Abstract
This paper presents the performance analysis of two new sensing configurations of refractive index based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in microstructured D-type optical fiber with a thin gold layer using simulations obtained with COMSOL Multiphysics. The configurations are analyzed in terms of the intensity of the electric field. The results are compared with a conventional SPR D-type optical fiber sensor for refractive index measurement.

Abstract

Abstract
The performance of a company depends on the quality of its strategic decisions but depends also on how those decisions are implemented. Companies are composed of different units that can be geographically distributed with different levels of autonomy and local resources. Due to the complexity of the problem many companies use simulation to analyse the performance of critical sectors based on a number of scenarios. This reality requires new approaches that, taking advantage of existing models enables their integration with new models, facilitate their upgrade and allow a distributed execution. In this work we developed a Framework to integrate distributed agent-based simulators (ABMS) with a mechanism of communication TCP/IP to exchange synchronization messages and business messages based on the OASIS standard. The XML standard format was used for coding of all the messages. The communication mechanism of the Framework was developed in order to benefit from distributed computing.

Abstract
Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto annually organizes the Open Days to Schools, which allow the contact of high school students with researchers from different scientific areas. By recognizing a high potential to modelling, which promotes the construction of students’ knowledge through models that recreate geological phenomena, participants contacted with some models that simulated the effect of earthquakes on soils and buildings. We tried to understand if the use of models in the dissemination of Geology helps students to build their scientific knowledge, concerning seismology contents. A seismology model evaluation scale was applied to 126 high school students from schools of northern Portugal, which participated in the activities at Open Days to Schools. The results shown that students consider that models help to clarify and to restructure their knowledge about geological phenomena, highlighting the importance of modeling in the promotion of a meaningful learning. © 2014 LNEG - Laboratório Nacional de Geologia e Energia IP.

Abstract

Abstract
Breast cancer conservative treatment (BCCT) is now the preferred technique for breast cancer treatment. The limited reproducibility of standard aesthetic evaluation methods led to the development of objective methods, such as the software tool Breast Cancer Conservative Treatment.cosmetic results (BCCT.core). Although results are satisfying, there are still limitations concerning complete automation and the inability to measure volumetric information. With the fundamental premise of maintaining the system a low-cost tool, this work studies the incorporation of the Microsoft Kinect sensor in BCCT evaluations. The aim is to enable the automatic joint detection of prominent points, both on depth and RGB images. Afterwards, using those prominent points, it is possible to obtain two-dimensional and volumetric features. Finally, the aesthetic result is achieved using machine learning techniques converted automatically from the set of measures defined. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is accurate and robust for a wide number of patients. In addition, comparing with previous research, the procedure for detecting prominent points was automated. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.