Caracterização de dois equipamentos de beneficiamento e classificação de tomates para mesa

No Brasil, nos últimos anos, tem aumentado o beneficiamento e a classificação de frutas e hortaliças em equipamentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a etapa de limpeza de dois equipamentos de beneficiamento de tomate de mesa, um nacional e outro importado, instalados na região metropolitana de Campinas - SP. A caracterização foi realizada quanto ao número, tipo e velocidade de rotação das escovas, aplicação de água, tempo de permanência dos frutos e eficiência de limpeza. O tempo de permanência foi mensurado com relação ao tamanho dos frutos, segundo os padrões da CEAGESP. Para mensurar a eficiência, foi desenvolvido um equipamento composto de um anel deslizante envolvido por um pano branco. As amostragens foram realizadas antes e após a etapa de limpeza e avaliadas utilizando colorímetro HUNTER Lab. Por meio dos resultados, observaram-se diferenças entre os dois equipamentos, em que o importado apresentou menor número de escovas, rotações mais baixas e maior consumo de água que o nacional. No equipamento nacional, o tempo de permanência dependeu do tamanho dos frutos, não sendo encontrada essa correlação no equipamento importado, e ambos tiveram a mesma eficiência de limpeza. Conclui-se que a limpeza está relacionada à interação entre os parâmetros estudados, sendo também necessário realizar manutenções nos equipamentos das unidades para a melhoria no funcionamento.

Portable flow board for storage of fruits and vegetables in mini-chambers with controlled atmosphere

ABSTRACT A portable flow board system was developed in the present study with the aim to facilitate lab-scale experiments of controlled atmosphere (CA) with fruits and vegetables. This sturdy flow board combines ease fabrication, low cost and gas economy. Its functionality is provided by manifolds and gas mixers. Each gaseous component is supplied by a gas cylinder through a differential valve of adjusted pressure control, generally at 6 kPa, and forced through 13 standardized restrictors coupled to each manifold output. Controlled atmospheres are then formed with one, two or three gases in 13 gas mixers affixed to the flow board base, which are further conducted through flexible tubes to storage mini-chambers that can also be used to study metabolic consumption and production of gaseous components. The restrictors used in the flow gaseous components were manufactured from microhematocrit test-type capillary glass tubes following the hot forming method under continuous air flow. The portable flow board showed to be low cost and simple post-harvest equipment that allows preparing controlled atmospheres in open systems with stable composition and flow, in a manner similar to traditional flow boards with control of gas escape by barostats.

Videocirurgia na criança: estado da arte. Experiência com 1408 procedimentos no Instituto da Criança "Pedro de Alcântara"

A videocirurgia em Cirurgia Pediátrica encontra um imenso campo de aplicações ainda, infelizmente, pouco explorado. São poucos os serviços que utilizam rotineiramente essa via de acesso e são escassas as referências nacionais publicadas. O Instituto da Criança do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (ICr) há uma década e meia a utiliza e hoje a videocirurgia é a via de primeira escolha para tratar, entre outras doenças, o refluxo gastresofagiano, a colecistopatia calculosa, o testículo não palpável e o megaesôfago. Neste artigo relataremos a experiência em videocirurgia pediátrica do ICr, adquirida com 1408 pacientes operados, para divulgar e popularizar esta via de acesso, útil e benéfica para um grande número de situações e ainda subutilizada em Cirurgia Pediátrica.

Efeitos da reconstrução mamária imediata sobre a qualidade de vida de mulheres mastectomizadas

OBJETIVO: avaliar prospectivamente os efeitos da reconstrução mamária imediata sobre a qualidade de vida de mulheres mastectomizadas. MÉTODOS: foram incluídas 76 mulheres submetidas à mastectomia no Centro de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, em Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil, entre Agosto de 2007 a Dezembro de 2008. Dois grupos foram formados, 41 mulheres no grupo de mulheres submetidas à mastectomia associada à reconstrução imediata da mama (M+RI) e 35 no grupo de mulheres submetidas à mastectomia exclusiva (M). A avaliação da qualidade de vida foi feita com o uso do questionário World Health Organization - Quality of Life (WHOQOL-100). O questionário foi aplicado em três momentos: na data da internação, após um mês e novamente seis meses após a cirurgia. Os escores do WHOQOL-100 foram calculados conforme roteiro de análise fornecido pela Organização Mundial de Saúde. Para análise comparativa dos escores entre grupos, foram utilizados os testes t de Student, exato de Fisher, χ2 e Mann-Whitney, quando os dados eram paramétricos. Para análise das medidas repetidas, ao longo do tempo, foi utilizada a ANOVA e ANOVA para medidas repetidas. RESULTADOS: em todos os momentos, desde o pré-operatório, a pontuação média do Grupo M+RI foi maior que o Grupo M, principalmente nos domínios físico, psicológico, nível de independência e relações sociais. Dos seis domínios abrangidos no questionário, em três (físico, relações sociais, meio ambiente) não foram encontradas diferenças significativas. Houve melhor pontuação para o Grupo M+RI (15,5 a 14,9 no M+RI e 14,3 a 14,2 no M; p=0,04) no domínio psicológico. Observou-se redução significativa do nível de independência no primeiro mês pós-operatório em ambos os grupos, com recuperação significativa após seis meses. CONCLUSÕES: os presentes resultados sugerem que a reconstrução mamária imediata é benéfica para aspectos psicológicos da qualidade de vida, sem afetar a funcionalidade física da mulher.

Paper for printed electronics and functionality

Mass-produced paper electronics (large area organic printed electronics on paper-based substrates, “throw-away electronics”) has the potential to introduce the use of flexible electronic applications in everyday life. While paper manufacturing and printing have a long history, they were not developed with electronic applications in mind. Modifications to paper substrates and printing processes are required in order to obtain working electronic devices. This should be done while maintaining the high throughput of conventional printing techniques and the low cost and recyclability of paper. An understanding of the interactions between the functional materials, the printing process and the substrate are required for successful manufacturing of advanced devices on paper. Based on the understanding, a recyclable, multilayer-coated paper-based substrate that combines adequate barrier and printability properties for printed electronics and sensor applications was developed in this work. In this multilayer structure, a thin top-coating consisting of mineral pigments is coated on top of a dispersion-coated barrier layer. The top-coating provides well-controlled sorption properties through controlled thickness and porosity, thus enabling optimizing the printability of functional materials. The penetration of ink solvents and functional materials stops at the barrier layer, which not only improves the performance of the functional material but also eliminates potential fiber swelling and de-bonding that can occur when the solvents are allowed to penetrate into the base paper. The multi-layer coated paper under consideration in the current work consists of a pre-coating and a smoothing layer on which the barrier layer is deposited. Coated fine paper may also be used directly as basepaper, ensuring a smooth base for the barrier layer. The top layer is thin and smooth consisting of mineral pigments such as kaolin, precipitated calcium carbonate, silica or blends of these. All the materials in the coating structure have been chosen in order to maintain the recyclability and sustainability of the substrate. The substrate can be coated in steps, sequentially layer by layer, which requires detailed understanding and tuning of the wetting properties and topography of the barrier layer versus the surface tension of the top-coating. A cost competitive method for industrial scale production is the curtain coating technique allowing extremely thin top-coatings to be applied simultaneously with a closed and sealed barrier layer. The understanding of the interactions between functional materials formulated and applied on paper as inks, makes it possible to create a paper-based substrate that can be used to manufacture printed electronics-based devices and sensors on paper. The multitude of functional materials and their complex interactions make it challenging to draw general conclusions in this topic area. Inevitably, the results become partially specific to the device chosen and the materials needed in its manufacturing. Based on the results, it is clear that for inks based on dissolved or small size functional materials, a barrier layer is beneficial and ensures the functionality of the printed material in a device. The required active barrier life time depends on the solvents or analytes used and their volatility. High aspect ratio mineral pigments, which create tortuous pathways and physical barriers within the barrier layer limit the penetration of solvents used in functional inks. The surface pore volume and pore size can be optimized for a given printing process and ink through a choice of pigment type and coating layer thickness. However, when manufacturing multilayer functional devices, such as transistors, which consist of several printed layers, compromises have to be made. E.g., while a thick and porous top-coating is preferable for printing of source and drain electrodes with a silver particle ink, a thinner and less absorbing surface is required to form a functional semiconducting layer. With the multilayer coating structure concept developed in this work, it was possible to make the paper substrate suitable for printed functionality. The possibility of printing functional devices, such as transistors, sensors and pixels in a roll-to-roll process on paper is demonstrated which may enable introducing paper for use in disposable “onetime use” or “throwaway” electronics and sensors, such as lab-on-strip devices for various analyses, consumer packages equipped with product quality sensors or remote tracking devices.

