Graphical constraints: a graphical user interface for constraint problems

A constraint satisfaction problem is a classical artificial intelligence paradigm characterized by a set of variables (each variable with an associated domain of possible values), and a set of constraints that specify relations among subsets of these variables. Solutions are assignments of values to all variables that satisfy all the constraints. Many real world problems may be modelled by means of constraints. The range of problems that can use this representation is very diverse and embraces areas like resource allocation, scheduling, timetabling or vehicle routing. Constraint programming is a form of declarative programming in the sense that instead of specifying a sequence of steps to execute, it relies on properties of the solutions to be found, which are explicitly defined by constraints. The idea of constraint programming is to solve problems by stating constraints which must be satisfied by the solutions. Constraint programming is based on specialized constraint solvers that take advantage of constraints to search for solutions. The success and popularity of complex problem solving tools can be greatly enhanced by the availability of friendly user interfaces. User interfaces cover two fundamental areas: receiving information from the user and communicating it to the system; and getting information from the system and deliver it to the user. Despite its potential impact, adequate user interfaces are uncommon in constraint programming in general. The main goal of this project is to develop a graphical user interface that allows to, intuitively, represent constraint satisfaction problems. The idea is to visually represent the variables of the problem, their domains and the problem constraints and enable the user to interact with an adequate constraint solver to process the constraints and compute the solutions. Moreover, the graphical interface should be capable of configure the solver’s parameters and present solutions in an appealing interactive way. As a proof of concept, the developed application – GraphicalConstraints – focus on continuous constraint programming, which deals with real valued variables and numerical constraints (equations and inequalities). RealPaver, a state-of-the-art solver in continuous domains, was used in the application. The graphical interface supports all stages of constraint processing, from the design of the constraint network to the presentation of the end feasible space solutions as 2D or 3D boxes.

O licenciamento ambiental pelos municípios: uma análise sobre o federalismo cooperativo adotado pela Constituição Federal

In complex federal systems as that found in Brazil, which provides simultaneous attributions to of the Union, States and Cities in many aspects, the definition of performance limits of each of these entities, in procedural or material aspect, generates many (positive and/or negative) competence conflicts, bringing insecurity to general administered. Environmental licensing is one of the most important instruments of environmental management, seeking the realization of the fundamental right to an ecologically balanced and sustainable development. Despite its importance, the environmental licensing has not been more effective due the conflict related to the authority to regulate regardind environmental law. This essay will analyze the structure of competence distribution for conducting the environmental licensing processes, the conflict between laws, the performance of the municipal environmental agencies, the cooperation between the licensing agencies and the future about the additional regulatory law of article 23 of Federal Constitution

Um algoritmo híbrido para o problema de roteamento de veículos com frotas heterogêneas

This paper aims to propose a hybrid meta-heuristics for the Heterogeneous Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem (HVRP), which is a combinatorial optimization problem NP-hard, and is characterized by the use of a limited fleet consists of different vehicles with different capacities. The hybrid method developed makes use of a memetic algorithm associated with the component optimizer Vocabulary Building. The resulting hybrid meta-heuristic was implemented in the programming language C + + and computational experiments generated good results in relation to meta-heuristic applied in isolation, proving the efficiency of the proposed method.

Uma ferramenta de manipulação de pacotes para análise de protocolos de redes industriais baseados em TCP/IP

This work presents a packet manipulation tool developed to realize tests in industrial devices that implements TCP/IP-based communication protocols. The tool was developed in Python programming language, as a Scapy extension. This tool, named IndPM- Industrial Packet Manipulator, can realize vulnerability tests in devices of industrial networks, industrial protocol compliance tests, receive server replies and utilize the Python interpreter to build tests. The Modbus/TCP protocol was implemented as proof-of-concept. The DNP3 over TCP protocol was also implemented but tests could not be realized because of the lack of resources. The IndPM results with Modbus/TCP protocol show some implementation faults in a Programmable Logic Controller communication module frequently utilized in automation companies

Enumeração de espectro de distâncias de esquemas de modulação codificada em treliça empregando codificação turbo

