Thin films of carbohydrate based surfactants and carboxymethylcellulose acetate butyrate mixtures: Morphology and thermal behavior

Thin films of mixtures containing carboxymethylcellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB) and carbohydrate based surfactant, namely, sorbitan monopalmitate (Span 40) or poly(oxyethylene) sorbitan monopalmitate (Tween 40) were spin-coated onto silicon wafers. The effect of surfactant concentration on resulting film morphology and surface toughness Was Studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Upon increasing the concentration of Span 40 in the mixture, films became rougher and more heterogeneous, indicating surface enrichment by Span 40 molecules. In the case of mixtures composed by CMCAB and Tween 40, the increase of Tween 40 in the mixture led to smoother and more homogeneous films, indicating compatibility between both components. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that Span 40 and Tween 40 act as plasticizers for CMCAB, leading to dramatic reduction of glass transition temperature of CMCAB, namely, Delta T(g) = -158 degrees C and Delta T(g)=-179 degrees C. respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mobile systems for monitoring Parkinson's disease

A challenge for the clinical management of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the large within- and between-patient variability in symptom profiles as well as the emergence of motor complications which represent a significant source of disability in patients. This thesis deals with the development and evaluation of methods and systems for supporting the management of PD by using repeated measures, consisting of subjective assessments of symptoms and objective assessments of motor function through fine motor tests (spirography and tapping), collected by means of a telemetry touch screen device. One aim of the thesis was to develop methods for objective quantification and analysis of the severity of motor impairments being represented in spiral drawings and tapping results. This was accomplished by first quantifying the digitized movement data with time series analysis and then using them in data-driven modelling for automating the process of assessment of symptom severity. The objective measures were then analysed with respect to subjective assessments of motor conditions. Another aim was to develop a method for providing comparable information content as clinical rating scales by combining subjective and objective measures into composite scores, using time series analysis and data-driven methods. The scores represent six symptom dimensions and an overall test score for reflecting the global health condition of the patient. In addition, the thesis presents the development of a web-based system for providing a visual representation of symptoms over time allowing clinicians to remotely monitor the symptom profiles of their patients. The quality of the methods was assessed by reporting different metrics of validity, reliability and sensitivity to treatment interventions and natural PD progression over time. Results from two studies demonstrated that the methods developed for the fine motor tests had good metrics indicating that they are appropriate to quantitatively and objectively assess the severity of motor impairments of PD patients. The fine motor tests captured different symptoms; spiral drawing impairment and tapping accuracy related to dyskinesias (involuntary movements) whereas tapping speed related to bradykinesia (slowness of movements). A longitudinal data analysis indicated that the six symptom dimensions and the overall test score contained important elements of information of the clinical scales and can be used to measure effects of PD treatment interventions and disease progression. A usability evaluation of the web-based system showed that the information presented in the system was comparable to qualitative clinical observations and the system was recognized as a tool that will assist in the management of patients.

Novas configurações de monopólios planares quase-fractais para sistemas de comunicações móveis

The characteristic properties of the fractal geometry have shown to be very useful for the construction of filters, frequency selective surfaces, synchronized circuits and antennas, enabling optimized solutions in many different commercial uses at microwaves frequency band. The fractal geometry is included in the technology of the microwave communication systems due to some interesting properties to the fabrication of compact devices, with higher performance in terms of bandwidth, as well as multiband behavior. This work describes the design, fabrication and measurement procedures for the Koch quasi-fractal monopoles, with 1 and 2 iteration levels, in order to investigate the bandwidth behavior of planar antennas, from the use of quasi-fractal elements printed on their rectangular patches. The electromagnetic effect produced by the variation of the fractal iterations and the miniaturization of the structures is analyzed. Moreover, a parametric study is performed to verify the bandwidth behavior, not only at the return loss but also in terms of SWR. Experimental results were obtained through the accomplishment of measurements with the aid of a vetorial network analyzer and compared to simulations performed using the Ansoft HFSS software. Finally, some proposals for future works are presented

Optimisation of environmental gas cleaning routes for solid wastes cogeneration systems - Part I - Analysis of waste incineration steam cycle

