Use of the HDS system (hydric depuration with soils) associated to other constructed wetlands techniques for public water supply

Two projects of water treatment for public water supply were developed and operated by using combined systems of constructed wetlands. One of the projects was carried out in the town of Analandia, Sao Paulo, Brazil and wetlands with floating aquatic plants associated to the HDS system were used. Nearly 6480 inhabitants were supplied. The other conducted project was an experimental station in partnership with SABESP (Sao Paulo State Sanitation Agency/Brazil), for the pretreatment of 1700 l.s-1 of waters from the Cotia River, which is used for the population's supply after conventional treatment at the Lower Cotia Water Treatment Station. For this pilot project, wetlands with emergents and floating plants associated to the HDS system were used. The proposed objectives were achieved in both projects.

Performance of constructed wetland system for public water supply

The project is being conducted in the town of Analândia, São Paulo, Brazil. The constructed wetlands system for water supply consists of a channel with floating aquatic macrophytes, HDS system (Water Decontamination with Soil - Patent PI 850.3030), chlorinating system, filtering system and distribution. The project objectives include investigating the process variables to further optimize design and operation factors, evaluating the relation of nutrients and plants development, biomass production, shoot development, nutrient cycling and total and fecal coliforms removal, comparing the treatment efficiency among the seasons of the year; and moreover to compare the average values obtained between February and June 1998 (Salati et al., 1998) with the average obtained for the same parameters between March and June 2000. Studies have been developed in order to verify during one year the drinking quality of the water for the following parameters: turbidity, color, pH, dissolved oxygen, total of dissolved solids, COD, chloride, among others, according to the Ministry of Health's Regulation 36. This system of water supply projected to treat 15 L s-1 has been in continuous operation for 2 years, it was implemented with support of the National Environment Fund (FNMA), administered by the Center of Environmental Studies (CEA-UNESP), while the technical supervision and design were performed by the Institute of Applied Ecology. The actual research project is being supported by FAPESP.

PMUs optimized allocation using a tabu search algorithm for fault location in electric power distribution system

Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) optimized allocation allows control, monitoring and accurate operation of electric power distribution systems, improving reliability and service quality. Good quality and considerable results are obtained for transmission systems using fault location techniques based on voltage measurements. Based on these techniques and performing PMUs optimized allocation it is possible to develop an electric power distribution system fault locator, which provides accurate results. The PMUs allocation problem presents combinatorial features related to devices number that can be allocated, and also probably places for allocation. Tabu search algorithm is the proposed technique to carry out PMUs allocation. This technique applied in a 141 buses real-life distribution urban feeder improved significantly the fault location results. © 2004 IEEE.

GIS_EM (Geographic information system for environmental monitoring) - A software implemented at Paulínia refinery (REPLAN) for management of environmental data

The computational program called GIS_EM (Geographic Information System for Environmental Monitoring), a software devised to manage geographic information for monitoring soil, surface, and ground water, developed for use in the Health, Safety, and Environment Division of Paulinia Refinery is presented. This program enables registering and management of alphanumeric information pertaining to specific themes such as drilling performed for sample collection and for installation of monitoring wells, geophysical and other tests, results of chemical analyses of soil, surface, and groundwater, as well as reference values providing orientation for soil and water quality, such as EPA, Dutch List, etc. Management of such themes is performed by means of alphanumeric search tools, with specific filters and, in the case of spatial search, through the selection of spatial elements (themes) in map view. Documents existing in digital form, such as reports, photos, maps, may be registered and managed in the network environment. As the system centralizes information generated upon environmental investigations, it expedites access to and search of documents produced and stored in the network environment, minimizing search time and the need to file printed documents. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Annual Meeting and Fall Showcase (Cincinnati, OH 10/30/2005-11/4/2005).

