In the present paper the project of an embeddedsolution for the realization of a floating sensor platform for themonitoring of the water and ambient quality in a flowing waterenvironment is described. First results regarding the monitoringof the water conductivity and the ambient noise level underharsh environmental conditions in a karstic river and in the finalpart of a river going towards the Mediterranean Sea arepresented. It is further discussed how this kind of system can bemodified in order to serve as urban waterway multisensoryplatform, adding important features like connectivity, energyharvesting and determination of the platform position. 

This paper presents a study on resonant converter topologies targeted for CMOS integration. Design methodologies to optimize efficiency for the integration of Quasi-Resonant and Quasi-Square-Wave converters are proposed. A power loss model is used to optimize the design parameters of the power stage, including the driver circuits, and also to conclude about CMOS technology limitations. Based on this discussion, and taking as reference a 0.35μm CMOS process, two converters are designed to validate the proposal: a Quasi Resonant boost converter operating at 100MHz and a Quasi-Square-Wave buck converter operating at 70MHz. Simulation results confirm the feasibility of these topologies for monolithic integration.

At the treatment sites of people who are bedridden, usually in Intensive Care Units, Long-Term Care Facilities for the Elderly and in the home environment due to the diffusion of home care, the incidence of Pressure Injury (LPP) is common. In order to reduce suffering and increase the life expectancy of patients with this problem, alternative methods are needed that can be introduced into the care of nursing teams to achieve the eradication or minimization of LPP. This paper presents a proposal of an innovative and low cost solution for LPP prevention. Applying concepts of automation and control, through existing technologies and low-cost components, the development of a device is developed that aims to assist the medical team and all those who have the responsibility of caring for individuals bedridden in LPP care. The device consists of pressure, humidity and temperature sensors, with a consequent real-time performance on these three variables at points with a higher probability of involvement of LPP.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently considered an essential complementary method for diagnosis in many conditions. Exponential growth in its use is expected due to the aging population and a broader spectrum of clinical indications. Growth in its use, coupled with an increasing number of pacemaker implants, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy, has led to a frequent clinical need for this diagnostic modality in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED). This clinical need has fueled the development of devices specifically designed and approved for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) environment under certain safety conditions (MR-conditional devices). More than a decade after the introduction of the first MR-conditional pacemaker, there are now several dozen MR-conditional devices with different safety specifications. In recent years, increasing evidence has indicated there is a low risk to MRI use in conventional (so-called non-MR-conditional) CIED patients in the right circumstances. The increasing number, as well as the greater diversity and complexity of implanted devices, justify the need to standardize procedures, by establishing institutional agreements that require close collaboration between cardiologists and radiologists. This consensus document, prepared jointly by the Portuguese Society of Cardiology and the Portuguese Society of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, provides general guidelines for MRI in patients with CIED, ensuring the safety of patients, health professionals and equipment. In addition to briefly reviewing the potential risks of MRI in patients with CIED and major changes to MRI-conditional devices, this article provides specific recommendations on risk-benefit analysis, informed consent, scheduling, programming strategies, devices, monitoring and modification of MRI sequences. The main purpose of this document is to optimize patient safety and provide legal support to facilitate easy access by CIED patients to a potentially beneficial and irreplaceable diagnostic technique.

O objectivo desta dissertação de cariz prático consistiu na realização de uma peça de vestuário em látex, um vestido, que integrasse na sua construção um circuito de iluminação de baixo consumo, LEDs. Tenciona-se alcançar com esta aplicação um padrão mutável, reproduzido e conseguido através da auscultação do batimento cardíaco do usuário da peça, outorgando-lhe singularidade e especificidade. O intuito deste projecto prende-se ainda com a interdisciplinaridade, ao conjugar áreas antagónicas como o design de moda e a engenharia electrónica, num esforço conjunto de trazer para o vestuário uma tecnologia pouco utlizada, admitindo uma nova abordagem. A metodologia utilizada tanto assenta no método não intervencionista, valendo-se da pesquisa e investigação de literatura relacionados ao tema, como no método intervencionista no que diz respeito ao projecto em si, baseado numa metodologia de trabalho apropriado ao processo de criação em design de moda. O resultado permitiu ampliar os conhecimentos respeitantes à execução de vestuário em látex e no campo dos circuitos e da iluminação por LEDs, conseguidos através da parceria entre as áreas. O sistema aplicado, apesar de divergir nos objectivos iniciais de auscultação do batimento cardíaco, permitiram explorar um outro sistema de LEDs onde a simulação é alcançada a partir de um circuito pensado para esse fim. Todo o conhecimento adquirido no processo foi uma mais-valia, que permitirá, de futuro, continuar a exploração neste campo e, com tempo, serem alcançados os objectivos primeiramente traçados.

