Influência de variáveis arquitetônicas no desempenho energético de hotéis no clima quente e úmido da cidade de Natal/RN

This master thesis aims to assess the influence of the design decisions on the energy building performance of hotels. The research is based on the integration of field study and computer simulation. Firstly, a detailed field study is carried out to identify the characteristics of hotels in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The items assessed are occupancies, light and equipment densities, types of air conditioning, total and monthly energy consumption, among others. A second and more comprehensive field study is carried out to identify the range of occurrence of architectural variables, with a larger number of buildings. A base case is modelled in VisualDOE, based on the first field study. Then, a first set of simulations are run to explore the sensitivity of the variables on the energy consumption. The results analyses were the base of a second set of simulations, which combined the most influential variables. The results of 384 models were assessed, and the impacts of design decisions were quantified. The study discusses tendencies and recommendations, as well as the methods advantages and disadvantages

Taxonomia e filogenia das serpentes do gênero Typhlops Oppel, 1811 (Squamata: Typhlopidae) ocorrentes na Mata Atlântica brasileira

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Indústria cultural e forró eletrônico no Rio Grande do Norte

The present study aimed to understand how and to what extent the electronic forró, currently hegemonic in the music market in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, establishes and maintains relations of domination in the social contexts in which it is produced, transmitted and received. Based, in significant form-content, on the writings of the first generation of theorists of the so-called Frankfurt School (Critical Theory), particularly with Theodor W. Adorno, and systematically using the contributions of the Cultural Studies (from the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies of Birmingham) and of the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu, this study aimed to perform, in the fertile intersection of these references, a critical possibility of interpretation of the electronic forró predominantly spread in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. To this end, aiming at a better apprehension of the so-called capital circuits/culture circuits , this study resulted from a qualitative investment of research, based on structured interviews with musicians, entrepreneurs of the sector and music consumers, as well as on the analysis of the themes contained in the official discography of the electronic forró band called Garota Safada (Shameless Girl). As a general empirical conclusion, it was possible to infer that far from the significant presence of domination or mere prevalence of oppositions, there is a relational pluralism of forms of domination and ways of resistances present in the production and consumption of electronic forró, regardless of gender, age, income, education or place of residence. However, the artifices of the cultural industry has been shown to be efficient: from large-scale businessmen to small producers enabled by the so-called open markets . The currentness of the concept of cultural industry is based on the idea that its products are offered systematically (the systematic insistence of everything to everyone) and on the notion that its production primarily meets the administrative criteria of control over the effects on the receiver (capacity of prescription of desires). Thus, the Adornian reflection on the pseudo-individualization leads to the inference that even in some of the most apparent ways of negotiation and/or refusal regarding the consumption of forró, certain behaviors of the cultural industry still prevail both in the very (re)interpretation of the forró and in the choice of other music genres also standardized, rationalized and massified. Therefore, despite the absence of cause-effect relation and the recognition of the popular capacity of re-elaboration and contestation of the media consumption, some world views prevailing in relation to the electronic forró establish or, at least, support some hegemonic ideologies, especially those concerning the life style, consumption and genre relations (fun by all means). Therefore, due the massification of certain songs, some ways of dissemination of values, beliefs and feelings are potentially experienced from the electronic forró. So, it is presumable that in the current advance of the process of semiformation (Halbbildung), the habitus of a part of the youth from the state of Rio Grande do Norte reinforces and is reinforced by the centrality of the trinomial fun, love and sex present in the songs, emphasized in some constructive practices of sense and in certain flows of social significance

