Uso de ferramentas por macacos-prego em manguezais

The present study discusses the geographical distribution and the context on the occupation of mangrove swamp areas by capuchin monkeys. In addition, we assess how the dispersion to the mangrove allowed the exploration of different food items, permitting the development of predation by ambush and the use of cracking tools. From 2004 to 2008 we surveyed the main estuaries of Brazilian Amazon coast, from northeastern state of Pará to the eastern boundary of the state of Maranhão, and recorded the presence of two species of capuchin monkeys in the mangrove forest areas. Cebus apella has been widely distributed in the mangrove at the estuaries examined (excluding C. libidinosus areas). Its presence is often related to Amazon forest remnants in the neighbourhood of the mangrove swamps and thus it is possible that some groups live in both kinds of habitats. However, we recorded some populations restricted only to mangrove swamp surrounded by open areas. On the other hand, Cebus libidinosus had a distribution more restricted and isolated in mangroves. Its pattern of habitat use is consistent with geographic distribution in mangrove patches. It seems that the possible contact zone previously proposed in the literature for that two species has no evident barriers in the mangrove. Furthermore, we record cracking sites and systematic observations on the tool use, carnivory and predation by ambush in Cebus libidinosus from 2006 to 2008. Cebus libidinosus is the only Neotropical primate species in which the tool use has been systematically recorded in nature. However all previous studies had been obtained is open areas (Cerrado and Caatinga). Thus, the present study is first one to report that behaviour in forested habitats in which the tool use to cracking by capuchin monkeys is associated with the consumption of meat. In the Caatinga and Cerrado, food shortages and terrestriality has been proposed by different authors to explain the evolution of tool use in primates. Here, we analyzed the relative contribution of these two variables as selective pressures for the tool use by capuchin monkeys in the mangrove forests, an ecological scenario in which food resources is available around the year and terrestriality is limited by structural habitat features, as the presence of stilt roots and muddy soil

Geração automática de testes a partir de descrições de linguagens

Some programs may have their entry data specified by formalized context-free grammars. This formalization facilitates the use of tools in the systematization and the rise of the quality of their test process. This category of programs, compilers have been the first to use this kind of tool for the automation of their tests. In this work we present an approach for definition of tests from the formal description of the entries of the program. The generation of the sentences is performed by taking into account syntactic aspects defined by the specification of the entries, the grammar. For optimization, their coverage criteria are used to limit the quantity of tests without diminishing their quality. Our approach uses these criteria to drive generation to produce sentences that satisfy a specific coverage criterion. The approach presented is based on the use of Lua language, relying heavily on its resources of coroutines and dynamic construction of functions. With these resources, we propose a simple and compact implementation that can be optimized and controlled in different ways, in order to seek satisfaction the different implemented coverage criteria. To make the use of our tool simpler, the EBNF notation for the specification of the entries was adopted. Its parser was specified in the tool Meta-Environment for rapid prototyping

Joker: um realizador de desenhos animados para linguagens formais

Using formal methods, the developer can increase software s trustiness and correctness. Furthermore, the developer can concentrate in the functional requirements of the software. However, there are many resistance in adopting this software development approach. The main reason is the scarcity of adequate, easy to use, and useful tools. Developers typically write code and test it. These tests usually consist of executing the program and checking its output against its requirements. This, however, is not always an exhaustive discipline. On the other side, using formal methods one might be able to investigate the system s properties further. Unfortunately, specification languages do not always have tools like animators or simulators, and sometimes there are no friendly Graphical User Interfaces. On the other hand, specification languages usually have a compiler which normally generates a Labeled Transition System (LTS). This work proposes an application that provides graphical animation for formal specifications using the LTS as input. The application initially supports the languages B, CSP, and Z. However, using a LTS in a specified XML format, it is possible to animate further languages. Additionally, the tool provides traces visualization, the choices the user did, in a graphical tree. The intention is to improve the comprehension of a specification by providing information about errors and animating it, as the developers do for programming languages, such as Java and C++.

