DCM Boost interleaved converter for operation in AC and DC to trolleybus application

This paper is based on the development and experimental analysis of a DCM Boost interleaved converter suitable for application in traction systems of electrical vehicles pulled by electrical motors (Trolleybus), which are powered by urban DC or AC distribution networks. This front-end structure is capable of providing significant improvements in trolleybuses systems and in the urban distribution network costs, and efficiency. The architecture of proposed converter is composed by five boost power cells in interleaving connection, operating in discontinuous conduction mode. Furthermore, the converter can operate as AC-DC converter, or as DC-DC converter providing the proper DC output voltage range required by DC or AC adjustable speed drivers. Therefore, when supplied by single-phase AC distribution networks, and operating as AC-DC converter, it is capable to provide high power factor, reduced harmonic distortion in the input current, complying with the restrictions imposed by the IEC 61000-3-4 standards. The digital controller has been implemented using a low cost FPGA and developed totally using a hardware description language VHDL and fixed point arithmetic. Thus, two control strategies are evaluated considering the compliance with input current restrictions imposed by IEC 61000-3-4 standards, the regular PWM modulation and a current correction PWM modulation. In order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed system, experimental results from a 15 kW low power scale prototype are presented, operating in DC and AC conditions.

O modelo de dados Resource Description Framework (RDF) e o seu papel na descrição de recursos

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

An AC voltage regulator with high-power-factor, and control using a FPGA device

This paper presents the analysis, design, simulation, and experimental results for a high frequency high Power-Factor (PF) AC (Alternate Current) voltage regulator, using a Sepic converter as power stage. The control technique employed to impose a sinusoidal input current waveform, with low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), is the sinusoidal variable hysteresis control. The control technique was implemented in a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) device, using a Hardware Description Language (VHDL). Through the use of the proposed control technique, the AC voltage regulator performs active power-factor correction, and low THD in the input current, for linear and non-linear loads, satisfying the requirements of the EEC61000-3-2 standards. Experimental results from an example prototype, designed for 300W of nominal output power, 50kHz (switching frequency), and 127Vrms of nominal input and output voltages, are presented in order to validate the proposed AC regulator. © 2005 IEEE.

Trajectory and outcomes of speech language therapy in the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS): case report

The aim of this study was to describe the trajectory and the outcomes of speech-language therapy in Prader-Willi syndrome through a longitudinal study of the case of an 8 year-old boy, along four years of speech-language therapy follow-up. The therapy sessions were filmed and documental analysis of information from the child's records regarding anamnesis, evaluation and speech-language therapy reports and multidisciplinary evaluations were carried out. The child presented typical characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome, such as obesity, hyperfagia, anxiety, behavioral problems and self aggression episodes. Speech-language pathology evaluation showed orofacial hypotony, sialorrhea, hypernasal voice, cognitive deficits, oral comprehension difficulties, communication using gestures and unintelligible isolated words. Initially, speech-language therapy had the aim to promote the language development emphasizing social interaction through recreational activities. With the evolution of the case, the main focus became the development of conversation and narrative abilities. It were observed improvements in attention, symbolic play, social contact and behavior. Moreover, there was an increase in vocabulary, and evolution in oral comprehension and the development of narrative abilities. Hence, speech-language pathology intervention in the case described was effective in different linguistic levels, regarding phonological, syntactic, lexical and pragmatic abilities.

Orientation and external morphology of burrows of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ucididae)

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

A New Approach for Real Time Fault Diagnosis in Induction Motors Based on Vibration Measurement

Condition monitoring is used to increase machinery availability and machinery performance, reducing consequential damage, increasing machine life, reducing spare parts inventories, and reducing breakdown maintenance. An efficient real time vibration measurement and analysis instruments is capable of providing warning and predicting faults at early stages. In this paper, a new methodology for the implementation of vibration measurement and analysis instruments in real time based on circuit architecture mapped from a MATLAB/Simulink model is presented. In this study, signal processing applications such as FIR filters and fast Fourier transform are treated as systems, which are implemented in hardware using a system generator toolbox, which translates a Simulink model in a hardware description language - HDL for FPGA implementations.