In this work, a performance analysis of transmission schemes employing turbo trellis coded modulation. In general, the performance analysis of such schemes is guided by evaluating the error probability of these schemes. The exact evaluation of this probability is very complex and inefficient from the computational point of view, a widely used alternative is the use of union bound of error probability, because of its easy implementation and computational produce bounds that converge quickly. Since it is the union bound, it should use to expurge some elements of distance spectrum to obtain a tight bound. The main contribution of this work is that the listing proposal is carried out from the puncturing at the level of symbol rather than bit-level as in most works of literature. The main reason for using the symbol level puncturing lies in the fact that the enummerating function of the turbo scheme is obtained directly from complex sequences of signals through the trellis and not indirectly from the binary sequences that require further binary to complex mapping, as proposed by previous works. Thus, algorithms can be applied through matrix from the adjacency matrix, which is obtained by calculating the distances of the complex sequences of the trellis. This work also presents two matrix algorithms for state reduction and the evaluation of the transfer function of this. The results presented in comparisons of the bounds obtained using the proposed technique with some turbo codes of the literature corroborate the proposition of this paper that the expurgated bounds obtained are quite tight and matrix algorithms are easily implemented in any programming software language

Controle inteligente aplicado a uma mesa de coordenadas de dois graus de liberdade

This work presents the design and construction of an X-Y table of two degrees of freedom, as well as the development of a fuzzy system for its position and trajectory control. The table is composed of two bases that move perpendicularly to each other in the horizontal plane, and are driven by two DC motors. Base position is detected by position sensors attached to the motor axes. A data acquisition board performs the interface between a laptop and the plant. The fuzzy system algorithm was implemented in LabVIEW® programming environment that processes the sensors signals and determines the control variables values that drive the motors. Experimental results using position reference signals (step type signal) and straight and circular paths reference signals are presented to demonstrate the dynamic behavior of fuzzy system

Construção e controle inteligente de um manipulador robótico com dois graus de liberdade

The present work shows the development and construction of a robot manipulator with two rotary joints and two degrees of freedom, driven by three-phase induction motors. The positions of the arm and base are made, for comparison, by a fuzzy controller and a PID controller implemented in LabVIEW® programming environment. The robot manipulator moves in an area equivalent to a quarter of a sphere. Experimental results have shown that the fuzzy controller has superior performance to PID controller when tracking single and multiple step trajectories, for the cases of load and no load

Otimização topológica de estruturas termoelásticas tridimensionais

This work presents an optimization technique based on structural topology optimization methods, TOM, designed to solve problems of thermoelasticity 3D. The presented approach is based on the adjoint method of sensitivity analysis unified design and is intended to loosely coupled thermomechanical problems. The technique makes use of analytical expressions of sensitivities, enabling a reduction in the computational cost through the use of a coupled field adjoint equation, defined in terms the of temperature and displacement fields. The TOM used is based on the material aproach. Thus, to make the domain is composed of a continuous distribution of material, enabling the use of classical models in nonlinear programming optimization problem, the microstructure is considered as a porous medium and its constitutive equation is a function only of the homogenized relative density of the material. In this approach, the actual properties of materials with intermediate densities are penalized based on an artificial microstructure model based on the SIMP (Solid Isotropic Material with Penalty). To circumvent problems chessboard and reduce dependence on layout in relation to the final optimal initial mesh, caused by problems of numerical instability, restrictions on components of the gradient of relative densities were applied. The optimization problem is solved by applying the augmented Lagrangian method, the solution being obtained by applying the finite element method of Galerkin, the process of approximation using the finite element Tetra4. This element has the ability to interpolate both the relative density and the displacement components and temperature. As for the definition of the problem, the heat load is assumed in steady state, i.e., the effects of conduction and convection of heat does not vary with time. The mechanical load is assumed static and distributed

Association of diabetes and cigarette smoke exposure on the glycemia and liver glycogen of pregnant Wistar rats

Purpose: To evaluate cigarette smoke exposure and/or diabetes association effects on the glycemia and liver glycogen levels of pregnant Wistar rats. Methods: 60 adult rats were randomly distributed into (n= 10/group): non-diabetic exposed to filtered air (G1); non-diabetic exposed to cigarette smoke only before pregnancy (G2); non-diabetic exposed to cigarette smoke before and during pregnancy (G3); diabetic exposed to filtered air (G4); diabetic exposed to cigarette smoke only before pregnancy (G5), and diabetic exposed to cigarette smoke before and during pregnancy (G6). Glycemia was determined at days 0 and 21 of pregnancy. Liver samples were collected for liver glycogen determinations. Results: At day 21 of pregnancy, glycemia was higher in G5 and G6 compared to G4 group. G2 (2.43 +/- 0.43), G3 (3.20 +/- 0.49), G4 (2.62 +/- 0.34), G5 (2.65 +/- 0.27) and G6 groups (1.94 +/- 0.35) presented decreased liver glycogen concentrations compared to G1 (4.20 +/- 0.18 mg/100mg liver tissue) (p<0.05). G5 and G6 groups presented decreased maternal weight gain and litter weight. Conclusions: Severe diabetes and cigarette smoke exposure, alone or associated, caused impairment in liver glycogen storage at term pregnancy. Due to the fact that liver glycogen storages were considered determinant for glucose tolerance, it is relevant to point out a rigid clinical glycemic control and to stop smoking so earlier in pregnancy programming.

