A low-power silicon-on-insulator PWM discriminator for biomedical applications

A CMOS/SOI circuit to decode PWM signals is presented as part of a body-implanted neurostimulator for visual prosthesis. Since encoded data is the sole input to the circuit, the decoding technique is based on a double-integration concept and does not require dc filtering. Nonoverlapping control phases are internally derived from the incoming pulses and a fast-settling comparator ensures good discrimination accuracy in the megahertz range. The circuit was integrated on a 2 mu m single-metal SOI fabrication process and has an effective area of 2mm(2) Typically, the measured resolution of encoding parameter a was better than 10% at 6MHz and V-DD=3.3V. Stand-by consumption is around 340 mu W. Pulses with frequencies up to 15MHz and alpha = 10% can be discriminated for V-DD spanning from 2.3V to 3.3V. Such an excellent immunity to V-DD deviations meets a design specification with respect to inherent coupling losses on transmitting data and power by means of a transcutaneous link.

Estimation of chlorophyll-a concentration and the trophic state of the Barra Bonita hydroelectric reservoir using oli/landsat-8 images

Reservoirs are artificial environments built by humans, and the impacts of these environments are not completely known. Retention time and high nutrient availability in the water increases the eutrophic level. Eutrophication is directly correlated to primary productivity by phytoplankton. These organisms have an important role in the environment. However, high concentrations of determined species can lead to public health problems. Species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that in determined concentrations can cause serious diseases in the liver and nervous system, which could lead to death. Phytoplankton has photoactive pigments that can be used to identify these toxins. Thus, remote sensing data is a viable alternative for mapping these pigments, and consequently, the trophic. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is present in all phytoplankton species. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of images of the sensor Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat-8 satellite in determining Chl-a concentrations and estimating the trophic level in a tropical reservoir. Empirical models were fitted using data from two field surveys conducted in May and October 2014 (Austral Autumn and Austral Spring, respectively). Models were applied in a temporal series of OLI images from May 2013 to October 2014. The estimated Chl-a concentration was used to classify the trophic level from a trophic state index that adopted the concentration of this pigment-like parameter. The models of Chl-a concentration showed reasonable results, but their performance was likely impaired by the atmospheric correction. Consequently, the trophic level classification also did not obtain better results.

Assessment of broiler surface temperature variation when exposed to different air temperatures

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the air temperature variation on the mean surface temperature (MST) of 7-to 35-day-old broiler chickens using infrared thermometry to estimate MST, and to study surface temperature variation of the wings, head, legs, back and comb as affected by air temperature and broiler age. One hundred Cobb(R) broilers were used in the experiment. Starting on day 7, 10 birds were weekly selected at random, housed in an environmental chamber and reared under three distinct temperatures (18, 25 and 32 degrees C) to record their thermal profile using an infrared thermal camera. The recorded images were processed to estimate MST by selecting the whole area of the bird within the picture and comparing it with the values obtained using selected equations in literature, and to record the surface temperatures of the body parts. The MST estimated by infrared images were not statistically different (p > 0.05) from the values obtained by the equations. MST values significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the air temperature increased, but were not affected by bird age. However, age influenced the difference between MST and air temperature, which was highest on day 14. The technique of infrared thermal image analysis was useful to estimate the mean surface temperature of broiler chickens.

Influência da Diabetes Mellitus na movimentação ortodôntica associada a doença periodontal: avaliação histomorfométrica em ratos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise temporal da cobertura do solo na zona de amortecimento de reserva biológica

The Municipal Biological Reserve of Serra do Japi shelters an important forest remnant of Atlantic Rainforest in the state of São Paulo. For its ecological importance, were created instruments for environmental and territorial management of the Conservation Unit, with the regulation of the use and occupation of the land in its Buffer Zone (BZ) in 2004. The objective of this study was to analyze the evolution of the land cover in the BZ region of the Municipal Biological Reserve of Serra do Japi in Jundiaí-SP, between 1989 and 2010. It was used in this study the image analysis of the satellite LANDSAT-TM5, with the help of software ILWIS and IDRISI. The results showed that urban occupation has increased 37.47% and the agro pastoral and reforestation areas have decreased 36.62% and 72.22% respectively, while forest areas have increased 49.57%. However, the relative importance of the forest area in BZ ranged from 46.60% in 1989 to 69.71% in 2010, leading to the conclusion that this region was favored by changes in land cover in the period evaluated, despite strong pressure for urban expansion in its surroundings.

Análise de formas planas em imagens digitais

Given the widespread use of computers, the visual pattern recognition task has been automated in order to address the huge amount of available digital images. Many applications use image processing techniques as well as feature extraction and visual pattern recognition algorithms in order to identify people, to make the disease diagnosis process easier, to classify objects, etc. based on digital images. Among the features that can be extracted and analyzed from images is the shape of objects or regions. In some cases, shape is the unique feature that can be extracted with a relatively high accuracy from the image. In this work we present some of most important shape analysis methods and compare their performance when applied on three well-known shape image databases. Finally, we propose the development of a new shape descriptor based on the Hough Transform.

