Haptic Stabilization of Posture in Adults With Intellectual Disabilities Using a Nonrigid Tool

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Short-Term Effects of the Use of Non-Rigid Tools for Postural Control by Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A common Tabu search algorithm for the global optimization of engineering problems

A novel common Tabu algorithm for global optimizations of engineering problems is presented. The robustness and efficiency of the presented method are evaluated by using standard mathematical functions and hy solving a practical engineering problem. The numerical results show that the proposed method is (i) superior to the conventional Tabu search algorithm in robustness, and (ii) superior to the simulated annealing algorithm in efficiency. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficient robust optimization based on polynomial chaos and tabu search algorithm

The study of robust design methodologies and techniques has become a new topical area in design optimizations in nearly all engineering and applied science disciplines in the last 10 years due to inevitable and unavoidable imprecision or uncertainty which is existed in real word design problems. To develop a fast optimizer for robust designs, a methodology based on polynomial chaos and tabu search algorithm is proposed. In the methodology, the polynomial chaos is employed as a stochastic response surface model of the objective function to efficiently evaluate the robust performance parameter while a mechanism to assign expected fitness only to promising solutions is introduced in tabu search algorithm to minimize the requirement for determining robust metrics of intermediate solutions. The proposed methodology is applied to the robust design of a practical inverse problem with satisfactory results.

On the search for potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi drugs: Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-hydroxy-3-methylamino and 1,2,3-triazolic naphthoquinoidal compounds obtained by click chemistry reactions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Crystallization, preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis and Patterson search of oxyhaemoglobin I from the wolf (Chrysocyon brachiurus)

Oxyhaemoglobin I isolated from the Brazilian wolf Chrysocyon brachiurus has been crystallized and X-ray diffraction data has been collected to 2.06 A resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. Crystals were determined to belong to the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and preliminary structural analysis revealed the presence of one tetramer in the asymmetric unit. The structure was determined using standard molecular-replacement techniques and is currently being refined using maximum-likelihood protocols. This is the first haemoglobin isolated from a member of the Canidae family to be crystallized and it will provide further insights in the comparative biochemistry of vertebrate haemoglobins.

Evaluating craniofacial asymmetry with digital cephalometric images and cone-beam computed tomography

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate craniofacial asymmetry by using 2-dimensional (2D) poster-oanterior cephalometric images, 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and physical measurements (gold standard). Methods: Ten dry human skulls were assessed, and radiopaque markers were placed on 17 skeletal landmarks. Twenty linear measurements were taken on each side to compare the right and left sides and to compare these measurements with the physical measurements made with a digital caliper. To acquire the 2D posteroanterior radiographs, an Extraoral Phosphor Storage Plate (Air Techniques, Chicago, Ill) was used as the image receptor with a Eureka x-ray-Duocon Machlett unit (Machlett Laboratores, Chicago, Ill). Three-dimensional imaging data were acquired from a CB MercuRay (Hitachi Medical, Tokyo, Japan). Results: on average, the right side was larger than the left for most of the 20 distances evaluated in the digital 2D and the CBCT images, and there was poor agreement between the digital 2D images and the physical measurements (kappa = 0.0609) and almost perfect agreement (kappa = 0.92) between the CBCT and physical measurements when individual measurements were considered. Conclusions: Human skulls, with no apparent asymmetry, had some differences between the right and left sides, with dominance for the right side but with no clinical significance. CBCT can better evaluate craniofacial morphology when compared with digital 2D images. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2011; 139: e523-e531)

Search for B-s(0)->mu(+)mu(-) decays at D0

We report results from a search for the decay B-s(0)->mu(+)mu(-) using 1.3 fb(-1) of p (p) over bar collisions at root s = 1.96 TeV collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We find two candidate events, consistent with the expected background of 1.24 +/- 0.99, and set an upper limit on the branching fraction of B(B-s(0)->mu(+)mu(-))< 1.2x10(-7) at the 95% C.L.

Search for right-handed W bosons in top quark decay

We present a measurement of the fraction f(+) of right-handed W bosons produced in top quark decays, based on a candidate sample of t (t) over bar events in the lepton+jets decay mode. These data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 230 pb(-1), collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron p (p) over bar Collider at root s=1.96 TeV. We use a constrained fit to reconstruct the kinematics of the t (t) over bar and decay products, which allows for the measurement of the leptonic decay angle theta(*) for each event. By comparing the cos theta(*) distribution from the data with those for the expected background and signal for various values of f(+), we find f(+)=0.00 +/- 0.13(stat)+/- 0.07(syst). This measurement is consistent with the standard model prediction of f(+)=3.6 x 10(-4).