Research of advanced technologies for energy generation contemplates a series of alternatives that are introduced both in the investigation of new energy sources and in the improvement and/or development of new components and systems. Even though significant reductions are observed in the amount of emissions, the proposed alternatives require the use of exhaust gases cleaning systems. The results of environmental analyses based on two configurations proposed for urban waste incineration are presented in this paper; the annexation of integer (Boolean) variables to the environomic model makes it possible to define the best gas cleaning routes based on exergetic cost minimisation criteria. In this first part, the results for steam cogeneration system analysis associated with the incineration of municipal solid wastes (MSW) is presented. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Constructive Heuristic Algorithm for Distribution System Planning

A constructive heuristic algorithm (CHA) to solve distribution system planning (DSP) problem is presented. The DSP is a very complex mixed binary nonlinear programming problem. A CHA is aimed at obtaining an excellent quality solution for the DSP problem. However, a local improvement phase and a branching technique were implemented in the CHA to improve its solution. In each step of the CHA, a sensitivity index is used to add a circuit or a substation to the distribution system. This sensitivity index is obtained by solving the DSP problem considering the numbers of circuits and substations to be added as continuous variables (relaxed problem). The relaxed problem is a large and complex nonlinear programming and was solved through an efficient nonlinear optimization solver. Results of two tests systems and one real distribution system are presented in this paper in order to show the ability of the proposed algorithm.

Effects of propolis from Brazil and Bulgaria on fungicidal activity of macrophages against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Paracoccidioidomycosis is the most important systemic mycosis in Latin America. Its etiological agent, Paracoccidoides brasiliensis, affects individuals living in endemic areas through inhalation of airborne conidia or mycelial fragments. The disease may affect different organs and systems, with multiple clinical features, with cell-mediated immunity playing a significant role in host defence. Peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice were stimulated with Brazilian or Bulgarian propolis and subsequently challenged with P, brasiliensis. Data suggest an increase in the fungicidal activity of macrophages by propolis stimulation, independently from its geographic origin, (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between the nucleolar cycle and chromatoid body formation in the spermatogenesis of Phrynops geoffroanus (Reptilia Testudines)

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

The CMS experiment at the CERN LHC

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and lead-lead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 10(34)cm(-2)s(-1) (10(27)cm(-2)s(-1)). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic-field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations of muon detectors covering most of the 4 pi solid angle. Forward sampling calorimeters extend the pseudo-rapidity coverage to high values (vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 5) assuring very good hermeticity. The overall dimensions of the CMS detector are a length of 21.6 m, a diameter of 14.6 m and a total weight of 12500 t.

Structural and ultrastructural analysis of embryonic development of Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1836) (Characiforme ; Prochilodontidae)

This survey was performed to characterize the embryogenesis of Prochilodus lineatus. Seven stages of embryo development were identified - zygote, cleavage, blastula, gastrula, segmentation, larval and hatching - after a period of incubation of 22h (24 degrees C) or 14h (28 degrees C). The following cleavage pattern was identified: the first plane was vertical (2 blastomeres); the second was vertical and perpendicular to the first (4 blastorneres); the third was vertical and parallel to the first (4 x 2); the fourth cleavage was vertical and parallel to the second (4 x 4); the fifth was vertical and parallel to the first (4 x 8); and the sixth cleavage was horizontal (64 blastomeres). At the blastula stage (3.0-4.0 h (24 degrees C); 1.66-2.0h (28 degrees C) irregular spaces were detected and periblast structuring was initiated. At the gastrula stage (4.0-8.0 h (24 degrees C); 3.0-6.0 h (28 degrees C) the epiboly, convergence and cell movements, as well as the formation of embryonic layers, had begun. The segmentation stage (10.0-15.0h (24 degrees C); 7.0-10.0h (28 degrees C)) was characterized by a rudimentary formation of organs and systems (somites, optic vesicle and intestinal delimitation). The embryo at the larval stage (16.0-21.0 h (24 degrees C); 11.0-13.0 h (28 degrees C)) showed a free tail, more than 25 somites, an optic vesicle and a ready-to-hatch larval shape. The blastomeres at cleavage stage had disorganized nuclei indicating high mitotic activity. At gastrula, the blastomeres and the periblast had euchromatic nuclei and a large number of mitochondria and vesicles. The yolk was organized into globose sacs, which were dispersed into small pieces prior to absorption.