Using landscape metrics to analyze micro-scale soil erosion processes

Methods of recording soil erosion using photographs exist but they are not commonly considered in scientific studies. Digital images may hold an expressive amount of information that can be extracted quickly in different manners. The investigation of several metrics that were initially developed for landscape ecology analysis constitutes one method. In this study we applied a method of landscape metrics to quantify the spatial configuration of surface micro-topography and erosion-related features, in order to generate a possible complementary tool for environmental management. In a 3.7 m wide and 9.7 m long soil box used during a rainfall simulation study, digital images were systematically acquired in four instances: (a) when the soil was dry; (b) after a short duration rain for initial wetting; (c) after the first erosive rain; and (d) after the 2nd erosive rain. Thirteen locations were established in the box and digital photos were taken at these locations with the camera positioned at the same orthogonal distance from the soil surface under the same ambient light intensity. Digital photos were converted into bimodal images and seven landscape metrics were analyzed: percentage of land, number of patches, density of patches, largest patch index, edge density, shape index, and fractal dimension. Digital images were an appropriate tool because they can generate data very quickly. The landscape metrics were sensitive to changes in soil surface micro-morphology especially after the 1st erosive rain event, indicating significant erosional feature development between the initial wetting and first erosive rainfall. The method is considered suitable for spatial patterns of soil micro-topography evolution from rainfall events that bear similarity to landscape scale pattern evolution from eco-hydrological processes. Although much more study is needed for calibrating the landscape metrics at the micro-scale, this study is a step forward in demonstrating the advantages of the method.

Influência da Diabetes Mellitus na movimentação ortodôntica associada a doença periodontal: avaliação histomorfométrica em ratos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Parâmetros oftálmicos em cachorro-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous, Linnaeus, 1766)

Pós-graduação em Cirurgia Veterinária - FCAV

Demarcação da madeira juvenil e adulta de Corymbia citriodora

This paper had the objective of determining the transition regions between the juvenile and mature wood of Corymbia citriodora (Eucalyptus citriodora) of 29 years of age from the Experimental Station of Forest Science (EECFA-LCF/ESALQ-USP), located in Anhembi, in the State of São Paulo. The regions of juvenile and mature wood were characterized through anatomical studies - axial fiber length - following the recommendations of the International Association of Wood Anatomists (1989) using disks at the DBH of the trees. The measurements of fiber length were made in equipment for acquisition, diagnosis and image analysis. Five slices were made for every centimeter, in the radial direction and six fiber lengths per slice were measured, producing 30 measurements per sample region. In the total, 1740 lengths of fiber were measured in three disks that were studied. Results indicate a trend of accentuated and linear increase for the length of fibers, from the pith to 11 cm of radial of about 79%. Between 12 cm and 19 cm of the radius, fibers length remained almost constant, and from that point on, the fiber length tended to slightly increase to the bark. It can be concluded that for these trees, at this height of sampling, when the tree has 29 years of age, the extension of the juvenile wood goes up to 52% of its radius.

Usinagem do alumínio da classe 6005 com uso de ferramenta cerâmica

The machining process is so much important in the economic world. Many machining parameters have been studied to maximize results, in terms of cost and lifetime. (decrease of cutting tool wear, improved surface finish, among others). The objective of this study is to evaluate the wear of a ceramic tool in the machining of the aluminum alloy 6005 A. The analysis of the wear of the cutting tools is very important due to its big impact on the final finishing of the piece as a whole. The evaluation took place in two stages, first it was done a detailed study of the literature of the whole machining process, where the study of the formation and swarf classification were among the most important steps in this phase. The second step consisted in the machining of the piece of aluminum 6005 A with a ceramic cutting tool constituded of aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide with silicon carbide impregnation. The swarf generated in this process was then photographed with a Zeiss optical microscope and analyzed for its size and shape. Through this comparison it was concluded that the swarf are generated shear swarfs, shaped like a tangled, fragmented and arcs connected, thus classifying the material as medium difficulty machining. Through the image analysis tool it was concluded that the parameter of lower wear was the: Vc = 500m / min, f = 0.10mm / rev and ap = 0.5mm

