Modern conflicts demand substantial physical and psychological exertion,often resulting in fatigue and diminished combat or operational readiness.Several exoskeletons have been developed recently to address these chal...Modern conflicts demand substantial physical and psychological exertion,often resulting in fatigue and diminished combat or operational readiness.Several exoskeletons have been developed recently to address these challenges,presenting various limitations that affect their operational or everyday usability.This article evaluates the performance of a dual-purpose passive ankle exoskeleton developed for the reduction of metabolic costs during walking,seeking to identify a force element that could be applied to the target population.Based on the 6-min walk test,twenty-nine subjects participated in the study using three different force elements.The results indicate that it is possible to reduce metabolic expenditure while using the developed exoskeleton.Additionally,the comfort and range of motion results verify the exoskeleton's suitability for use in uneven terrain and during extended periods.Nevertheless,the choice of the force element should be tailored to each user,and the control system should be adjustable to optimise the exoskeleton's performance.展开更多
Fishing is a significant global food source,providing protein for millions of people.The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)is committed to ensuring access to high-quality food,reducing hunger,and promoting sustain...Fishing is a significant global food source,providing protein for millions of people.The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)is committed to ensuring access to high-quality food,reducing hunger,and promoting sustainable fisheries to address global population growth and hunger.However,illegal,unreported,and unregulated fishing poses a significant challenge,threatening marine biodiversity and food security.Portugal has the 10th largest Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ),with waters around mainland Portugal,the Azores,and Madeira.This research focuses on the Azores region,known for its traditional multispecific fishery around the island slopes and seamounts.The region’s fisheries face data scarcity issues and complicating effective management.By combining Vessel Monitoring System(VMS)records from 2016 to 2022 and Portuguese Navy(PoN)Fiscalization Reports(FISCREP)from 2015 to 2022,it was possible to use appropriate metrics to characterize the fishing effort and analyze the effectiveness of the inspections conducted in the Azores EEZ.The Total Boat-Meter(TBM)metric combines the number and length of boats to quantify the fishing effort better.The analysis shows that the fishing effort in the protected areas is very high,highlighting the pressure on the protected ecosystems.The findings aim to assist regulatory institutions and researchers in assessing fishing pressure and promoting sustainable fisheries management in the Azores to preserve marine ecosystems.展开更多
基金the Portuguese Army,through CINAMIL,within project ELITE2-Enhancement LITe ExoskeletonFoundation for Science and Technology (FCT),through IDMEC,under LAETA,project UIDB/50022/2020 for supporting this research。
文摘Modern conflicts demand substantial physical and psychological exertion,often resulting in fatigue and diminished combat or operational readiness.Several exoskeletons have been developed recently to address these challenges,presenting various limitations that affect their operational or everyday usability.This article evaluates the performance of a dual-purpose passive ankle exoskeleton developed for the reduction of metabolic costs during walking,seeking to identify a force element that could be applied to the target population.Based on the 6-min walk test,twenty-nine subjects participated in the study using three different force elements.The results indicate that it is possible to reduce metabolic expenditure while using the developed exoskeleton.Additionally,the comfort and range of motion results verify the exoskeleton's suitability for use in uneven terrain and during extended periods.Nevertheless,the choice of the force element should be tailored to each user,and the control system should be adjustable to optimise the exoskeleton's performance.
基金supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(FCT)under the projects-LA/P/0083/2020,UIDP/50009/2020 and UIDB/50009/2020(DOI:10.54499/LA/P/0083/2020,10.54499/UIDP/50009/2020,and 10.54499/UIDB/50009/2020)-Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems(LARSyS)National funds funded the research conducted by Ricardo Moura through the FCT,I.P.,Center for Mathematics and Applications(NOVA Math)under the scope of the projects UIDB/00297/2020 and UIDP/00297/2020(DOI:10.54499/UIDB/00297/2020and 10.54499/UIDP/00297/2020).
文摘Fishing is a significant global food source,providing protein for millions of people.The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)is committed to ensuring access to high-quality food,reducing hunger,and promoting sustainable fisheries to address global population growth and hunger.However,illegal,unreported,and unregulated fishing poses a significant challenge,threatening marine biodiversity and food security.Portugal has the 10th largest Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ),with waters around mainland Portugal,the Azores,and Madeira.This research focuses on the Azores region,known for its traditional multispecific fishery around the island slopes and seamounts.The region’s fisheries face data scarcity issues and complicating effective management.By combining Vessel Monitoring System(VMS)records from 2016 to 2022 and Portuguese Navy(PoN)Fiscalization Reports(FISCREP)from 2015 to 2022,it was possible to use appropriate metrics to characterize the fishing effort and analyze the effectiveness of the inspections conducted in the Azores EEZ.The Total Boat-Meter(TBM)metric combines the number and length of boats to quantify the fishing effort better.The analysis shows that the fishing effort in the protected areas is very high,highlighting the pressure on the protected ecosystems.The findings aim to assist regulatory institutions and researchers in assessing fishing pressure and promoting sustainable fisheries management in the Azores to preserve marine ecosystems.
