Desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para elaboração de modelos de predição dos níveis de ruído do campo acústico de usinas hidrelétricas

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEIS

Reconhecimento da perda de eficácia de protetor intra-auricular

Among the harmful health agents, it is given to the noise, one of the most present in urban and social environments. There are efficient measures to control the noise and the auricular Individual Protection Equipment (IPEa) is the most used. It has been observed the shortage in the comfortable and functional individual auditory protection products, related to durability, face to the efficiency right of the equipment. The main objective of this study was to recognize if there is effectiveness loss toward the used time on the Auditory Equipment, intra-auricular Individual Protection, of foam (3M), model 1110. It has been verified that the equipments suffer efficiency alteration according to the time of use, and the material consuming initiates reliable loss, mainly in audible frequencies going up to 100Hz, and from 16 days for sonorous pressure suffered started in 101dB 20Hz. For sonorous pressure suffered from 107dB to 20Hz, the reliable loss for the usage was of 8 days. The IPEas do not lose effectiveness on important attenuation by the daily use in frequencies from 1KHz until 20KHz. It has been concluded that there is effectiveness loss, according to the daily and frequent use of the IPEa studied.

Soluciones constructivas frente al ruido

En el presente proyecto, se han abordado las distintas soluciones constructivas para tratar las principales exigencias en edificación: aislamiento acústico, acondicionamiento acústico y ruido y vibraciones de las instalaciones. Estas soluciones constructivas, se enmarcan dentro de un conjunto de leyes vigentes en España, provenientes de la trasposición de la legislación Europea. Basándose en el Documento Básico HR Protección frente al ruido, donde se encuentran las soluciones constructivas, comentadas anteriormente, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio exhaustivo de las mismas, con la finalidad de crear una herramienta de consulta de fácil y rápido acceso para cualquier persona. En especial, se enfoca a una finalidad didáctica accesible al personal universitario. Se pretende que cualquier persona, con base mínima en la materia, pueda acceder y entender la herramienta creada. Para lograr a esta finalidad, se ha analizado otra documentación, como la Guía de aplicación del DB HR, donde se explica de forma más detallada el Documento Básico HR Protección frente al ruido. Además, se han consultado diferentes normativas españolas, para conseguir que la información aportada al usuario sea completa y no sea necesario acudir a diferentes documentos externos. De esta manera, un usuario podrá realizar un proyecto para: aislar, acondicionar o controlar el ruido y vibraciones de las instalaciones, en una edificación, acudiendo a esta herramienta. Con el objeto de que sea un proyecto enmarcado en un contexto didáctico, con fácil acceso y tratando que sea lo más intuitivo posible, se buscó una plataforma de acceso gratuito y disponible para distintos equipos y sistemas operativos. El programa empleado ha sido tomado del paquete Office creado por Microsoft. El programa se denomina OneNote. Se trata de un programa para realizar, compartir y gestionar notas de forma rápida y sencilla. Los archivos creados en él, se almacenan en OneDrive, por lo tanto, el usuario puede acceder a ellos desde cualquier parte, en cualquier momento y plataforma disponible. ABSTRACT. The aforementioned project approaches the diverse solutions available to accomplish the chief edification requirements in the Spanish Legal System, remarkably influenced by the European Law, in Construction Planning. The key elements of those solutions are acoustic isolation, acoustic conditioning and noise and vibration of installations. Basing most part of our research in the academic report “Documento Básico HR Protección frente al ruido”, which addresses effective solutions about the mentioned queries, but also implements a useful tool that supplies access to the broad public to obtain a wide variety of answers regarding those issues. Its main aim is to improve the knowledge about that subject, however also the access and usage to that system, of every person, although its previous experience. In order to achieve that purpose, the paper also combines an analysis of the study “Guía de aplicación del DB HR” where different elements of the report “Documento Básico HR Protección frente al ruido” are examined in further detail. It is important to remark that all the information provided comply with the current legislation present in Spain at the time this paper was written, so the reader may work on a project of isolation, conditioning or control of noise and vibrations of installations without the requirement of applying external resources. Conclusively, with the intention of giving the paper an educational usage, with intuitive and easy access, the reader is able to join to the platform OneNote by Microsoft Office, software available in utmost part of operating systems and devices. This program allows us to produce, share and manage notes swiftly and efficiently, but also it stores them in The Cloud called OneDrive, so the user can get access to them anywhere and anytime.

Methods for reducing large speed differences in traffic streams. Volume I - inventory of methods. Task A report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Economic impact of removing numerical limits on sound emissions to class C land, R76-19 /

"Project no. 30.014."