A música é um dos meios mais poderosos para a expressão de emoções e sentimentos, assumido desde a infância. Estamos habituados a improvisar ritmos e melodias, a memorizar e imaginar harmonizações e até músicas completas.No entanto, o lado interpretativo da experiência musical não é tão simples e fluído como o lado receptivo. Enquanto que toda a gente pode apreciar música, para que se possa exprimir fluentemente através um instrumento melódico é necessário não só dominá-lo completamente como também conhecer os princípios que governam a teoria musical: o conjunto de regras que devem ser seguidas para que se possa combinar sons que dão origem a composições harmoniosas em vez de caos.O objectivo deste projecto é contribuir para a superação dessa barreira tirando partido das intuições dos utilizadores. Por exemplo, mesmo quem não tem nenhum tipo de treino musical é capaz de distinguir vários aspectos musicais como mudanças de tom, volume e ritmo, a que atribuímos os conceitos de altura, força e velocidade, respectivamente. Conseguimos ainda descrever sons como profundos, claros ou escuros, ásperos ou suaves (Cho, 2005). Somos também capazes de entoar melodias e reproduzi-las através da voz. Uns melhor que outros, conseguimos até improvisar melodias e acompanhar instrumentos sem sabermos, a cada nota, quantos tons subimos ou descemos.Assumindo que a maioria das pessoas com poucos ou nenhuns conhecimentos musicais consegue reproduzir melodias através da sua voz, recorreu-se aos princípios do Design de Interacção para conceber um instrumento musical electrónico passível de ser um meio de expressão musical, de fácil compreensão e operação, que torna possível transmitir ideias melódicas aproveitando essas intuições.

Thermal aspects are becoming increasingly important for the reliability of the electronic components due to the continuous progress of the electronic industries. Therefore, the effective thermal management is a key issue for packaging of high performance semiconductors. The ideal material working as heat sink and heat spreader should have a CTE of (4-8) × 10-6 K-1 and a high thermal conductivity. Metal matrix composites offer the possibility to tailor the properties of a metal by adding an appropriate reinforcement phase and to meet the demands in thermal management.

Nowadays the main honey producing countries require accurate labeling of honey before commercialization, including floral classification. Traditionally, this classification is made by melissopalynology analysis, an accurate but time-consuming task requiring laborious sample pre-treatment and high-skilled technicians. In this work the potential use of a potentiometric electronic tongue for pollinic assessment is evaluated, using monofloral and polyfloral honeys. The results showed that after splitting honeys according to color (white, amber and dark), the novel methodology enabled quantifying the relative percentage of the main pollens (Castanea sp., Echium sp., Erica sp., Eucaliptus sp., Lavandula sp., Prunus sp., Rubus sp. and Trifolium sp.). Multiple linear regression models were established for each type of pollen, based on the best sensors' sub-sets selected using the simulated annealing algorithm. To minimize the overfitting risk, a repeated K-fold cross-validation procedure was implemented, ensuring that at least 10-20% of the honeys were used for internal validation. With this approach, a minimum average determination coefficient of 0.91 ± 0.15 was obtained. Also, the proposed technique enabled the correct classification of 92% and 100% of monofloral and polyfloral honeys, respectively. The quite satisfactory performance of the novel procedure for quantifying the relative pollen frequency may envisage its applicability for honey labeling and geographical origin identification. Nevertheless, this approach is not a full alternative to the traditional melissopalynologic analysis; it may be seen as a practical complementary tool for preliminary honey floral classification, leaving only problematic cases for pollinic evaluation.

Abstract: The Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the North of Portugal (CCDR-N) promoted NORTINOV 2015, a project created to define a regional innovation strategy for the North of Portugal based on automotive clusters and Information Technology, Communication and Electronics (ITCE) clusters. Accordingly, it developed a technology forecast for the year 2015 in order to help the North of Portugal cope with the intensifying global competition and rapid technological changes. This paper describes the methodology used to identify critical technologies for the regional economy of the North of Portugal under the project NORTINOV 2015. It involved three main steps: technology identification and study, in which a list of emerging technologies was implemented; refinement of emerging technologies, in which 90 technologies were identified and finally, classification and hierarchisation of technologies, in which 30 technologies were identified as critical for the crafting of regional innovation strategy. In this final step, a workshop involving major stakeholders of the three clusters under study played a major role.