Abstract
In this chapter the developments made in femtosecond laser micromachining for applications in the fields of optofluidics and lab-on-a-chip devices are reviewed. This technology can be applied to a wide range of materials (glasses, crystals, polymers) and relies on a non-linear absorption process that leads to a permanent alteration of the material structure. This modification can induce, for instance, a smooth variation of the refractive index or generate etching selectivity, which can be used to form integrated optical circuits and microfluidic systems, respectively. Unlike conventional techniques, fs-laser micromachining offers a way to produce high-resolution three-dimensional components and integrate them in a monolithic approach. Recent advances made in two-photon polymerization have also enabled combination of polymeric structures with microfluidic channels, which can provide additional functionalities, such as fluid transport control. In particular, here it is emphasised the integration ofmicrofluidic systems with optical layers and polymeric structures for the fabrication of miniaturized hybrid devices for chemical synthesis and biosensing.

Abstract
In recent years unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in several applications and research studies related to environmental monitoring. The works performed have demonstrated the suitability of UAVs to be employed in different scenarios, taking advantage of its capacity to acquire high-resolution data from different sensing payloads, in a timely and flexible manner. In forestry ecosystems, UAVs can be used with accuracies comparable with traditional methods to retrieve different forest properties, to monitor forest disturbances and to support disaster monitoring in fire and post-fire scenarios. In this study an area recently affected by a wildfire was surveyed using two UAVs to acquire multi-spectral data and RGB imagery at different resolutions. By analysing the surveyed area, it was possible to detect trees, that were able to survive to the fire. By comparing the ground-truth data and the measurements estimated from the UAV-imagery, it was found a positive correlation between burned height and a high correlation for tree height. The mean NDVI value was extracted used to create a three classes map. Higher NDVI values were mostly located in trees that survived that were not/barely affected by the fire. The results achieved by this study reiterate the effectiveness of UAVs to be used as a timely, efficient and cost-effective data acquisition tool, helping for forestry management planning and for monitoring forest rehabilitation in post-fire scenarios.

Abstract
The design of Conflict-free Replicated Data Types traditionally requires implementing new designs from scratch to meet a desired behavior. Although there are composition rules that can guide the process, there has not been a lot of work explaining how existing data types relate to each other, nor work that factors out common patterns. To bring clarity to the field we explain underlying patterns that are common to flags, sets, and registers. The identified patterns are succinct and composable, which gives them the power to explain both current designs and open up the space for new ones. © 2019 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.

Abstract

Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to present a DAB protocol and a DAB grid agent prototype, as essential parts of a grid ancillary services operational model. The decentralized, small electric loads (electric vehicles, household-appliances, batteries, prosumers), clustered properly by aggregators are equipped in large amounts with the so called 'grid-agents'. A grid-agent is a cost-effective, low-power, smart electric control unit consisting of a DAB+ receiver with embedded circuits for local grid voltage and frequency measurements and a microcontroller running algorithms for flexible load control. The grid-agent will optimize the electricity demand with respect to the grid status and/or to external commands received via DAB+. Moreover, especially suited for Transmission System Operators (TSOs), multi-load power facilities that are controlled by energy management systems through specific standards (e.g. KNX for hotels, Modbus for the industrial sector, etc) and even Renewable Energy Sources (RES) Distributed Generators (DGs) are equipped with a single DAB+ grid-agent. © 2019 IEEE.

Abstract
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is based on a preventive methodology to avoid potential hazards that can cause harm and to ensure that unsafe food is not made available to consumers. This system is recognized by the Economic and Food Safety Authority, a criminal police responsible for food safety and economic inspection in Portugal. Every day, Economic and Food Safety Authority generates a large and complex volume of data from inspections and complaints, also in its classification, registration and in monitoring until the end of the process analysis. This study focuses on the reported entities that are related to non-compliance with HACCP, and tries to understand the most common infractions. Results show values between 30% and 37% related to non-compliance to HACCP. As main conclusions, from 2014 to 2018, the number of these infractions maintained the same level and it will be important to understand if the relationship between these problems are related to legislation understanding or application.