Avaliar na alfabetização: uma reflexão sobre as dificuldades docentes

Our work leads up to the context of evaluation during alphabetization process as a moment of an educational action cycle that requires planning, teaching and learning of reading and writing. It aimed to research the difficulties lived by teachers of a public elementary school during the specific task of evaluating children in the alphabetization process. This qualitative research took place as a case study at Emília Ramos Municipal School, in Natal, capital city of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Semi-structured interview and questionnaire were used as fact-gathering proceedings. Two pedagogical advisers and seven teachers formed the group of research subjects. All of them worked with elementary school first cycle classes, in that school, in the year of 2003. The analysis shows that teachers difficulties concern to theoretic questions of conceptual and methodological orders, although these questions indicate an important knowledge of teachers about alphabetization and evaluation. Our reflection about these problems articulates two points: alphabetization and evaluation. Concerning alphabetization, we took reference on Psychogenetic studies of Ferreiro and Teberosky (1985) which emphasizes fundamental points for a coherent evaluation practice: a) objective knowledge is not a beginning data; it is a construction process, which the learner does not conquest step by step on a linear way; b) objective knowledge acquisition happens through a global re-construction, and some of them may seem mistakes if we consider conventional writing but these mistakes are constructive and necessary. We also took reference on Interactionist-constructivist theory. Here, Vygotsky (1984) proposes that writing must be specially understood as language, symbolical activity, cultural practice. So, acquisition of writing process, as language learning, must be understood as a development of abilities relative to symbolical and communicative activity of sense production. On this way, Hoffmann (1994) advises that is necessary to overtake current evaluation practices, limited by their terminality character, only pointing right or wrong questions. According to a new paradigm, valuation appears as one of the mediations by which teachers must indicate re-ordination of pupil s knowledge, and re-organize their own practices too. The comprehensions of these questions plays decisive part in order to overtake our difficulties in evaluating. Besides, it points a way to build a coherent valuate practice, with an emancipating character and able to create new teaching-and-learning situations, leading to a better alphabetization Pedagogy

Desenvolvimento de um modelo computacional para a ampliação do atendimento do Programa de Acessibilidade Especial Porta a Porta - PRAE

Worldwide, the demand for transportation services for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and persons with reduced mobility have increased in recent years. The population is aging, governments need to adapt to this reality, and this fact could mean business opportunities for companies. Within this context is inserted the Programa de Acessibilidade Especial porta a porta PRAE, a door to door public transportation service from the city of Natal-RN in Brazil. The research presented in this dissertation seeks to develop a programming model which can assist the process of decision making of managers of the shuttle. To that end, it was created an algorithm based on methods of generating approximate solutions known as heuristics. The purpose of the model is to increase the number of people served by the PRAE, given the available fleet, generating optimized schedules routes. The PRAE is a problem of vehicle routing and scheduling of dial-a-ride - DARP, the most complex type among the routing problems. The validation of the method of resolution was made by comparing the results derived by the model and the currently programming method. It is expected that the model is able to increase the current capacity of the service requests of transport

Algoritmos de otimização para decisões de localização de facilidades e distribuição em sistemas multiníveis de transporte rodoviário de carga

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Dedução de Funções de Alívio para Priorização de Variantes de Chaveamento Adequadas à Eliminação de Sobrecargas

Eventually, violations of voltage limits at buses or admissible loadings of transmission lines and/or power transformers may occur by the power system operation. If violations are detected in the supervision process, corrective measures may be carried out in order to eliminate them or to reduce their intensity. Loading restriction is an extreme solution and should only be adopted as the last control action. Previous researches have shown that it is possible to control constraints in electrical systems by changing the network topology, using the technique named Corrective Switching, which requires no additional costs. In previous works, the proposed calculations for verifying the ability of a switching variant in eliminating an overload in a specific branch were based on network reduction or heuristic analysis. The purpose of this work is to develop analytical derivation of linear equations to estimate current changes in a specific branch (due to switching measures) by means of few calculations. For bus-bar coupling, derivations will be based on short-circuit theory and Relief Function methodology. For bus-bar splitting, a Relief Function will be derived based on a technique of equivalent circuit. Although systems of linear equations are used to substantiate deductions, its formal solution for each variant, in real time does not become necessary. A priority list of promising variants is then assigned for final check by an exact load flow calculation and a transient analysis using ATP Alternative Transient Program. At last, results obtained by simulation in networks with different features will be presented

Metodologia estatística na solução do problema do caixeiro viajante e na avaliação de algoritmos : um estudo aplicado à transgenética computacional

