Thermally stimulated crystallization glass system of (20-x)LiO2-80TeO(2)-xWO(3)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Statements on chaos control designs, including a fractional order dynamical system, applied to a MEMS comb-drive actuator

In this work, we deal with a micro electromechanical system (MEMS), represented by a micro-accelerometer. Through numerical simulations, it was found that for certain parameters, the system has a chaotic behavior. The chaotic behaviors in a fractional order are also studied numerically, by historical time and phase portraits, and the results are validated by the existence of positive maximal Lyapunov exponent. Three control strategies are used for controlling the trajectory of the system: State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) Control, Optimal Linear Feedback Control, and Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control. The controls proved effective in controlling the trajectory of the system studied and robust in the presence of parametric errors.

Effect of partial crystallization on the mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of bioactive glass from the 3CaO center dot P2O5-SiO2-MgO system

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

Development of an open case-based decision-support system for diagnosis in oral pathology

Making diagnoses in oral pathology are often difficult and confusing in dental practice, especially for the lessexperienced dental student. One of the most promising areas in bioinformatics is computer-aided diagnosis, where a computer system is capable of imitating human reasoning ability and provides diagnoses with an accuracy approaching that of expert professionals. This type of system could be an alternative tool for assisting dental students to overcome the difficulties of the oral pathology learning process. This could allow students to define variables and information, important to improving the decision-making performance. However, no current open data management system has been integrated with an artificial intelligence system in a user-friendly environment. Such a system could also be used as an education tool to help students perform diagnoses. The aim of the present study was to develop and test an open case-based decisionsupport system.Methods: An open decision-support system based on Bayes' theorem connected to a relational database was developed using the C++ programming language. The software was tested in the computerisation of a surgical pathology service and in simulating the diagnosis of 43 known cases of oral bone disease. The simulation was performed after the system was initially filled with data from 401 cases of oral bone disease.Results: the system allowed the authors to construct and to manage a pathology database, and to simulate diagnoses using the variables from the database.Conclusion: Combining a relational database and an open decision-support system in the same user-friendly environment proved effective in simulating diagnoses based on information from an updated database.

Sm-Nd system in total rock open versus closed isotopic composition in zones of high deformation

High strain shear zones of Brasiliano age, developed in Paleoproterozoic basement gneiss of the Caicó region, Borborema Province, NE Brazil, were associated with medium- to low-grade metamorphism and deformational processes that transformed porphyritic augen gneiss into muscovite quartzite, modifying their original mineralogy and chemical properties. During the last hydrothermal event mobility of major, minor and trace elements was great, whereas the pattern of Rare Earth Elements was not changed. We carried out a Sm-Nd isotopic study in these rocks in order to understand the behavior of Nd isotopes during mylonite generation. TDM model ages at around 2.6 Ga and εNd (t) values for both protolith and transformed rock suggest that the Nd isotopic system remained closed, recording the original source rock signature, despite undergoing two superposed metamorphic events. These new Sm-Nd results provide important information on the geologic evolution of basement rocks in the central Rio Grande do Norte Terrane of the Borborema Province, NE Brazil.

Fractional order and dynamic simulation of a system involving an elastic wide plate

Numerous researchers have studied about nonlinear dynamics in several areas of science and engineering. However, in most cases, these concepts have been explored mainly from the standpoint of analytical and computational methods involving integer order calculus (IOC). In this paper we have examined the dynamic behavior of an elastic wide plate induced by two electromagnets of a point of view of the fractional order calculus (FOC). The primary focus of this study is on to help gain a better understanding of nonlinear dynamic in fractional order systems. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

Properties of glass-ceramics obtained from crystallization of the SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-Li2O system with addition of ZrO2

This paper presents the study results with glass-ceramics obtained from base glass (MgO-Al2O3- SiO2-Li2O system) with addition of ZrO2 as nucleating agent. The glass was melted at 1650 degrees C for 3 h and at a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min. The molten glass was poured into a graphite mold to obtain monolithic samples and also in water in order to obtain particulate material. Such material was grinded and then pressed by both uniaxial and isostatic pressing methods before being sintered. Both the monolithic and pressed samples were performed under two different conditions of heat treatment so that their nucleation and crystallization occurred. In the first one, the samples were heated to 1100 degrees C with a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min. In the second one, there was an initial heating rate of 10 degrees C/min up to 780 degrees C, which was kept for 5 minutes. After that, the samples were heated to 1100 degrees C at a heating rate of 1 degrees C/min. Microhardness analyses showed that base glass presented values around 7.0 GPa. The glass-ceramics obtained from the powder sintering showed microhardness values lower than those obtained from monolithic samples. The highest hardness values were observed in the samples which were treated with two heating rates, whose values were around 9.2 +/- 0.5 GPa. Moreover, the glass-ceramics which were produced with an only heating rate, presented values around 7.1 +/- 0.2 GPa, very close to those observed in the base glass.