Application of pi Circuits for Simulation of Corona Effect in Transmission Lines

In this article, it is represented by state variables phase a transmission line which parameters are considered frequency independently and frequency dependent. Based on previous analyses, it is used the reasonable number of p circuits and the number of blocks composed by parallel resistor and inductor for reduction of numerical oscillations. It is analyzed the influence of the increase of the RL parallel blocks in the obtained results. The RL parallel blocks are used for inclusion of the frequency influence in the transmission line longitudinal parameter. It is a simple model that is been used by undergraduate students for simulation of traveling wave phenomena in transmission lines. Considering the model without frequency influence, it is included a representation of the corona effect. Some simulations are carried considering the corona effect and they are compared to the results without this phenomenon.

Analyses of the modifications in the pi circuits for inclusion of frequency influence in transmission line representation

In this article, it is represented by state variables phase a transmission line which parameters are considered frequency independently and frequency dependent. It is analyzed what is the reasonable number of pi circuits and the number of blocks composed by parallel resistor and inductor in parallel for reduction of numerical oscillations. It is simulated the numerical routine with and without the effect of frequency in the longitudinal parameters. Initially, it is used state variables and pi circuits representing the transmission line composing a linear system which is solved by numerical routines based on the trapezoidal rule. The effect of frequency on the line is synthesized by resistors and inductors in parallel and this representation is analyzed in details. It is described transmission lines and the frequency influence in these lines through the state variables.

Precision of yule-walker methods for the arma spectral model

In this work a new method is proposed of separated estimation for the ARMA spectral model based on the modified Yule-Walker equations and on the least squares method. The proposal of the new method consists of performing an AR filtering in the random process generated obtaining a new random estimate, which will reestimate the ARMA model parameters, given a better spectrum estimate. Some numerical examples will be presented in order to ilustrate the performance of the method proposed, which is evaluated by the relative error and the average variation coefficient.

Educational Java applets get in power electronics labs

This paper presents Java applet programs for a WWW (world wide web)-HTML (hypertext markup language)-based multimedia course in basic power electronics circuits. These tools make use of the benefits of Java language to provide a dynamic and interactive approach to simulate steady-state idealized rectifiers (uncontrolled and controlled; single-phase and three-phase). In addition, this paper discusses the development and the use of the Java applet programs to assist the teaching of basics rectifier power electronics circuits, and to serve as a first design tool for basics power electronics circuits in the experiments of the laboratories. In order to validate the developed simulation applets, the results were confronted with results obtained from a well-know simulator package PSPICE. © 2005 IEEE.

A simplified method for determining the high frequency induction motor equivalent electrical circuit parameters to be used in EMI effect

The aim of this paper is to present a simple method for determining the high frequency parameters of a three-phase induction motor to be used in studies involving variable speed drives with PWM three-phase inverters, in which it is necessary to check the effects caused to the motor by the electromagnetic interference, (EMI) in the differential mode, as well as in the common mode. The motor parameters determination is generally performed in adequate laboratories using accurate instruments, such as very expensive RLC bridges. The method proposed here consists in the identification of the motor equivalent electrical circuit parameters in rated frequency and in high frequency through characteristic tests in the laboratory, together with the use of characteristic equations and curves, shown in the references to be mentioned for determining the motor high frequency parasite capacitances and also through system simulations using dedicated software, like Pspice, determining the characteristic waveforms involved in the differential and common mode phenomena, comparing and validating the procedure through published papers [01].

Heuristic algorithm to solve the short term transmission network expansion planning

In this paper, a method for solving the short term transmission network expansion planning problem is presented. This is a very complex mixed integer nonlinear programming problem that presents a combinatorial explosion in the search space. In order to And a solution of excellent quality for this problem, a constructive heuristic algorithm is presented in this paper. In each step of the algorithm, a sensitivity index is used to add a circuit (transmission line or transformer) or a capacitor bank (fixed or variable) to the system. This sensitivity index is obtained solving the problem considering the numbers of circuits and capacitors banks to be added (relaxed problem), as continuous variables. The relaxed problem is a large and complex nonlinear programming and was solved through a higher order interior point method. The paper shows results of several tests that were performed using three well-known electric energy systems in order to show the possibility and the advantages of using the AC model. ©2007 IEEE.