The problems of combinatory optimization have involved a large number of researchers in search of approximative solutions for them, since it is generally accepted that they are unsolvable in polynomial time. Initially, these solutions were focused on heuristics. Currently, metaheuristics are used more for this task, especially those based on evolutionary algorithms. The two main contributions of this work are: the creation of what is called an -Operon- heuristic, for the construction of the information chains necessary for the implementation of transgenetic (evolutionary) algorithms, mainly using statistical methodology - the Cluster Analysis and the Principal Component Analysis; and the utilization of statistical analyses that are adequate for the evaluation of the performance of the algorithms that are developed to solve these problems. The aim of the Operon is to construct good quality dynamic information chains to promote an -intelligent- search in the space of solutions. The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is intended for applications based on a transgenetic algorithmic known as ProtoG. A strategy is also proposed for the renovation of part of the chromosome population indicated by adopting a minimum limit in the coefficient of variation of the adequation function of the individuals, with calculations based on the population. Statistical methodology is used for the evaluation of the performance of four algorithms, as follows: the proposed ProtoG, two memetic algorithms and a Simulated Annealing algorithm. Three performance analyses of these algorithms are proposed. The first is accomplished through the Logistic Regression, based on the probability of finding an optimal solution for a TSP instance by the algorithm being tested. The second is accomplished through Survival Analysis, based on a probability of the time observed for its execution until an optimal solution is achieved. The third is accomplished by means of a non-parametric Analysis of Variance, considering the Percent Error of the Solution (PES) obtained by the percentage in which the solution found exceeds the best solution available in the literature. Six experiments have been conducted applied to sixty-one instances of Euclidean TSP with sizes of up to 1,655 cities. The first two experiments deal with the adjustments of four parameters used in the ProtoG algorithm in an attempt to improve its performance. The last four have been undertaken to evaluate the performance of the ProtoG in comparison to the three algorithms adopted. For these sixty-one instances, it has been concluded on the grounds of statistical tests that there is evidence that the ProtoG performs better than these three algorithms in fifty instances. In addition, for the thirty-six instances considered in the last three trials in which the performance of the algorithms was evaluated through PES, it was observed that the PES average obtained with the ProtoG was less than 1% in almost half of these instances, having reached the greatest average for one instance of 1,173 cities, with an PES average equal to 3.52%. Therefore, the ProtoG can be considered a competitive algorithm for solving the TSP, since it is not rare in the literature find PESs averages greater than 10% to be reported for instances of this size.

Contribuições aos Processos de Clustering com Base em Métricas não-Euclidianas

In this work we present a new clustering method that groups up points of a data set in classes. The method is based in a algorithm to link auxiliary clusters that are obtained using traditional vector quantization techniques. It is described some approaches during the development of the work that are based in measures of distances or dissimilarities (divergence) between the auxiliary clusters. This new method uses only two a priori information, the number of auxiliary clusters Na and a threshold distance dt that will be used to decide about the linkage or not of the auxiliary clusters. The number os classes could be automatically found by the method, that do it based in the chosen threshold distance dt, or it is given as additional information to help in the choice of the correct threshold. Some analysis are made and the results are compared with traditional clustering methods. In this work different dissimilarities metrics are analyzed and a new one is proposed based on the concept of negentropy. Besides grouping points of a set in classes, it is proposed a method to statistical modeling the classes aiming to obtain a expression to the probability of a point to belong to one of the classes. Experiments with several values of Na e dt are made in tests sets and the results are analyzed aiming to study the robustness of the method and to consider heuristics to the choice of the correct threshold. During this work it is explored the aspects of information theory applied to the calculation of the divergences. It will be explored specifically the different measures of information and divergence using the Rényi entropy. The results using the different metrics are compared and commented. The work also has appendix where are exposed real applications using the proposed method

