Improved sperm cryosurvival in diluents containing amides versus glycerol in the Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii)

Two studies were conducted to understand sperm cryosensitivity in an endangered equid, the Przewalski's horse (Equus ferns przewalski), while testing the cryoprotectant ability of formamides. The first assessed the toxicity of permeating cryoprotectants (glycerol, methylformamide IMF] and dimethylformamide [DMF]) to Przewalski's horse spermatozoa during liquid storage at 4 C. The second examined the comparative influence of three diluents (with or without formamides) on cryosurvival of sperm from the Przewalski's versus domestic horse. When Przewalski's horse spermatozoa were incubated at 4 C in INRA 96 with differing concentrations of glycerol, MF or DMF or a combination of these amides, cells tolerated all but the highest concentration (10% v/v) of MF alone or in combination with DMF, both of which decreased (P < 0.05) motility traits. There was no effect of cryoprotectants on sperm acrosomal integrity. In the cryosurvival study, average sperm motility and proportion of cells with intact acrosomes in fresh ejaculates were similar (P> 0.05) between the Przewalski's (67%, 84%, respectively) and domestic (66%, 76%) horse donors. Sperm from both species were diluted in lactose-EDTA-glycerol (EQ), Botu-Crio (BOTU; a proprietary product containing glycerol and MF) or SM (INRA 96 plus 2% [v/v] egg yolk and 2.5% [v/v] MF and DMF) and then frozen over liquid nitrogen vapor. After thawing, the highest values recovered for total and progressive sperm motility, acrosomal integrity and mitochondria] membrane potential were 42.4%, 21.8%, 88.7% and 25.4 CN (CN = mean JC-1 fluorescence intensity/cell on a channel number scale), respectively, in the Przewalski's and 49.3%, 24.6%, 88.9% and 25.8 CN, respectively, in the domestic horse. Although sperm progressive motility and acrosome integrity did not differ (P> 0.05) among treatments across species, mitochondrial membrane potential was higher (P< 0.05) in both species using EQ compared to BOTU or SM media. Additionally, Przewalski's stallion sperm expressed higher (P < 0.05) post-thaw total motility in BOTU and SM compared to EQ whereas there were no differences among freezing diluents in the domestic horse. In summary, Przewalski's stallion sperm benefit from exposure to either MF or DMF as an alternative cryoprotectant to glycerol. Overt sperm quality appears similar between the Przewalski's and domestic horse, although the total motility of cells from the former appears more sensitive to certain freezing diluents. Nonetheless, post-thaw motility and acrosomal integrity values for Przewalski's horse spermatozoa mimic findings in the domestic horse in the presence of INRA 96 supplemented with 2% (v/v) egg yolk and a combined 2.5% concentration of MF and DMF. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration: effects on eucalypt rust (Puccinia psidii), C:N ratio and essential oils in eucalypt clonal plantlets

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Controle de velocidade de um motor de indução trifásico usando técnicas de ajuste empírico para bancada de teste no laboratório de automação

This work aims to make the closed loop control of a three phase induction motor, through the integration of the following equipment: a frequency inverter, the actuator system; a programmable logic controller (PLC), the controller; an encoder, the velocity sensor, used as a feedback monitoring the control variable and the three-phase induction motor, the plant to be controlled. The control is performed using a Proportional - Integrative - Derivative (PID) approach. The PLC has a help instruction, which performs the auto adjustment of the controller, that instruction is used and confronted with other adjustment methods. There are several types of methods adjustments to the PID controllers, where the empirical methods are addressed in this work. The system is deployed at the Interface and Electro Electronic Control laboratory in the Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio Mesquita Filho, Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, then, in the future, this work becomes an experiment to be conducted in the classroom, allowing undergraduate students to develop a greater affinity to the programs used by the PLC as well as studies of undergraduate and graduate works with the help of assembly made

Análise comparativa entre sistemas de resfriamento de injeção de plástico

This study aims to prove the economic feasibility of the installation of mechanical compression chillers on plastic injection molding machines in order to reduce the production cycle time of toothbrush cables in a specific case study. This evidence was confirmed by the comparative analysis of the system replaced and the new system installed. The old system had only one closed loop cooling tower which pumped chilled water to the injection molds, and the new system has the same tower sending cold water to the condensers of individual chillers installed on each injection machine. We conducted an analysis of energy efficiency in each system, showing that in terms of thermal efficiency virtually nothing has changed, but in terms of electricity demand the new system consumes 60.3 kW more. We conducted an analysis of machine productivity for both systems, showing a much higher productivity of the new system due to reduced cycle times caused by the presence of chillers and their greater cooling capacities. Equipped with data such as electricity rates, increases in operating costs and initial investments, the increase in consumption and demand of electricity plus the cycle time reduction were also calculated over so the simple payback 1 year and 2 months was reached

