Manipulador Robótico (Similar a brazo Humano)

El proyecto ROBOT-01 propone la construcción de un manipulador de 7 grados de libertad, aplicando las mas modernas técnicas de Simulación, diseño, CAD-3D, materiales compuestos, construcción de micro-mecánica, electrónica y software. Con el diseño detallado finalizado en CATIA se iniciará el modelado de las ecuaciones de movimiento y su simulación en la computadora, la construcción de los componentes mecánicos que serán realizados en empresas locales, se iniciara con las pruebas de los componentes electrónicos drivers de motores y de sistemas de control con sensores y de la interface con una PC que será la que controlará los componentes electrónicos y de simulación del modelo 3D en tiempo real. Finalmente se procederá al ensamblado de todos los componentes mecánicos y electrónicos para el inicio de las pruebas de laboratorio y sus ensayos de funcionamiento y testeos de acuerdo a los requerimientos previstos. El brazo manipulador estará diseñado para ser continuado o asociado con una mano robótica y con una base móvil autónoma, las que serán encaradas en proyectos futuros, o con interacción con otros grupos de investigación similares de otras Universidades.

Uma avaliação do rastreômetro, um novo equipamento para triagem populacional da pressão arterial elevada, em países em desenvolvimento

OBJETIVO: Testar um novo dispositivo simplificado de medição chamado rastreômetro, que poderia ser usado pelos Agentes de Saúde. MÉTODOS: O rastreômetro foi desenvolvido a partir de um esfigmomanômetro aneróide convencional, no qual se cobriu o visor do aneróide com um adesivo, cujo desenho tem uma faixa vermelha, indicativa de pressões > 140 mmHg e uma faixa amarela, indicativa de pressões < 140 mmHg. O início das oscilações da agulha do esfigmomanômetro é considerado indicativo da pressão arterial sistólica. As medições pelo rastreômetro foram comparadas com aquelas realizadas pelo método auscultatório em 268 pacientes, por dois operadores. A influência, sobre os resultados, de variáveis que podem causar confusão, como idade, sexo, IMC, comprimento do braço, circunferência do braço, cor da pele e presença de tratamento anti-hipertensivo, foram levadas em consideração, assim como a variação intra e interobservador. RESULTADOS: No grupo como um todo, a sensibilidade foi de 95,1%, a especificidade foi de 63,1%, o valor preditivo positivo foi de 62,4% e o valor preditivo negativo foi de 95,3%. O tratamento anti-hipertensivo afetou significativamente a especificidade, de 32,7%, em comparação com 77,8%, no grupo não medicado. Os dois operadores melhoraram seus resultados ao longo do tempo. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo sugere que a técnica do rastreômetro, como método de triagem para hipertensão, tem boa sensibilidade. Quanto à especificidade, ela é aceitável se os pacientes não estiverem sob tratamento anti-hipertensivo regular. Nesse último caso, pode ser melhorada pela padronização adequada da leitura da pressão sistólica pelas oscilações da agulha. Além disto, o uso dessa técnica requer operadores bem treinados.

Vasoespasmo coronariano induzido pela ecocardiografia sob estresse pela dobutamina-atropina

Relatamos caso de mulher de 45 anos de idade, com antecedentes de hipertensão arterial sistêmica e tabagismo, submetida a ecocardiografia sob estresse pela dobutamina-atropina para investigação de doença arterial coronariana. No pico do estresse, a paciente apresentou dor precordial súbita e de forte intensidade. O eletrocardiograma de doze derivações revelou elevação do segmento ST nas derivações DII, DIII, aVF, V5 e V6 e depressão do segmento ST nas derivações DI, aVL, V2 e V3. Pela monitoração das imagens ecocardiográficas foi observado aparecimento de discinesia do septo inferior e acinesia da parede inferior do ventrículo esquerdo. O exame foi interrompido imediatamente, a paciente foi medicada e evoluiu com melhora da dor precordial e das alterações de motilidade segmentar. A angiografia coronariana revelou lesões coronarianas irregulares com menos de 50% de obstrução do diâmetro luminal. Trata-se de um caso de vasoespasmo coronariano induzido por estimulação alfa-adrenérgica durante a ecocardiografia sob estresse pela dobutamina-atropina.

