The current research aims to study the behavior of thin reinforced concrete (RC) slabs under concentrated loads as well as to investigate the application of Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT) to such slabs. For this purpose, four square 100-mm-thick slabs were cast and subjected to concentrated punching monotonic loading. The experimental parameters were the flexural reinforcement ratio, 0.38% and 1.00%, and the presence or absence of shear headed stud reinforcement. It is shown that the failure criteria of CSCT describe reasonably well the observed failure modes and the ultimate loads of the specimens. However, attention is brought to some peculiarities in the analytical derivation of the load-rotation curve for thin lightly reinforced flat slabs, in which large deformations are experienced. Results showed that in such slabs, the behavior can be highly influenced by the post-yield stress-strain curve of the flexural steel reinforcement. As a result, the constitutive law of steel reinforcement should be explicitly taken into account in such cases. The versatility of CSCT to adapt to these conditions is demonstrated.

Purpose: The purpose of this study intends to make a characterization of a shop floor management (SFM) system in the context of smart manufacturing, through smart technologies and digital shop floor (DSF) features. Design/methodology/approach: To attain the paper objective, a mixed method methodology was used. In the first stage, a theoretical background was carried out, to provide a comprehensive understanding on SFM system in a smart manufacturing perspective. Next, a case study within a survey was developed. The case study was introduced to characterize a SFM system, while the survey was made to understand the level of influence of smart manufacturing technologies and of DSF features on SFM. In total, 17 experts responded to the survey. Findings: Data analytics is the smart manufacturing technology that influences more the SFM system and its components and the cyber security technology does not influence it at all. The problem solving (PS) is the SFM component more influenced by the smart manufacturing technologies. Also, the use of real-time digital visualization tools is considered the most influential DSF feature for the SFM components and the data security protocols is the least influential one. The four SFM components more influenced by the DSF features are key performance indicator tracking, PS, work standardization and continuous improvement. Research limitations/implications: The study was applied in one multinational company from the automotive sector. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is one of the first to try to characterize the SFM system on smart manufacturing considering smart technologies and DSF features.

Este projeto é delineado no contexto do Observatório de Literacia Oceânica – espaço de investigação transdisciplinar e transcultural. O seu objeto de estudo são diferentes comunidades costeiras urbanas, localizadas na área entre a Costa da Caparica e a Fonte da Telha. As comunidades piscatórias, situadas nessas áreas costeiras urbanas são social, económica, cultural e intelectualmente invisíveis. Numa perspetiva de educação intercultural e de inovação educativa, em ambientes tecnologicamente enriquecidos, que possibilitem a comunicação em rede, pretende-se desenvolver a co-construção de um museu virtual sobre as Artes da Pesca locais, sustentada em conceitos e conteúdos da disciplina de História. Pretende-se compreender de que forma se realizam as interações entre saber formal e informal, utilizando instrumentos e ambientes digitais, e como se poderá melhorar o desempenho das comunidades estudantis piscatórias. Os participantes neste projeto pertencem às comunidades piscatórias da área acima descrita e são estudantes de escolas da região da Caparica. Fazendo uso da etnografia crítica, num ambiente educacional formal e tecnologicamente enriquecido, pretende-se fomentar interações entre saberes formais e informais. A construção da plataforma digital e a construção e aplicação de instrumentos, resultando num museu virtual, servir-se-ão da metodologia Design-based Research.

Physics Letters B, 795 (2019) 682–688. 10.1016/j.physletb.2019.06.069

n/a

Additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping) refers to processes used to produce parts in an additive manner by means of computer-aided design (CAD). While additive manufacturing is a technology that can be used in many different application areas, this project focuses on future trends in additive manufacturing (AM) aimed at improving biological functionality (bio-AM) and on its opportunities, barriers and challenges. The big advantage of this technique is that small batches can be produced more economically than with any other manufacturing process. Virtually any structure can be customized, which is particularly important in the healthcare sector. Possible applications include biological implants such as organs and tissues, nutrients, drugs and their transport mechanisms, equipment such as surgical knives and drilling guides, tissues for research, development and training, and personalized prostheses, supports and exoskeletons. Besides exploring such applications, the project will also systematically analyze potential "human enhancement" uses of AM technology and developments in the emerging do-it-yourself (DIY) cultures ("bio/body-hacking"; cyborgism; open source 3D printing movement).

