Abstract
This article proposes a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) rendering algorithm based on a family of guided transition kernels. The kernels exploit properties of ensembles of light transport paths, which are distributed according to the lighting in the scene, and utilize this information to make informed decisions for guiding local path sampling. Critically, our approach does not require caching distributions in world space, saving time and memory, yet it is able to make guided sampling decisions based on whole paths. We show how this can be implemented efficiently by organizing the paths in each ensemble and designing transition kernels for MCMC rendering based on a carefully chosen subset of paths from the ensemble. This algorithm is easy to parallelize and leads to improvements in variance when rendering a variety of scenes.

Abstract
The Internet, much like our universe, is ever-expanding. Information, in the most varied formats, is continuously added to the point of information overload. Consequently, the ability to navigate this ocean of data is crucial in our day-to-day lives, with familiar tools such as search engines carving a path through this unknown. In the research world, articles on a myriad of topics with distinct complexity levels are published daily, requiring specialized tools to facilitate the access and assessment of the information within. Recent endeavors in artificial intelligence, and in natural language processing in particular, can be seen as potential solutions for breaking information overload and provide enhanced search mechanisms by means of advanced algorithms. As the advent of transformer-based language models contributed to a more comprehensive analysis of both text-encoded intents and true document semantic meaning, there is simultaneously a need for additional computational resources. Information retrieval methods can act as low-complexity, yet reliable, filters to feed heavier algorithms, thus reducing computational requirements substantially. In this work, a new search engine is proposed, addressing machine reading at scale in the context of scientific and academic research. It combines state-of-the-art algorithms for information retrieval and reading comprehension tasks to extract meaningful answers from a corpus of scientific documents. The solution is then tested on two current and relevant topics, cybersecurity and energy, proving that the system is able to perform under distinct knowledge domains while achieving competent performance.

Abstract
Technological evolution has continuously driven the development of industries and consequently of society. The fourth industrial revolution consists in the combination of a set of physical and digital technologies that has been changing systems' operations within industries. The pharmaceutical industry has a considerable impact on well-being and has been strongly challenged with this new reality, not only by those that are transversal to all industries but also due to the fact that it is a highly regulated sector, which creates additional barriers for industry 4.0 (I4.0) initiative's implementation. However, it is due to the fact that this revolution provides high growth opportunities to the industry, and consequently for the improvement of population's quality of life, that this topic has been subject to so much research at a global level. This study's main purpose is to understand the impact of I4.0 paradigm implementation in the pharmaceutical industry (mainly in the production area), to analyze the technological readiness of Portuguese pharmaceutical companies to implement I4.0 technologies and to understand the role of the I4.0 paradigm to fight the pandemic situation caused by the COVID-19. To achieve this purpose, an exploratory multiple-case study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted in two Portuguese pharmaceutical companies. It is expected that the results of this work lead to recommendations that help the Portuguese pharmaceutical industry to be better prepared to face the challenges that are coming with this revolution.

Abstract
The need for sustainable power production has led to the development of more innovative approaches to production and storage. In light of this hydrogen production through wind power has emerged as sufficient in ensuring that the objectives of the Paris Agreement are made. This paper discusses the state-of-art models and controls used in ensuring that greater efficiency is achieved in the processes of energy to hydrogen transformation. The paper concludes with a comparison of the models and determination of one which suffices in ensuring that hydrogen/energy transformation is more efficient.

Abstract
The proposed work was developed as part of the SmartHealth project, which aims to advance upper body rehabilitation by granting a robotic alternative to reduce the limitations of physical therapy while conferring more intensive and personalized therapy sessions for patients. The use of robots permits therapists to be relieved of laborious and repetitive tasks while supplying feedback for patients and physiotherapists through automatic recordings. The proposed strategy is to develop new python-based software that controls the robot, collects the patient's forces and muscle activity in real-time, and stores them for future analysis while providing visual feedback, thus allowing session optimization. These features permit the physiotherapist to objectively perceive the patient's performance during exercise. This solution is implemented in robots already commercialized in the industrial field. These kinds of robots are generally mass-produced in production lines at a relatively low cost and with great flexibility.

Abstract
Simple Summary Radiographic diagnosis is essential for the genetic control of canine hip dysplasia (HD). The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) scoring HD scheme is based on objective and qualitative radiographic criteria. Subjective interpretations can lead to errors in diagnosis and, consequently, to incorrect selective breeding, which in turn impacts the gene pool of dog breeds. The aim of this study was to use a computer method to calculate the Hip Congruency Index (HCI) to objectively estimate radiographic hip congruency for future application in the development of computer vision models capable of classifying canine HD. The HCI measures the percentage of acetabular coverage that is occupied by the femoral head. Normal hips are associated with an even, parallel joint surface that translates into reduced acetabular free space, which increases with hip subluxation and becomes maximal in hip dislocation. We found statistically significant differences in mean HCI values among all five FCI categories. These results demonstrate that the HCI reliably reflects the different degrees of congruency associated with HD. Therefore, it is expected that when used in conjunction with other HD evaluation parameters, such as Norberg angle and assessment of osteoarthritic signs, it can improve the diagnosis by making it more accurate and unequivocal. Accurate radiographic screening evaluation is essential in the genetic control of canine HD, however, the qualitative assessment of hip congruency introduces some subjectivity, leading to excessive variability in scoring. The main objective of this work was to validate a method-Hip Congruency Index (HCI)-capable of objectively measuring the relationship between the acetabulum and the femoral head and associating it with the level of congruency proposed by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), with the aim of incorporating it into a computer vision model that classifies HD autonomously. A total of 200 dogs (400 hips) were randomly selected for the study. All radiographs were scored in five categories by an experienced examiner according to FCI criteria. Two examiners performed HCI measurements on 25 hip radiographs to study intra- and inter-examiner reliability and agreement. Additionally, each examiner measured HCI on their half of the study sample (100 dogs), and the results were compared between FCI categories. The paired t-test and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed no evidence of a systematic bias, and there was excellent reliability between the measurements of the two examiners and examiners' sessions. Hips that were assigned an FCI grade of A (n = 120), B (n = 157), C (n = 68), D (n = 38) and E (n = 17) had a mean HCI of 0.739 +/- 0.044, 0.666 +/- 0.052, 0.605 +/- 0.055, 0.494 +/- 0.070 and 0.374 +/- 0.122, respectively (ANOVA, p < 0.01). Therefore, these results show that HCI is a parameter capable of estimating hip congruency and has the potential to enrich conventional HD scoring criteria if incorporated into an artificial intelligence algorithm competent in diagnosing HD.