Beta: uma ferramenta para geração de testes de unidade a partir de especificações B

Formal methods and software testing are tools to obtain and control software quality. When used together, they provide mechanisms for software specification, verification and error detection. Even though formal methods allow software to be mathematically verified, they are not enough to assure that a system is free of faults, thus, software testing techniques are necessary to complement the process of verification and validation of a system. Model Based Testing techniques allow tests to be generated from other software artifacts such as specifications and abstract models. Using formal specifications as basis for test creation, we can generate better quality tests, because these specifications are usually precise and free of ambiguity. Fernanda Souza (2009) proposed a method to define test cases from B Method specifications. This method used information from the machine s invariant and the operation s precondition to define positive and negative test cases for an operation, using equivalent class partitioning and boundary value analysis based techniques. However, the method proposed in 2009 was not automated and had conceptual deficiencies like, for instance, it did not fit in a well defined coverage criteria classification. We started our work with a case study that applied the method in an example of B specification from the industry. Based in this case study we ve obtained subsidies to improve it. In our work we evolved the proposed method, rewriting it and adding characteristics to make it compatible with a test classification used by the community. We also improved the method to support specifications structured in different components, to use information from the operation s behavior on the test case generation process and to use new coverage criterias. Besides, we have implemented a tool to automate the method and we have submitted it to more complex case studies

Apoiando a Construcao de Testes de Aceitacao Automatizados a partir da Especificacao de Requisitos

A automação consiste em uma importante atividade do processo de teste e é capaz de reduzir significativamente o tempo e custo do desenvolvimento. Algumas ferramentas tem sido propostas para automatizar a realização de testes de aceitação em aplicações Web. Contudo, grande parte delas apresenta limitações importantes tais como necessidade de valoração manual dos casos de testes, refatoração do código gerado e forte dependência com a estrutura das páginas HTML. Neste trabalho, apresentamos uma linguagem de especificação de teste e uma ferramenta concebidas para minimizar os impactos propiciados por essas limitações. A linguagem proposta dá suporte aos critérios de classes de equivalência e a ferramenta, desenvolvida sob a forma de um plug-in para a plataforma Eclipse, permite a geração de casos de teste através de diferentes estratégias de combinação. Para realizar a avaliação da abordagem, utilizamos um dos módulos do Sistema Unificado de Administração Publica (SUAP) do Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN). Participaram da avaliação analistas de sistemas e um técnico de informática que atuam como desenvolvedores do sistema utilizado.

Caracterizando os fluxos excepcionais em linhas de produto de software: um estudo exploratório

The Exception Handling (EH) is a widely used mechanism for building robust systems. In Software Product Line (SPL) context it is not different. As EH mechanisms are embedded in most of mainstream programming languages (like Java, C# and C++), we can find exception signalers and handlers spread over code assets associated to common and variable SPL features. When exception signalers and handlers are added to an SPL in an unplanned way, one of the possible consequences is the generation of faulty family instances (i.e., instances on which common or variable features signal exceptions that are mistakenly caught inside the system). In this context, some questions arise: How exceptions flow between the optional and alternative features an LPS? Aiming at providing answers to these questions, this master thesis conducted an exploratory study, based on code inspection and static analysis code, whose goal was to categorize the main ways which exceptions flow in LPSs. To support the study, we developed an static analysis tool called PLEA (Product Line Exception Analyzer) that calculates the exceptional flows of LPSs, and categorize these flows according to the features associated with handlers and signalers. Preliminary results showed that some types of exceptional flows have more potential to yield failures in exceptional behavior of SLPs

AutoWebS: um Ambiente para Modelagem e Geração Automática de ServiçosWeb Semânticos

Typically Web services contain only syntactic information that describes their interfaces. Due to the lack of semantic descriptions of the Web services, service composition becomes a difficult task. To solve this problem, Web services can exploit the use of ontologies for the semantic definition of service s interface, thus facilitating the automation of discovering, publication, mediation, invocation, and composition of services. However, ontology languages, such as OWL-S, have constructs that are not easy to understand, even for Web developers, and the existing tools that support their use contains many details that make them difficult to manipulate. This paper presents a MDD tool called AutoWebS (Automatic Generation of Semantic Web Services) to develop OWL-S semantic Web services. AutoWebS uses an approach based on UML profiles and model transformations for automatic generation of Web services and their semantic description. AutoWebS offers an environment that provides many features required to model, implement, compile, and deploy semantic Web services

