Energetic efficiency programs and power quality

This paper presents the results of the investigations that were done to identify and to quantify the power quality problems resultant from the actions done to improve the efficiency on electric energy consumption. The efficiencies of several electric devices were evaluated, among them: fluorescent bulb, electronic ballast, soft-starter, temperature controller for showers, dimmer and others. This evaluation allowed to establish a cause/effect analysis of the power quality.

Formal verification of PLC programs using the B Method

PLCs (acronym for Programmable Logic Controllers) perform control operations, receiving information from the environment, processing it and modifying this same environment according to the results produced. They are commonly used in industry in several applications, from mass transport to petroleum industry. As the complexity of these applications increase, and as various are safety critical, a necessity for ensuring that they are reliable arouses. Testing and simulation are the de-facto methods used in the industry to do so, but they can leave flaws undiscovered. Formal methods can provide more confidence in an application s safety, once they permit their mathematical verification. We make use of the B Method, which has been successfully applied in the formal verification of industrial systems, is supported by several tools and can handle decomposition, refinement, and verification of correctness according to the specification. The method we developed and present in this work automatically generates B models from PLC programs and verify them in terms of safety constraints, manually derived from the system requirements. The scope of our method is the PLC programming languages presented in the IEC 61131-3 standard, although we are also able to verify programs not fully compliant with the standard. Our approach aims to ease the integration of formal methods in the industry through the abbreviation of the effort to perform formal verification in PLCs

Nutritional and chemical composition of culinary-medicinal Royal Sun Agaricus (the Himematsutake mushroom) Agaricus brasiliensis S. Wasser et al. (agaricomycetideae)

The objective of the study was to determine the nutritional and chemical composition (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, calcium, and iron), water and ash content, and the caloric value of powdered fruiting bodies from six strains and from a mixture of strains of the culinary-medicinal mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis. The Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric and multiple comparisons tests and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used, with a 5% significance level. First, the results showed that strain 99/30 had a similar nutritional composition to the mixed sample. Second, when comparing strain nutrients to the mixture nutrients, the highest levels of carbohydrates, proteins, and calcium were in strain 99/25, and the highest levels of lipids were in strains 97/11, 99/28, and 99/30. Strain 99/30 was highest both in caloric value and moisture content. Finally, the mixture was established as a good source of macronutrients and micronutrients, and strain 99/30 was the closest to the mixture in nutritional composition.

Effect of three exercise programs on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

We compared the effect of three different exercise programs on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease including strength training at 50_80% of one-repetition maximum (1-RM) (ST; N = 11), low-intensity general training (LGT; N = 13), or combined training groups (CT; N = 11). Body composition, muscle strength, treadmill endurance test (TEnd), 6-min walk test (6MWT), Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and baseline dyspnea (BDI) were assessed prior to and after the training programs (12 weeks). The training modalities showed similar improvements (P > 0.05) in SGRQ-total (ST = 13 ± 14%; CT = 12 ± 14%; LGT = 11 ± 10%), BDI (ST = 1.8 ± 4; CT = 1.8 ± 3; LGT = 1 ± 2), 6MWT (ST = 43 ± 51 m; CT = 48 ± 50 m; LGT = 31 ± 75 m), and TEnd (ST = 11 ± 20 min; CT = 11 ± 11 min; LGT = 7 ± 5 min). In the ST and CT groups, an additional improvement in 1-RM values was shown (P < 0.05) compared to the LGT group (ST = 10 ± 6 to 57 ± 36 kg; CT = 6 ± 2 to 38 ± 16 kg; LGT = 1 ± 2 to 16 ± 12 kg). The addition of strength training to our current training program increased muscle strength; however, it produced no additional improvement in walking endurance, dyspnea or quality of life. A simple combined training program provides benefits without increasing the duration of the training sessions.

