Comparison of non-linear growth models to describe the growth curve in West African Dwarf sheep

The objectives of this study were to compare the goodness of fit of four non-linear growth models, i.e. Brody, Gompertz, Logistic and Von Bertalanffy, in West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep. A total of 5274 monthly weight records from birth up to 180 days of age from 889 lambs, collected during 2001 to 2004 in Betecoucou breeding farm in Benin were used. In the preliminary analysis, the General Linear Model Procedure of the Statistical Analysis Systems Institute was applied to the dataset to identify the significant effects of the sex of lamb (male and female), type of birth (single and twin), season of birth (rainy season and dry season), parity of dam (1, 2 and 3) and year of birth (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) on the observed birth weight and monthly weight up to 6 months of age. The models parameters (A, B and k), coefficient of determination (112), mean square error (MSE) were calculated using language of technical computing package Matlab(R), 2006. The mean values of A, B and k were substituted into each model to calculate the corresponding Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Among the four growth functions, the Brody model has been selected for its accuracy of fit according to the higher R(2), lower MSE and A/C Finally, the parameters A, B and k were adjusted in Matlab(R) 2006 for the sex of lamb, year of birth, season of birth, birth type and the parity of ewe, providing a specific slope of the Brody growth curve. The results of this study suggest that Brody model can be useful for WAD sheep breeding in Betecoucou farm conditions through growth monitoring.

Reconhecimento de padrões de falhas em motores trifásicos utilizando redes neurais

This work presents a diagnosis faults system (rotor, stator, and contamination) of three-phase induction motor through equivalent circuit parameters and using techniques patterns recognition. The technology fault diagnostics in engines are evolving and becoming increasingly important in the field of electrical machinery. The neural networks have the ability to classify non-linear relationships between signals through the patterns identification of signals related. It is carried out induction motor´s simulations through the program Matlab R & Simulink R , and produced some faults from modifications in the equivalent circuit parameters. A system is implemented with multiples classifying neural network two neural networks to receive these results and, after well-trained, to accomplish the identification of fault´s pattern

Utilização de redes neurais artificiais para detecção e diagnóstico de falhas

In a real process, all used resources, whether physical or developed in software, are subject to interruptions or operational commitments. However, in situations in which operate critical systems, any kind of problem may bring big consequences. Knowing this, this paper aims to develop a system capable to detect the presence and indicate the types of failures that may occur in a process. For implementing and testing the proposed methodology, a coupled tank system was used as a study model case. The system should be developed to generate a set of signals that notify the process operator and that may be post-processed, enabling changes in control strategy or control parameters. Due to the damage risks involved with sensors, actuators and amplifiers of the real plant, the data set of the faults will be computationally generated and the results collected from numerical simulations of the process model. The system will be composed by structures with Artificial Neural Networks, trained in offline mode using Matlab®

Sistema automatizado para o aproveitamento de água cinza e azul, com controle de PH utilizando lógica fuzzy

Every day, water scarcity becomes a more serious problem and, directly affects global society. Studies are directed in order to raise awareness of the rational use of this natural asset that is essential to our survival. Only 0.007% of the water available in the world have easy access and can be consumed by humans, it can be found in rivers, lakes, etc... To better take advantage of the water used in homes and small businesses, reuse projects are often implemented, resulting in savings for customers of water utilities. The reuse projects involve several areas of engineering, like Environmental, Chemical, Electrical and Computer Engineering. The last two are responsible for the control of the process, which aims to make gray water (soapy water), and clear blue water (rain water), ideal for consumption, or for use in watering gardens, flushing, among others applications. Water has several features that should be taken into consideration when it comes to working its reuse. Some of the features are, turbidity, temperature, electrical conductivity and, pH. In this document there is a proposal to control the pH (potential Hydrogen) through a microcontroller, using the fuzzy logic as strategy of control. The controller was developed in the fuzzy toolbox of Matlab®

Um sistema para simular o comportamento de bancos trifásicos de reguladores de tensão usados em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Modelos de dispositivos de microondas e ópticos através de redes neurais artificiais de alimentação direta

This dissertation contributes for the development of methodologies through feed forward artificial neural networks for microwave and optical devices modeling. A bibliographical revision on the applications of neuro-computational techniques in the areas of microwave/optical engineering was carried through. Characteristics of networks MLP, RBF and SFNN, as well as the strategies of supervised learning had been presented. Adjustment expressions of the networks free parameters above cited had been deduced from the gradient method. Conventional method EM-ANN was applied in the modeling of microwave passive devices and optical amplifiers. For this, they had been proposals modular configurations based in networks SFNN and RBF/MLP objectifying a bigger capacity of models generalization. As for the training of the used networks, the Rprop algorithm was applied. All the algorithms used in the attainment of the models of this dissertation had been implemented in Matlab

Um estudo do aumento da capacidade de sistemas 3g WCDMA usando técnicas 3.5G de expansão do enlace reverso

The introduction of new digital services in the cellular networks, in transmission rates each time more raised, has stimulated recent research that comes studying ways to increase the data communication capacity and to reduce the delays in forward and reverse links of third generation WCDMA systems. These studies have resulted in new standards, known as 3.5G, published by 3GPP group, for the evolution of the third generation of the cellular systems. In this Masters Thesis the performance of a 3G WCDMA system, with diverse base stations and thousand of users is developed with assists of the planning tool NPSW. Moreover the performance of the 3.5G techniques hybrid automatic retransmission and multi-user detection with interference cancellation, candidates for enhance the WCDMA uplink capacity, is verified by means of computational simulations in Matlab of the increase of the data communication capacity and the reduction of the delays in the retransmission of packages of information

Estudos e projetos de filtro interdigital em microfita para aplicação prática ao transponder do satélite ITASAT

This work shows a theoretical analysis together with numerical and experimental results of transmission characteristics from the microstrip bandpass filters with different geometries. These filters are built over isotropic dielectric substrates. The numerical analysis is made by specifical commercial softwares, like Ansoft Designer and Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS). In addition to these tools, a Matlab Script was built to analyze the filters through the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method. The filters project focused the development of the first stage of filtering in the ITASAT s Transponder receptor, and its integration with the others systems. Some microstrip filters architectures have been studied, aiming the viability of implementation and suitable practical application for the purposes of the ITASAT Project due to its lowspace occupation in the lower UHF frequencies. The ITASAT project is a Universityexperimental project which will build a satellite to integrate the Brazilian Data Collect System s satellite constellation, with efforts of many Brazilian institutes, like for example AEB (Brazilian Spatial Agency), ITA (Technological Institute of Aeronautics), INPE/CRN (National Institute of Spatial Researches/Northeastern Regional Center) and UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte). Comparisons were made between numerical and experimental results of all filters, where good agreements could be noticed, reaching the most of the objectives. Also, post-work improvements were suggested.

Projeto em FPGA de um controlador unificado para correção de fator de potência em retificadores boost bidirecionais monofásicos

The use of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for development of digital control strategies for power electronics applications has aroused a growing interest of many researchers. This interest is due to the great advantages offered by FPGA, which include: lower design effort, high performance and highly flexible prototyping. This work proposes the development and implementation of an unified one-cycle controller for boost CFP rectifier based on FPGA. This controller can be applied to a total of twelve converters, six inverters and six rectifiers defined by four single phase VSI topologies and three voltage modulation types. The topologies considered in this work are: full-bridge, interleaved full-bridge, half-bridge and interleaved half-bridge. While modulations are classified in bipolar voltage modulation (BVM), unipolar voltage modulation (UVM) and clamped voltage modulation (CVM). The proposed project is developed and prototyped using tools Matlab/Simulink® together with the DSP Builder library provided by Altera®. The proposed controller was validated with simulation and experimental results

Desenvolvimento de perfis aerodinâmicos a partir de suas características utilizando redes neurais artificiais

One of the current major concerns in engineering is the development of aircrafts that have low power consumption and high performance. So, airfoils that have a high value of Lift Coefficient and a low value for the Drag Coefficient, generating a High-Efficiency airfoil are studied and designed. When the value of the Efficiency increases, the aircraft s fuel consumption decreases, thus improving its performance. Therefore, this work aims to develop a tool for designing of airfoils from desired characteristics, as Lift and Drag coefficients and the maximum Efficiency, using an algorithm based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). For this, it was initially collected an aerodynamic characteristics database, with a total of 300 airfoils, from the software XFoil. Then, through the software MATLAB, several network architectures were trained, between modular and hierarchical, using the Back-propagation algorithm and the Momentum rule. For data analysis, was used the technique of cross- validation, evaluating the network that has the lowest value of Root Mean Square (RMS). In this case, the best result was obtained for a hierarchical architecture with two modules and one layer of hidden neurons. The airfoils developed for that network, in the regions of lower RMS, were compared with the same airfoils imported into the software XFoil

Modelagem e simulação da deposição de parafinas em escoamento turbulento

The flow assurance has become one of the topics of greatest interest in the oil industry, mainly due to production and transportation of oil in regions with extreme temperature and pressure. In these operations the wax deposition is a commonly problem in flow of paraffinic oils, causing the rising costs of the process, due to increased energy cost of pumping, decreased production, increased pressure on the line and risk of blockage of the pipeline. In order to describe the behavior of the wax deposition phenomena in turbulent flow of paraffinic oils, under different operations conditions, in this work we developed a simulator with easy interface. For that we divided de work in four steps: (i) properties estimation (physical, thermals, of transport and thermodynamics) of n-alkanes and paraffinic mixtures by using correlations; (ii) obtainment of the solubility curve and determination the wax appearance temperature, by calculating the solid-liquid equilibrium of parafinnic systems; (iii) modelling wax deposition process, comprising momentum, mass and heat transfer; (iv) development of graphic interface in MATLAB® environment for to allow the understanding of simulation in different flow conditions as well as understand the matter of the variables (inlet temperature, external temperature, wax appearance temperature, oil composition, and time) on the behavior of the deposition process. The results showed that the simulator developed, called DepoSim, is able to calculate the profile of temperature, thickness of the deposit, and the amount of wax deposited in a simple and fast way, and also with consistent results and applicable to the operation

Recuperação e purificação de quitosanases usando adsorção em leito expandido com streamline DEAE com modelagem e simulação usando redes neurais

Expanded Bed Adsorption (EBA) is an integrative process that combines concepts of chromatography and fluidization of solids. The many parameters involved and their synergistic effects complicate the optimization of the process. Fortunately, some mathematical tools have been developed in order to guide the investigation of the EBA system. In this work the application of experimental design, phenomenological modeling and artificial neural networks (ANN) in understanding chitosanases adsorption on ion exchange resin Streamline® DEAE have been investigated. The strain Paenibacillus ehimensis NRRL B-23118 was used for chitosanase production. EBA experiments were carried out using a column of 2.6 cm inner diameter with 30.0 cm in height that was coupled to a peristaltic pump. At the bottom of the column there was a distributor of glass beads having a height of 3.0 cm. Assays for residence time distribution (RTD) revelead a high degree of mixing, however, the Richardson-Zaki coefficients showed that the column was on the threshold of stability. Isotherm models fitted the adsorption equilibrium data in the presence of lyotropic salts. The results of experiment design indicated that the ionic strength and superficial velocity are important to the recovery and purity of chitosanases. The molecular mass of the two chitosanases were approximately 23 kDa and 52 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE. The phenomenological modeling was aimed to describe the operations in batch and column chromatography. The simulations were performed in Microsoft Visual Studio. The kinetic rate constant model set to kinetic curves efficiently under conditions of initial enzyme activity 0.232, 0.142 e 0.079 UA/mL. The simulated breakthrough curves showed some differences with experimental data, especially regarding the slope. Sensitivity tests of the model on the surface velocity, axial dispersion and initial concentration showed agreement with the literature. The neural network was constructed in MATLAB and Neural Network Toolbox. The cross-validation was used to improve the ability of generalization. The parameters of ANN were improved to obtain the settings 6-6 (enzyme activity) and 9-6 (total protein), as well as tansig transfer function and Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm. The neural Carlos Eduardo de Araújo Padilha dezembro/2013 9 networks simulations, including all the steps of cycle, showed good agreement with experimental data, with a correlation coefficient of approximately 0.974. The effects of input variables on profiles of the stages of loading, washing and elution were consistent with the literature

