Surface reconstruction using multiple light sources and perspective projection

This paper presents a method to recover 3D geometry of Lambertian surfaces by using multiple images taken from the same view point and with the scene illuminated from different positions. This approach differs from Stereo Photometry in that it considers the light source at a finite distance from the object and the perspective projection in image formation. The proposed model allows local solution and recovery of 3D coordinates, in addition to surface orientation. A procedure to calibrate the light sources is also presented. Results of the application of the algorithm to synthetic images are shown.

Usability of car stereo

Automotive sound systems vary widely in terms of functions and way of use between different brands and models what can bring difficulties and lack of consistency to the user. This study aimed to analyze the usability of car stereo commonly found in the market. Four products were analyzed by task analysis and after use reports and the results indicate serious usability issues with respect to the form of operation, organization, clarity and quality of information, visibility and readability, among others.

Quantitative fractography by digital image processing: NIH Image macro tools for stereo pair analysis and 3-D reconstruction

A set of NIH Image macro programs was developed to make qualitative and quantitative analyses from digital stereo pictures produced by scanning electron microscopes. These tools were designed for image alignment, anaglyph representation, animation, reconstruction of true elevation surfaces, reconstruction of elevation profiles, true-scale elevation mapping and, for the quantitative approach, surface area and roughness calculations. Limitations on time processing, scanning techniques and programming concepts are also discussed.

Measurement of fats, oil and grease by spectro-photometry and its application on different sites at São Paulo State, Brazil

This investigation was carried out within the Parana sedimentary basin, Brazil, involved the sampling of effluents and groundwater from monitoring stations situated at different sites at São Paulo State, and was realized with the purpose of evaluating the presence of fats, oil and grease (FOG) in different matrices. Several tests were realized with very distinct materials (cooking oil, butter, margarine, pig fat, vacuum pump oil) in order to properly calibrate the spectrophotometric system. Each matrix was dissolved with 1,1,1-trichloroethane and from the stock solutions it was prepared working standards from different dilutions. The data obtained were plotted on absorbance vs. concentration graph that yielded a successful calibration curve when a mineral oil for vacuum pump was utilized in the experiments at a wavelength corresponding to 410 mn. The results obtained for the analyzed samples were compared with the limiting value established by the São Paulo State legislation on the prevention and pollution control of the environment that was established in 8(th) September 1976 by Rule No. 8468.

The Developing Left Superior Cervical Ganglion of Pacas (Agouti Paca)

In this study the main question investigated was the number and size of both binucleate and mononucleate superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and, whether post-natal development would affect these parameters. Twenty left SCGs from 20 male pacas were used. Four different ages were investigated, that is newborn (4 days), young (45 days), adult (2 years), and aged animals (7 years). By using design-based stereo-logical methods, that is the Cavalieri principle and a physical disector combined with serial sectioning, the total volume of ganglion and total number of mononucleate and binucleate neurons were estimated. Furthermore, the mean perikaryal (somal) volume of mononucleate and binucleate neurons was estimated using the vertical nucleator. The main findings of this study were a 154% increase in the SCG volume, a 95% increase in the total number of mononucleate SCG neurons and a 50% increase in the total volume of SCG neurons. In conclusion, apart from neuron number, different adaptive mechanisms may coexist in the autonomic nervous system to guarantee a functional homeostasis during ageing, which is not always associated with neuron losses. Anat Rec, 292:966-975, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Estudo comparativo da constituição nutricional da madeira e casca de espécies e clones de Eucalipto visando o cultivo de Shiitake em toras

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A low-cost 3D reconstruction system using a single-shot projection of a pattern matrix

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeitos da injunção da base nas orientações interior e exterior e nas coordenadas do espaço objeto em imagens obtidas com a estéreo vídeo-câmara de um sistema móvel de mapeamento

In general, a land-based mobile mapping system is featured by a vehicle with a pair of video cameras mounted on the top and positioning and navigation sensors loaded in the vehicle. Considering the pair of video cameras mounted on the roof of the vehicle as a stereo camera pointing forward with both optical axes parallel to each other and orthogonal to the stereo base, whose length is 0.94 m, this paper aims at analyzing the interior and exterior camera orientation and the object point coordinates estimated by phototriangulation when the length constraint related to the stereo base is considered or not. The results show that the stereo base constraint has effect ouver the convergence estimation, but does it neither improves the object point coordinate estimation at significance level of 5% and nor it influences the interior orientation parameters. Finally, it has been noticed that the optical axes are not truly parallel to each other and orthogonal to the stereo base. Additionally, it has been observed that there is a convergence of approximately 0.5 degrees in the optical axes and they are not in the same plane (approximately 0.8 degrees deviation).