Fifty years in the blink of an eye: a retrospective study of ocular and periocular lesions in domestic animals

A survey was undertaken aiming to obtain an overview of ocular and periocular lesions diagnosed in domestic mammals over a period of 50 years in a veterinary pathology diagnostic laboratory in the Central Region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In this lab, 33,075 histophatological exams had been performed over the period surveyed, of which 540 (1.6%) concerned ocular and periocular lesions. For various reasons ninety specimens were excluded from the study and the remaining 450 consisted of samples from dogs (53.5%), cattle (28.2%), cats (11.1%), horses (5.1%) sheep (1.3%), rabbits (0.4%), and pig (0.2%). The eyelids were the most prevalent (248/450) site of lesions in each of the species studied, followed by third eyelid (73/450), and conjunctiva (27/450). In dogs (241 samples) lesions in sebaceous glands (including Meibomian glands) were the most common findings (75/241), followed by melanocytic tumors (52/241) and nonspecific conjunctivitis (13/241). Squamous cell neoplasms, both benign and malignant, were relatively common. In cattle, anatomical sites affected by ocular and periocular lesions, in decreasing order of frequency, were eyelid, cornea and third eyelid. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) alone accounted for 80.3% of all diagnoses, while all neoplastic lesions made up for 85.0% of the lesions diagnosed in cattle. Neoplasia accounted for most of the lesions diagnosed in cats (39/50 cases); all of these were malignant, and SCC, hemangiosarcoma and fibrosarcoma were the most common types diagnosed. In horses, 19 out of 23 submissions were neoplasms and most were sarcoid (8/23) and SCC (8/23). There were six submissions from sheep with unpigmented skin, all of which represented SCC of the eyelids (5) and third eyelid (1).

Characterisation of waste for combustion : with special reference to the role of zinc

Waste combustion has gone from being a volume reducing discarding-method to an energy recovery process for unwanted material that cannot be reused or recycled. Different fractions of waste are used as fuel today, such as; municipal solid waste, refuse derived fuel, and solid recovered fuel. Furthermore, industrial waste, normally a mixture between commercial waste and building and demolition waste, is common, either as separate fuels or mixed with, for example, municipal solid waste. Compared to fossil or biomass fuels, waste mixtures are extremely heterogeneous, making it a complicated fuel. Differences in calorific values, ash content, moisture content, and changing levels of elements, such as Cl and alkali metals, are common in waste fuel. Moreover, waste contains much higher levels of troublesome trace elements, such as Zn, which is thought to accelerate a corrosion process. Varying fuel quality can be strenuous on the boiler system and may cause fouling and corrosion of heat exchanger surfaces. This thesis examines waste fuels and waste combustion from different angles, with the objective of giving a better understanding of waste as an important fuel in today’s fuel economy. Several chemical characterisation campaigns of waste fuels over longer time periods (10-12 months) was used to determine the fossil content of Swedish waste fuels, to investigate possible seasonal variations, and to study the presence of Zn in waste. Data from the characterisation campaigns were used for thermodynamic equilibrium calculations to follow trends and determine the effect of changing concentrations of various elements. The thesis also includes a study of the thermal behaviour of Zn and a full—scale study of how the bed temperature affects the volatilisation of alkali metals and Zn from the fuel. As mixed waste fuel contains considerable amounts of fresh biomass, such as wood, food waste, paper etc. it would be wrong to classify it as a fossil fuel. When Sweden introduced waste combustion as a part of the European Union emission trading system in the beginning of 2013 there was a need for combustion plants to find a usable and reliable method to determine the fossil content. Four different methods were studied in full-scale of seven combustion plants; 14Canalysis of solid waste, 14C-analysis of flue gas, sorting analysis followed by calculations, and a patented balance method that is using a software program to calculate the fossil content based on parameters from the plant. The study showed that approximately one third of the coal in Swedish waste mixtures has fossil origins and presented the plants with information about the four different methods and their advantages and disadvantages. Characterisation campaigns also showed that industrial waste contain higher levels of trace elements, such as Zn. The content of Zn in Swedish waste fuels was determined to be approximately 800 mg kg-1 on average, based on 42 samples of solid waste from seven different plants with varying mixtures between municipal solid waste and industrial waste. A review study of the occurrence of Zn in fuels confirmed that the highest amounts of Zn are present in waste fuels rather than in fossil or biomass fuels. In tires, Zn is used as a vulcanizing agent and can reach concentration values of 9600-16800 mg kg-1. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is the second Zn-richest fuel and even though on average Zn content is around 4000 mg kg-1, the values of over 19000 mg kg-1 were also reported. The increased amounts of Zn, 3000-4000 mg kg-1, are also found in municipal solid waste, sludge with over 2000 mg kg-1 on average (some exceptions up to 49000 mg kg-1), and other waste derived fuels (over 1000 mg kg-1). Zn is also found in fossil fuels. In coal, the average level of Zn is 100 mg kg-1, the higher amount of Zn was only reported for oil shale with values between 20-2680 mg kg-1. The content of Zn in biomass is basically determined by its natural occurrence and it is typically 10-100 mg kg-1. The thermal behaviour of Zn is of importance to understand the possible reactions taking place in the boiler. By using thermal analysis three common Zn-compounds were studied (ZnCl2, ZnSO4, and ZnO) and compared to phase diagrams produced with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The results of the study suggest that ZnCl2(s/l) cannot exist readily in the boiler due to its volatility at high temperatures and its conversion to ZnO in oxidising conditions. Also, ZnSO4 decomposes around 680°C, while ZnO is relatively stable in the temperature range prevailing in the boiler. Furthermore, by exposing ZnO to HCl in a hot environment (240-330°C) it was shown that chlorination of ZnO with HCl gas is possible. Waste fuel containing high levels of elements known to be corrosive, for example, Na and K in combination with Cl, and also significant amounts of trace elements, such as Zn, are demanding on the whole boiler system. A full-scale study of how the volatilisation of Na, K, and Zn is affected by the bed temperature in a fluidised bed boiler was performed parallel with a lab-scale study with the same conditions. The study showed that the fouling rate on deposit probes were decreased by 20 % when the bed temperature was decreased from 870°C to below 720°C. In addition, the lab-scale experiments clearly indicated that the amount of alkali metals and Zn volatilised depends on the reactor temperature.