In the first phase of the project, the technological state of the art will be analyzed, as will a wide variety of non-technical aspects, regulatory issues and future trends, also with a special focus on sociotechnical imaginaries (e.g., in science fiction), human enhancement and DIY cultures. This horizon scanning will be accomplished partly by means of expert and stakeholder interviews.

In the second phase, the project will use a variety of foresight and technology assessment methods and will carry out a 360° envisioning exercise with contributions by external experts, entailing an in-depth analysis of selected applications of bio-AM.

The project work will end with a scenario development phase in which the focus will be on likely outcomes of already emerging developments, though further-reaching future perspectives will be taken into account to a certain extent. Taken together, these scenarios will allow for both a broader understanding of the wide range of potential impacts of AM applications and a clearer picture of potential policy challenges relevant to the Members of the European Parliament.

ABSTRACT Diplodocid sauropods had a unique skull morphology, with posteriorly retracted nares, an elongated snout, and anteriorly restricted, peglike teeth. Because of the lack of extant analogs in skull structure and tooth morphology, understanding their feeding strategy and diet has been difficult. Furthermore, the general rarity of sauropod skulls and the fragility of their facial elements resulted in a restricted knowledge of cranial anatomy, in particular regarding the internal surface of the facial skull. Here, we describe in detail a well-preserved diplodocid skull visible in medial view. Diagnostic features recognized in other skulls observable in lateral view, such as the extended contribution of the jugal to the antorbital fenestra, are obliterated in medial view due to extensive overlapping joints between the maxilla, jugal, quadratojugal, and the lacrimal. These overlapping joints permitted limited anterior sliding movement of the snout, which likely served as a kind of ?shock-absorbing? mechanism during feeding. Diplodocid skulls therefore seem to have evolved to alleviate stresses inflicted on the snout during backward movements of the head, as would be expected during branch-stripping or raking.ABSTRACT Diplodocid sauropods had a unique skull morphology, with posteriorly retracted nares, an elongated snout, and anteriorly restricted, peglike teeth. Because of the lack of extant analogs in skull structure and tooth morphology, understanding their feeding strategy and diet has been difficult. Furthermore, the general rarity of sauropod skulls and the fragility of their facial elements resulted in a restricted knowledge of cranial anatomy, in particular regarding the internal surface of the facial skull. Here, we describe in detail a well-preserved diplodocid skull visible in medial view. Diagnostic features recognized in other skulls observable in lateral view, such as the extended contribution of the jugal to the antorbital fenestra, are obliterated in medial view due to extensive overlapping joints between the maxilla, jugal, quadratojugal, and the lacrimal. These overlapping joints permitted limited anterior sliding movement of the snout, which likely served as a kind of ?shock-absorbing? mechanism during feeding. Diplodocid skulls therefore seem to have evolved to alleviate stresses inflicted on the snout during backward movements of the head, as would be expected during branch-stripping or raking.

Overexpression of the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen in cell membrane proteins occurs in 90% of adenocarcinomas. Additionally, the binding of the TF-antigen to human galectin-3 (Gal-3), also frequently overexpressed in malignancy, promotes cancer progression and metastasis. In this context, structures that interfere with this specific interaction display the potential to prevent cancer metastasis. Herein, a multidisciplinary approach, combining the optimized synthesis of a TF-antigen mimetic with NMR, X-ray crystallography methods and isothermal titration calorimetry assays has been employed to unravel the molecular structural details that govern the Gal-3/TF-mimetic interaction. The TF-mimetic presents a binding affinity for Gal-3 similar to the TF-natural antigen and retains the binding epitope and the bioactive conformation observed for the native antigen. Furthermore, from a thermodynamic perspective a decrease in the enthalpic contribution was observed for the Gal-3/TF-mimetic complex, however this behaviour is compensated by a favourable entropy gain. From a structural perspective, these results establish our TF-mimetic as a scaffold to design multivalent solutions to potentially interfere with Gal-3 aberrant interactions and likely be used to hamper Gal-3-mediated cancer cells adhesion and metastasis.