, a rising trend of pollen allergies in urban areas has been attributed to atmospheric pollution. In this work, we investigated the effects of SO2 and NO2 on the protein content, allergenicity, and germination rate of Acer negundo pollen. A novel environmental chamber was assembled to exposure pollen samples with SO2 or NO2 at two different levels: just below and two times the atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe. Results showed that protein content was lower in SO2- exposed pollen samples and slightly higher in NO2-exposed pollen compared to the control sample. No different polypeptide profiles were revealed by SDSPAGE between exposed and nonexposed pollen, but the immunodetection assays indicated higher IgE recognition by all sera of sensitized patients to Acer negundo pollen extracts in all exposed samples in comparison to the nonexposed samples. A decrease in the germination rate of exposed in contrast to nonexposed pollen was verified, which was more pronounced for NO2-exposed samples. Our results indicated that in urban areas, concentrations of SO2 and NO2 below the limits established for human protection can indirectly aggravate pollen allergy on predisposed individuals and affect plant reproduction.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate samples by microwaveassisted extraction and liquid chromatography

A methodology based on microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and LC with fluorescence detection (FLD) was investigated for the efficient determination of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) regarded as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency and dibenzo(a,l)pyrene in atmospheric particulate samples. PAHs were successfully extracted from real outdoor particulate matter (PM) samples with recoveries ranging from 81.4±8.8 to 112.0±1.1%, for all the compounds except for naphthalene (62.3±18.0%) and anthracene (67.3±5.7%), under the optimum MAE conditions (30.0 mL of ACN for 20 min at 110ºC). No clean-up steps were necessary prior to LC analysis. LOQs ranging from 0.0054 ng/m3 for benzo( a)anthracene to 0.089 ng/m3 for naphthalene were reached. The validated MAE methodology was applied to the determination of PAHs from a set of real world PM samples collected in Oporto (north of Portugal). The sum of particulate-bound PAHs in outdoor PM ranged from 2.5 and 28 ng/m3.

Evaluation of atmospheric deposition and patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in façades of historic monuments of Oporto (Portugal)

Atmospheric pollution by motor vehicles is considered a relevant source of damage to architectural heritage. Thus the aim of this work was to assess the atmospheric depositions and patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in façades of historical monuments. Eighteen PAHs (16 PAHs considered by US EPA as priority pollutants, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene and benzo[j]fluoranthene) were determined in thin black layers collected from façades of two historical monuments: Hospital Santo António and Lapa Church (Oporto, Portugal). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for morphological and elemental characterisation of thin black layers; PAHs were quantified by microwave-assisted extraction combined with liquid chromatography (MAE-LC). The thickness of thin black layers were 80–110 μm and they contained significant levels of iron, sulfur, calcium and phosphorus. Total concentrations of 18 PAHs ranged from 7.74 to 147.92 ng/g (mean of 45.52 ng/g) in thin black layers of Hospital Santo António, giving a range three times lower than at Lapa Church (5.44– 429.26 ng/g; mean of 110.25 ng/g); four to six rings compounds accounted at both monuments approximately for 80–85% of ΣPAHs. The diagnostic ratios showed that traffic emissions were significant source of PAHs in thin black layers. Composition profiles of PAHs in thin black layers of both monuments were similar to those of ambient air, thus showing that air pollution has a significant impact on the conditions and stone decay of historical building façades. The obtained results confirm that historical monuments in urban areas act as passive repositories for air pollutants present in the surrounding atmosphere.

Impact of urban atmospheric environment on hospital admissions in the elderly

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of intra-urban atmospheric conditions on circulatory and respiratory diseases in elder adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional study based on data from 33,212 hospital admissions in adults over 60 years in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, from 2003 to 2007. The association between atmospheric variables from Congonhas airport and bioclimatic index, Physiological Equivalent Temperature, was analyzed according to the district's socioenvironmental profile. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression models were used. RESULTS: There was an increase in hospital admissions due to circulatory diseases as average and lowest temperatures decreased. The likelihood of being admitted to the hospital increased by 12% with 1ºC decrease in the bioclimatic index and with 1ºC increase in the highest temperatures in the group with lower socioenvironmental conditions. The risk of admission due to respiratory diseases increased with inadequate air quality in districts with higher socioenvironmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between morbidity and climate variables and the comfort index varied in different groups and diseases. Lower and higher temperatures increased the risk of hospital admission in the elderly. Districts with lower socioenvironmental conditions showed greater adverse health impacts.

Cabo e radio frequência em sistemas deteção de incêndio

Novos produtos são sempre aliados a novas tecnologias, mas nem sempre aplicadas no imediato. No que se refere à radio frequência (RF), são inúmeros os obstáculos aplicados à deteção de incêndio sejam eles, o custo, o interface ou somente a falta de informação por parte da engenharia de projeto. Durante os últimos anos a comunicação sem fios esteve também aliada a equipamentos para aplicação dita “doméstica”, com pouca fiabilidade, baixa autonomia, difícil comunicação entre equipamentos e essencialmente não regulada, isto é, sem normalização. Por parte do comité europeu de normalização, no que se refere à introdução desta tecnologia pela norma que regula os equipamentos de deteção de incêndio, EN54, estão reunidas as condições para que os equipamentos certificados pelos diferentes e reconhecidos laboratórios, entre outros, a LPCB, BSI ou VdS possam ser utilizados conferindo assim à engenharia de segurança e ao utilizador a confiança necessária para a sua instalação. Sistemas de deteção de incêndio por cabo usam tecnologias e protocolos de tal forma evoluídos que são “integráveis” com os sistemas que completam a gestão técnica e de emergência de uma infraestrutura,

