A computer vision approach to quantify leaf anatomical plasticity: A case study on gochnatia polymorpha (less.) cabrera

Inferences about leaf anatomical characteristics had largely been made by manually measuring diverse leaf regions, such as cuticle, epidermis and parenchyma to evaluate differences caused by environmental variables. Here we tested an approach for data acquisition and analysis in ecological quantitative leaf anatomy studies based on computer vision and pattern recognition methods. A case study was conducted on Gochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabrera (Asteraceae), a Neotropical savanna tree species that has high phenotypic plasticity. We obtained digital images of cross-sections of its leaves developed under different light conditions (sun vs. shade), different seasons (dry vs. wet) and in different soil types (oxysoil vs. hydromorphic soil), and analyzed several visual attributes, such as color, texture and tissues thickness in a perpendicular plane from microscopic images. The experimental results demonstrated that computational analysis is capable of distinguishing anatomical alterations in microscope images obtained from individuals growing in different environmental conditions. The methods presented here offer an alternative way to determine leaf anatomical differences. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

When less is better: Insights from the product mix dilemma from the Theory of Constraints perspective

Perhaps due to its origins in a production scheduling software called Optimised Production Technology (OPT), plus the idea of focusing on system constraints, many believe that the Theory of Constraints (TOC) has a vocation for optimal solutions. Those who assess TOC according to this perspective indicate that it guarantees an optimal solution only in certain circumstances. In opposition to this view and founded on a numeric example of a production mix problem, this paper shows, by means of TOC assumptions, why the TOC should not be compared to methods intended to seek optimal or the best solutions, but rather sufficiently good solutions, possible in non-deterministic environments. Moreover, we extend the range of relevant literature on product mix decision by introducing a heuristic based on the uniquely identified work that aims at achieving feasible solutions according to the TOC point of view. The heuristic proposed is tested on 100 production mix problems and the results are compared with the responses obtained with the use of Integer Linear Programming. The results show that the heuristic gives good results on average, but performance falls sharply in some situations. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Desempeño de tanques decantadores de sólidos en un sistema de recirculación para producción de tilapia

To compare the removal efficiency of solids, turbidity and apparent color between a conventional and a column settling tanks in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for tilapia farming. Materials and methods. Tilapia with a stocking density between 30 and 33 kg/m3 were cultured in a RAS consisting of a water level control box, PVC piping system, three plastic tanks for culture, conventional horizontal flow settling tank (Con.ST), column vertical flow settling tank (Col.ST), three phase fluidized bed reactor, oxygen transfer reactor, air compressor, air blower, centrifugal pump. The Con.ST operated at a volume of 1.4 m3 and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2.94 h; and was drained weekly for washing and sludge collection, representing a 55%discharge of system water volume. The Col.ST operated with a volume of 0.30 m3 and HRT of 0.553 h. Three daily partial draining operations were executed, representing a discharge of 50% of the system volume. Results. The mean solids removal efficiencies were: 34.01 and 44.44%for total solids; 64.45 and 71.71% for suspended solids; 21.10 and 45.65% volatile solids; 65.51% and 62.79% for turbidity; and 56.37 and 50.91% for apparent color, respectively for Con.ST and Col.ST. Conclusions. The two settling devices are useful on removal of the studied parameters and presented similar performance on turbidity and apparent color removal; however, the Col.ST was more efficient than Con.ST for solids removal, requires less space, less volume and requires less discharge water volume, displaying feasibility for its use on RAS.