Reproductive biology of Palaemon pandaliformis (Stimpson, 1871) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) from two estuaries in southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Total and individual carotenoid profiles in Solanum phureja of cultivated potatoes: I. Concentrations and relationships as determined by spectrophotometry and HPLC

Total and individual carotenoid concentrations were determined by spectro photometry and HPLC, in raw tubers of a sample of 23 accessions of Solanum phureja potatoes taken at random from the world germplasm collection following its stratification on tuber flesh color. Lutein, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and beta-carotene were detected in all accessions and three distinct patterns of carotenoid accumulation were evidenced by cluster analysis. Accessions in group 1 showed the highest concentrations of total carotenoids (1258-1840 mu g 100 g(-1) FW) comprised largely of zeaxanthin (658-1290 mu g 100 g(-1) FW) with very low or no presence of beta-carotene (below 5.4 mu g 100 g(-1) FW). Accessions in group 2 presented moderate total carotenoid concentrations with violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin as the major carotenoids. Accessions in group 3 showed low concentrations of total carotenoids (97-262 mu g 100 g(-1) FW) and very low or no zeaxanthin, with lutein and violaxanthin as the predominant carotenoids and relatively high concentrations of beta-carotene(up to 27 mu g 100 g(-1) FW). Five accessions with significant concentrations of zeaxanthin were identified with the accession 703566 showing the highest concentration (1290 p g 100 g(-1) FW). This value is to our knowledge higher than any value previously reported for potatoes, including those achieved through genetic modification. For the 23 S. phureja accessions, total carotenoid concentration was positively and significantly correlated with antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin concentrations, and negatively and significantly correlated with beta-carotene concentration. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural studies of BmooMP alpha-I, a non-hemorrhagic metalloproteinase from Bothrops moojeni venom

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of interface characterization and adhesion of glass ceramics to commercially pure titanium and gold alloy after thermal- and mechanical-loading

Objectives. This study evaluated the effect of thermal- and mechanical-cycling on the shear bond strength of three low-fusing glassy matrix dental ceramics to commercial pure titanium (cpTi) when compared to conventional feldspathic ceramic fused to gold alloy.Methods. Metallic frameworks (diameter: 5 min, thickness: 4 mm) (N = 96, n = 12 per group) were cast in cpTi and gold alloy, airborne particle abraded with 150 mu m aluminum oxide. Low-fusing glassy matrix ceramics and a conventional feldspathic ceramic were fired onto the alloys (thickness: 4mm). Four experimental groups were formed; Gr1 (control group): Vita Omega 900-Au-Pd alloy; Gr2: Ticeram-cpTi; Gr3: Super Porcelain Ti-22-cpTi and G4: Vita Titankeramik-cpTi. While half of the specimens from each ceramic-metal combination were randomly tested without aging (water storage at 37 C for 24h only), the other half were first thermocycled (6000 cycles, between 5 and 55 C, dwell time: 13 s) and then mechanically loaded (20,000 cycles under SON load, immersion in distilled water at 37 C). The ceramic-alloy interfaces were loaded under shear in a universal test machine (cross-head speed: 0.5 mm/min) until failure occur-red. Failure types were noted and the interfaces of the representative fractured specimens from each group were examined with stereo microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). in an additional study (N = 16, n = 2 per group), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis was performed from ceramic-alloy interfaces. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test.Results. Both ceramic-metal combinations (p < 0.001) and aging conditions (p < 0,001) significantly affected the mean bond strength values. Thermal- and mechanical-cycling decreased the bond strength (MPa) results significantly for Gr3 (33.4 +/- 4.2) and Gr4 (32.1 +/- 4.8) when compared to the non-aged groups (42.9 +/- 8.9, 42.4 +/- 5.2, respectively). Gr1 was not affected significantly from aging conditions (61.3 +/- 8.4 for control, 60.7 +/- 13.7 after aging) (p > 0.05). Stereomicroscope images showed exclusively adhesive failure types at the opaque ceramic-cpTi interfacial zone with no presence of ceramic on the substrate surface but with a visible dark titanium oxide layer in Groups 2-4 except Gr1 where remnants of bonder ceramic was visible. EDS analysis from the interfacial zone for cpTi-ceramic groups showed predominantly 34.5-85.1% O(2) followed by 1.1-36.7% Aland 0-36.3% Si except for Super Porcelain Ti-22 where a small quantity of Ba (1.4-8.3%), S (0.7%) and Sn (35.3%) was found. In the Au-Pd alloy-ceramic interface, 56.4-69.9% O(2) followed by 15.6-26.2% Si, 3.9-10.9% K, 2.8-6% Na, 4.4-9.6% Al and 0-0.04% Mg was observed.Significance. After thermal-cycling for 6000 times and mechanical-cycling for 20,000 times, Triceram-cpTi combination presented the least decrease among other ceramic-alloy combinations when compared to the mean bond strength results with Au-Pd alloy-Vita Omega 900 combination. (c) 2008 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size distributions of fine silicate and other particles in Masaya's volcanic plume