Outlier detection in scatterometer data:Neural network approaches

Satellite-borne scatterometers are used to measure backscattered micro-wave radiation from the ocean surface. This data may be used to infer surface wind vectors where no direct measurements exist. Inherent in this data are outliers owing to aberrations on the water surface and measurement errors within the equipment. We present two techniques for identifying outliers using neural networks; the outliers may then be removed to improve models derived from the data. Firstly the generative topographic mapping (GTM) is used to create a probability density model; data with low probability under the model may be classed as outliers. In the second part of the paper, a sensor model with input-dependent noise is used and outliers are identified based on their probability under this model. GTM was successfully modified to incorporate prior knowledge of the shape of the observation manifold; however, GTM could not learn the double skinned nature of the observation manifold. To learn this double skinned manifold necessitated the use of a sensor model which imposes strong constraints on the mapping. The results using GTM with a fixed noise level suggested the noise level may vary as a function of wind speed. This was confirmed by experiments using a sensor model with input-dependent noise, where the variation in noise is most sensitive to the wind speed input. Both models successfully identified gross outliers with the largest differences between models occurring at low wind speeds. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contrast matching and discrimation in human vision

The aim of this work was to investigate human contrast perception at various contrast levels ranging from detection threshold to suprathreshold levels by using psychophysical techniques. The work consists of two major parts. The first part deals with contrast matching, and the second part deals with contrast discrimination. Contrast matching technique was used to determine when the perceived contrasts of different stimuli were equal. The effects of spatial frequency, stimulus area, image complexity and chromatic contrast on contrast detection thresholds and matches were studied. These factors influenced detection thresholds and perceived contrast at low contrast levels. However, at suprathreshold contrast levels perceived contrast became directly proportional to the physical contrast of the stimulus and almost independent of factors affecting detection thresholds. Contrast discrimination was studied by measuring contrast increment thresholds which indicate the smallest detectable contrast difference. The effects of stimulus area, external spatial image noise and retinal illuminance were studied. The above factors affected contrast detection thresholds and increment thresholds measured at low contrast levels. At high contrast levels, contrast increment thresholds became very similar so that the effect of these factors decreased. Human contrast perception was modelled by regarding the visual system as a simple image processing system. A visual signal is first low-pass filtered by the ocular optics. This is followed by spatial high-pass filtering by the neural visual pathways, and addition of internal neural noise. Detection is mediated by a local matched filter which is a weighted replica of the stimulus whose sampling efficiency decreases with increasing stimulus area and complexity. According to the model, the signals to be compared in a contrast matching task are first transferred through the early image processing stages mentioned above. Then they are filtered by a restoring transfer function which compensates for the low-level filtering and limited spatial integration at high contrast levels. Perceived contrasts of the stimuli are equal when the restored responses to the stimuli are equal. According to the model, the signals to be discriminated in a contrast discrimination task first go through the early image processing stages, after which signal dependent noise is added to the matched filter responses. The decision made by the human brain is based on the comparison between the responses of the matched filters to the stimuli, and the accuracy of the decision is limited by pre- and post-filter noises. The model for human contrast perception could accurately describe the results of contrast matching and discrimination in various conditions.

UNDERSTANDING CHASSIS INPUTS FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION OF A SNOWMOBILE

Today’s snowmobile industry faces great challenges in the field of noise & vibration. The area of main concern is the pass-by noise restriction defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) test standard J192, with a maximum sound pressure level of 78 dB(A) being required by many states and national parks. To continue meet or beat this requirement without effecting machine performance, a deeper understanding of the sound transfer paths is required. This thesis examines the transfer paths created by the tunnel, rear suspension, drive shaft, and rubber composite track, with the primary source being suspension input through the ground. Using a combination of field experiments and analytical modeling, perspective was gained on which suspension and drive elements create the primary transfer paths. With further understanding of these paths, industry can tailor and fine-tune the approaches taken in to control overall noise output.

Sci1 Is A Component Of The Auxin-dependent Control Of Cell Proliferation In Arabidopsis Upper Pistil.

To characterize the recently described SCI1 (stigma/style cell cycle inhibitor 1) gene relationship with the auxin pathway, we have taken the advantage of the Arabidopsis model system and its available tools. At first, we have analyzed the At1g79200 T-DNA insertion mutants and constructed various transgenic plants. The loss- and gain-of-function plants displayed cell number alterations in upper pistils that were controlled by the amino-terminal domain of the protein. These data also confirmed that this locus holds the functional homolog (AtSCI1) of the Nicotiana tabacum SCI1 gene. Then, we have provided some evidences the auxin synthesis/signaling pathways are required for downstream proper AtSCI1 control of cell number: (a) its expression is downregulated in yuc2yuc6 and npy1 auxin-deficient mutants, (b) triple (yuc2yuc6sci1) and double (npy1sci1) mutants mimicked the auxin-deficient phenotypes, with no synergistic interactions, and (c) the increased upper pistil phenotype in these last mutants, which is a consequence of an increased cell number, was able to be complemented by AtSCI1 overexpression. Taken together, our data strongly suggests SCI1 as a component of the auxin signaling transduction pathway to control cell proliferation/differentiation in stigma/style, representing a molecular effector of this hormone on pistil development.