Controlador PID utilizando microcontrolador PIC

This monograph proposes the implementation of a low cost PID controller utilizing a PIC microcontroller, and its application in a positioning system previously controlled by a dedicated integrated circuit for a positioning system. Applying the closed-loop PID control, the system instability was reduced, and its response was smoother, eliminating vibrations and mechanical wear compared to its response with the dedicated integrated circuit, which has a very limited control action. The actuator of the system is a DC motor, whose speed is controlled by the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique, using a Full-Bridge circuit, allowing the shift of direction of rotation. The utilized microcontroller was the PIC16F684, which has an enhanced PWM module, with its analog converters used as reference and position feedback. The positioning sensor is a multiturn potentiometer coupled to the motor axis by gears. The possibility of programming the PID coefficients in the microcontroller, as well as the adjustment of the sampling rate, allows the implemented system achieving high level of versatility

The benefits of soft sensor and multi-rate control for the implementation of wireless networked control systems

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

Projeto de controladores robustos para acionamento de um motor de indução trifásico

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Co-simulation tools for networked control systems: revision and utilization

Networked control systems (NCSs) are distributed control systems in which the sensors, actuators, and controllers are physically separated and connected through an industrial network. The main challenge related to the development of NCSs is the degenerative effects caused by the inclusion of this communication network in the closed loop control. In order to mitigate these effects, co-simulation tools for NCS have been developed to study the network influence in the NCS. This paper presents a revision about co-simulation tools for NCS and the application of two of these tools for the design and evaluation of NCSs. The TrueTime and Jitterbug tools were used together to evaluate the main configuration parameter that affects the performance of CAN-based NCS and to verify the NCS quality of control under various timing conditions including different transmission period of messages and network delays. Therefore, the simulation results led to the conclusion that despite the transmission period of messages is the most significant factor among the analyzed in the design of NCS, its influence is related to the kind of system with greater effects in NCSs with fast dynamics.

Nonlinear ball and beam control system identification

The Ball and Beam system is a common didactical experiment in control laboratories that can be used to illustrate many different closed-loop control techniques. The plant itself is subjected to many nonlinear effects, which the most common comes from the relative motion between the ball and the beam. The modeling process normally uses the lagrangean formulation. However, many other nonlinear effects, such as non-viscous friction, beam flexibility, ball slip, actuator elasticity, collisions at the end of the beam, to name a few, are present. Besides that, the system is naturally unstable. In this work, we analyze a subset of these characteristics, in which the ball rolls with slipping and the friction force between the ball and the beam is non-viscous (Coulomb friction). Also, we consider collisions at the ends of the beam, the actuator consists of a (rubber made) belt attached at the free ends of the beam and connected to a DC motor. The model becomes, with those nonlinearities, a differential inclusion system. The elastic coefficients of the belt are experimentally identified, as well as the collision coefficients. The nonlinear behavior of the system is studied and a control strategy is proposed.

Comportamento do meloeiro em cultivo sem solo com a utilização de biofertilizante

O reaproveitamento de nutrientes após a fermentação de resíduos orgânicos em biodigestor, associado à técnica do cultivo hidropônico, é uma alternativa para reduzir custos na agricultura, além de contribuir no menor consumo das reservas naturais de nutrientes do planeta. Com esse enfoque, estudou-se o comportamento da cultura do meloeiro usando a técnica hidropônica e efluente de biodigestor proveniente da fermentação anaeróbica de estrume bovino. Cultivou-se o meloeiro (Cucumis melo L. 'Bônus 2') em condições de ambiente protegido. O delineamento estatístico utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, com 4 tratamentos (cultivo hidropônico em sistema fechado tipo NFT com uso de solução nutritiva organo-mineral; cultivo hidropônico em sistema fechado tipo NFT com uso de solução nutritiva 100% mineral; cultivo em sistema aberto, com substrato e solução nutritiva organo-mineral e cultivo em sistema aberto, com substrato e solução nutritiva 100% mineral) e 6 repetições. Foram realizadas avaliações quanto a altura de plantas aos 50; 56; 63; 70 e 77 dias após a semeadura; tempo de colheita; peso de frutos e produtividade. As melhores respostas foram observadas no cultivo hidropônico em sistema fechado tipo NFT com uso de solução nutritiva 100% mineral. A substituição parcial de adubos minerais por biofertilizante, se mostrou viável para os tratamentos em sistema aberto (com substrato), constituindo-se em masi uma alternativa aos horticultores.