Direct-sampling and remote-sensing measurements were made at the crater rim of Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) to sample the aerosol plume emanating from the active vent. We report the first measurements of the size distribution of fine silicate particles (d <10 mu m) in Masaya's plume, by automated scanning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN) analysis of a particle filter. The particle size distribution was approximately lognormal with modal d similar to 1.15 mu m. The majority of these particles were found to be spherical. These particles are interpreted to be droplets of quenched magma produced by a spattering process. Compositional analyses confirm earlier reports that the fine silicate particles show a range of compositions between that of the degassing magma and nearly pure silica and that the extent of compositional variability decreases with increasing particle size. These results indicate that fine silicate particles are altered owing to reactions with acidic droplets in the plume. The emission flux of fine silicate particles was estimated as similar to 10(11) s(-1), equivalent to similar to 55 kg d(-1). Sun photometry, aerosol spectrometry, and thermal precipitation were used to determine the overall particle size distribution of the plume (0.01 < d(mu m) < 10). Sun photometry and aerosol spectrometry measurements indicate the presence of a large number of particles (assumed to be aqueous) with d similar to 1 mu m. Aerosol spectrometry measurements further show an increase in particle size as the nighttime approached. The emission flux of particles from Masaya was estimated as similar to 10(17) s(-1), equivalent to similar to 5.5 Mg d(-1) where d < 4 mu m.

Determination of potassium ions in biodiesel using a nickel(II) hexacyanoferrate-modified electrode

in this work. nickel hexacyanoferrate-modified electrode was developed to determine potassium ions in biodiesel by potentiometry. The modified electrodes exhibit a linear response to potassium ions in the concentration range of 4.0 x 10(-5) to 1.0 x 10(-2) mol L-1, with a detection limit of 1.9 x 10(-5) mol L-1. and a near-Nernstian slope (53-55 mV per decade) at 25 degrees C. The method developed in this work was compared with flame photometry and the potassium concentration found in biodiesel showed that the modified electrode method gives results similar to those obtained by flame photometry. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Caracterização morfológica de frutos, de sementes e do desenvolvimento pós-seminal de Licania tomentosa (Benth.) Fritsch

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo descrever a morfologia do fruto, da semente e do desenvolvimento pós-seminal de oiti (Licania tomentosa (Benth.) Fritsch.). As sementes e os frutos foram avaliados quanto às dimensões e forma por meio de mensurações com paquímetro digital e observações realizadas em microscópio estereoscópico e microscópio eletrônico de varredura. Os frutos de oiti são drupáceos, elípticos, monospérmicos, carnosos, indeiscentes, com pedúnculos não articulados, epicarpo liso, glabro, de coloração amarela a alaranjada, mesocarpo carnoso, fibroso, coloração amarela a laranja e endocarpo membranáceo, de coloração branca a creme, medindo aproximadamente 6,19cm de comprimento, 3,3cm de largura, 39,5g de massa fresca e 17,3g de massa seca. As sementes são exalbuminosas, de forma elíptica, com tegumento liso, de coloração marrom, de cartáceo a coriáceo, com rafe visível longitudinalmente, micrópila inconspícua e hilo pouco aparente, com cotilédones crassos, elípticos e plano-convexos, de coloração creme a levemente rósea. O embrião é diminuto, reto, central, com eixo embrionário diferenciado em plúmula e eixo hipocótilo-radicular. O comprimento, largura e massa fresca e seca das sementes são cerca de 4,07, 2,18cm, 12,7 e 7,2g, respectivamente. A germinação é criptocotiledonar hipógea, com eófilos alterno-dísticos e lanosos, com estômatos paracíticos e duas glândulas na base do limbo ou, raramente no ápice, na face abaxial da folha.