Morfologia matemática aplicada à detecção de sombras e nuvens em imagens de alta resolução

The spatial resolution improvement of orbital sensors has broadened considerably the applicability of their images in solving urban areas problems. But as the spatial resolution improves, the shadows become even a more serious problem especially when detailed information (under the shadows) is required. Besides those shadows caused by buildings and houses, clouds projected shadows are likely to occur. In this case there is information occlusion by the cloud in association with low illumination and contrast areas caused by the cloud shadow on the ground. Thus, it's important to use efficient methods to detect shadows and clouds areas in digital images taking in count that these areas care for especial processing. This paper proposes the application of Mathematical Morphology (MM) in shadow and clouds detection. Two parts of a panchromatic QuickBird image of Cuiab-MT urban area were used. The proposed method takes advantage of the fact that shadows (low intensity - dark areas) and clouds (high intensity - bright areas) represent the bottom and top, respectively, of the image as it is thought to be a topographic surface. This characteristic allowed MM area opening and closing operations to be applied to reduce or eliminate the bottom and top of the topographic surface.

The Effects of Physical Fitness and Body Composition on Oxygen Consumption and Heart Rate Recovery After High-Intensity Exercise

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), heart rate recovery (HRR) and their respective time constants (tvo(2) and t(HR)) and body composition and aerobic fitness (VO(2)max) variables after an anaerobic effort. 14 professional cyclists (age = 28.4 +/- 4.8 years, height = 176.0 +/- 6.7 cm, body mass = 74.4 +/- 8.1 kg, VO(2)max = 66.8 +/- 7.6 mL. kg(-1) . min(-1)) were recruited. Each athlete made 3 visits to the laboratory with 24h between each visit. During the first visit, a total and segmental body composition assessment was carried out. During the second, the athletes undertook an incremental test to determine VO(2)max. In the final visit, EPOC (15-min) and HRR were measured after an all-out 30s Wingate test. The results showed that EPOC is positively associated with % body fat (r = 0.64), total body fat (r = 0.73), fat-free mass (r = 0.61) and lower limb fat-free mass (r = 0.55) and negatively associated with HRR (r = - 0.53, p < 0.05 for all). HRR had a significant negative correlation with total body fat and % body fat (r = - 0.62, r = - 0.56 respectively, p < 0.05 for all). These findings indicate that VO(2)max does not influence HRR or EPOC after high-intensity exercise. Even in short-term exercise, the major metabolic disturbance due to higher muscle mass and total muscle mass may increase EPOC. However, body fat impedes HRR and delays recovery of oxygen consumption after effort in highly trained athletes.

Wine classification by taste sensors made from ultra-thin films and using neural networks

This paper reports on a sensor array able to distinguish tastes and used to classify red wines. The array comprises sensing units made from Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of conducting polymers and lipids and layer-by-layer (LBL) films from chitosan deposited onto gold interdigitated electrodes. Using impedance spectroscopy as the principle of detection, we show that distinct clusters can be identified in principal component analysis (PCA) plots for six types of red wine. Distinction can be made with regard to vintage, vineyard and brands of the red wine. Furthermore, if the data are treated with artificial neural networks (ANNs), this artificial tongue can identify wine samples stored under different conditions. This is illustrated by considering 900 wine samples, obtained with 30 measurements for each of the five bottles of the six wines, which could be recognised with 100% accuracy using the algorithms Standard Backpropagation and Backpropagation momentum in the ANNs. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploiting the versatility of taste sensors based on impedance spectroscopy

The versatility of sensor arrays made from nanostructured Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and layer-by-layer (LBL) films is demonstrated in two ways. First, different combinations of sensing units are employed to distinguish the basic tastes, viz. sweet, sour, bitter, and salty tastes, produced, respectively, by small concentrations (down to 0.01 g/mol) of sucrose, HCl, quinine, and NaCl solutions. The sensing units are comprised of LB and/or LBL films from semiconducting polymers, a ruthenium complex, and sulfonated lignin. Then, sensor arrays were used to identify wines from different sources, with the high distinguishing ability being demonstrated in principal component analysis (PCA) plots. Particularly important was the fact that the sensing ability does not depend on specific interactions between analytes and the film materials, but a judicious choice of materials is, nevertheless, required for the materials to respond differently to a given sample. It is also shown that the interaction with the analyte may affect the morphology of the nanostructured films, as indicated with scanning electron microscopy. For instance, in wine analysis these changes are not irreversible and the original film morphology is retrieved if the sensing unit is washed with copious amounts of water, thus allowing the sensor unit to be reused.