Desempenho produtivo, partenocarpia e expressão sexual de linhagens de pepino caipira em ambiente protegido

Avaliou-se a capacidade produtiva, partenocarpia e expressão sexual de linhagens de pepino caipira sob cultivo em ambiente protegido. A capacidade produtiva foi avaliada em experimento em blocos ao acaso com 18 tratamentos (16 linhagens e dois híbridos do tipo caipira, Safira e Guarani), quatro repetições e cinco plantas por parcela, em estufa agrícola com as laterais abertas possibilitando a entrada de insetos polinizadores. A expressão sexual e a partenocarpia foram avaliadas em delineamento semelhante, utilizando 16 linhagens da população SHS (F2RC1 do cruzamento entre os híbridos Safira e Hatem (tipo holandês)) e 19 da população GH (F2 do cruzamento entre os híbridos Guarani e Hatem), porém este experimento foi conduzido em estufa agrícola fechada, com tela anti-afídeo, evitando- se a entrada de insetos polinizadores. A partenocarpia foi avaliada verificando o pegamento de frutos em cada linhagem. Várias linhagens foram estatisticamente similares aos híbridos em termos de produção, mas nenhuma foi superior. Os híbridos Safira e Guarani produziram respectivamente 23,1 e 19,1 frutos planta-1, sendo, respectivamente, 21,9 e 17,5 frutos comerciais. As massas total e comercial de frutos por planta foram respectivamente 3,8 e 3,6 kg para o híbrido Safira e 2,9 e 2,7 kg para o híbrido Guarani. A linhagem SHS-2 destacou-se pela boa produção, similar aos dois híbridos, apresentando frutos do tipo caipira claro, além de ser partenocárpica e possuir plantas ginóicas. Todas as linhagens da população SHS apresentaram frutos do tipo caipira, mas apenas cinco foram partenocárpicas. Na população GH, nove linhagens foram partenocárpicas e dez apresentaram frutos do tipo caipira. Duas linhagens da população SHS apresentaram apenas plantas monóicas, com as demais segregando para plantas ginóicas e monóicas. Na população GH, todas as plantas foram ginóicas. A população SHS é mais interessante para a obtenção de linhagens principalmente devido ao tipo de fruto caipira mais próximo dos frutos comerciais.

Qualidade fisiológica de sementes de palmiteiro-vermelho em função da desidratação e do armazenamento

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

Ultramorphology and histology of the larval salivary gland of Pachycondyla villosa (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Ponerinae)

A glândula salivar apresenta-se com um duto anterior único, formado por um epitélio colunar, dois dutos laterais curtos, os quais apresentam-se com epitélio cúbico simples e que na sua porção mais proximal torna-se colunar. Posterior a estes, encontram-se os dois reservatórios, os quais possuem o epitélio bastante delgado e é neste reservatório que a região secretora da glândula se abre. Os ramos dorsal e ventral da região secretora da glândula conectam-se por meio de comissuras transversais, sendo que, posteriormente, a região secretora termina em forma de alça. A região secretora é uniforme, não apresenta tipos celulares distintos e é formada por um epitélio cúbico simples. Neste trabalho é apresentada, também, a revisão sobre a morfologia da glândula salivar larval em insetos, principalmente com relação aos Hymenoptera-Aculeata.

Light-cone gauge integrals: prescriptionlessness at two loops

The only calculations performed beyond one-loop level in the light-cone gauge make use of the Mandelstam-Leibbrandt (ML) prescription in order to circumvent the notorious gauge dependent poles. Recently we have shown that in the context of negative dimensional integration method (NDIM) such prescription can be altogether abandoned, at least in one-loop order calculations. We extend our approach, now studying two-loop integrals pertaining to two-point functions. While previous works on the subject present only divergent parts for the integrals, we show that our prescriptionless method gives the same results for them, besides finite parts for arbitrary exponents of propagators. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

An Optimal Linear Control Design for Nonlinear Systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)