Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated the capability of mixed culture DC1 to mineralize the thiocarbamate herbicide molinate through the activity of molinate hydrolase (MolA). Because liquid suspensions are not compatible with long-term storage and are not easy to handle when bioremediation strategies are envisaged, in this study spray drying was evaluated as a cost-effective method to store and transport these molinate biocatalysts. Microparticles of mixed culture DC1 (DC1) and of cell free crude extracts containing MolA (MA) were obtained without any carrier polymer, and with calcium alginate (CA) or modified chitosan (MCt) as immobilizing agents. All the DC1 microparticles showed high molinate degrading activity upon storage for 6 months, or after 9 additions of similar to 0.4 mM molinate over 1 month. The DC1-MCt microparticles were those with the highest survival rate and lowest heterogeneity. For MA microparticles, only MA-MCt degraded molinate. However, its V-max was only 1.4% of that of the fresh cell free extract (non spray dried). The feasibility of using the DC1-MCt and MA-MCt microparticles in bioaugmentation processes was assessed in river water microcosms, using mass (g):volume (L) ratios of 1:13 and 1:0.25, respectively. Both type of microparticles removed 65-75% of the initial 1.5 mg L-1 molinate, after 7 days of incubation. However, only DC1-MCt microparticles were able to degrade this environmental concentration of molinate without disturbing the native bacterial community. These results suggest that spray drying can be successfully used to produce DC1-MCt microparticles to remediate molinate polluted sites through a bioaugmentation strategy.

Abstract

Abstract
In order to overcome a number of difficulties detected on the Brazilian electricity market this paper proposes and tests a bid based short-term market. To simulate the behavior of the hydros in this new market, it was implemented an Agent-Based Model - ABM using the reinforcement QLearning algorithm, Simulated Annealing, and linear programming. In the simulations we used real data from the Brazilian power system encompassing more than 98% of the total hydro installed capacity and three years of market data. The results indicate that the management of (virtual) reservoirs can be under the responsibility of each hydro, which could save water according to their own risk perception, while it is maintained the current efficiency and security levels. Results also suggest that the final monthly short-term market prices can substantially decrease in comparison with the current prices.

Abstract
This contribution presents a new system for fast and intuitive industrial robot reprogramming. It is based on a luminous marker built with high-intensity LEDs, which are captured by a set of industrial cameras. Using stereoscopy, the marker supplies 6-DoF human wrist tracking with both position and orientation data. This marker can be efficiently attached to any working tool which then provides a way to capture human skills without further intrusion in the tasks. The acquisition technique makes the tracking very robust against lighting conditions so no environment preparation is needed. The robot is automatically programmed from the demonstrated task which delivers complete abstraction of programming concepts. The system is able to perform in real time, and is low-cost starting with a single pair of industrial cameras though more can be used for improved effectiveness and accuracy. The real-time feature means that the robot is ready to perform as soon as the demonstration is over which carries no overhead of reprogramming times. Also, there is no interference with the task itself since the marker is attached to the work tool and the tracking is contactless; the human operator can then perform naturally. The test bed is a real industrial environment: a spray painting application. A prototype has been developed and installed, and is currently in operation. The tests show that the proposed system enables transferring to the machine the human ability of manipulating a spray gun.

Abstract
The European Project Semester (EPS) is a one-semester capstone project/internship program offered to engineering, product design and business undergraduates by 18 European engineering schools. EPS aims to prepare future engineers to think and act globally, by adopting project-based learning and teamwork methodologies, fostering the development of complementary skills and addressing sustainability and multiculturalism. In 2016, two EPS@ISEP teams embraced the challenge of building a robust, inexpensive, modular, comfortable and safe wooden / metallic dome using simple techniques and sustainable materials. This challenge is demanding -requires a multidisciplinary and user-centred design -As well as rewarding -contributes to satisfy the right to adequate, safe and affordable housing as stated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The goal is to solve the problem in a modular and sustainable way, i.e., by using repetitive linear elements made of locally available materials. This approach aims to dramatically decrease the cost of production and shipping, simplify the construction process and address the needs of the dome users. Although geodesic cross-linked structures have been studied for some time, their design requires the involvement of all stakeholders as well as a team which understands and integrates the contributions from areas such as electronics, mechanics, civil, environmental or materials engineering. The project-based learning approach fosters, on the one hand, autonomy, responsibility and the ability to make sound technical-scientific choices and, on the other hand, develops teamwork, sustainable development and personal and cross-cultural communication skills, while promoting the emergence of innovative, creative and sometimes audacious solutions, typical of the youth.

Abstract
The Portuguese governmental network comprising all the 776 ministers and junior ministers who were part of the 19 governments between the year 1976 and 2013 is presented and analyzed. The data contain information on connections concerning business and other types of organizations and, to our knowledge, there is no such extensive research in previous literature. Upon the presentation of the data, a social network analysis considering the temporal dimension is performed at three levels of granularity: network-level, subnetwork-level (political groups) and node-level. A discussion based on the results is presented. We conclude that although it fits two of the four preconditions of a small-world model, the Portuguese governmental network is not a small-world network, although presenting an evolution pointing toward becoming one. Also, we use a resilience test to study the evolution of the robustness of the Portuguese governmental network, pinpointing the moment when a set of members became structurally important.