Avaliando a robustez e manutenibilidade do comportamento excepcional de aplicações C#

Mainstream programming languages provide built-in exception handling mechanisms to support robust and maintainable implementation of exception handling in software systems. Most of these modern languages, such as C#, Ruby, Python and many others, are often claimed to have more appropriated exception handling mechanisms. They reduce programming constraints on exception handling to favor agile changes in the source code. These languages provide what we call maintenance-driven exception handling mechanisms. It is expected that the adoption of these mechanisms improve software maintainability without hindering software robustness. However, there is still little empirical knowledge about the impact that adopting these mechanisms have on software robustness. This work addresses this gap by conducting an empirical study aimed at understanding the relationship between changes in C# programs and their robustness. In particular, we evaluated how changes in the normal and exceptional code were related to exception handling faults. We applied a change impact analysis and a control flow analysis in 100 versions of 16 C# programs. The results showed that: (i) most of the problems hindering software robustness in those programs are caused by changes in the normal code, (ii) many potential faults were introduced even when improving exception handling in C# code, and (iii) faults are often facilitated by the maintenance-driven flexibility of the exception handling mechanism. Moreover, we present a series of change scenarios that decrease the program robustness

Geração de interfaces de usuário de sistemas Web para múltiplos dispositivos com o uso de componentes de IU

This work presents an User Interface (UI) prototypes generation process to the softwares that has a Web browser as a plataform. This process uses UI components more complex than HTML elements. To described this components more complex this work suggest to use the XICL (eXtensinble User Interface Components Language). XICL is a language, based on XML syntax, to describe UI Components and IUs. XICL promotes extensibility and reusability in the User Interface development process. We have developed two compiler. The first one compiles IMML (Interactive Message Modeling Language) code and generates XICL code. The second one compiles XICL code and generates DHTML code

Desenvolvendo e gerenciando compostagem de resíduos sólidos urbanos: para geração de renda e repasse de tecnologia à acrevi

Nowadays, as well as in the past decades, the dumping of biodegradable organic waste in landfill is common practice in Brazil, as well as in most parts of the world. Nevertheless due to its rapid decomposition and release of odors, this practice hamper’s the operation and implementation of a recycling system. These facts encouraged our research to find an efficient system for the management of organic waste, not only for the use of official workers responsible for managing these wastes, but also for non-governmental institutions. The Recycling for Life Community Association – ACREVI (Associação Comunitária Reciclando para a Vida), together with the municipal authorities of Mossoró-RN, Brazil, have assumed the social role of collecting and recycling solid waste produced by most of the local population. However, it was observed that the organic waste it collected was not receiving any treatment. This present work aims to make compost with mixed waste (green waste and organic household), and then do chemical analysis of the material in view to use the waste as organic fertilizer. The objective being: to share the knowledge acquired by putting it into a very simple language accessible to people with little education. The experiment was conducted at ACREVI, Mossoró (RN), and the compost was obtained following the method "windrow", forming three cells (I, II, III) with conical shape, dimensions of 1.6 meters and 2.0 meters in diameter for cells I and II, and 1.0 meters high and 2.0 meters in diameter for cell III. The process was accompanied by analysis: CHN elemental, a variation of cell temperature, humidity, pH, TKN, bulk density, nutrients and heavy metals. Stabilized organic compounds reached the C/N ratio of 10.4/1 cell I and 10.4/1 in the cell II in the cell, showing how good soil conditions, with potential to improve the physical properties of any soil and pH acid soils, has presented the cell III at the end of the process the C/N 26/1, is a high ratio may be associated with the stack size III, thus changing the optimal conditions for the occurrence of the process. The levels of heavy metals in the analyzed compounds were lower than those established by the SDA normative instruction, Nº 27, of 5 June, 2006. The use of pruning trees and grass are used in small-scale composting, while generating a quality compost in the final process, it also created an important condition for a correct sizing of the composting piles. Under the studied conditions it is not advisable to use cells with a height of 1.00 m in height and 2.00 m in diameter, as these do not prevent the rapid dissipation of heat and thus can not be a good product at the end of composting. The composting process in the shed of the association and the preparation of the primer enabled the development of an alternative technology to generate income for members of ACREVI.