Postural control and functional balance in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

A Neuropatia diabética periférica (NDP) cursa com redução somatossensitiva que pode levar a alterações no controle postural. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o controle postural na postura ereta, em diferentes condições, e o equilíbrio funcional em indivíduos com NDP, correlacionar os resultados obtidos na avaliação do controle postural com os valores do teste do equilíbrio funcional e comparar os resultados obtidos no grupo neuropata com o grupo controle, verificando as possíveis diferenças entre as condições de avaliação em ambos os grupos. Participaram do estudo 13 mulheres com NDP (GN) e 17 mulheres não diabéticas (GC). A avaliação do controle postural foi realizada por cinemetria nas condições: olhos abertos (OA), olhos fechados (OF) e semi tandem (ST). Após processamento no MATLAB, foram geradas as variáveis: amplitude média de oscilação (AMO) na direção ântero-posterior (AP) e médio-lateral (ML); e velocidade média de oscilação (VMO) na direção AP e ML. O equilíbrio funcional foi avaliado pelo Timed Up and Go Test. Houve diferença significante entre os grupos (p<0,005) na AMO-AP OA e OF, AMO-ML of e ST e VMO-ML ST. Houve diferença entre as condições OA e ST (p<0,005) e of e ST (p<0,005) para as variáveis AMO-ML e VMO-ML, com maior prejuízo para o GN, que também apresentou um menor equilíbrio funcional (p=0,001). A instabilidade ML foi correlacionada positivamente com o desequilíbrio funcional. Os resultados nos mostram uma alteração no sistema de controle postural na NDP, o que pode levar estes indivíduos a um maior risco a quedas e prejuízos funcionais.

Uma estratégia aleatória chamada de MOSES

This paper we study a random strategy called MOSES, which was introduced in 1996 by Fran¸cois. Asymptotic results of this strategy; behavior of the stationary distributions of the chain associated to strategy, were derived by Fran¸cois, in 1998, of the theory of Freidlin and Wentzell [8]. Detailings of these results are in this work. Moreover, we noted that an alternative approach the convergence of this strategy is possible without making use of theory of Freidlin and Wentzell, yielding the visit almost certain of the strategy to uniform populations which contain the minimum. Some simulations in Matlab are presented in this work

Caracterização dos acoplamentos fase-amplitude na região CA1 do hopocampo

Brain oscillation are not completely independent, but able to interact with each other through cross-frequency coupling (CFC) in at least four different ways: power-to-power, phase-to-phase, phase-to-frequency and phase-to-power. Recent evidence suggests that not only the rhythms per se, but also their interactions are involved in the execution of cognitive tasks, mainly those requiring selective attention, information flow and memory consolidation. It was recently proposed that fast gamma oscillations (60 150 Hz) convey spatial information from the medial entorhinal cortex to the CA1 region of the hippocampus by means of theta (4-12 Hz) phase coupling. Despite these findings, however, little is known about general characteristics of CFCs in several brain regions. In this work we recorded local field potentials using multielectrode arrays aimed at the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus for chronic recording. Cross-frequency coupling was evaluated by using comodulogram analysis, a CFC tool recently developted (Tort et al. 2008, Tort et al. 2010). All data analyses were performed using MATLAB (MathWorks Inc). Here we describe two functionally distinct oscillations within the fast gamma frequency range, both coupled to the theta rhythm during active exploration and REM sleep: an oscillation with peak activity at ~80 Hz, and a faster oscillation centered at ~140 Hz. The two oscillations are differentially modulated by the phase of theta depending on the CA1 layer; theta-80 Hz coupling is strongest at stratum lacunosum-moleculare, while theta-140 Hz coupling is strongest at stratum oriens-alveus. This laminar profile suggests that the ~80 Hz oscillation originates from entorhinal cortex inputs to deeper CA1 layers, while the ~140 Hz oscillation reflects CA1 activity in superficial layers. We further show that the ~140 Hz oscillation differs from sharp-wave associated ripple oscillations in several key characteristics. Our results demonstrate the existence of novel theta-associated high-frequency oscillations, and suggest a redefinition of fast gamma oscillations