Invariance of quantum optimal control fields to experimental parameters

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Crowded Rosselia ichnofabric in the Early Devonian of Brazil: An example of strategic behavior

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Resin composite characterizations following a simplified protocol of accelerated aging as a function of the expiration date

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ti-Mo alloys employed as biomaterials: Effects of composition and aging heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical behavior

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

Loss of the Ability to Control Right-to-Left Shunt Does Not Influence the Metabolic Responses to Temperature Change or Long-Term Fasting in the South American Rattlesnake Crotalus durissus

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

Maternal obesity disturbs the postnatal development of gonocytes in the rat without impairment of testis structure at prepubertal age

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efficiency and soil contamination during underground application of insecticides: control of leaf-cutting ants with thermal foggers

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

Isolation of Leptospira spp. from a man living in a rural area of the Municipality of Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil

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

Effect of grinding with diamond-disc and -bur on the mechanical behavior of a Y-TZP ceramic

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The dynamic behavior of a cantilever beam coupled to a non-ideal unbalanced motor through numerical and experimental analysis

An excitation force that is not influenced by the system state is said to be an ideal energy source. In real situations, a direct and feedback coupling between the excitation source and the system must always exist at a certain level. This manifestation of the law of conservation of energy is known as the Sommerfeld effect. In the case of obtaining a mathematical model for such a system, additional equations are usually necessary to describe the vibration sources with limited power and its coupling with the mechanical system. In this work, a cantilever beam and a non-ideal DC motor fixed to its free end are analyzed. The motor has an unbalanced mass that provides excitation to the system which is proportional to the current applied to the motor. During the coast up operation of the motor, if the drive power is increased slowly, making the excitation frequency pass through the first natural frequency of the beam, the DC motor speed will remain the same until it suddenly jumps to a much higher value (simultaneously its amplitude jumps to a much lower value) upon exceeding a critical input power. It was found that the Sommerfeld effect depends on some system parameters and the motor operational procedures. These parameters are explored to avoid the resonance capture in the Sommerfeld effect. Numerical simulations and experimental tests are used to help gather insight of this dynamic behavior. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Double-objective economic statistical design of the VP T-2 control chart: Wald's identity approach

Research has shown that applying the T-2 control chart by using a variable parameters (VP) scheme yields rapid detection of out-of-control states. In this paper, the problem of economic statistical design of the VP T-2 control chart is considered as a double-objective minimization problem with the statistical objective being the adjusted average time to signal and the economic objective being expected cost per hour. We then find the Pareto-optimal designs in which the two objectives are met simultaneously by using a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Through an illustrative example, we show that relatively large benefits can be achieved by applying the VP scheme when compared with usual schemes, and in addition, the multi-objective approach provides the user with designs that are flexible and adaptive.

On some extension of optimal control theory

Some problems of Calculus of Variations do not have solutions in the class of classic continuous and smooth arcs. This suggests the need of a relaxation or extension of the problem ensuring the existence of a solution in some enlarged class of arcs. This work aims at the development of an extension for a more general optimal control problem with nonlinear control dynamics in which the control function takes values in some closed, but not necessarily bounded, set. To achieve this goal, we exploit the approach of R.V. Gamkrelidze based on the generalized controls, but related to discontinuous arcs. This leads to the notion of generalized impulsive control. The proposed extension links various approaches on the issue of extension found in the literature.

Moxonidine into the lateral parabrachial nucleus modifies postingestive signals involved in sodium intake control

The activation of a2-adrenoceptors with bilateral injections of moxonidine (a2-adrenoceptor and imidazoline receptor agonist) into the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) increases 1.8% NaCl intake induced by treatment with furosemide (FURO) + captopril (CAP) subcutaneously. In the present study, we analyzed licking microstructure during water and 1.8% NaCl intake to investigate the changes in orosensory and postingestive signals produced by moxonidine injected into the LPBN. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with FURO + CAP combined with bilateral injections of vehicle or moxonidine (0.5 nmol/0.2 ll) into the LPBN. Bilateral injections of moxonidine into the LPBN increased FURO + CAP-induced 1.8% NaCl intake, without changing water intake. Microstructural analysis of licking behavior found that this increase in NaCl intake was a function of increased number of licking bursts from 15 to 75 min of the test (maximum of 49 ± 9 bursts/bin, vs. vehicle: 2 ± 2 bursts/bin). Analysis of the first 15 min of the test, when most of the licking behavior occurred, found no effect of moxonidine on the number of licks/burst for sodium intake (24 ± 5 licks/burst, vs. vehicle: 27 ± 8 licks/burst). This finding suggests that activation of a2-adrenoceptors in the LPBN affects postingestive signals that are important to inhibit and limit sodium intake by FURO + CAP-treated rats.

Effect of random/aligned nylon-6/MWCNT fibers on dental resin composite reinforcement

The aims of this study were (1) to synthesize and characterize random and aligned nanocomposite fibers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/nylon-6 and (2) to determine their reinforcing effects on the flexural strength of a dental resin composite.Nylon-6 was dissolved in hexafluoropropanol (10 wt%), followed by the addition of MWCNT (hereafter referred to as nanotubes) at two distinct concentrations (i.e., 0.5 or 1.5 wt%). Neat nylon-6 fibers (without nanotubes) were also prepared. The solutions were electrospun using parameters under low- (120 rpm) or high-speed (6000 rpm) mandrel rotation to collect random and aligned fibers, respectively. The processed fiber mats were characterized by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies, as well as by uni-axial tensile testing. To determine the reinforcing effects on the flexural strength of a dental resin composite, bar-shaped (20 x 2 x 2 mm(3)) resin composite specimens were prepared by first placing one increment of the composite, followed by one strip of the mat, and one last increment of composite. Non-reinforced composite specimens were used as the control. The specimens were then evaluated using flexural strength testing. SEM was done on the fractured surfaces. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and the Tukey's test (alpha=5%).Nanotubes were successfully incorporated into the nylon-6 fibers. Aligned and random fibers were obtained using high- and low-speed electrospinning, respectively, where the former were significantly (p<0.001) stronger than the latter, regardless of the nanotubes'presence. Indeed, the dental resin composite tested was significantly reinforced when combined with nylon-6 fibrous mats composed of aligned fibers (with or without nanotubes) or random fibers incorporated with nanotubes at 0.5 wt%. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contribution of electrical parameters on the dynamical behaviour of a nonlinear electromagnetic damper

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