Marcha de absorção de macronutrientes e acúmulo de fenólicos totais em [(Baccharis Trimera (Less.) DC.] var. CPQBA-1, sob diferentes podas no plantio

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento, rendimento, teor e componentes do óleo essencial em função de adubação orgânica e rebroto de Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. cv. CPQBA-1

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Horticultura) - FCA

Alterações histológicas do miocárdio, rim e fígado de ratos (Rattus novergicus) Wistar submetidos à infusão de angiotensina II: influência na função ventricular esquerda e resposta ao tratamento com losartan e carvedilol

Pós-graduação em Fisiopatologia em Clínica Médica - FMB

Social wasp-flower visiting guild interactions in less structurally complex habitats are more susceptible to local extinction

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Analysis of renal function after on and off pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is often associated with renal dysfunction, as measured by plasma creatinine levels and hemodialysis rates. Aim. To compare creatinine clearance (CrCl), estimated with the Cockroft and Gault formula, between patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) versus on-pump CABG (on-CAB). Material and methods. Between April 2008 and April 2009, 119 patients underwent coronary bypass graft surgery. Fifty-eight (58) of these patients underwent OPCAB while 61 had on-CAB. Creatinine clearance, plasma creatinine levels, and clinical outcome were compared between the groups. A creatinine clearance value of 50 mL/minute was accepted as the lowest limit of normal renal function. Results. There were two hospital deaths caused by sepses after pulmonary infection. Creatinine clearance (Preoperative OPCAB 73,64±33,72 x on-CAB 75,70±34,30mL/min; discharge OPCAB 75,73±35,07 x on-CAB 79,07±34,71 mL/ min; p=0,609), and creatinine levels (Preoperative OPCAB 1,04±0,38 x on-CAB 1,13±0,53 mg/dL; discharge OPCAB 1,12±0,79 x on-CAB 1,04±0,29mg/dL; p=0,407) did not show statistically inter-group differences. Conclusion. Deterioration in renal function is associated with higher rates of postoperative complications. No significant difference in CrCl could be demonstrated between the groups.

Avaliação do potencial mutagênico e bioacumulador de metais pesados de Baccharis trimera Less e Equisetum hyemale L

Pós-graduação em Biociências - FCLAS

Self-reported moderate-to-vigorous leisure time physical activity predicts less pain and disability over 12 months in chronic and persistent low back pain

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The ecophysiological performance of Vernonia polyanthes Less. (Asteraceae) in conserved and degraded forests in the Brazilian Cerrado

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dyslexic children suffer from less informative visual cues to control posture

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of manipulation of the characteristics of visual stimulus on postural control in dyslexic children. A total of 18 dyslexic and 18 non-dyslexic children stood upright inside a moving room, as still as possible, and looked at a target at different conditions of distance between the participant and a moving room frontal wall (25-150 cm) and vision (full and central). The first trial was performed without vision (baseline). Then four trials were performed in which the room remained stationary and eight trials with the room moving, lasting 60 s each. Mean sway amplitude, coherence, relative phase, and angular deviation were calculated. The results revealed that dyslexic children swayed with larger magnitude in both stationary and moving conditions. When the room remained stationary, all children showed larger body sway magnitude at 150 cm distance. Dyslexic children showed larger body sway magnitude in central compared to full vision condition. In the moving condition, body sway magnitude was similar between dyslexic and non-dyslexic children but the coupling between visual information and body sway was weaker in dyslexic children. Moreover, in the absence of peripheral visual cues, induced body sway in dyslexic children was temporally delayed regarding visual stimulus. Taken together, these results indicate that poor postural control performance in dyslexic children is related to how sensory information is acquired from the environment and used to produce postural responses. In conditions in which sensory cues are less informative, dyslexic children take longer to process sensory stimuli in order to obtain precise information, which leads to performance deterioration. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seleção de motobombas para o setor sucroalcooleiro

This work has the purpose to explain how the sugar and alcohol sector works, detail all the processes which uses pumps and assist in the selection and specification of pumps attached with engines, that will make part in important industry processes in the manufacture of sugar and alcohol. A bibliographic revision about the working of sugar and alcohol sector and about pumps were made to help the analysis of a case. This case had the purpose to analyze the selected pumps that were part of a initial project of an industry which aimed a future expansion. The pumps that were selected to made part of the initial project were over dimensioned and were operating out of the best performance point, making the pumps inefficient because the expansion didn't happened. The solution was to select another pump with bigger performance and less power consumption to have a decrease in the energy consumption and in the operational costs of the industry and using the extra electric energy in the industry or selling it