Algoritmo SOM com estrutura hierárquica e dinâmica aplicado a compressão de imagens

ln this work the implementation of the SOM (Self Organizing Maps) algorithm or Kohonen neural network is presented in the form of hierarchical structures, applied to the compression of images. The main objective of this approach is to develop an Hierarchical SOM algorithm with static structure and another one with dynamic structure to generate codebooks (books of codes) in the process of the image Vector Quantization (VQ), reducing the time of processing and obtaining a good rate of compression of images with a minimum degradation of the quality in relation to the original image. Both self-organizing neural networks developed here, were denominated HSOM, for static case, and DHSOM, for the dynamic case. ln the first form, the hierarchical structure is previously defined and in the later this structure grows in an automatic way in agreement with heuristic rules that explore the data of the training group without use of external parameters. For the network, the heuristic mIes determine the dynamics of growth, the pruning of ramifications criteria, the flexibility and the size of children maps. The LBO (Linde-Buzo-Oray) algorithm or K-means, one ofthe more used algorithms to develop codebook for Vector Quantization, was used together with the algorithm of Kohonen in its basic form, that is, not hierarchical, as a reference to compare the performance of the algorithms here proposed. A performance analysis between the two hierarchical structures is also accomplished in this work. The efficiency of the proposed processing is verified by the reduction in the complexity computational compared to the traditional algorithms, as well as, through the quantitative analysis of the images reconstructed in function of the parameters: (PSNR) peak signal-to-noise ratio and (MSE) medium squared error

Desenvolvimento de esquema de controle com realimentação visual para um robô manipulador

This work proposes a kinematic control scheme, using visual feedback for a robot arm with five degrees of freedom. Using computational vision techniques, a method was developed to determine the cartesian 3d position and orientation of the robot arm (pose) using a robot image obtained through a camera. A colored triangular label is disposed on the robot manipulator tool and efficient heuristic rules are used to obtain the vertexes of that label in the image. The tool pose is obtained from those vertexes through numerical methods. A color calibration scheme based in the K-means algorithm was implemented to guarantee the robustness of the vision system in the presence of light variations. The extrinsic camera parameters are computed from the image of four coplanar points whose cartesian 3d coordinates, related to a fixed frame, are known. Two distinct poses of the tool, initial and final, obtained from image, are interpolated to generate a desired trajectory in cartesian space. The error signal in the proposed control scheme consists in the difference between the desired tool pose and the actual tool pose. Gains are applied at the error signal and the signal resulting is mapped in joint incrementals using the pseudoinverse of the manipulator jacobian matrix. These incrementals are applied to the manipulator joints moving the tool to the desired pose

Localização de um robô móvel usando odometria e marcos naturais

Several methods of mobile robot navigation request the mensuration of robot position and orientation in its workspace. In the wheeled mobile robot case, techniques based on odometry allow to determine the robot localization by the integration of incremental displacements of its wheels. However, this technique is subject to errors that accumulate with the distance traveled by the robot, making unfeasible its exclusive use. Other methods are based on the detection of natural or artificial landmarks present in the environment and whose location is known. This technique doesnt generate cumulative errors, but it can request a larger processing time than the methods based on odometry. Thus, many methods make use of both techniques, in such a way that the odometry errors are periodically corrected through mensurations obtained from landmarks. Accordding to this approach, this work proposes a hybrid localization system for wheeled mobile robots in indoor environments based on odometry and natural landmarks. The landmarks are straight lines de.ned by the junctions in environments floor, forming a bi-dimensional grid. The landmark detection from digital images is perfomed through the Hough transform. Heuristics are associated with that transform to allow its application in real time. To reduce the search time of landmarks, we propose to map odometry errors in an area of the captured image that possesses high probability of containing the sought mark

Escalabilidade Paralela de um Algoritmo de Migração Reversa no Tempo (RTM) Pré-empilhamento

The seismic method is of extreme importance in geophysics. Mainly associated with oil exploration, this line of research focuses most of all investment in this area. The acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data are the parts that instantiate a seismic study. Seismic processing in particular is focused on the imaging that represents the geological structures in subsurface. Seismic processing has evolved significantly in recent decades due to the demands of the oil industry, and also due to the technological advances of hardware that achieved higher storage and digital information processing capabilities, which enabled the development of more sophisticated processing algorithms such as the ones that use of parallel architectures. One of the most important steps in seismic processing is imaging. Migration of seismic data is one of the techniques used for imaging, with the goal of obtaining a seismic section image that represents the geological structures the most accurately and faithfully as possible. The result of migration is a 2D or 3D image which it is possible to identify faults and salt domes among other structures of interest, such as potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. However, a migration fulfilled with quality and accuracy may be a long time consuming process, due to the mathematical algorithm heuristics and the extensive amount of data inputs and outputs involved in this process, which may take days, weeks and even months of uninterrupted execution on the supercomputers, representing large computational and financial costs, that could derail the implementation of these methods. Aiming at performance improvement, this work conducted the core parallelization of a Reverse Time Migration (RTM) algorithm, using the parallel programming model Open Multi-Processing (OpenMP), due to the large computational effort required by this migration technique. Furthermore, analyzes such as speedup, efficiency were performed, and ultimately, the identification of the algorithmic scalability degree with respect to the technological advancement expected by future processors