Radio link quality estimation in wireless sensor networks: a survey

Radio link quality estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has a fundamental impact on the network performance and also affects the design of higher-layer protocols. Therefore, for about a decade, it has been attracting a vast array of research works. Reported works on link quality estimation are typically based on different assumptions, consider different scenarios, and provide radically different (and sometimes contradictory) results. This article provides a comprehensive survey on related literature, covering the characteristics of low-power links, the fundamental concepts of link quality estimation in WSNs, a taxonomy of existing link quality estimators, and their performance analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey tackling in detail link quality estimation in WSNs. We believe our efforts will serve as a reference to orient researchers and system designers in this area.

Neighbour list optimization for real LTE radio network

With the increasing complexity of current networks, it became evident the need for Self-Organizing Networks (SON), which aims to automate most of the associated radio planning and optimization tasks. Within SON, this paper aims to optimize the Neighbour Cell List (NCL) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeBs (eNBs). An algorithm composed by three decisions were were developed: distance-based, Radio Frequency (RF) measurement-based and Handover (HO) stats-based. The distance-based decision, proposes a new NCL taking account the eNB location and interference tiers, based in the quadrants method. The last two algorithms consider signal strength measurements and HO statistics, respectively; they also define a ranking to each eNB and neighbour relation addition/removal based on user defined constraints. The algorithms were developed and implemented over an already existent radio network optimization professional tool. Several case studies were produced using real data from a Portuguese LTE mobile operator. © 2014 IEEE.

Radio frequency identification: o futuro da gestão de stocks na grande distribuição

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação

Development of procedures for the simulation of atmospheric flows over complex terrain, using OpenFOAM

The main purpose of this work was the development of procedures for the simulation of atmospheric ows over complex terrain, using OpenFOAM. For this aim, tools and procedures were developed apart from this code for the preprocessing and data extraction, which were thereafter applied in the simulation of a real case. For the generation of the computational domain, a systematic method able to translate the terrain elevation model to a native OpenFOAM format (blockMeshDict) was developed. The outcome was a structured mesh, in which the user has the ability to de ne the number of control volumes and its dimensions. With this procedure, the di culties of case set up and the high computation computational e ort reported in literature associated to the use of snappyHexMesh, the OpenFOAM resource explored until then for the accomplishment of this task, were considered to be overwhelmed. Developed procedures for the generation of boundary conditions allowed for the automatic creation of idealized inlet vertical pro les, de nition of wall functions boundary conditions and the calculation of internal eld rst guesses for the iterative solution process, having as input experimental data supplied by the user. The applicability of the generated boundary conditions was limited to the simulation of turbulent, steady-state, incompressible and neutrally strati ed atmospheric ows, always recurring to RaNS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) models. For the modelling of terrain roughness, the developed procedure allowed to the user the de nition of idealized conditions, like an uniform aerodynamic roughness length or making its value variable as a function of topography characteristic values, or the using of real site data, and it was complemented by the development of techniques for the visual inspection of generated roughness maps. The absence and the non inclusion of a forest canopy model limited the applicability of this procedure to low aerodynamic roughness lengths. The developed tools and procedures were then applied in the simulation of a neutrally strati ed atmospheric ow over the Askervein hill. In the performed simulations was evaluated the solution sensibility to di erent convection schemes, mesh dimensions, ground roughness and formulations of the k - ε and k - ω models. When compared to experimental data, calculated values showed a good agreement of speed-up in hill top and lee side, with a relative error of less than 10% at a height of 10 m above ground level. Turbulent kinetic energy was considered to be well simulated in the hill windward and hill top, and grossly predicted in the lee side, where a zone of ow separation was also identi ed. Despite the need of more work to evaluate the importance of the downstream recirculation zone in the quality of gathered results, the agreement between the calculated and experimental values and the OpenFOAM sensibility to the tested parameters were considered to be generally in line with the simulations presented in the reviewed bibliographic sources.

A first analysis of the atmospheric measurements from TANSO/GOSAT

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau em Mestre em Engenharia Física

Simultaneous identification of Trypanosoma cruzi surface and internal antigens reactive to different immunoglobulin classes (radio-immunoblotting)

A radioactive Western-blotting technique was developed by which the reactivity of Immunoglobulins (Igs) from different classes to both membrane radiolabelled and internal parasite antigens is simultaneously identified. The method includes radioiodination of parasites, polypeptide fractionation by SDS-PAGE, Western-blot transfer and autoradiography of the immunoblots developed with anti-Igs conjugates labelled with enzymes. The analysis is then performed by the comparison of common bands on the autoradiograms and the respective substrate stained nitrocellulose blots. This technique was used to analyse T. cruzi trypomastigote surface labelled antigens reactive to IgM, IgA and IgG specific antibodies. A different pattern of reactivity with acute Chagas' disease patients sera was thus obtained.

System Level Simulation and Radio Resource Management for Distributed Antenna Systems with Cognitive Radio and Multi-Cell Cooperation

4th International Conference on Future Generation Communication Technologies (FGCT 2015), Luton, United Kingdom.

Implementation of a cognitive radio access system

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Identification of atmospheric pollutants control mechanisms during co-combustion of coal and non-toxic wastes

Doctoral dissertation for Ph.D. degree in Sustainable Chemistry

Spectrum sensing through software defined radio

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia