Impact of the substitution of reference annual streamflow by monthly streamflow on the potential use of water resources

The consideration of the streamflow seasonality has a high potential to improve the water use. In order to give subsidies to the optimization of water use, it was evaluated the impact of the change of reference annual streamflow by the monthly streamflows in the potential water use throughout the hydrography of Paracatu sub-Basin. It was evaluated the impact on Q7,10 (lowest average streamflow during a 7-day period with an average recurrence of 10 years) and on Q95 (permanent flow present 95% of the time). The use of monthly streamflow to substitute the annual streamflow had a high potential of improvement of water resources use in the sub-Basin studied. The use of monthly Q 7,10 in substitution of annual Q 7,10 increases the potential water use that vary from about 10% in the months of lower water availability to values exceeding 200% in the months with higher availability of surface water resources. The use of monthly Q95 in substitution of the annual Q95 implies in changes oscillating from reduction of 37% in months of higher water restriction to values exceeding 100% in the months of higher availability, so the use of monthly Q95 instead of the annual Q95 enables the more rational and safe use of water resources.

CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL USE OF SLUDGE FROM STP AND WTP IN PAVING

ABSTRACT Water and sewage treatment plants (STP and WTP) generate as byproduct a significant amount of sludge with environment harmful elements. Sending to landfills or depositing on the ground or rivers are respectively expensive and dangerous alternatives. In this scenario, the use of this waste in paving processes is a promising alternative for disposal thereof. In this study, we focused on characterizing sludge and evaluating its use in paving, which showed satisfactory results for use in base and sub-base floors.

Decomposition of trimethylamine oxide related to the use of sulfites in shrimp

Currently, sulfites are employed on board to inhibit melanosis (blackspot) on crustaceans. However, when used in excess this chemical compound not only can cause adverse reactions in SO2-sensitive individuals, but also favors the decomposition of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) into dimethylamine (DMA) and formaldehyde (FA), thus compromising the quality of the product, which can be observed mainly through the texture change of the meat after cooking. This study was conducted to verify the increase of the contents of DMA and FA by the excessive use of sodium metabisulfite in white shrimp (Penaeus schmitti). For laboratory trials, shrimp were beheaded, washed and immersed in a 2% sodium metabisulfite solution for 10 minutes. Specimens were stored either on ice and maintained for 48 hours in refrigeration, or stored in a freezer for 48 hours. Samples were collected at intervals of 0, 24 and 48 hours, and analyzed for residual SO2, TMAO, TMA, DMA and FA. The immersion of shrimp in a 2% sodium metabisulfite for 10 minutes favored the decomposition of TMAO which greatly increased the contents of DMA and FA. The FA and DMA measured in fresh shrimp was low. Moreover, the storage of shrimp tails on ice resulted in a significant reduction of the TMA, DMA, FA and residual SO2 contents compared to the specimens under frozen storage.

The use of artificial intelligence algorithms to guide surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