Paradigmas, valores e educação

O texto levanta os perfis epistemológico e socianalítico da questão paradigmática. Mauss evidenciara o moule affectif das noções científicas de força e causa. Posteriormente Baudouin falaria na indução arquetípica das noções e a antropologia do imaginário de Durand concluiria pela indução arquetipal do conceito pela imagem. Chegava-se, assim, ao desvendamento do substrato inconsciente das ideações, de um substrato regido pela catexis vetorializada, traduzindo-se nos valores como cerne das ideações. É o famoso a priori emotivo. Portanto, no texto, questionam-se dois mitos, esteios da ciência clássica: o mito da objetividade científica e o da neutralidade axiológica. Destaca, assim, a falácia da existência de uma ruptura epistemológica entre ciência e ideologia. A partir daí, as ideações tornam-se ideologias, sobretudo nas ciências do homem e nas ciências da educação que, ademais, tornam-se suporte de uma disfarçada luta ideológica, na qual, num colonialismo cognitivo, as estratégias de conhecimento dissimulam as de preconceito. Entretanto, assumir a realidade desse suporte fantasmanalítico e ideológico propicia uma tarefa educativa salutar: os paradigmas tornam-se fantasias e, nessa relativização crítica, podem ser usados como um campo de objetos transicionais coletivos num ludismo cultural e educativo. No policulturalismo da sociedade contemporânea, o politeísmo de valores de Weber transforma-se num politeísmo epistemológico, regido pelo relativismo ontológico de Feyerabend e por uma ética do pragmatismo. Articulando cultura, organização e educação, a antropologia das organizações educativas e a culturanálise de grupos de Paula Carvalho traduzem as heurísticas dessa dialética transicional.

A educação permanente em saúde na ótica dos cirurgiões dentistas

This study aimed to examine the perception of dentist-surgeon about the Permanent Education in Health (PEH). It is characterized as a qualitative research with focus in the field of public health policies. It refers specifically to the development of Permanent Education policy in Health in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. They were participants of this research 42 dentist surgeons and 83.3% females and 16.7% males, participants in Specialization courses approved and agreed by the Permanent Education Center in Health (PEC-RN) in the period 2005 to 2007. These professionals are part of the Family Health Strategy (FHS), and 11.9% work in management at the central level and 88.1% are directly related to oral health care in the Basic Health Units of the Family, 30 cities in the state. Data collection was through a questionnaire, with questions that guided the research development and achieve the objectives proposed. The socio-demographic data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics and subjective content was subjected to content analysis by Bardin. The emerging categories from the textual material generated by respondents were: program content, methodological approach and concepts of Permanent Education in Health. The subjects surveyed reported that the program content is more comprehensive and directs to the reflection of everyday practices, with regard to the methodological approach, concern that occurs through discussion and reflection with dynamic, participative, varied and constructive activities, questioning and putting as the main focus. As for understanding of the concepts of the PEH, there was a consensus that define as education stable strategies which contributing to transform and improve the health workers to have the upgrade, improvement of practices, being based on everyday experience and taking into account the accumulation and renewal of these experiences. Therefore, results presented showed that there is a clear understanding of the subjects on the proposals and guidelines of the PEH. It was concluded that lack continuous access to the policies proposed by Ministry of Health involving health workers, managers, communities, through social control and the teaching-service integration and that they are worked within the health system and can classify all these segments of society favor the existence of a more participatory, effective, fair and better quality health service