Fabrication and characterization of chemical sensors made from nanostructured films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) prepared with different doping acids

Chemical sensors made from nanostructured films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) POEA and poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) PSS are produced and used to detect and distinguish 4 chemicals in solution at 20 mM, including sucrose, NaCl, HCl, and caffeine. These substances are used in order to mimic the 4 basic tastes recognized by humans, namely sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, respectively. The sensors are produced by the deposition of POEA/PSS films at the top of interdigitated microelectrodes via the layer-by-layer technique, using POEA solutions containing different dopant acids. Besides the different characteristics of the POEA/PSS films investigated by UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopies, and by atomic force microscopy.. it is observed that their electrical response to the different chemicals in liquid media is very fast, in the order of seconds, systematical, reproducible, and extremely dependent on the type of acid used for film fabrication. The responses of the as-prepared sensors are reproducible and repetitive after many cycles of operation. Furthermore, the use of an "electronic tongue" composed by an array of these sensors and principal component analysis as pattern recognition tool allows one to reasonably distinguish test solutions according to their chemical composition. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Combining SERRS and electrochemistry to characterize sensors based on biomembrane mimetic models formed by phospholipids

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

Step Counting and Energy Expenditure Estimation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Elderly: Accuracy of 2 Motion Sensors

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Is walking in daily life a moderate intensity activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

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

Energy expenditure during daily activities as measured by two motion sensors in patients with COPD

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

Low-intensity Treadmill Exercise-related Changes in the Rat Stellate Ganglion Neurons

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

Caracterização do ritmo de atividade/repouso do Mocó (Kerodon Rupestris) em fotoperíodo artificial

Kerodon rupestris (rock cavy, mocó) is an endemic caviidae of Brazilian northeast that inhabits rocky places in the semi arid region. The aim of this study was to characterize the activity/rest rhythm of the rock cavy under 12:12 h LD cycle and continuous light. In the first stage, seven animals were submitted to two light intensities (LD; 250:0 lux and 400:0 lux; 40 days each intensity). In the second stage four males were kept for 40 days in LD (470:<1 lux), for 18 days in LL 470 lux (LL470) and for 23 days in red dim light below 1 lux (LL<1). In the third stage three males were initially kept in LD 12:12 h (450:<1 lux) and after that in LL with gradual increase in light intensity each 21 days (<1 lux LL<1; 10 lux-LL10; 160 lux LL160; 450 lux LL450). In the fourth stage it was analyzed the motor activity of 16 animals in the first 10 days in LD. Motor activity was continuously recorded by passive infrared movement sensors connected to a computer and totaled in 5 min bins. The activity showed circadian and ultradian rhythms and activity peaks at phase transitions. The activity and the rest occurred in the light as well as in the dark phase, with activity mean greater in the light phase for most of the animals. The light intensity influenced the activity/rest rhythm in the first three stages and in the first stage the activity in 400 lux increased in four animals and decreases in two. In the second stage, the tau for 3 animals in LL470 was greater than 24 h; in LL<1 it was greater than 24 h for one and lower for two. In the third stage the tau decreased with the light intensity increase for animal 8. During the first days in the experimental room, the animals did not synchronize to the LD cycle with activity and rest occurring in both phases. The results indicate that the activity/rest rhythm of Kerodon rupestris can be affected by light intensity and that the synchronization to the LD cycle results from entrainment as well as masking probably as a consequence of the action of two or more oscillators with low coupling strength

Use of lithium niobate detector for measuring X-ray intensity in mammographic range

A detector system that can measure X-ray intensity in the mammographic range of 22 to 36 kVp (equivalent photon energies ofthe beam between 11 and 15 keV) is presented. It consists of a lithium mobate detector and a high-sensitivity current-to-voltage converter.

Real-time multi-sensors measurement system with temperature effects compensation for impedance-based structural health monitoring

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Electromechanical properties of 0-3 vegetable based polyurethane and lead zirconate titanate composite.

Composite made of Lead Zirconate Titranate (PZT) ceramic powder and castor oil based polyurethane (PU) were prepared in the thin film form with 0-3 connectivity by spin coating. The composite films were obtained in the thickness range of 100 mum to 300 mum using 33-vol.% of ceramic. The samples mechanical resistance. The material was characterised by dielectric spectroscopy, thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC), hysteresis measurements and laser-intensity-modulation method (LIMM). The pyroelectric coefficient at 343 K was 7x10(-5) C.m(-2) K-1 for the sample poled with 10 MV/m at 373 K for Ih. The results show that this new composite can be used as suitable piezo and pyroelectric sensors.

Pyroelectric composite film for X-ray intensity detection

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