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Publications

2017

Arteriovenous access banding revisited

Authors
Teixeira, G; Almeida, P; Sousa, CN; Teles, P; De Sousa, P; Loureiro, L; Teixeira, S; Rego, D; Almeida, R; de Matos, AN;

Publication
JOURNAL OF VASCULAR ACCESS

Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to validate the current applicability of arteriovenous access banding in high flow access (HFA) and/or haemodialysis access-induced distal ischaemia (HAIDI). Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the GEV (Grupo de Estudos Vasculares) vascular access centre. The clinical records of consecutive patients undergoing banding for HAIDI and HFA symptoms, between June 2011 and January 2015, were reviewed until April 2015. All vascular access patients' consultation records and surgical notes were reviewed. We analysed and compared patients' age, gender, comorbidities, symptoms and intraoperative ultrasound control. We defined technical failure as recurrence of symptoms, requiring new banding. Excessive banding, access thrombosis, rupture and false aneurysm development were registered as complications. Primary clinical success was defined as improvement of symptoms or effective flow reduction after banding, with no need for reintervention. If one reintervention was necessary, we have defined it as secondary clinical success. Results: Overall, 119 patients underwent banding: 64 (54%) with HAIDI and 55 (46%) with HFA. The HAIDI group was significantly older (65 +/- 13 years compared with 56 +/- 22 years, p = 0.001) and had significantly greater number of patients with diabetes (56% vs 24%, p = 0.004). Primary success was achieved in 85 patients (71.4%) and the secondary success rate was 84.9%. Older age (p = 0.016) and intraoperative ultrasound control (p = 0.012) were significantly associated with primary success. Conclusions: Our results do not corroborate the high incidence of thrombosis previously reported as associated with AV access banding and suggest that ultrasound control is crucial for preventing technical failure. The procedure was effective on both compared groups.

2017

Autonomous UAV outdoor flight controlled by an embedded system using odroid and ROS

Authors
Carvalho, JP; Jucá, MA; Menezes, A; Olivi, LR; Marcato, ALM; dos Santos, AB;

Publication
Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering

Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become a prominent research field due to their vast applicability and reduced size. An appealing aspect of theUAVs is the ability to accomplish autonomous flights in several contexts and purposes, and a variety of applications have been developed, from military to civilian fields. The system proposed in this work is a novel and simplified interaction between the user and the UAV for autonomous flight, where the necessary computation is performed in an embedded computer, decreasing response time and eliminating the necessity of long-distance communication links with base stations. Results are presented with both hardware in the loop simulations and a real UAV using Pixhawk, and Odroid and ROS as companion computer and software platform for code development. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017.

2017

Introduction to the 33rd international conference on logic programming special issue

Authors
Rocha, R; Son, TC;

Publication
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF LOGIC PROGRAMMING

Abstract
This special issue of Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP) contains the regular papers accepted for presentation at the 33rd International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP 2017), held in Melbourne, Australia from the 28th of August to the 1st of September, 2017. ICLP 2017 was colocated with the 23rd International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming (CP 2017) and the 20th International Conference on Theory and Applications of Satisfiability Testing (SAT 2017). Since the first conference held in Marseille in 1982, ICLP has been the premier international event for presenting research in logic programming.

2017

Inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in freshwater using HSO5-/UV-A LED and HSO5-/Mn+/UV-A LED oxidation processes

Authors
Rodriguez Chueca, J; Silva, T; Fernandes, JR; Lucas, MS; Puma, GL; Peres, JA; Sampaio, A;

Publication
WATER RESEARCH

Abstract
Freshwater disinfection using photolytic and catalytic activation of peroxymonosulphate (PMS) through PMS/UV-A LED and PMS/Mn+/UV-A LED [Mn+ = Fe2+ or Co2+] processes was evaluated through the inactivation of three different bacteria: Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), Bacillus mycoides (sporulated Gram-positive), Staphylococcus aureus (non-sporulated Gram-positive), and the fungus Candida albicans. Photolytic and catalytic activation of PMS were effective in the total inactivation of the bacteria using 0.1 mM of PMS and Mn+ at neutral pH (6.5), with E. coli reaching the highest and the fastest inactivation yield, followed by S. aureus and B. mycoides. With B. mycoides, the oxidative stress generated through the complexity of PMS/Mn+/UV-A LED combined treatments triggered the formation of endospores. The treatment processes were also effective in the total inactivation of . albicans, although, due to the ultrastructure, biochemistry and physiology of this yeast, higher dosages of reagents (5 mM of PMS and 2.5 mM of Mn+) were required. The rate of microbial inactivation markedly increased through catalytic activation of PMS particularly during the first 60 s of treatment. Co2+ was more effective than Fe2+ to catalyse PMS decomposition to sulphate radicals for the inactivation of S. aureus and C. albicans. The inactivation of the four microorganisms was well represented by the Horn model. The Biphasic and the Double Weibull models, which are based on the existence of two microbial sub-populations exhibiting different resistance to the treatments, also fitted the experimental results of photolytic activation of PMS.

2017

Optimal Demand Response Scheme for Power Systems Including Renewable Energy Resources Considering System Reliability and Air Pollution

Authors
Ribeiro, MF; Shafie khah, M; Osorio, GJ; Hajibandeh, N; Catalao, JPS;

Publication
2017 1ST IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND 2017 17TH IEEE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL POWER SYSTEMS EUROPE (EEEIC / I&CPS EUROPE)

Abstract
Implementing an applicable demand response (DR) program enables the complete demand-side potentials and ensures a secure, more economic and greener operation of the power systems with the integration of renewable energy. Therefore, the present paper proposes a stochastic security-constraint scheduling approach for optimum operation of both supply and demand sides via well-designed pricing and incentive schemes. The DR programs are time-of-use and emergency DR programs. The study addresses the Independent System Operator (ISO)'s viewpoint, and it aims at finding the optimal DR strategy (from a set of DR programs) in a way that an efficient electricity market is obtained, ensuring the security and environmental constraints. To this end, a security constraint unit commitment (SCUC) problem considering DR and renewable energy resources is proposed. Different indices are considered through a multi-objective problem for evaluating the efficiency of the market, security of the system, reliability and air pollution. These indices include market prices, social welfare, load factor (peak-to-valley proportion), air pollution, and power security, among others. In order to find the best DR strategy, a multi-objective problem is solved to consider all the mentioned indices.

2017

Correntropy applied to fault detection in analogue circuits

Authors
Da Silva, JM;

Publication
Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE 22nd International Mixed-Signals Test Workshop, IMSTW 2017

Abstract
Efficient test and diagnosis methods are required to ensure high levels of dependability of the electronic systems deployed to the market. These methods involve a trade-off in terms of accessibility to test nodes, test stimuli complexity, area overhead, and data processing that, altogether determine the impact that the involved operations have in the final cost, performance, and reliability presented by these systems. The work presented here describes preliminary results obtained with the application of correntropy as a means to efficiently analyse test responses in the fault detection decision process. © 2017 IEEE.

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