Assessment of health-related quality of life in children with functional defecation disorders

Objective: To evaluate the health-related quality of life in children with functional defecation disorders. Methods: One hundred children seen consecutively were enrolled and subdivided into three subsets according to the Roma II classification criteria: functional constipation (n = 57), functional fecal retention (n = 29) and nonretentive functional soiling (n = 14). The generic instrument Child Health Questionnaire - Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50®), was used to measure quality of life and to assess the impact of these disorders from the point of view of parents. The instrument measures physical and psychosocial wellbeing in 15 health domains, each of which is graded on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating better health and greater wellbeing. Ten of these are then used to obtain two aggregated and summary scores: the physical and psychosocial scores. Results: No statistically significant differences were detected between subsets in terms of demographic or anthropometric characteristics. In 14 domains, children with defecation disorders scored lower than healthy children. When subsets were compared, statistically significant differences were detected between children with nonretentive functional soiling (lower scores) and those with functional constipation. Physical and psychosocial scores for the entire sample were lower than those for the group of healthy children used as controls. Conclusions: The CHQ-PF50® was considered adequate for demonstrating compromised quality of life in children with functional defecation disorders, as has been reported for other diseases, being a useful tool for making treatment decisions and for patient follow-up. Copyright © 2006 by Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria.

Methotrexate improves the health-related quality of life of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objectives: To examine the change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its determinants in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with methotrexate (MTX). Methods: Patients were extracted from the PRINTO clinical trial which aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of MTX administered in standard, intermediate or higher doses (10, 15 and 30 mg/m2/week respectively). Children with polyarticular-course JIA, who were less than 18 years and had a complete HRQOL assessment were included. Results: A total of 521 children were included. At baseline, patients with JIA showed poorer HRQOL (p<0.01) than healthy children. In 207/412 (50%) and 63 (15%) children, HRQOL values were 2 standard deviations below the mean of healthy controls in the physical and psychosocial summary scale, respectively. After 6 months of treatment with standard dose MTX, there was a statistically significant improvement in all HRQOL health concepts, particularly the physical ones. Similar improvements were observed in those who did not respond to a standard dose of MTX and were subsequently randomised to a higher dose. The presence of marked disability at baseline was associated with a fivefold increased risk of retaining poor physical health after 6 months of active treatment with standard dose MTX. Other less important determinants of retaining poor physical well-being were the baseline level of systemic inflammation, pain intensity and an antinuclear-antibody-negative status. Conclusions: MTX treatment produces a significant improvement across a wide range of HRQOL components, particularly in the physical domains, in patients with JIA.

Variable speed refrigeration system with HPF input rectifier stage

This paper is based on the analysis and implementation of a new drive system applied to refrigeration systems, complying with the restrictions imposed by the IEC standards (Harmonic/Flicker/EMI-Electromagnetic Interference restrictions), in order to obtain high efficiency, high power factor, reduced harmonic distortion in the input current and reduced electromagnetic interference, with excellent performance in temperature control of a refrigeration prototype system (automatic control, precision and high dynamic response). The proposal is replace the single-phase motor by a three-phase motor, in the conventional refrigeration system. In this way, a proper control technique can be applied, using a closed-loop (feedback control), that will allow an accurate adjustment of the desirable temperature. The proposed refrigeration prototype uses a 0.5Hp three-phase motor and an open (Belt-Drive) Bitzer IY type compressor. The input rectifier stage'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 for the output three-phase inverter stage has been developed using a conventional voltage-frequency control (scalar V/f control), and a simplified stator oriented Vector control, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed digital controls for continuous temperature control applied at the refrigerator prototype. ©2008 IEEE.

Technology assessment for power quality mitigation devices - Micro-DVR case study

This work presents a case study on technology assessment for power quality devices. A system compatibility test protocol for power quality mitigation devices was developed in order to evaluate the functionality of three-phase voltage restoration devices. In order to case test this test protocol, a development platform with reduced power for DVR (Dynamic Voltage Restorer), the Micro-DVR, was tested, and results were discussed based on voltage disturbances standards. ©2008 IEEE.