Feeding programs to induce molting in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica)

The experiment was carried out in the experimental poultry house of the Research and Development Unit of Brotas of Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios do Centro-Oeste, SP, Brazil. The objective of the study was to evaluate forced-molting methods and their effects on body weight, egg production, feed intake, and mortality, as well as bird performance during the second laying cycle. A total number of 400 65-week-old Japanese quails was distributed in a completely randomized experimental design into five treatments, with four replicates of 20 birds each. The following treatments were applied: T1= not submitted to forced molting, T2= 01 day of fasting + 13 days receiving 15g feed/bird/day (1F+R), T3= 02 days of fasting + 12 days receiving 15g feed/bird/day (2F+R), T4= 03 days of fasting + 11 days receiving 15g feed/bird/day (3F+R), and T5= 3 days of fasting and fed ad libitum thereafter (3F+AL). Significant differences were detected among treatments. When submitted to 3 days of fasting followed by ad libitum feeding, birds presented complete body weight recovery. No egg production percentage differences were detected in birds submitted to forced molting.

Comparative study of 2 software programs for predicting profile changes in Class III patients having double-jaw orthognathic surgery

Introduction: Computer software can be used to predict orthognathic surgery outcomes. The aim of this study was to subjectively compare the soft-tissue surgical simulations of 2 software programs. Methods: Standard profile pictures were taken of 10 patients with a Class III malocclusion and a concave facial profile who were scheduled for double-jaw orthognathic surgery. The patients had horizontal maxillary deficiency or horizontal mandibular excess. Two software programs (Dentofacial Planner Plus [Dentofacial Software, Toronto, Ontario, Canada] and Dolphin Imaging [version 9.0, Dolphin Imaging Software, Canoga Park, Calif]) were used to predict the postsurgical profiles. The predictive images were compared with the actual final photographs. One hundred one orthodontists, oral-maxillofacial surgeons, and general dentists evaluated the images and were asked whether they would use either software program to plan treatment for, or to educate, their patients. Results: Statistical analyses showed differences between the groups when each point was judged. Dolphin Imaging software had better prediction of nasal tip, chin, and submandibular area. Dentofacial Planner Plus software was better in predicting nasolabial angle, and upper and lower lips. The total profile comparison showed no statistical difference between the softwares. Conclusions: The 2 types of software are similar for obtaining 2-dimensional predictive profile images of patients with Class III malocclusion treated with orthognathic surgery. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2010; 137: 452.e1-452.e5)

Using post-release monitoring data to optimize avian reintroduction programs: a 2-year case study from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fortran programs for the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation in a fully anisotropic trap

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

C programs for solving the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation in a fully anisotropic trap

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

L-carnitine as an ergogenic aid for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease submitted to whole-body and respiratory muscle training programs

The effects of adding L-carnitine to a whole-body and respiratory training program were determined in moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Sixteen COPD patients (66 ± 7 years) were randomly assigned to L-carnitine (CG) or placebo group (PG) that received either L-carnitine or saline solution (2 g/day, orally) for 6 weeks (forced expiratory volume on first second was 38 ± 16 and 36 ± 12%, respectively). Both groups participated in three weekly 30-min treadmill and threshold inspiratory muscle training sessions, with 3 sets of 10 loaded inspirations (40%) at maximal inspiratory pressure. Nutritional status, exercise tolerance on a treadmill and six-minute walking test, blood lactate, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory muscle strength were determined as baseline and on day 42. Maximal capacity in the incremental exercise test was significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.05). Blood lactate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate at identical exercise levels were lower in CG after training (P < 0.05). Inspiratory muscle strength and walking test tolerance were significantly improved in both groups, but the gains of CG were significantly higher than those of PG (40 ± 14 vs 14 ± 5 cmH2O, and 87 ± 30 vs 34 ± 29 m, respectively; P < 0.05). Blood lactate concentration was significantly lower in CG than in PG (1.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.3 ± 0.7 mM, P < 0.05). The present data suggest that carnitine can improve exercise tolerance and inspiratory muscle strength in COPD patients, as well as reduce lactate production.

Bone mineral density of rat femurs after hindlimb unloading and different physical rehabilitation programs

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE IN ORGANIC-CHEMISTRY .17. NEW PROGRAMS IN THE SISTEMAT PROJECT

This work describes the new improvements of the SISTEMAT project, one system for structural elucidation mainly in the field of Natural Products Chemistry. Some examples of the resolution of problems using C-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass Spectroscopy are given. Programs to discover new heuristic rules for structure generation are discussed. The data base contains about 10000 C-13 NMR spectra.