Exact time-dependent solutions for a self-regulating gene

The exact time-dependent solution for the stochastic equations governing the behavior of a binary self-regulating gene is presented. Using the generating function technique to rephrase the master equations in terms of partial differential equations, we show that the model is totally integrable and the analytical solutions are the celebrated confluent Heun functions. Self-regulation plays a major role in the control of gene expression, and it is remarkable that such a microscopic model is completely integrable in terms of well-known complex functions.

Equivalence between Redfield- and master-equation approaches for a time-dependent quantum system and coherence control

We present a derivation of the Redfield formalism for treating the dissipative dynamics of a time-dependent quantum system coupled to a classical environment. We compare such a formalism with the master equation approach where the environments are treated quantum mechanically. Focusing on a time-dependent spin-1/2 system we demonstrate the equivalence between both approaches by showing that they lead to the same Bloch equations and, as a consequence, to the same characteristic times T(1) and T(2) (associated with the longitudinal and transverse relaxations, respectively). These characteristic times are shown to be related to the operator-sum representation and the equivalent phenomenological-operator approach. Finally, we present a protocol to circumvent the decoherence processes due to the loss of energy (and thus, associated with T(1)). To this end, we simply associate the time dependence of the quantum system to an easily achieved modulated frequency. A possible implementation of the protocol is also proposed in the context of nuclear magnetic resonance.

TLR2-dependent mast cell activation contributes to the control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Mast Cells (MCs) express toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), a receptor known to be triggered by several major mycobacterial ligands and involved in resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. This study investigated whether adoptive transfer of TLR2 positive MCs (TLR2(+/+)) corrects the increased susceptibility of TLR2(-/-) mice to MTB infection. TLR2(-/-) mice displayed increased mycobacterial burden, diminished myeloid cell recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine production accompanied by defective granuloma formation. The reconstitution of these mice with TLR2(+/+) MCs, but not TLR2(-/-), confers better control of the infection, promotes the normalization of myeloid cell recruitment associated with reestablishment of the granuloma formation. In addition, adoptive transfer of TLR2(+/+) MC to TLR2(-/-) mice resulted in regulation of the pulmonary levels of IL-beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, enhanced Th1 response and activated CD8(+) T cell homing to the lungs. Our results suggest that activation of MCs via TLR2 is required to compensate the defect in protective immunity and inability of TLR2(-/-) mice to control MTB infection. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Human response to environmental noise: The role of perceived control

Negative impacts of noise exposure on health and performance may result in part from learned helplessness, the syndrome of deficits typically produced by exposure to uncontrollable events. People may perceive environmental noise to be uncontrollable, and several effects of noise exposure appear to parallel learned helplessness deficits. In the present socioacoustic survey (N = 1,015), perceived control over aircraft noise correlated negatively with some effects of noise (though not others). Furthermore, these effects were better predicted by perceived control than by noise level. These observational data support the claim that learned helplessness contributes to the effects of noise exposure.

Contribution of cholinergic systems to state-dependent modulation of respiratory control

Respiration is altered during different stages of the sleep-wake cycle. We review the contribution of cholinergic systems to this alteration, with particular reference to the role of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (MAchRs) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Available evidence demonstrates that MAchRs have potent excitatory effects on medullary respiratory neurones and respiratory motoneurones, and are likely to contribute to changes in central chemosensitive drive to the respiratory control system. These effects are likely to be most prominent during REM sleep, when cholinergic brainstem neurones show peak activity levels. It is possible that MAchR dysfunction is involved in sleep-disordered breathing, Such as obstructive sleep apnea. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Is There Sufficient Training of Health Care Staff on Noise Reduction in Neonatal Intensive Care Units? a Pilot Study From NeoNoise Project

Evidence indicates that exposure to high levels of noise adversely affects human health, and these effects are dependent upon various factors. In hospitals, there are many sources of noise, and high levels exert an impact on patients and staff, increasing both recovery time and stress, respectively. The goal of this pilot study was to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a training program (TP) on noise reduction in a Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) by comparing the noise levels before and after the implementation of the program. A total of 79 health professionals participated in the study. The measurements of sound pressure levels took into account the layout of the unit and location of the main sources of noise. General results indicated that LAeq levels before implementation of the training program were often excessive, ranging from 48.7 ± 2.94 dBA to 71.7 ± 4.74 dBA, exceeding international guidelines. Similarly following implementation of the training program noise levels remained unchanged (54.5 ± 0.49 dBA to 63.9 ± 4.37 dBA), despite a decrease in some locations. There was no significant difference before and after the implementation of TP. However a significant difference was found for Lp, Cpeak, before and after training staff, suggesting greater care by healthcare professionals performing their tasks. Even recognizing that a TP is quite important to change behaviors, this needs to be considered in a broader context to effectively control noise in the NICU.