2022
Authors
Paulino, N; Pessoa, LM; Branquinho, A; Gonçalves, E;
Publication
CSNDSP
Abstract
One the of the applications in the realm of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) is real-time localization of assets in specific application environments where satellite based global positioning is unviable. Numerous approaches for localization relying on wireless sensor mesh systems have been evaluated, but the recent Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1 direction finding features based on Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) promise a low-cost solution for this application. In this paper, we present an implementation of a BLE 5.1 based circular antenna array, and perform two experimental evaluations over the quality of the retrieved data sampled from the array. Specifically, we retrieve samples of the phase value of the Constant Tone Extension which enables the direction finding functionalities through calculation of phase differences between antenna pairs. We evaluate the quality of the sampled phase data in an anechoic chamber, and in a real-world environment using a setup composed of four BLE beacons.
2022
Authors
Jose Rosa; Daniel Granhao; Guilherme Carvalho; Tiago Gon?alves; Monica Figueiredo; Luis Conde Bento; Nuno Paulino; Luis M. Pessoa;
Publication
ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies
Abstract
2022
Authors
Paulino, N; Pessoa, LM; Branquinho, A; Almeida, R; Ferreira, I;
Publication
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
Abstract
In order to achieve the full potential of the Internet-of-Things, connectivity between devices should be ubiquitous and efficient. Wireless mesh networks are a critical component to achieve this ubiquitous connectivity for a wide range of services, and are composed of terminal devices (i.e., nodes), such as sensors of various types, and wall powered gateway devices, which provide further internet connectivity (e.g., via Wi-Fi). When considering large indoor areas, such as hospitals or industrial scenarios, the mesh must cover a large area, which introduces concerns regarding range and the number of gateways needed and respective wall cabling infrastructure, including data and power. Solutions for mesh networks implemented over different wireless protocols exist, like the recent Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1. While BLE provides lower power consumption, some wall-power infrastructure may still be required. Alternatively, if some nodes are battery powered, concerns such as lifetime and packet delivery are introduced. We evaluate a scenario where the intermediate nodes of the mesh are battery powered, using a BLE relay of our own design, which acts as a range extender by forwarding packets from end-nodes to gateways. We present the relay's design and experimentally determine the packet forwarding efficiency for several scenarios and configurations. In the best case, up to 35% of the packets transmitted by 11 end-nodes can be forwarded to a gateway by a single relay under continuous operation. A battery lifetime of 1 year can be achieved with a relay duty cycle of 20%.
2022
Authors
Peixoto, PS; Carvalho, PH; Machado, A; Barreiros, L; Bordalo, AA; Oliveira, HP; Segundo, MA;
Publication
CHEMOSENSORS
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major health concern of the 21st century. The misuse of antibiotics over the years has led to their increasing presence in the environment, particularly in water resources, which can exacerbate the transmission of resistance genes and facilitate the emergence of resistant microorganisms. The objective of the present work is to develop a chemosensor for screening of sulfonamides in environmental waters, targeting sulfamethoxazole as the model analyte. The methodology was based on the retention of sulfamethoxazole in disks containing polystyrene divinylbenzene sulfonated sorbent particles and reaction with p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde, followed by colorimetric detection using a computer-vision algorithm. Several color spaces (RGB, HSV and CIELAB) were evaluated, with the coordinate a_star, from the CIELAB color space, providing the highest sensitivity. Moreover, in order to avoid possible errors due to variations in illumination, a color palette is included in the picture of the analytical disk, and a correction using the a_star value from one of the color patches is proposed. The methodology presented recoveries of 82-101% at 0.1 mu g and 0.5 mu g of sulfamethoxazole (25 mL), providing a detection limit of 0.08 mu g and a quantification limit of 0.26 mu g. As a proof of concept, application to in-field analysis was successfully implemented.
2022
Authors
Sousa, J; Pereira, T; Silva, F; Silva, MC; Vilares, AT; Cunha, A; Oliveira, HP;
Publication
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality, and since the majority of cases are diagnosed when the tumor is in an advanced stage, the 5-year survival rate is dismally low. Nevertheless, the chances of survival can increase if the tumor is identified early on, which can be achieved through screening with computed tomography (CT). The clinical evaluation of CT images is a very time-consuming task and computed-aided diagnosis systems can help reduce this burden. The segmentation of the lungs is usually the first step taken in image analysis automatic models of the thorax. However, this task is very challenging since the lungs present high variability in shape and size. Moreover, the co-occurrence of other respiratory comorbidities alongside lung cancer is frequent, and each pathology can present its own scope of CT imaging appearances. This work investigated the development of a deep learning model, whose architecture consists of the combination of two structures, a U-Net and a ResNet34. The proposed model was designed on a cross-cohort dataset and it achieved a mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) higher than 0.93 for the 4 different cohorts tested. The segmentation masks were qualitatively evaluated by two experienced radiologists to identify the main limitations of the developed model, despite the good overall performance obtained. The performance per pathology was assessed, and the results confirmed a small degradation for consolidation and pneumocystis pneumonia cases, with a DSC of 0.9015 +/- 0.2140 and 0.8750 +/- 0.1290, respectively. This work represents a relevant assessment of the lung segmentation model, taking into consideration the pathological cases that can be found in the clinical routine, since a global assessment could not detail the fragilities of the model.
2022
Authors
Silva, F; Pereira, T; Neves, I; Morgado, J; Freitas, C; Malafaia, M; Sousa, J; Fonseca, J; Negrao, E; de Lima, BF; da Silva, MC; Madureira, AJ; Ramos, I; Costa, JL; Hespanhol, V; Cunha, A; Oliveira, HP;
Publication
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
Abstract
Advancements in the development of computer-aided decision (CAD) systems for clinical routines provide unquestionable benefits in connecting human medical expertise with machine intelligence, to achieve better quality healthcare. Considering the large number of incidences and mortality numbers associated with lung cancer, there is a need for the most accurate clinical procedures; thus, the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for decision support is becoming a closer reality. At any stage of the lung cancer clinical pathway, specific obstacles are identified and motivate the application of innovative AI solutions. This work provides a comprehensive review of the most recent research dedicated toward the development of CAD tools using computed tomography images for lung cancer-related tasks. We discuss the major challenges and provide critical perspectives on future directions. Although we focus on lung cancer in this review, we also provide a more clear definition of the path used to integrate AI in healthcare, emphasizing fundamental research points that are crucial for overcoming current barriers.
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