Dornase alfa improves the health-related quality of life among Brazilian patients with cystic fibrosis - A one-year prospective study

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements provide valuable information about the psychological and social impact of treatment on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study evaluated the HRQOL of Brazilian patients with CF and assessed the changes in HRQOL domains over 1 year after dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) introduction. Patients and Methods: One hundred fifty-six stable patients with CF and 89 caregivers answered the Portuguese-validated version of the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) at baseline (T 0), and at 3 (T 1), 6 (T 2), 9 (T 3), and 12 (T 4) months of follow-up. Eighteen patientswere excluded because they did not fulfill the inclusion criteria. The patients were analyzed in two groups: those aged 6-11 years and those aged 14 years and older. ANOVA for observed repeated results and the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method for missing data were used for the statistical analysis. Results: After 1 year of follow-up, there was significant improvement in respiratory symptoms (T 4-T 0=8.1; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=[2.1;14.0]; effect size (ES)=0.35; P<0.001), Emotional Functioning (T 4-T 0=5.6; 95% CI=[1.1;10.1]; ES=0.31; P<0.05), Social Functioning (T 4-T 0=6.0; 95% CI=[1.3;11.7]; ES=0.31; P<0.05), Body Image (T 4-T 0=11.9; 95% CI=[4.1;19.7]; ES=0.42; P<0.05), and Treatment Burden (T 4-T 0=5.3; 95% CI=[0.3;10.3]; ES=0.24; P<0.05) domains in the younger group. A significant improvement in Role Functioning (T 4-T 0=6.1; 95% CI=[1.1;11.1]; ES=0.40; P<0.05), Body Image (T 4-T 0=12.6; 95% CI=[3.5;21.7]; ES=0.46; P<0.05), and Weight (T 4-T 0=11.7; 95% CI=[1.8;21.6]; ES=0.40; P<0.05) was obtained in the older group. The caregivers' CFQ-R showed improvements in the Digestive Symptoms (T 4-T 0=5.5; 95% CI=[1.5;9.4]; ES=0.30; P<0.05), Respiratory Symptoms (T 4-T 0=7.6; 95% CI=[3.9;11.4]; ES=0.48; P<0.05), and Weight (T 4-T 0=10.1; 95% CI=[1.6;18.6]; ES=0.26; P<0.05) domains. Conclusion: The introduction of dornase alfa improved the HRQL of the patients with CF during the first year of treatment. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Trolleybus power system for operation with AC or DC distribution networks

This paper presents the development and experimental analysis of a special input stage converter for a Trolleybus type vehicle allowing its operation in AC (two wires, single-phase) or DC distribution networks. The architecture of proposed input stage converter is composed by five interleaved boost rectifiers operating in discontinuous conduction mode. Furthermore, due to the power lines characteristics, the proposed input power structure can act as AC to DC or as DC to DC converter providing a proper DC output voltage range required to the DC bus. When operation is AC to DC, the converter is capable to provide high power factor with reduced harmonic distortion for the input current, complying with the restrictions imposed by IEC 61000-3-4 standard. Finally, the main experimental results are presented in order to verify the feasibility of the proposed converter, demonstrating the benefits and the possibility for AC feeding system for trolleybus type vehicle. © 2010 IEEE.

Cementation of fiber post: influence of the cement insertion techniques on the bond strength of the fiber post-root dentin and the quality of the cement layer.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of resin cement insertion methods on the bond strength of a fiber post to root dentin and quality of the cement layer. Forty bovine single-roots (length =16 mm) were randomly allocated into four groups, according to the cement insertion methods (N.=10): Gr1- Lentulo drill #40, Gr2- Centrix syringe, Gr3- Explorer #5, Gr4- fiber post. The root canals were prepared at 12 mm, using preparation bur # 3 of a cylinder quartz-FRC post (Aesthet post-plus, Bisco). The fiber posts were cemented using a multi-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system (All Bond 2®, Bisco) and a dual-cured resin cement (Duolink, Bisco). Each root was cut into seven samples: four samples of 1.8 mm thickness for push-out testing, and three with 0.5 mm for cement layer quality analyzing. One-way ANOVA was used for the push-out test values and the One-Way Kruskal-Wallis (P<0.05) and Dunn (10%) tests for the cement layer analyzes. ANOVA showed that the cement layer quality was affected by the cement insertion methods (P=0.0044): Gr1 (3.8 ± 1.3a), Gr2 (3.2 ± 1.3a), Gr3 (5.2 ± 1.5a,b) and Gr4 (5.2 ± 1.5b) (Dunn test), whereas the bond strength (MPa) was not affected by cement insertion methods: G1 (4.2 ± 1.3), G2 (3.2 ± 1.8), G3 (4.5 ± 0.9), G4 (3.1 ± 1.3). The fiber posts should be cemented with the assistance of the lentulo drill or centrix syringe to promote the best cement layer results.