Potencial de espécies vegetais para a remediação do herbicida trifloxysulfuron-sodium

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de espécies vegetais na remediação do herbicida trifloxysulfuron-sodium em solos, utilizando o feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris) como planta indicadora. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação entre as espécies Calopogonium mucunoides, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Vicia sativa, Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformis, Medicago sativa, Dolichus lab lab, Penisetum glaucum, Stylosantes guianensis, Mucuna deeringiana, Mucuna cinereum, Mucuna aterrima, Raphanus sativus e Lupinus albus. Todas as espécies foram semeadas em vasos no dia seguinte à aplicação do trifloxysulfuron-sodium em três doses (0,00; 3,75; e 15,00 g ha-1). Após 80 dias da semeadura, as espécies vegetais foram cortadas na altura do coleto e a parte aérea destas descartada. A seguir, foi realizada a semeadura do feijão (cultivar Pérola). Aos 45 dias após a emergência das plantas de feijão avaliaram-se a altura e a massa seca da parte aérea das plantas. Melhor eficiência na descontaminação do trifloxysulfuron-sodium em solo foi obtida pelas espécies M. aterrima e C. ensiformis.

Ação do trifluralin na micorrização e crescimento de plantas de amendoim (Arachis hypogaea)

O amendoim (Arachis hypogaea) é uma planta que durante as fases iniciais do seu desenvolvimento sofre mais intensamente a competição das plantas daninhas, prejudicando sensivelmente sua produção. Uma forma muito eficiente de solucionar esse problema é o uso do herbicida trifluralin; no entanto, seu uso pode prejudicar a micorrização, uma associação benéfica formada por fungos e raízes da planta hospedeira. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito do herbicida trifluralin e de duas espécies de fungos micorrízicos (Gigaspora margarita e Acaulospora scrubiculata) na micorrização e no crescimento inicial de plantas de amendoim. O trabalho foi realizado na casa de vegetação do Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, no município de Cruz das Almas - BA. Utilizou-se o cultivar de amendoim Vagem Lisa. Os tratamentos testados envolveram aplicação (C/H) ou não (S/H) de herbicida e inoculação individual de dois fungos micorrízicos: Gigaspora margarita (F1) e Acaulospora scrubiculata (F2), sendo os seguintes: S/H + F1, S/H + F2, C/H + F1, C/H + F2, C/H S/F (sem fungo) e S/H S/F. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial (2 x 2) + 2, com quatro repetições. Os resultados mostraram que a colonização micorrízica para Gigaspora margarita foi de 63% e, quando se aplicou o herbicida, de 44%; Acaulospora scrubiculata apresentou baixo índice de colonização (5,75% e 1%, sem e com herbicida, respectivamente); a eficiência micorrízica foi superior na associação com G. margarita; a dependência micorrízica foi aumentada na presença do herbicida para as duas espécies de fungo inoculadas; a altura da planta, o volume de raízes, a massa seca da parte aérea e das raízes e a massa seca da planta foram superiores aos dos demais tratamentos. Conclui-se que o herbicida trifluralin prejudica a micorrização e o crescimento inicial das plantas de amendoim. A espécie de fungo Gigaspora margarita promove o crescimento inicial das plantas de amendoim, porém a espécie Acaulospora scrubiculata não foi eficiente para promover esse crescimento.

Potencial de espécies vegetais na remediação de solo contaminado com sulfentrazone

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar a eficiência de espécies vegetais na remediação de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo contaminado com sulfentrazone. O trabalho foi conduzido em duas etapas. Na primeira, avaliou-se o crescimento de Helianthus annus, Canavalia ensiformis, Dolichos lab lab e Arachis hypogaea em solo contaminado com sulfentrazone; na segunda, cultivou-se, no mesmo solo, uma espécie (sorgo) indicadora de resíduo de sulfentrazone no solo, para avaliar a capacidade remediadora dessas espécies. Na primeira etapa, foram utilizados vasos contendo 6,0 kg do substrato. Após a irrigação dos vasos, aplicou-se na superfície do solo o herbicida. Um dia após essa aplicação, procedeu-se à semeadura das espécies vegetais, as quais foram colhidas 100 dias depois e secas em estufa, determinando-se a matéria seca da parte aérea. Na segunda etapa, foram coletadas amostras de 3,0 kg de solo de cada vaso, onde foi cultivada a planta indicadora. Aos 20 e 50 dias após a emergência, foi avaliada, visualmente, a intoxicação das plantas de sorgo, sendo determinada a matéria seca da parte aérea dessas plantas aos 50 dias após a emergência e aos 50 dias após o primeiro corte. A produção de matéria seca da parte aérea de H. annus, C. ensiformis, D. lab lab e A. hypogaea não foi alterada, indicando que essas espécies foram tolerantes ao sulfentrazone; entretanto, H. annus apresentou melhor capacidade para remediação de solo contaminado com esse herbicida.

