A real-time optimization strategy can provide any system with a considerable boost in performance on the fly, which in real-world applications can be translated to lower energy consumption or higher efficiency. This study investigates the particular case of using real-time optimization to improve wing aerodynamic performance with a dynamically activated deflectable leading edge. Its activation aims to minimize drag and maximize lift and is governed by real-time and gradient-based optimization. An extension to a classic method is suggested to enhance gradient estimation accuracy. Experimental data are obtained at a Reynolds number of with the wing fixed at five positions. For each of these positions, optimal leading-edge deflections are found. The results indicate that deflecting the leading edge has a negligible impact on drag and lift before the stall onset. However, the reduction in the pitching moment cannot be ignored. When the wing is experiencing a proper stall, the movable leading edge yields remarkable enhancements, with the lift being approximately raised by 45% together with a substantial increase in the critical angle of attack. The findings highlight the potential of real-time optimization in experimental aerodynamic studies, reinvigorating its application in improving aircraft performance.

Actigraphy is a non-invasive and cost-effective method for monitoring behavioral rhythms under real-world conditions by collecting time-resolved measurements of locomotor activity, light exposure, and temperature. Although several open-source packages support specific aspects of actigraphy analysis, aspects such as preprocessing, metric calculation, and mathematical modeling are often distributed across separate software packages, limiting interoperability and increasing programming overhead. Here we introduce circStudio, a Python package that unifies actigraphy data processing and mathematical modeling of circadian rhythms within a single framework. Built from the pyActigraphy codebase and integrating circadian models from the Arcascope circadian package, circStudio provides flexible preprocessing tools, support for multiple actigraphy file formats through adaptor classes, standalone functions for computing commonly used actigraphy metrics, and implementations of several mathematical models of circadian rhythms. The package enables users to move efficiently from raw wearable data to physiologically interpretable circadian outputs. Ultimately, circStudio aims to facilitate reproducible workflows and to provide a flexible foundation for research applications across circadian biology, sleep science, and digital health.

Actigraphy is a non-invasive and cost-effective method for monitoring behavioral rhythms under real-world conditions by collecting time-resolved measurements of locomotor activity, light exposure, and temperature. Although several open-source packages support specific aspects of actigraphy analysis, aspects such as preprocessing, metric calculation, and mathematical modeling are often distributed across separate software packages, limiting interoperability and increasing programming overhead. Here we introduce circStudio, a Python package that unifies actigraphy data processing and mathematical modeling of circadian rhythms within a single framework. Built from the pyActigraphy codebase and integrating circadian models from the Arcascope circadian package, circStudio provides flexible preprocessing tools, support for multiple actigraphy file formats through adaptor classes, standalone functions for computing commonly used actigraphy metrics, and implementations of several mathematical models of circadian rhythms. The package enables users to move efficiently from raw wearable data to physiologically interpretable circadian outputs. Ultimately, circStudio aims to facilitate reproducible workflows and to provide a flexible foundation for research applications across circadian biology, sleep science, and digital health.

Vivemos, atualmente, numa era digital. Todos os dias, por todo o Mundo, são lançados novos aplicativos, programas, atualizações de sistemas operativos – enfim - uma superabundância de criações tecnológicas impossível de acompanhar. Mas que papel tem o Direito nesta realidade? A presente dissertação tem como objetivo estudar a proteção jurídica concedida aos programas de computador. Ao longo deste trabalho são esclarecidos alguns fundamentos básicos que possibilitam uma melhor compreensão da natureza do conceito de software; outrossim, é analisada a conjuntura legal e jurisprudencial na Europa e em Portugal, com especial incidência no (pré) requisito do carácter técnico para efeitos de patenteabilidade. Finalmente, é abordada uma perspetiva comparada, nomeadamente no que diz respeito aos EUA. Pretende-se uma reflexão ponderada da situação atual relativa à proteção do software, nomeadamente as fragilidades inerentes ao Direito de Autor e ao Direito Industrial.

This article is intended to show how Sting Millennium Suite of programs can be useful in the study of protein structure and analysis of its function, emphasizing recent improvement introduced to SMS. The program has extensive built-in instructions and detailed easy-to-use help which user is invited to consult before and during SMS use.

Based on airborne LIDAR data on canopymorphology and height of Amazon forest trees, we developed allometric models to estimate dry biomass stored in the boles of dominant and co-dominant individuals and compared these results with those from equations based on traditional variables such as diameter at breast height (DBH). The database consisted of 142 trees of interest for logging in a forest under management for timber in Brazil's state of Acre. The trees chosen for studywere selected through proportional sampling by diameter class (ranging from45 to 165 cm DBH) in order to properly represent the dominant and co-dominant tree populationswith diameters appropriate for harvest. Subsequent to LIDAR profiling of these trees, they were felled, subjected to a battery of dimensional measurements and sampled for wood-density determination. A set ofmodels was generated, followed by model selection and identity testing in order to compare groups of basicwood density (low, medium and high). The morphometric variables of the crown had high explanatory power for bole biomass independent of whether the allometric equations included DBH. When calculating bole biomass with equations that include basic wood density, the best estimate is obtained using variables for both DBH and crown morphology. To obtain an allometric equation that encompasses species in all three classes of basic density, one should either use only independent variables representing crown dimensions or complement these with variables for basic density (BD) and total height (Ht). The study demonstrates the feasibility of using ground-based measurements to calibrate biomass models that include only LIDAR-based variables, allowing much larger areas to be surveyed with reasonable accuracy. The present study is designed to produce data needed for forest management, but the methods developed here can be adapted to studies aimed at reducing the uncertainty in biomass estimates of whole forests (not just harvestable trees) for use in quantifying carbon emissions from forest loss and degradation.

Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks are networks suitable for data collection in harsh environments, where it would be difficult or costly the deployment of wired infrastructure. In spite of these advantages, such networks often rely on batteries to operate, which may lead to a serious limitation on the networks lifetime. Bearing this in mind, in this article is proposed and tested a hybrid polling approach that reduces the number of frames transmitted by the router node. Thus, the router node lifetime can be extended significantly and hence the network lifetime. The proposed technique becomes progressively more advantageous, when compared to classical polling technique, as the number of network nodes increases. The experimental results obtained using a network with four nodes indicate a network lifetime increase of about 32.14%. Importantly, the sensor network lifetime extension increases the economic viability of the technology and thus makes it more accessible to potential users

O trabalho realizado pela equipe de pesquisa multidisciplinar, liderada pela Universitat de Valencia Estudi General (UVEG) e a Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC), de detalhamento da topografia, em especial na RESEX Chico Mendes, criou progresso significativo no conhecimento das estruturas de terra construídas na paisagem amazônica, conhecidas popularmente como geoglifos, no que se refere a aplicação de topografia de alta precisão para algumas das estruturas, compreensão geral fenômeno e aplicação de uma nova estratégia de pesquisa, com o auxílio de ferramentas como o Google Earth, Google Maps, GPX, OpenStreetMap e Lidar. Ainda há muito trabalho de campo a ser feito na Amazônia Ocidental, nas estruturas de terra conhecidas como geoglifos.