Mating system of a population of Myracrodruon urundeuva F.F. & M.F. Allemão using the fAFLP molecular marker

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

Fertilizer distribution mechanisms and side dress nitrogen fertilization in upland rice under no-tillage system

Algumas culturas têm pouca adaptação ao sistema plantio direto (SPD), em vista da alta compactação da camada superficial do solo. Nesse caso, o mecanismo utilizado na semeadora para a abertura dos sulcos para deposição do fertilizante pode ter grande importância no sentido de facilitar a penetração das raízes. Avaliouse a influência do mecanismo de distribuição de fertilizante e da adubação nitrogenada na cultura do arroz de terras altas (Oryza sativa) no sistema plantio direto. O experimento foi conduzido nos anos agrícolas 2001/2002 e 2002/2003, em Botucatu-SP, Brasil. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas por dois mecanismos de distribuição de fertilizantes (haste sulcadora e disco duplo). Nas subparcelas, quatro níveis de N foram aplicados em cobertura (0, 40, 80 e 120 kg ha-1). Avaliou-se a profundidade de abertura do sulco e de deposição das sementes, a população de plantas, a altura de plantas, o número de colmos e de panículas m-2, o número total de espiguetas por panícula, a fertilidade das espiguetas, a massa de 1.000 grãos, a matéria seca da parte aérea, a produtividade e o teor de N na folha bandeira. O sucesso no estabelecimento da cultura do arroz de terras altas no SPD nas regiões de inverno seco do Brasil está diretamente ligado ao mecanismo de distribuição das semeadoras-adubadoras. A haste sulcadora promoveu maior profundidade de deposição de sementes, conseqüentemente reduzindo o estande, o número de panículas por área e a produtividade. A aplicação de N em cobertura no arroz de terras altas em SPD proporciona maiores produtividades quando a semeadura é realizada com mecanismo de disco duplo.

Fos-like immunoreactivity in central nervous system of mice simultaneously exposed to the elevated plus-maze and nociception

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

Superconductors of the BPSCCO system obtained from rapid cooling process

Bi-based (BPSCCO) superconductors have been extensively studied due to their interesting superconducting properties, especially those that present high transition temperature (T-c). In this work, superconductors of the BPSCCO system were prepared from rapid cooling process and studied under its structural and magnetic properties. Sample as-prepared shows an amorphous behavior, which is converted progressively into 2223 phase. This process permits the control of Pb or Bi loss and the crystallization of the desired phase using several heat annealing processes. The 2201 and 2212 phases were also observed as intermediate phases, before the crystallization of the 2223 phase. The superconductor obtained in this work presented a T-c around 77-K. (C) 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

Avrami exponent of crystallization in tellurite glasses

Nucleation process and crystal growth for three samples of the (20-x)Li(2)O-80TeO(2)-xWO(3) glass system were studied using X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. X-ray diffraction data confirmed the amorphous characteristic of the as-quenched samples and indicated the growth of crystalline phases formed due to the thermal treatment for annealed samples. These results reveal the presence of three distinct gamma-TeO(2), alpha-TeO(2) and alpha-Li(2)Te(2)O(5) crystalline phases in the TL sample, and two distinct alpha-TeO(2) and gamma-TeO(2) crystalline phases in the TLW5 and TLW10 samples. The activation energy and the Avrami exponent were determined from DSC measurements. The activation energy values X-ray diffraction data of the TLW10 glass sample suggest that gamma-TeO(2) phase occur before the alpha-TeO(2). The results obtained for the Avrami exponent point to that the nucleation process is volumetric and that the crystal growth is two or three-dimensional.

Mating system parameters at hierarchical levels of fruits, individuals and populations in the Brazilian insect-pollinated tropical tree, Tabebuia roseo-alba (Bignoniaceae)

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

Effects of seasonal variation on the central nervous system activity of Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil

Ocimum gratissimum L. (Lamiaceae) and other species of the same genus are used as medicines to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases, commonly encountered in warm regions of the world. The chemical composition of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil varies according to their chemotypes: timol, eugenol or geraniol. In this study, the essential oil type eugenol was extracted by hydrodistillation in each of the four seasons of the year. Activity upon CNS was evaluated in the open-field and rota-rod tests; sleeping time induced by sodium pentobarbital (PBS, 40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, i.p.) and anticonvulsant activity against seizures induced by both pentylenetetrazole (PTZ; 85 mg/kg, s.c.) and maximal electroshock (MES, 50 mA, 0.11 s) were determined. Essential oils obtained in each season were effective in increasing the sleeping duration and a preparation obtained in Spring was able to protect animals against tonic seizures induced by electroshock. In each season, eugenol and 1,8-cineole were the most abundant compounds, and in Spring the essential oil presented the greatest relative percentage of sesquiterpenes, suggesting that these compounds could explain the differences observed in the biological activity in essential oils obtained in different seasons of the year. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of S-III-SPIII, a phospholipase A2 isolated from the venom of Bothrops jararacussu.

Large single crystals have been obtained of S-III-SPIII, a phospholipase A(2) from the venom of Bothrops jararacussu. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic system space group C222, and diffract X-rays to a resolution of 1.9 Angstrom. Preliminary analysis reveals the presence of one molecule in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The crystal structure is currently being determined using molecular replacement techniques.