Development of a water quality index using a fuzzy logic: A case study for the sorocaba river

Due to growing urbanization and industrialization, the environment is suffering from pollution of rivers, degradation of soils and deteriorated air quality. Quality indices appear to be useful to evaluate the conditions of these media. The aim of this study was the development of a water quality index using a fuzzy inference system, since such an approach has proved advantageous in addressing problems that are subjective by nature or for which the data are uncertain. The methodology employed was based on this inference system, and considered the nine water quality parameters employed by CETESB (Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental, São Paulo, Brazil) to evaluate water quality. After assessment of the data using the index, a comparison was made with the WQI (Water Quality Index), which is used for the monitoring of various water bodies, including in the study region. The results obtained using the index developed on the basis of fuzzy inference were found to be more useful than those derived from the method currently used by CETESB, since losses and/or omissions concerning individual parameters were minimized. © 2010 IEEE.

Innovations in health care services: The CAALYX system

Purpose: This paper describes proposed health care services innovations, provided by a system called CAALYX (Complete Ambient Assisted Living eXperiment). CAALYX aimed to provide healthcare innovation by extending the state-of-the-art in tele-healthcare, by focusing on increasing the confidence of elderly people living autonomously, by building on the knowledge base of the most common disorders and respective characteristic vital sign changes for this age group. Methods: A review of the state-of-the-art on health care services was carried out. Then, extensive research was conducted on the particular needs of the elderly in relation to home health services that, if offered to them, could improve their day life by giving them greater confidence and autonomy. To achieve this, we addressed issues associated with the gathering of clinical data and interpretation of these data, as well as possibilities of automatically triggering appropriate clinical measures. Considering this initial work we started the identification of initiatives, ongoing works and technologies that could be used for the development of the system. After that, the implementation of CAALYX was done. Findings: The innovation in CAALYX system considers three main areas of contribution: (i) The Roaming Monitoring System that is used to collect information on the well-being of the elderly users; (ii) The Home Monitoring System that is aimed at helping the elders independently living at home being implemented by a device (a personal computer or a set top box) that supports the connection of sensors and video cameras that may be used for monitoring and for interaction with the elder; (iii) The Central Care Service and Monitoring System that is implemented by a Caretaker System where attention and care services are provided to elders, where actors as Caretakers, Doctors and Relatives are logically linked to elders. Innovations in each of these areas are presented here. Conclusions: The ageing European society is placing an added burden on future generations, as the 'elderly-to-working-age-people' ratio is set to steadily increase in the future. Nowadays, quality of life and fitness allows for most older persons to have an active life well into their eighties. Furthermore, many older persons prefer to live in their own house and choose their own lifestyle. The CAALYX system can have a clear impact in increasing older persons' autonomy, by ensuring that they do not need to leave their preferred environment in order to be properly monitored and taken care of. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution system restoration in a DG environment using a heuristic constructive multi-start algorithm

This paper proposes a heuristic constructive multi-start algorithm (HCMA) to distribution system restoration in real time considering distributed generators installed in the system. The problem is modeled as nonlinear mixed integer and considers the two main goals of the restoration of distribution networks: minimizing the number of consumers without power and the number of switching. The proposed algorithm is implemented in C++ programming language and tested using a large real-life distribution system. The results show that the proposed algorithm is able to provide a set of feasible and good quality solutions in a suitable time for the problem. © 2011 IEEE.