La scoliose idiopathique de l’adolescent (SIA) est une déformation tri-dimensionelle du rachis. Son traitement comprend l’observation, l’utilisation de corsets pour limiter sa progression ou la chirurgie pour corriger la déformation squelettique et cesser sa progression. Le traitement chirurgical reste controversé au niveau des indications, mais aussi de la chirurgie à entreprendre. Malgré la présence de classifications pour guider le traitement de la SIA, une variabilité dans la stratégie opératoire intra et inter-observateur a été décrite dans la littérature. Cette variabilité s’accentue d’autant plus avec l’évolution des techniques chirurgicales et de l’instrumentation disponible. L’avancement de la technologie et son intégration dans le milieu médical a mené à l’utilisation d’algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle informatiques pour aider la classification et l’évaluation tridimensionnelle de la scoliose. Certains algorithmes ont démontré être efficace pour diminuer la variabilité dans la classification de la scoliose et pour guider le traitement. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de développer une application utilisant des outils d’intelligence artificielle pour intégrer les données d’un nouveau patient et les évidences disponibles dans la littérature pour guider le traitement chirurgical de la SIA. Pour cela une revue de la littérature sur les applications existantes dans l’évaluation de la SIA fut entreprise pour rassembler les éléments qui permettraient la mise en place d’une application efficace et acceptée dans le milieu clinique. Cette revue de la littérature nous a permis de réaliser que l’existence de “black box” dans les applications développées est une limitation pour l’intégration clinique ou la justification basée sur les évidence est essentielle. Dans une première étude nous avons développé un arbre décisionnel de classification de la scoliose idiopathique basé sur la classification de Lenke qui est la plus communément utilisée de nos jours mais a été critiquée pour sa complexité et la variabilité inter et intra-observateur. Cet arbre décisionnel a démontré qu’il permet d’augmenter la précision de classification proportionnellement au temps passé à classifier et ce indépendamment du niveau de connaissance sur la SIA. Dans une deuxième étude, un algorithme de stratégies chirurgicales basé sur des règles extraites de la littérature a été développé pour guider les chirurgiens dans la sélection de l’approche et les niveaux de fusion pour la SIA. Lorsque cet algorithme est appliqué à une large base de donnée de 1556 cas de SIA, il est capable de proposer une stratégie opératoire similaire à celle d’un chirurgien expert dans prêt de 70% des cas. Cette étude a confirmé la possibilité d’extraire des stratégies opératoires valides à l’aide d’un arbre décisionnel utilisant des règles extraites de la littérature. Dans une troisième étude, la classification de 1776 patients avec la SIA à l’aide d’une carte de Kohonen, un type de réseaux de neurone a permis de démontrer qu’il existe des scoliose typiques (scoliose à courbes uniques ou double thoracique) pour lesquelles la variabilité dans le traitement chirurgical varie peu des recommandations par la classification de Lenke tandis que les scolioses a courbes multiples ou tangentielles à deux groupes de courbes typiques étaient celles avec le plus de variation dans la stratégie opératoire. Finalement, une plateforme logicielle a été développée intégrant chacune des études ci-dessus. Cette interface logicielle permet l’entrée de données radiologiques pour un patient scoliotique, classifie la SIA à l’aide de l’arbre décisionnel de classification et suggère une approche chirurgicale basée sur l’arbre décisionnel de stratégies opératoires. Une analyse de la correction post-opératoire obtenue démontre une tendance, bien que non-statistiquement significative, à une meilleure balance chez les patients opérés suivant la stratégie recommandée par la plateforme logicielle que ceux aillant un traitement différent. Les études exposées dans cette thèse soulignent que l’utilisation d’algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle dans la classification et l’élaboration de stratégies opératoires de la SIA peuvent être intégrées dans une plateforme logicielle et pourraient assister les chirurgiens dans leur planification préopératoire.

Exploration of geological variability and possible processes through the use of compositional data analysis: an example using scottish metamorphosed

Developments in the statistical analysis of compositional data over the last two decades have made possible a much deeper exploration of the nature of variability, and the possible processes associated with compositional data sets from many disciplines. In this paper we concentrate on geochemical data sets. First we explain how hypotheses of compositional variability may be formulated within the natural sample space, the unit simplex, including useful hypotheses of subcompositional discrimination and specific perturbational change. Then we develop through standard methodology, such as generalised likelihood ratio tests, statistical tools to allow the systematic investigation of a complete lattice of such hypotheses. Some of these tests are simple adaptations of existing multivariate tests but others require special construction. We comment on the use of graphical methods in compositional data analysis and on the ordination of specimens. The recent development of the concept of compositional processes is then explained together with the necessary tools for a staying- in-the-simplex approach, namely compositional singular value decompositions. All these statistical techniques are illustrated for a substantial compositional data set, consisting of 209 major-oxide and rare-element compositions of metamorphosed limestones from the Northeast and Central Highlands of Scotland. Finally we point out a number of unresolved problems in the statistical analysis of compositional processes

Meaningful use of speech scale: application to orally educated hearing-impaired children

This paper discusses a study to determine whether the use of meaningful speech in everyday situations is independent of a cochlear implant.

