Abstract

Abstract

Abstract
Daily and seasonal temperature variations have a significant influence on the structural response of bridges, inducing strains, displacements or rotations of the same order of magnitude, or even larger, than those due to dead or live loads. Besides understanding the structural behaviour under the operational loads, the characterization of the structural response induced by the daily and seasonal temperature variations is mandatory for the critical assessment of the bridge structural condition and when proactive conservation is envisaged. In this study, a methodology is proposed for the simulation of the structural response of large concrete bridges under the effects of realistic temperature variations, aiming at the optimum compromise between accuracy and simplicity of the involved procedures. The transient temperature field in a set of representative cross-sections is obtained from the available meteorological data via two-dimensional thermal analyses. The temperature field is decomposed into uniform, linear and non-linear components, the former two being introduced in a mechanical model of the bridge to obtain the transient structural response. The methodology is applied to a concrete cable-stayed bridge equipped with a permanent structural monitoring system. The measured and calculated hourly temperatures, deflections, bearing displacements, rotations and stay-cable forces are compared during a period of 17 months and good agreement is generally found. The consideration of the radiative cooling effects is demonstrated to be essential in other to obtain a good estimation of the thermal field of the bridge. The behaviour of the bridge is discussed and the relative contribution of each temperature component to a given structural response is disclosed. A discussion on the optimal deployment location of a minimum set of embedded temperature sensors in order achieve the best estimators of the temperature components (uniform and linear) is also presented.

Abstract
In Malus x domestica (Rosaceae) the product of each SFBB gene (the pollen component of the gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system) of a S-haplotype (the combination of pistil and pollen genes that are linked) interacts with a sub-set of non-self S-RNases (the pistil component), but not with the self S-RNase. To understand how the Malus GSI system works, we identified 24 SFBB genes expressed in anthers, and determined their gene sequence in nine M. domestica cultivars. Expression of these SFBBs was not detected in the petal, sepal, filament, receptacle, style, stigma, ovary or young leaf. For all SFBBs (except SFBB15), identical sequences were obtained only in cultivars having the same S-RNase. Linkage with a particular S-RNase was further established using the progeny of three crosses. Such data is needed to understand how other genes not involved in GSI are affected by the S-locus region. To classify SFBBs specificity, the amino acids under positive selection obtained when performing intra-haplotypic analyses were used. Using this information and the previously identified S-RNase positively selected amino acid sites, inferences are made on the S-RNase amino acid properties (hydrophobicity, aromatic, aliphatic, polarity, and size), at these positions, that are critical features for GSI specificity determination.

Abstract
The scientific study of hate speech, from a computer science point of view, is recent. This survey organizes and describes the current state of the field, providing a structured overview of previous approaches, including core algorithms, methods, and main features used. This work also discusses the complexity of the concept of hate speech, defined in many platforms and contexts, and provides a unifying definition. This area has an unquestionable potential for societal impact, particularly in online communities and digital media platforms. The development and systematization of shared resources, such as guidelines, annotated datasets in multiple languages, and algorithms, is a crucial step in advancing the automatic detection of hate speech.

Abstract
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have been successfully used in order to promote and pursue the goals of UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Meeting these goals, however, require significant efforts on public policy development, adequate planning and implementation, as well as qualified human resources working at every level of government, public administration and institutions. This paper presents a first quantitative analysis originated from Electronic Government-related training sessions that took place on all five Portuguese Speaking African Countries, and in Timor-Leste along 2017. The results focus on (i) the availability of higher education institutions offering courses related to EGOV on each of those countries; (ii) the qualification of the professionals attending those sessions; and (iii) how availability of local higher education courses translates into qualifications of local professionals serving at public administration level. This paper also discusses some perceptions gathered from the field, both from participants and lecturer teams, framing additional challenges that EGOV-related courses must take into account in those particular settings. It concludes by pointing out some of the works already taking place, which provides a deeper understanding of the workforce competencies in EGOV for each of those countries. © 2018 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.