Comparison between dSPACE and NI systems based on real-time intelligent control of a teleoperated hydraulic servo system

The Laboratory of Intelligent Machine researches and develops energy-efficient power transmissions and automation for mobile construction machines and industrial processes. The laboratory's particular areas of expertise include mechatronic machine design using virtual technologies and simulators and demanding industrial robotics. The laboratory has collaborated extensively with industrial actors and it has participated in significant international research projects, particularly in the field of robotics. For years, dSPACE tools were the lonely hardware which was used in the lab to develop different control algorithms in real-time. dSPACE's hardware systems are in widespread use in the automotive industry and are also employed in drives, aerospace, and industrial automation. But new competitors are developing new sophisticated systems and their features convinced the laboratory to test new products. One of these competitors is National Instrument (NI). In order to get to know the specifications and capabilities of NI tools, an agreement was made to test a NI evolutionary system. This system is used to control a 1-D hydraulic slider. The objective of this research project is to develop a control scheme for the teleoperation of a hydraulically driven manipulator, and to implement a control algorithm between human and machine interaction, and machine and task environment interaction both on NI and dSPACE systems simultaneously and to compare the results.

Fitossociologia de plantas daninhas do cafezal consorciado com leguminosas

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a fitossociologia de plantas daninhas em cafezais sob diferentes períodos de consórcio com leguminosas em dois anos de cultivo. Os tratamentos corresponderam à combinação fatorial entre as leguminosas feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiformis) e lablabe (Dolichos lab-lab) e períodos de consorciação com cafeeiros aos 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias após o plantio, mais uma testemunha sem leguminosa. O experimento foi composto por nove tratamentos em delineamento de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. As leguminosas foram semeadas em dezembro de 2007 e outubro de 2008 e cortadas conforme os períodos de consorciação, sendo removidas da entrelinha, para ficarem sob a copa dos cafeeiros. As plantas daninhas foram amostradas nas entrelinhas e na projeção das copas dos cafeeiros, em outubro de 2008 e em outubro de 2009, refletindo o efeito dos tratamentos após um e dois anos de consorciação, respectivamente. As avaliações constaram da similaridade da comunidade, do índice do valor de importância e da importância relativa das plantas daninhas mais frequentes. Nos dois anos agrícolas foram identificadas 17 espécies de plantas daninhas, distribuídas em dez famílias botânicas, sendo mais frequentes as espécies Cyperus rotundus, Paspalum conjugatum, Amaranthus retroflexus e Oxalis latifolia. No primeiro ano, o feijão-de-porco (2,65 t ha-1) produziu mais massa que a lablabe (1,89 t ha-1), e no segundo ano a lablabe produziu mais massa (4,21 t ha-1) que o feijão-de-porco (2,73 t ha‑1). Nas entrelinhas, a diferença da flora de plantas daninhas em relação à testemunha foi maior do que na projeção da copa dos cafeeiros, no final dos dois anos. Em 2008, quando a lablabe ficou por 90 ou 120 dias nas entrelinhas, houve crescimento da importância da tiririca, enquanto em 2009 a importância relativa desta foi mais elevada na testemunha. As entrelinhas do cafeeiro apresentaram massa de matéria seca de plantas daninhas maior do que a projeção da copa, possivelmente devido ao sombreamento proporcionado pelos cafeeiros. A espécie Cyperus rotundus foi a de maior importância nos dois anos, seguida de Paspalum conjugatum, que teve sua importância aumentada de 2008 para 2009, devido à sua adaptação às condições de baixa luminosidade.