Search for resonant second generation slepton production at the Fermilab Tevatron

We present a search for supersymmetry in the R-parity violating resonant production and decay of smuons and muon sneutrinos in the channels mu ->chi(0)(1)mu, mu ->chi(0)(2,3,4)mu, and nu(mu)->chi(+/-)(1,2)mu. We analyzed 0.38 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected between April 2002 and August 2004 with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The observed number of events is in agreement with the standard model expectation, and we calculate 95% C.L. limits on the slepton production cross section times branching fraction to gaugino plus muon, as a function of slepton and gaugino masses. In the framework of minimal supergravity, we set limits on the coupling parameter lambda(')(211), extending significantly previous results obtained in Run I of the Tevatron and at the CERN LEP collider.

Search for production of single top quarks via tcg and tug flavor-changing-neutral-current couplings

We search for the production of single top quarks via flavor-changing-neutral-current couplings of a gluon to the top quark and a charm (c) or up (u) quark. We analyze 230 pb(-1) of lepton+jets data from p (p) over tilde collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We observe no significant deviation from standard model predictions, and hence set upper limits on the anomalous coupling parameters kappa(c)(g)/Lambda and kappa(u)(g)/Lambda, where kappa(g) define the strength of tcg and tug couplings, and Lambda defines the scale of new physics. The limits at 95% C.L. are kappa(c)(g)/Lambda < 0.15 TeV-1 and kappa(u)(g)/Lambda < 0.037 TeV-1.

Search for the flavour-changing neutral current B-s(0)->mu+mu- in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV with the D0 dectector

We present the results of a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) using a data set with integrated luminosity of 240 pb(-1) of p (p) over bar collisions at roots=1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector in run II of the Fermilab Tevatron collider. We find the upper limit on the branching fraction to be B(B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-))less than or equal to5.0x10(-7) at the 95% C.L. assuming no contributions from the decay B-d(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) in the signal region. This limit is the most stringent upper bound on the branching fraction B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) to date.

Search for first-generation scalar leptoquarks in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We report on a search for pair production of first-generation scalar leptoquarks (LQ) in p (p) over bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 252 pb(-1) collected at the Fermilab Tevatron collider by the D0 detector. We observe no evidence for LQ production in the topologies arising from LQ(LQ) over bar -> eqeq and LQ(LQ) over bar -> eq nu q, and derive 95% C.L. lower limits on the LQ mass as a function of beta, where beta is the branching fraction for LQ -> eq. The limits are 241 and 218 GeV/c(2) for beta=1 and 0.5, respectively. These results are combined with those obtained by D0 at root s=1.8 TeV, which increases these LQ mass limits to 256 and 234 GeV/c(2).

Search for pair production of second generation scalar leptoquarks in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s-=1.96 TeV

We report on a search for the pair production of second generation scalar leptoquarks (LQ(2)) in p (p) over bar collisions at the center-of-mass energy, root s = 1.96 TeV, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 294 19 pb(-1) recorded with the DO detector. No evidence for a leptoquark signal in the LQ(2)LQ(2) -> mu q mu q channel has been observed, and upper bounds on the product of cross section times branching fraction were set. This yields lower mass limits of m(LQ2) > 247 GeV/c(2) for beta = B(LQ(2) -> mu q) = 1 and m(LQ2) > 182 GeV/c(2) for beta = 1/2. Combining these limits with previous DO results, the lower limits on the mass of a second generation scalar leptoquark are m(LQ2) > 251 GeV/c(2) and m(LQ2) > 204 GeV/c(2) for beta = I and beta = 1/2, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Search for the rare decay B-s(0)->phi mu(+)mu(-) with the D0 detector

We present a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-s(0)->phi mu(+)mu(-) using about 0.45 fb(-1) of data collected in p (p) over bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We find an upper limit on the branching ratio of this decay normalized to B-s(0)-> J/psi phi of B(B-s(0)->phi mu(+)mu(-))/B(B-s(0)-> J/psi phi)< 4.4x10(-3) at the 95% C.L. Using the central value of the world average branching fraction of B-s(0)-> J/psi phi, the limit corresponds to B(B-s(0)->phi mu(+)mu(-))< 4.1x10(-6) at the 95% C.L., the most stringent upper bound to date.