Contribuições para o estudo do código neural

Os recentes avanços técnicos das duas últimas décadas para o registro de sinais neuroeletrofisiológicos foram essenciais para que se testassem hipóteses há muito propostas acerca de como células nervosas processam e armazenam informação. No entanto, ao permitir maior detalhamento dos dados coletados, as novas tecnologias levam inevitavelmente ao aumento de sua complexidade estatística e, consequentemente, à necessidade de novas ferramentas matemático-computacionais para sua análise. Nesta tese, apresentamos novos métodos para a análise de dois componentes fundamentais nas atuais teorias da codificação neural: (1) assembleias celulares, definidas pela co-ativação de subgrupos neuronais; e (2) o padrão temporal de atividade de neurônios individuais. Em relação a (1), desenvolvemos um método baseado em análise de componentes independentes para identificar e rastrear padrões de co-ativação significativos com alta resolução temporal. Superamos limitações de métodos anteriores, ao efetivamente isolar assembleias e abrir a possibilidade de analisar simultaneamente grandes populações neuronais. Em relação a (2), apresentamos uma nova técnica para a extração de padrões de atividade em trens de disparo baseada na decomposição wavelet. Demonstramos, por meio de simulações e de aplicação a dados reais, que nossa ferramenta supera as mais utilizadas atualmente para decodificar respostas de neurônios e estimar a informação de Shannon entre trens de disparos e estímulos externos.

Geração de padrão de marcha adaptável para uma órtese ativa de membros inferiores

Atualmente com o crescente aumento de dispositivos robóticos destinados para aplicação na área de mobilidade de pessoas que sofreram algum tipo de lesão medular, se faz necessário desenvolver novas ferramentas para tornar tais equipamentos mais adaptáveis, seguros e autônomos. Para que as órteses robóticas que auxiliam na locomoção de pessoas paraplégicas possam desempenhar sua função, estas devem ser capazes de reproduzir os movimentos perdidos com o máximo de fidelidade e segurança em ambientes que eventualmente possam conter obstáculos de diferentes tipos como buracos, escadas e calçadas. As órteses robóticas para membros inferiores têm a capacidade de caminhar, subir e descer degraus, todavia, esses movimentos, na maioria das vezes, não se adaptam ao ambiente, sendo assim, para uma órtese robótica que foi projetada para subir um degrau com uma determinada altura ao se deparar com um degrau maior provavelmente não conseguirá realizar essa tarefa com a mesma segurança. Para solucionar esse e outros problemas, esse trabalho apresenta um Sistema de Auxílio à Locomoção (SAL) dotado de um planejador de passos e um gerador de referências angulares com características antropomórficas para a órtese robótica Ortholeg. O SAL utiliza dados antropométricos do usuário para gerar um padrão de marcha personalizado, dessa forma, a órtese em questão é capaz de adaptar o tamanho do passo para não colidir com obstáculos presentes no ambiente e transpor buracos com diversos tamanhos, subir e descer escadas e calçadas com diferentes valores de altura e comprimento. Para desenvolver o sistema de auxílio à locomoção foram adaptadas técnicas de planejamento de caminho, usadas a princípio em robôs bípedes. São apresentados vários experimentos que mostram a órtese Ortholeg realizando alguns movimentos com características antropomórficas para diferentes distâncias de caminhada e três tipos de obstáculos: degrau, buraco e calçada. A autonomia adquirida com a utilização do sistema de planejamento apresentado facilita a utilização de órteses robóticas como também garante uma maior segurança ao usuário.