Avaliação da atividade antibacteriana de espécies vegetais utilizadas em doenças do trato digestório: Baccharis trimera (LESS.) DC. E Casearia sylvestris Swartz

Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. Asteraceae e Casearia sylvestris Swartz Salicaceae são plantas nativas do Brasil e de uso tradicional em doenças do trato digestório. Seus extratos e substâncias purificadas apresentaram diversas atividades farmacológicas (ex.antiulcerogênica, antimicrobiana) e baixa toxicidade. O Helicobacter pylori (bacilo gram-negativo) coloniza o estômago humano, associada ao maior risco de incidência de várias doenças (úlceras pépticas, linfomas e adenocarcinomas gástricos). Com o objetivo de avaliar a atividade antibacteriana de diferentes extratos, frações e substâncias de ambas as plantas medicinais, extratos de partes aéreas de B. trimera e de folhas de C. sylvestris foram preparados utilizando-se técnicas de maceração, obtendo-se o extrato acetato de etila e etanólico de C. sylvestris e acetato de etila, etanólico, etanol 70% e hexânico de B. trimera. Estes foram fracionados e analisados por técnicas cromatográficas. Os extratos e suas frações e substâncias foram submetidos a ensaios para avaliação da atividade antibacteriana para a determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM). O método utilizado para os ensaios foi a diluição em microplacas usando as bactérias Helicobacter pylori ATCC 43504, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 e Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. A partir do fracionamento do extrato acetato de etila de B. trimera e do extrato etanólico de C. sylvestris foram obtidas oito frações distintas do EAcBt e a fração de diterpenos do EEtCs. A análise em CCD demonstrou a presença de casearina X, B e caseargrewiina F na fração de diterpenos (EFSCs2). Os extratos da B. trimera EAcBt, EEtBt e EEt70Bt e da C. sylvestris EAcCs e EEtCs apresentaram atividade anti-H. pylori, com valores de CIM de 250, 500, 500, 125 e 750 g/mL, respectivamente... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)

Avaliação de funcionamento das bombas hidráulicas do sistema de tratamento de efluentes da Empresa Parker Hannifin

On the field of the projects of hydraulic systems exists a lot of worries when we talk about the calculate of hydraulic pumps. In this case some facts must be considerate: length of tubes, fluid characteristics, height gauge, temperature, pressure, characteristics of tubes, flow required and others. For that mathematic calculates must be developed with the objective to optimize hydraulic pumps and agree to find an ideal machine (that don't requires more energy than necessary or less energy than it requires; that is the more critical case, cause exists the risk that the fluid pumped do not agree to become in your destiny). The wrong calculate of this machine can super-size its, bringing an excessive energy consumption. Actually it's an important subject because we are in the age of lack of energy what turn it more expensive. So the correct sizing of a hydraulic pump is connected with the fact that you have to uses the enough energy resources avoiding waste. The calculate of ideal pump in the pumping system is studied during years and a lot of specialists in this subject develop equations and theories to calculate its. Some researches study about this subject and all of them become to the same conclusion: to find the ideal pump we have to know the characteristics of fluid (cinematic viscosity), the required flow , overall yield (overall of motor x overall of pump) the high gauge or discharge pressure and the loss of repression. The pressure drop can be calculated with different theories: using Hazen-Williams, Darcy e Weisbach or Chézy (1775 - that starts the researches to calculate the pressure drop). Although the most used theory and what is most near to reality is the Darcy's equation. So, in this job the Darcy's equation were choice to calculate the drop pressure that consider what kind of flow we are studying: laminar or turbulent. The determination of the best pump to be used in the ... ( complete abstract click eletronic access below)