A 2kW interleaved ZCS-FM boost rectifier digitally controlled by FPGA device

This paper presents a 2kW single-phase high power factor boost rectifier with four cells in interleave connection, operating in critical conduction mode, and employing a soft-switching technique, controlled by Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The soft-switching technique Is based on zero-current-switching (ZCS) cells, providing ZC (zero-current) turn-on and ZCZV (zero-current-zero-voltage) turn-off for the active switches, and ZV (zero-voltage) turn-on and ZC (zero-current) turn-off for the boost diodes. The disadvantages related 'to reverse recovery effects of boost diodes operated in continuous conduction mode (additional losses, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems) are minimized, due to the operation in critical conduction mode. In addition, due to the Interleaving technique, the rectifer's features include the reduction in the input current ripple, the reduction in the output voltage ripple, the use of low stress devices, low volume for the EMI input filter, high input power factor (PF), and low total harmonic distortion (THD) In the input current, in compliance with the TEC61000-3-2 standards. The digital controller has been developed using a hardware description language (VHDL) and implemented using a XC2S200E-SpartanII-E/Xilinx FPGA device, performing a true critical conduction operation mode for four interleaved cells, and a closed-loop to provide the output voltage regulation, like as a pre-regulator rectifier. Experimental results are presented for a 2kW implemented prototype with four interleaved cells, 400V nominal output voltage and 220V(rms) nominal input voltage, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed digital control through the use of a FPGA device.

The first electronic polytomous key to the world species of the subgenus Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) de Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

This paper describes the first polytomous computerised identification key within the family Phytoseiidae. It applies to the females of the world species of the subgenus Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) de Leon. This group is one of the largest within the family Phytoseiidae and the sub-family Typhlodrominae, with nearly 350 species currently recognised worldwide. No identification tool of these species exists at the world level, which makes their identification very difficult and unsecure. Thirty five characters were used to characterise each of the 343 species. Among these characters, 14 are discrete and 21 are continuous. The polytomous key was constructed using the free software DELTA 1.04 (DEscription Language for TAxonomy) and is freely available at the web site: http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/phytoseiidae/anthoseiuskeypresentation.html. We hope that this work will open new perspectives for the identification of species of other genera (especially the largest ones, e.g. Neoseiulus, Euseius, Amblyseius) which contains more than 150 species and for which no key presently exists. We also expect that the present work will make the identification of the world species of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) easier and more secure. Finally, we expect a contribution from the whole Phytoseiidae scientist community to improve subsequent versions of the key.

Taxonomy of Ophiuroidea (Echinonermata) from the continental shelf and slope of the southern and southeastern Brazilian coast

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

Arquitetura multiprocessada e reconfigurável para a síntese de redes de Petri em hardware

Uma arquitetura reconfigurável e multiprocessada para a implementação física de Redes de Petri foi desenvolvida em VHDL e mapeada sobre um FPGA. Convencionalmente, as Redes de Petri são transformadas em uma linguagem de descrição de hardware no nível de transferências entre registradores e um processo de síntese de alto nível é utilizado para gerar as funções booleanas e tabelas de transição de estado para que se possa, finalmente, mapeá-las num FPGA (Morris et al., 2000) (Soto and Pereira, 2001). A arquitetura proposta possui blocos lógicos reconfiguráveis desenvolvidos exclusivamente para a implementação dos lugares e das transições da rede, não sendo necessária a descrição da rede em níveis de abstração intermediários e nem a utilização de um processo de síntese para realizar o mapeamento da rede na arquitetura. A arquitetura permite o mapeamento de modelos de Redes de Petri com diferenciação entre as marcas e associação de tempo no disparo das transições, sendo composta por um arranjo de processadores reconfiguráveis, cada um dos quais representando o comportamento de uma transição da Rede de Petri a ser mapeada e por um sistema de comunicação, implementado por um conjunto de roteadores que são capazes de enviar pacotes de dados de um processador reconfigurável a outro. A arquitetura proposta foi validada num FPGA de 10.570 elementos lógicos com uma topologia que permitiu a implementação de Redes de Petri de até 9 transições e 36 lugares, atingindo uma latência de 15,4ns e uma vazão de até 17,12GB/s com uma freqüência de operação de 64,58MHz.

A multi-cell variable frequency interleaved ZCS boost rectifier digitally controlled by FPGA