Design and evaluation of web interface signs to improve web usability : a semiotic framework

Technological innovations, the development of the internet, and globalization have increased the number and complexity of web applications. As a result, keeping web user interfaces understandable and usable (in terms of ease-of-use, effectiveness, and satisfaction) is a challenge. As part of this, designing userintuitive interface signs (i.e., the small elements of web user interface, e.g., navigational link, command buttons, icons, small images, thumbnails, etc.) is an issue for designers. Interface signs are key elements of web user interfaces because ‘interface signs’ act as a communication artefact to convey web content and system functionality, and because users interact with systems by means of interface signs. In the light of the above, applying semiotic (i.e., the study of signs) concepts on web interface signs will contribute to discover new and important perspectives on web user interface design and evaluation. The thesis mainly focuses on web interface signs and uses the theory of semiotic as a background theory. The underlying aim of this thesis is to provide valuable insights to design and evaluate web user interfaces from a semiotic perspective in order to improve overall web usability. The fundamental research question is formulated as What do practitioners and researchers need to be aware of from a semiotic perspective when designing or evaluating web user interfaces to improve web usability? From a methodological perspective, the thesis follows a design science research (DSR) approach. A systematic literature review and six empirical studies are carried out in this thesis. The empirical studies are carried out with a total of 74 participants in Finland. The steps of a design science research process are followed while the studies were designed and conducted; that includes (a) problem identification and motivation, (b) definition of objectives of a solution, (c) design and development, (d) demonstration, (e) evaluation, and (f) communication. The data is collected using observations in a usability testing lab, by analytical (expert) inspection, with questionnaires, and in structured and semi-structured interviews. User behaviour analysis, qualitative analysis and statistics are used to analyze the study data. The results are summarized as follows and have lead to the following contributions. Firstly, the results present the current status of semiotic research in UI design and evaluation and highlight the importance of considering semiotic concepts in UI design and evaluation. Secondly, the thesis explores interface sign ontologies (i.e., sets of concepts and skills that a user should know to interpret the meaning of interface signs) by providing a set of ontologies used to interpret the meaning of interface signs, and by providing a set of features related to ontology mapping in interpreting the meaning of interface signs. Thirdly, the thesis explores the value of integrating semiotic concepts in usability testing. Fourthly, the thesis proposes a semiotic framework (Semiotic Interface sign Design and Evaluation – SIDE) for interface sign design and evaluation in order to make them intuitive for end users and to improve web usability. The SIDE framework includes a set of determinants and attributes of user-intuitive interface signs, and a set of semiotic heuristics to design and evaluate interface signs. Finally, the thesis assesses (a) the quality of the SIDE framework in terms of performance metrics (e.g., thoroughness, validity, effectiveness, reliability, etc.) and (b) the contributions of the SIDE framework from the evaluators’ perspective.

Pollination and fruit set in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) by honey bees

Species of Cucurbitaceae are cultivated worldwide and are depend on bee pollination for fruit set. Field and lab experiments were conducted at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, during 1996 and 1997 to determine "Howden" pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) pollen removal and deposition by honeybees and factors relating to male flower attractiveness. Several parameters were evaluated in flowers at anthesis: (1) removal of pollen from anthers by honey bees, (2) pollen deposition on the stigma by honey bees, (3) amount of pollen on the body of honey bees, (4) fruit set after bee pollination, and (5) male flower nectary's pores and flower attractiveness. Honey bees carried between 1,050 to 3,990 pollen grains and 13,765 were removed from an anther after one visit. The amount of pollen deposited on the stigma by the honey bees varied according to the number of visits, from 53 grains with one visit, to 1,253 grains with 12 visits, and the mean number of grains in each visit varied from 53 to 230 grains. The percentage of established fruits was higher (100%) when the flowers received 12 visits of Apis mellifera, corresponding to a load 1,253 pollen grains. The attractiveness of the male flower for pollen and nectar collection was increased by the degree of opening of the access pore to the nectary in the flower.