The use of three speech training aids by a profoundly deaf child

This paper reviews a study of an eleven year old profoundly deaf child and the use of a oscilloscope in speech therapy.

Diversity and difference in the everyday lives of Ugandan street children: The significance of age and gender for understanding the use of space

Childhood is characterised by diversity and difference across and within societies. Street children have a unique relationship to the urban environment evident through their use of the city. The everyday geographies that street children produce are diversified through the spaces they frequent and the activities they engage in. Drawing on a range of children-centred qualitative methods, this article focuses on street children's use of urban space in Kampala, Uganda. The article demonstrates the importance of considering variables such as gender and age in the analysis of street children's socio-spatial experiences, which, to date, have rarely been considered in other accounts of street children's lives. In addition the article highlights the need for also including street children's individuality and agency into understanding their use of space. The article concludes by arguing for policies to be sensitive to the diversity that characterises street children's lives and calls for a more nuanced approach where policies are designed to accommodate street children's age and gender differences, and their individual needs, interests and abilities.

Diversity and difference in the everyday lives of Ugandan street children: The significance of age and gender for understanding the use of space

Childhood is characterised by diversity and difference across and within societies. Street children have a unique relationship to the urban environment evident through their use of the city. The everyday geographies that street children produce are diversified through the spaces they frequent and the activities they engage in. Drawing on a range of children-centred qualitative methods, this article focuses on street children's use of urban space in Kampala, Uganda. The article demonstrates the importance of considering variables such as gender and age in the analysis of street children's socio-spatial experiences, which, to date, have rarely been considered in other accounts of street children's lives. In addition the article highlights the need for also including street children's individuality and agency into understanding their use of space. The article concludes by arguing for policies to be sensitive to the diversity that characterises street children's lives and calls for a more nuanced approach where policies are designed to accommodate street children's age and gender differences, and their individual needs, interests and abilities.

The use of trajectory cluster analysis to interpret trace gas measurements at Mace Head, Ireland

A first step in interpreting the wide variation in trace gas concentrations measured over time at a given site is to classify the data according to the prevailing weather conditions. In order to classify measurements made during two intensive field campaigns at Mace Head, on the west coast of Ireland, an objective method of assigning data to different weather types has been developed. Air-mass back trajectories calculated using winds from ECMWF analyses, arriving at the site in 1995–1997, were allocated to clusters based on a statistical analysis of the latitude, longitude and pressure of the trajectory at 12 h intervals over 5 days. The robustness of the analysis was assessed by using an ensemble of back trajectories calculated for four points around Mace Head. Separate analyses were made for each of the 3 years, and for four 3-month periods. The use of these clusters in classifying ground-based ozone measurements at Mace Head is described, including the need to exclude data which have been influenced by local perturbations to the regional flow pattern, for example, by sea breezes. Even with a limited data set, based on 2 months of intensive field measurements in 1996 and 1997, there are statistically significant differences in ozone concentrations in air from the different clusters. The limitations of this type of analysis for classification and interpretation of ground-based chemistry measurements are discussed.

A practical approach for training dynamic recurrent neural networks: use of Apriori information

Presents a technique for incorporating a priori knowledge from a state space system into a neural network training algorithm. The training algorithm considered is that of chemotaxis and the networks being trained are recurrent neural networks. Incorporation of the a priori knowledge ensures that the resultant network has behaviour similar to the system which it is modelling.

Organisational semiotics methods to assess organisational readiness for internal use of social media

The paper presents organisational semiotics (OS) as an approach for identifying organisational readiness factors for internal use of social media within information intensive organisations (IIO). The paper examines OS methods, such as organisational morphology, containment analysis and collateral analysis to reveal factors of readiness within an organisation. These models also help to identify the essential patterns of activities needed for social media use within an organisation, which can provide a basis for future analysis. The findings confirmed many of the factors, previously identified in literature, while also revealing new factors using OS methods. The factors for organisational readiness for internal use of social media include resources, organisational climate, processes, motivational readiness, benefit and organisational control factors. Organisational control factors revealed are security/privacy, policies, communication procedures, accountability and fallback.