Chloroacetamid Spray Drift and Leaf Tatters in Hackberry

During the last decade, leaf tatters has been reported in white oak and hackberry across several Midwestern states. Herbicide spray drift studies have shown that chloroacetamides can induce leaf tatters. The objectives of this research were to: 1) identify vulnerable bud developmental stages in hackberry and 2) determine if different commercial chloroacetamides affect severity of leaf tatters. In 2008, a preliminary spray drift experiment was conducted on mature trees from a former hackberry provenance test stand. Acetochlor (Harness), S-metolachlor (Dual II Magnum), and dimethenamid (Outlook) were applied at concentrations approximating 27%, 54%, 81%, or 108% of the recommended field rate. Three developmental stages before bud burst were present on the selected trees. Leaf tatters did not develop on the selected hackberry trees. However, symptoms were observed on neighboring, non-target hackberry trees, which had been in the leaf unfolding and expanding stages at the time of spraying. In 2009, three year old hackberry seedlings were treated with 1%, 10%, and 100% of the recommended field rate of acetochlor (Harness), S-metolachlor (Dual II Magnum), and dimethenamid (Outlook). Folded buds and two unfolding leaf developmental stages were present on seedlings. Another spray study was conducted on 32 mature hackberry trees from the provenance stand. A solution of 5608 mg a.i./L dimethenamid (Outlook) was applied to trees in the unfolding and/or expanding leaf stage. Treated trees represented four provenances. Image analysis was used to calculate seedling and mature tree leaf areas and estimate the seedling percentage of leaf tissue loss. Foliar damage was not significantly different between seedlings treated with water, 1%, or 10% of the field rate. Foliar damage was significantly different between seedlings treated with 1% or 100% of the field rate, and between seedlings treated with 10% or 100% of the field rate. Foliar damage in seedlings was not significantly different between the developmental stages. Additionally, symptoms of leaf tatters were observed on the treated mature hackberry. Future studies should focus on chloroacetamide concentrations above 10% of the recommended field rate.

Usinagem do alumínio da classe 6005 com uso de ferramenta cerâmica

The machining process is so much important in the economic world. Many machining parameters have been studied to maximize results, in terms of cost and lifetime. (decrease of cutting tool wear, improved surface finish, among others). The objective of this study is to evaluate the wear of a ceramic tool in the machining of the aluminum alloy 6005 A. The analysis of the wear of the cutting tools is very important due to its big impact on the final finishing of the piece as a whole. The evaluation took place in two stages, first it was done a detailed study of the literature of the whole machining process, where the study of the formation and swarf classification were among the most important steps in this phase. The second step consisted in the machining of the piece of aluminum 6005 A with a ceramic cutting tool constituded of aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide with silicon carbide impregnation. The swarf generated in this process was then photographed with a Zeiss optical microscope and analyzed for its size and shape. Through this comparison it was concluded that the swarf are generated shear swarfs, shaped like a tangled, fragmented and arcs connected, thus classifying the material as medium difficulty machining. Through the image analysis tool it was concluded that the parameter of lower wear was the: Vc = 500m / min, f = 0.10mm / rev and ap = 0.5mm

Impact of biannual rossby waves on the Indian Ocean Dipole

Topex/Poseidon sea surface height anomalies during 1993-2002 are decomposed using 2-D finite impulse response filters which showed biannual Rossby waves (BRWs) in the equatorial Indian Ocean (peak at 1.5 degrees S) and in the southern tropical Indian Ocean (peak at 10.5 degrees S) during Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) years. Anomalous downwelling BRWs in the equatorial Indian Ocean triggered by the wind stress curl-induced Ekman pumping near the eastern boundary started propagating westward from the eastern boundary in July/August 1993 and 1996, i.e., more than one year prior to the formation of the IOD events of 1994 and 1997 respectively. These strong downwelling signals reach the western equatorial Indian Ocean during the peak dipole time.

Temporal changes in benthic megafaunal abundance and composition across the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf: Results from video surveys

The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) shelf experiences intense seasonal and interannual variability in phytoplankton production and particulate-organic-carbon flux to the seafloor. To explore the response of the megabenthic community to this production variability, we conducted video surveys of epibenthic megafauna at three stations on the WAP shelf in Nov-Dec 1999, Mar 2000, Jun 2000, Oct-Nov 2000, and Feb-Mar 2001. The epibenthic megafauna was dominated (>90%) by elasipod holothurians, irregular urchins and anthozoans, with total abundances ranging from 19 to 152 ind. 1 00 m(-2). The abundance of three of the dominant taxa (Protelpidia murrayi, Peniagone vignomi, and Amphipneustes spp.) varied significantly across seasons (p <0.05), although variations were not tightly correlated with the summer bloom cycle. The irregular urchins in the genus Amphipneustes varied 5-fold in abundance at single stations, with maximum densities (an average of 10.1 ind. 100 m(-2)) attained in Jun 2000. Abundances of the elasipod holothurians P. murrayi (1-121 ind. 100 m(-2)) and P. vignoni (0.7-27.5 ind. 100 m(-2)) fell within the range for elasipod holothurians from other bathyal regions measured using image analysis. The abundance of P. murrayi increased up to 6-fold from a single Jun-Oct recruitment pulse, while changes in the abundance of P. vignoni (over 2-fold higher in Feb-Mar 2001) apparently resulted from immigration during the presence of a 1-2 cm thick carpet of fresh phytocletritus. Based on the ratio of the number of fecal casts per individual, elasipod holothurians increased surface-deposit feeding rates by >= 2-fold while phytocletritus was present at the seafloor. Nonetheless, these surface-deposit feeders appeared to feed and egest sediments throughout the winter, which is consistent with year-round persistence of a labile food bank in surficial sediments on the deep WAP shelf.