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Publicações

2025

Smart Hygrothermal Ventilation, an Energy-Efficient Solution for Controlling Relative Humidity in Historical Constructions: A Case Study

Autores
Palley, B; de Freitas, VP; Abreu, P; Restivo, MT; Freitas, TS;

Publicação
PROTECTION OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS, PROHITECH 2025, VOL 1

Abstract
All over the world, there are several unoccupied spaces without adequate constant control mechanisms to reduce and prevent mold and provide good internal conditions and indoor air quality. A widespread way to reduce building humidity is through heating and dehumidification, which are costly to maintain and have high energy consumption. In addition, there are few studies on adjustable hygro ventilation systems, which do not consider the influence of temperature fluctuations. This work describes the operation of a prototype, which fills existing research gaps by considering not only the control of relative humidity (RH) but also the temperature peaks in indoor air conditions, allowing the maintenance of good air quality. The prototype Smart Hygrothermal Ventilation system uses two pairs of sensors related to RH and temperature, one pair placed inside an unoccupied compartment of the building and the other pair in the external environment, in order to activate a fan and the respective speed. The proposed prototype was applied in a compartment located on the ground floor in an unoccupied old rural building in a village near Porto during the winter period. The results show that the system performed adequately for different configurations of its functionalities. Therefore, the system offers an efficient alternative to minimize mold and the fluctuation of internal RH and temperature. Furthermore, it could be a vital mechanism for the conservation of historic buildings.

2025

Exploring the impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies on the triple bottom line of sustainability in industrial companies

Autores
Almeida, D; Simoes, AC; Fernandes, A;

Publicação
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Abstract
Industrial companies operate in a context of dynamic technological innovation, in which new technologies are adopted with a high impact internally and externally, leveraging their competitive advantages. Usually, managers decide to adopt technologies, often without realising the impacts on the company, but mainly supported by a strategic vision and the pursuit of differentiation. This study aims to describe the impacts of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in industrial companies, focusing on sustainability's economic, social, and environmental dimensions and explaining which Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to each impact. This study used qualitative methodology, collecting data through interviews, internal documents, and observation. The results of this study identified new impacts in the three dimensions of sustainability, as well as the relationships between impacts and respective technologies. This study contributes to the literature by enriching and validating the impacts of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies on sustainability dimensions and linking these impacts with the technologies. In practice, it provides important insights to managers and decision-makers of manufacturing companies in making more informed decisions on adopting i4.0 technologies.

2025

Measuring Rigidity During Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: Evidence of Clinical Benefits in Patients With Advanced Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

Autores
Elodie Lopes; Vânia Almeida; Leonor Dias; Maria J Rosas; Rui Vaz; João P Cunha;

Publicação
Cureus

Abstract

2025

Association of sEMG Neuromuscular Control with Lower Limb Joint Coordination at Different Stretch-Shortening Cycle on Standard Maximum Vertical Jump

Autores
Rodrigues, CF; Correia, V; Abrantes, JM; Benedetti Rodrigues, MA; Nadal, J;

Publicação
IFMBE Proceedings

Abstract
This study presents and applies time delay analysis of maximum cross-correlation between quadriceps and gastrocnemius sEMG neuromuscular control with lower limb joint angular coordination of the hip, the knee and the ankle joint angles, angular velocities and accelerations to assess long countermovement (CM) and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) at countermovement jump (CMJ), short CM and SSC on drop jump (DJ), and no CM on squat jump (SJ), with different and shared features at each CM complementing functional anatomy analysis. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

2025

Analysis of NECP-based scenarios for the implementation of wind and solar energy facilities in Portugal

Autores
Robaina, M; Oliveira, A; Lima, F; Ramalho, E; Miguel, T; López-Maciel, M; Roebeling, P; Madaleno, M; Dias, MF; Meireles, M; Martínez, SD; Villar, J;

Publicação
ENERGY

Abstract
Portugal's electricity generation relies heavily on renewable sources, which accounted for over half of the country's production in recent years. The Portuguese government has set ambitious renewable energy targets for 2030. The R3EA project (https://r3ea.web.ua.pt/pt/projeto) evaluates the impact of new investments in solar and wind energy capacity in the Centro Region of Portugal, focusing on the costs and benefits of externalities. This study examines Portugal's electricity market outcomes in terms of prices, generation mix, and emissions for different wind and solar capacities, using the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) of Portugal and Spain as the reference scenario. The electricity markets of both countries are modelled together, reflecting the integrated Iberian market with significant interconnections. The NECP scenario results in lower market prices and emissions, but less significantly than scenarios with lower demand and higher renewable energy share. In all scenarios, increasing renewable energy sources drives market prices down from over 200/MWh in 2022 to under 100/MWh during peak hours in 2030. Demand is the main driver of emissions, as higher demand leads to more reliance on fossil fuel plants. Lower demand scenarios in 2030 show 20 % fewer CO2 emissions per TWh than higher demand ones.

2025

One-class classification with confound control for cognitive screening in older adults using gait, fingertapping, cognitive, and dual tasks

Autores
Guimaraes, V; Sousa, I; Cunha, R; Magalhaes, R; Machado, A; Fernandes, V; Reis, S; Correia, MV;

Publicação
COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE

Abstract
Background and Objectives: Early detection of cognitive impairment is crucial for timely clinical interventions aimed at delaying progression to dementia. However, existing screening tools are not ideal for wide population screening. This study explores the potential of combining machine learning, specifically, one-class classification, with simpler and quicker motor-cognitive tasks to improve the early detection of cognitive impairment. Methods: We gathered data on gait, fingertapping, cognitive, and dual tasks from older adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls. Using one-class classification, we modeled the behavior of the majority group (healthy controls), identifying deviations from this behavior as abnormal. To account for confounding effects, we integrated confound regression into the classification pipeline. We evaluated the performance of individual tasks, as well as the combination of features (early fusion) and models (late fusion). Additionally, we compared the results with those from two-class classification and a standard cognitive screening test. Results: We analyzed data from 37 healthy controls and 16 individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Results revealed that one-class classification had higher predictive accuracy for mild cognitive impairment, whereas two-class classification performed better in identifying healthy controls. Gait features yielded the best results for one-class classification. Combining individual models led to better performance than combining features from the different tasks. Notably, the one-class majority voting approach exhibited a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 75.7%, suggesting it may serve as a potential alternative to the standard cognitive screening test. In contrast, the two-class majority voting failed to improve the low sensitivities achieved by the individual models due to the underrepresentation of the impaired group. Conclusion: Our preliminary results support the use of one-class classification with confound control to detect abnormal patterns of gait, fingertapping, cognitive, and dual tasks, to improve the early detection of cognitive impairment. Further research is necessary to substantiate the method's effectiveness in broader clinical settings.

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