História de uma completiva: origem e desenvolvimento do complemento oracional introduzido por se do português

O propósito deste trabalho é investigar o percurso histórico da oração completiva iniciada pela conjunção se do português, que também introduz, nessa e em outras línguas românicas, uma oração adverbial condicional. Com base em registros de filólogos e romanistas, demonstra-se que a similaridade existente entre essas orações é resultado de gramaticalização da oração condicional que, no latim, passou a funcionar como oração completiva, em razão da extinção das partículas interrogativas que passaram a ser substituídas pela conjunção condicional latina si. Como oração completiva, a oração com se submete-se à gramaticalização, integrando-se à oração matriz de um modo que, conforme proposta de Hopper e Traugott (1993) e de Lehmann (1988), é próprio a construções completivas. A forma que tem essa oração de se gramaticalizar, incorporando-se à oração matriz, é, entretanto, diferente do que é previsto ocorrer a uma completiva introduzida por que, uma diferença que se deve, sobretudo, ao significado hipotético que a completiva com se preserva de sua fonte histórica. Demonstra-se, por fim, que, do português arcaico ao português contemporâneo, a gramaticalização do complemento oracional introduzido por se não se configura em mudança diacrônica, já que essa gramaticalização é atestada desde períodos mais remotos, em textos do século XIV.

A preparação de material terminológico em língua inglesa por meio de ferramentas linguístico-computacionais

O objetivo desse estudo é demonstrar, por meio de análise quantitativa e qualitativa, a eficácia de ferramentas linguístico-computacionais na seleção de terminologia para a produção de material terminológico. Serão apresentadas duas ferramentas linguístico-computacionais (WordSmith Tools e VocabProfile) e, também, sugestões para que o ensino de termos ofereça resultados práticos. A fundamentação teórico-metodológica recorreu a Barros (2004); Berber Sardinha (2000; 2005); Biderman (2001); Cabré (2007); Cobb (2007); Nation, (2003) e Sinclair (2004). O corpus da pesquisa foi constituído exclusivamente de material escrito na língua inglesa em diversas áreas de especialidade. Os procedimentos de preparação de material terminológico são exemplificados a partir de uma das áreas de especialidades utilizadas nos corpora de pesquisa, as Redes Neurais Artificiais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a utilização do Wordsmith Tools juntamente com o VocabProfile pode fornecer dados importantes para a pesquisa linguistica.

Simulation and economic analysis of bovine sex selection

A simulation model implemented in the programming software Delphi XE® was applied to evaluate sex selection in bovine. The hypothesis under investigation was that a dynamic model with stochastic and deterministic elements could detect the sexed semen technique to minimize pregnancy cost and to determine the adequate number of recipients required for in vivo (ET) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) in the proposed scenarios. Sex selection was compared through semen sexed using flow cytometry (C1) and density gradient centrifugation techniques (C2) in ET and IVP. Sensibility analyses were used to identify the adequate number of recipients for each scenario. This number was reinserted into the model to determine the biological and financial values that maximized ET and IVP using sexed semen (C1M and C2M). New scenarios showed that the density gradient technique minimized pregnancy cost based on the proposed scenarios. In addition, the adequate number of recipients (ET - C1M - 115 and C2M - 105)/(IVP - C1M - 145 and C2M - 140) per donor used was determined to minimize the pregnancy cost in all scenarios.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire overseas: Evaluations and applications of the SDQ beyond Europe

Background During the few years that have passed since it became available, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been extensively evaluated and widely applied to assess behaviour disorders of children and adolescents in European countries. In contrast, relatively few reports have published SDQ results obtained in other parts of the world, although its briefness and availability in over 40 languages make this instrument particularly attractive for international collaborations and cross-cultural comparisons concerning clinical and epidemiological issues. Objectives This initial overview summarises some of these non-European experiences with the SDQ by presenting a selection of projects that have either psychometrically evaluated this novel questionnaire, applied it to screen for behaviour disorders, or employed its parent-, teacher- or self-rated versions as research tools. Since a large part of the mentioned studies are ongoing or have only recently been completed, much of the work reported here is still unpublished. Conclusions Across a huge variety of cultures and languages, experience gained with the SDQ in other continents has supported European evidence of good psychometric properties and clinical utility of this questionnaire. Since worldwide usage of the SDQ can be expected to increase in the future, more international coordination is encouraged, in order to fully exploit the promising potentials of this versatile assessment tool and systematically investigate cross-cultural differences and similarities in child and adolescent behaviour.