This paper presents a multi-cell single-phase high power factor boost rectifier in interleave connection, operating in critical conduction mode, employing a soft-switching technique, and controlled by Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The soft-switching technique is based on zero-current-switching (ZCS) cells, providing ZC (zero-current) turn-on and ZCZV (zero-current-zero-voltage) turn-off for the active switches, and ZV (zero-vohage) turn-on and ZC (zero-current) turn-off for the boost diodes. The disadvantages related to reverse recovery effects of boost diodes operated in continuous conduction mode (additional losses, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems) are minimized, due to the operation in critical conduction mode. In addition, due to the interleaving technique, the rectifier's features include the reduction in the input current ripple, the reduction in the output voltage ripple, the use of low stress devices, low volume for the EMI input filter, high input power factor (PF), and low total harmonic distortion (THD) in the input current, in compliance with the IEC61000-3-2 standards. The digital controller has been developed using a hardware description language (VHDL) and implemented using a XC2S200E-SpartanII-E/Xilinx FPGA device, performing a true critical conduction operation mode for all interleaved cells, and a closed-loop to provide the output voltage regulation, like as a preregulator rectifier. Experimental results are presented for a implemented prototype with two and with four interleaved cells, 400V nominal output voltage and 220V(rms) nominal input voltage, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed digital control through the use of a FPGA device.

A phase-shifting control for variable frequency multi-cells interleaved boost pre-regulator based on FPGA device

In this paper were investigated phase-shift control strategies applied to a four cells interleaved high input-power-factor pre-regulator boost rectifier, operating in critical conduction mode, using a non-dissipative commutation cells and frequency modulation. The digital control has been developed using a hardware description language (VHDL) and implemented using the XC2S200E-SpartanII-E/Xilinx FPGA, performing a true critical conduction operation mode for a generic number of interleaved cells. Experimental results are presented, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed digital control, through the use of a Xilinx FPGA device.

WORD-FINDING DIFFICULTIES, VERBAL PARAPHASIAS, AND VERBAL DYSPRAXIA IN 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH FRAGILE-X-SYNDROME

Speech/language disorders are common in the fragile X syndrome. [Howard-Peebles, 1979: Am J Hom Genet 31:214-222; Renier et al., 1983: J Ment Defic Res 27:51-59; Sparks, 1984: Birth Defects and Speech-Language Disorders, pp, 39-43; Hanson et al., 1986: Am J Med Genet 23:195-206]. Verbal paraphasias have been considered a rare feature and word-finding difficulties have seldom been reported. Here we report on ten Brazilian patients who were evaluated for speech/language disturbances and found that word-finding difficulties were present in 50% of the cases, which is a slightly higher frequency than that of clear dyspraxia. We suggest, therefore, that word-finding difficulties and verbal dyspraxia can be a common feature within the spectrum of this syndrome. Additional speech findings are discussed. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Knowledge Representation and Orthophemism: A Reflection Aiming to a Concept

Characteristics of speech, especially figures of speech, are used by specific communities or domains, and, in this way, reflect their identities through their choice of vocabulary. This topic should be an object of study in the context of knowledge representation once it deals with different contexts of production of documents. This study aims to explore the dimensions of the concepts of euphemism, dysphemism, and orthophemism, focusing on the latter with the goal of extracting a concept which can be included in discussions about subject analysis and indexing. Euphemism is used as an alternative to a non-preferred expression or as an alternative to an offensive attribution-to avoid potential offense taken by the listener or by other persons, for instance, pass away. Dysphemism, on the other hand, is used by speakers to talk about people and things that frustrate and annoy them-their choice of language indicates disapproval and the topic is therefore denigrated, humiliated, or degraded, for instance, kick the bucket. While euphemism tries to make something sound better, dysphemism tries to make something sound worse. Orthophemism (Allan and Burridge 2006) is also used as an alternative to expressions, but it is a preferred, formal, and direct language of expression when representing an object or a situation, for instance, die. This paper suggests that the comprehension and use of such concepts could support the following issues: possible contributions from linguistics and terminology to subject analysis as demonstrated by Talamo et al. (1992); decrease of polysemy and ambiguity of terms used to represent certain topics of documents; and construction and evaluation of indexing languages. The concept of orthophemism can also serves to support associative relationships in the context of subject analysis, indexing, and even information retrieval related to more specific requests.

Characterization of language disorders in children with lead poisoning

Background: lead poisoning can have a negative impact on the neuropsychological functions, including language, due to the damage it causes to the developthent of the Central Nervous System. Aim: to verify the occurrence of language disorders in children who suffered from led poisoning and to verify the correlation between the lead concentration level in the blood and the language disorders presented by the children. Method: language evaluation of 20 preschoolers, with lead concentration level in the blood above 10μg/dl. Results: 13 children presented language impairment involving only phonology or more than one language subsystem. The statistical analysis indicated that no correlation exists between the severity of the language impairment and the concentration levels of lead. Conclusion: the number of children with language impairment indicates lead poisoning as a risk factor for the present alterations, even though other risk factors for language disorders were found and the absence of correlation between the investigated variables.