Repolarização ventricular em pacientes diabéticos: caracterização e implicações clínicas

FUNDAMENTO: O diabetes mellitus é uma doença crônica muito comum e ultimamente tem apresentado um considerável aumento da prevalência e incidência. Os diabéticos apresentam uma grande mortalidade cardiovascular na qual as arritmias ventriculares malignas parecem estar implicadas. OBJETIVO: Este trabalho propõe o estudo dos efeitos do diabetes nos parâmetros da repolarização ventricular responsáveis pelo aumento da suscetibilidade a arritmias ventriculares malignas e/ou morte súbita. MÉTODOS: Foi selecionado um grupo de 110 diabéticos e outro de 110 controles com a mesma distribuição de idade, sexo e raça. Avaliaram-se os parâmetros da repolarização ventricular QTmáx, QTméd, QTmín, QTc máx, QTc méd, QTc mín, dispersão de QT e de QTc, intervalo Tpeak-Tend e jTpeak-jTend (D II, V2 e V5), dispersão de Tpeak-Tend e de jTpeak-jTend. A aquisição do eletrocardiograma (ECG) foi efetuada pelo mesmo operador e a avaliação pelos mesmos observadores. Os intervalos QT foram corrigidos segundo a fórmula de Bazzet. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados em diabéticos valores significativamente superiores aos controles de QTc máx (p < 0,001), QTc méd (p < 0,001), dispersão de QT (p < 0,001), dispersão de QTc (p < 0,001), dispersão de Tpeak-Tend (p < 0,001) e dispersão de jTpeak-jTend (p < 0,001). Em diabéticos verificaram-se valores prolongados do intervalo QTc (5,5%), dispersão de QT (0,9%), dispersão de QTc (0%), intervalo Tpeak-Tend (7,3%), intervalo jTpeak-jTend (6,4%), dispersão de Tpeak-Tend (16,4%) e dispersão de jTpeak-jTend (12,7%). Nos controles não se verificaram valores prolongados de nenhum parâmetro. CONCLUSÃO: Concluímos que o diabetes causa prolongação e dispersão espacial da repolarização, podendo contribuir para maior instabilidade elétrica ventricular da qual as arritmias ventriculares malignas poderão ser a expressão clínica expectável.

Depression as a Clinical Determinant of Dependence and Low Quality of Life in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Background:The aging process promotes a progressive increase in chronic-degenerative diseases. The effect of these diseases on the functional capacity has been well recognized. Another health parameter concerns “quality of life related to health”. Among the elderly population, cardiovascular diseases stand out due to the epidemiological and clinical impact. Usually, these diseases have been associated with others. This set of problems may compromise both independence and quality of life in elderly patients who seek cardiologic treatment. These health parameters have not been well contemplated by cardiologists.Objective:Evaluating, among the elderly population with cardiovascular disease, which are the most relevant clinical determinants regarding dependence and quality of life.Methods:This group was randomly and consecutively selected and four questionnaires were applied: HAQ, SF-36, PRIME-MD e Mini Mental State.Results:The study included 1,020 elderly patients, 63.3% women. The group had been between 60 and 97 years-old (mean: 75.56 ± 6.62 years-old). 61.4% were independent or mild dependence. The quality of life total score was high (HAQ: 88.66 ± 2.68). 87.8% of patients had a SF-36 total score > 66. In the multivariate analysis, the association between diagnoses and high degrees of dependence was significant only for previous stroke (p = 0.014), obesity (p < 0.001), lack of physical activity (p = 0.016), osteoarthritis (p < 0.001), cognitive impairment (p < 0.001), and major depression (p < 0.001). Analyzing the quality of life, major depression and physical illness for depression was significantly associated with all domains of the SF-36.Conclusion:Among an elderly outpatient cardiology population, dependence and quality of life clinical determinants are not cardiovascular comorbidities, especially the depression.

Résultats du voyage du S.Y. Belgica en 1897-1898-1899 : sous le commandement de A. de Gerlache de Gomery. Rapports scientifiques publiés aux frais du gouvernement belge, sous la direction de la Commission de la Belgica.

V5 T2, Géolgie, Petrographische untersuchungen der

Entwicklung eines Planetengetriebes für die Laufkatze eines Brückenkranes

Der Hauptinhalt der Bachelorarbeit ist die Konstruktion des Planetengetriebes. Das konstruierte Getriebe stellt eine Kombination aus einem Planeten- und zweistufigem Stirnradgetriebe dar. Die Vorteile des Planetengetriebes sind ein kleines Volumen, eine geringes Gewicht, eine hohe Übertragungsleistung und eine große Übersetzungswerte usw. Die Kombination von beiden Getrieben erzeugt ein neues Getriebe, das die Belastungsfähigkeit des Krans erhöht. Zum Heben von Schwerlast-Maschinen wird dieses Getriebe benötigt. Am Anfang werden die Hauptparameter des Getriebes festgelegt, z.B. Übersetzung, Motorleistung, Lebensdauer und Getriebeart. Zum Anschluss erfolgten die Konstruktion und die Berechnungen der Zahnräder, Wellen und Lager auf Festigkeit und Lebensdauer. Wichtig ist die Überprüfung der Montagebedingungen und die Festigkeit der Verzahnung von Planetengetrieben. Bei der Konstruktion der Bauteile mit CATIA wurden die Montage- und Fertigungsbedingung berücksichtigt.

Labour Market Imperfections, International Integration and Selection

Although a large body of literature has focused on the effects of intra-firm differences on export performance, relatively little attention has been devoted to the interaction between firms' selection and international performance and labour market institutions - in contrast with the centrality of the latter to current policy and public debates on the implications of economic globalisation for national policies and institutions. In this paper, we study the effects of labour market unionisation on the process of competitive selection between heterogeneous firms and analyse how the interaction between the two is affected by trade liberalisation between countries with different unionisation patterns.

Outsourcing versus FDI in oligopoly equilibrium

We consider the make-or-buy decision of oligopolistic firms in an industry in which final good production requires specialised inputs. Factor price considerations dictate that firms acquire the intermediate abroad, by either producing it in a wholly owned subsidiary or outsourcing it to a supplier who must make a relationship specific investment. Firms’ internationalisation mode depends on cost and strategic considerations. Crucially, asymmetric equilibria emerge, with firms choosing different modes of internationalisation, even when they are ex-ante identical. With ex-ante asymmetries, lower cost producers have a stronger incentive to vertically integrate (FDI), while higher cost firms are more likely to outsource.

Work Hours, Social Value of Leisure and Globalisation

We examine how openness interacts with the coordination of consumption-leisure decisions in determining the equilibrium working hours and wage rate when there are leisure externalities (e.g., due to social interactions). The latter are modelled by allowing a worker’s marginal utility of leisure to be increasing in the leisure time taken by other workers. Coordination takes the form of internalising the leisure externality and other relevant constraints (e.g., labour demand). The extent of openness is measured by the degree of capital mobility. We find that: coordination lowers equilibrium work hours and raises the wage rate; there is a U-shaped (inverse-U-shaped) relationship between work hours (wages) and the degree of coordination; coordination is welfare improving; and, the gap between the coordinated and uncoordinated work hours (and the corresponding wage rates) is affected by the extent and nature of openness.

Strategic investment and international outsourcing in unionised oligopoly

We critically consider the conventional belief that the attractiveness of international outsourcing lies in cheaper labour costs overseas and that it offers a means to ‘escape’ the power of unions. We develop an oligopoly model in which firms facing unionised domestic labour market choose between producing an intermediate in-house or outsourcing it to a non-unionised foreign supplier that makes a relationship specific investment in developing the intermediate. We show that outsourcing typically results in higher wages and does not always reduce marginal costs. Trade liberalisation favours outsourcing particularly for the relatively less efficient firms.

Environmental Degradation and the Limits to LOV

We show how consumers’ environmental concerns may limit ‘love of variety’ (LOV) and be reflected in consumers decisions. We investigate how the impact of environmental degradation on LOV influences demand and optimal product variety, and how a pollution tax on firms might be used to improve upon the market outcome and increase welfare.

Subsidies as Optimal Fiscal Stimuli

In the theoretical macroeconomics literature, fiscal policy is almost uniformly taken to mean taxing and spending by a ‘benevolent government’ that exploits the potential aggregate demand externalities inherent in the imperfectly competitive nature of goods markets. Whilst shown to raise aggregate output and employment, these policies crowd-out private consumption and hence typically reduce welfare. In this paper we consider the use of ‘tax-and-subsidise’ instead of ‘taxand- spend’ policies on account of their widespread use by governments, even in the recent recession, to stimulate economic activity. Within a static general equilibrium macro-model with imperfectly competitive good markets we examine the effect of wage and output subsidies and show that, for a small open economy, positive tax and subsidy rates exist which maximise welfare, rendering no intervention as a suboptimal state. We also show that, within a two-country setting, a Nash non-cooperative symmetric equilibrium with positive tax and subsidy rates exists, and that cooperation between trading partners in setting these rates is more expansionary and leads to an improvement upon the non-cooperative solution.

Economising, Strategising and the Decision to Outsource

We study the make-or-buy decision of oligopolistic firms in an industry in which final good production requires specialised inputs. Firms’ mode of operation decision depends on both the incentive to economize on costs and on strategic considerations. We explore the strategic incentives to outsource and show that asymmetric equilibria emerge, with firms choosing different modes of operation, even when they are ex-ante identical. With ex-ante asymmetries, higher cost firms are more likely to outsource. We apply our model to a number of different international trading setups.

Unionisation, International Integration and Selection

We study how unionisation affects competitive selection between heterogeneous firms when wage negotiations can occur at the rm or at the profit-centre level. With productivity specific wages, an increase in union power has: (i) a selection-softening; (ii) a counter-competitive; (iii) a wage-inequality; and (iv) a variety effect. In a two-country asymmetric setting, stronger unions soften competition for domestic firms and toughen it for exporters. With profit-centre bargaining, we show how trade liberalisation can affect wage inequality among identical workers both across firms (via its effects on competitive selection) and within firms (via wage discrimination across destination markets).