Evolu����o dos sistemas de falhas de borda do Rifte Potiguar com base em curvas de crescimento de falhas

The discussion about rift evolution in the Brazilian Equatorial margin during the South America-Africa breakup in the Jurassic/Cretaceous has been focused in many researches. But rift evolution based on development and growth of faults has not been well explored. In this sense, we investigated the Cretaceous Potiguar Basin in the Equatorial margin of Brazil to understand the geometry of major faults and the influence of crustal heterogeneity and preexisting structural fabric in the evolution of the basin internal architecture. Previous studies pointed out that the rift is an asymmetrical half-graben elongated along the NE-SW direction. We used 2D seismic, well logs and 3D gravity modeling to analyze four major border fault segments and determine their maximum displacement (Dmax) and length (L) ratio in the Potiguar Rift. We constrained the 3D gravity modeling with well data and the interpretation of seismic sections. The difference of the fault displacement measured in the gravity model is in the order of 10% compared to seismic and well data. The fault-growth curves allowed us to divide the faulted rift border into four main fault segments, which provide roughly similar Dmax/L ratios. Fault-growth curves suggest that a regional uniform tectonic mechanism influenced growth of the rift fault segments. The variation of the displacements along the fault segments indicates that the fault segments were formed independently during rift initiation and were linked by hard and soft linkages. The latter formed relay ramps. In the interconnection zones the Dmax/L ratios are highest due to interference of fault segment motions. We divided the evolution of the Potiguar Rift into five stages based on these ratios and correlated them with the major tectonic stages of the breakup between South America and Africa in Early Cretaceous.

A mathematical model for the maneuvering simulation of a propelled SPAR vessel

To predict the maneuvering performance of a propelled SPAR vessel, a mathematical model was established as a path simulator. A system-based mathematical model was chosen as it offers advantages in cost and time over full Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The model is intended to provide a means of optimizing the maneuvering performance of this new vessel type. In this study the hydrodynamic forces and control forces are investigated as individual components, combined in a vectorial setting, and transferred to a body-fixed basis. SPAR vessels are known to be very sensitive to large amplitude motions during maneuvers due to the relatively small hydrostatic restoring forces. Previous model tests of SPAR vessels have shown significant roll and pitch amplitudes, especially during course change maneuvers. Thus, a full 6 DOF equation of motion was employed in the current numerical model. The mathematical model employed in this study was a combination of the model introduced by the Maneuvering Modeling Group (MMG) and the Abkowitz (1964) model. The new model represents the forces applied to the ship hull, the propeller forces and the rudder forces independently, as proposed by the MMG, but uses a 6DOF equation of motion introduced by Abkowitz to describe the motion of a maneuvering ship. The mathematical model was used to simulate the trajectory and motions of the propelled SPAR vessel in 10��/10��, 20��/20�� and 30��/30�� standard zig-zag maneuvers, as well as turning circle tests at rudder angles of 20�� and 30��. The simulation results were used to determine the maneuverability parameters (e.g. advance, transfer and tactical diameter) of the vessel. The final model provides the means of predicting and assessing the performance of the vessel type and can be easily adapted to specific vessel configurations based on the generic SPAR-type vessel used in this study.

Les caract��res musicaux au sein d'une d��marche artistique dramatique : exploration des indices acoustiques jouant un r��le dans l'��vocation des ��tats affectifs en musique

Cette th��se de doctorat en composition comprend deux projets de nature diff��rente et compl��mentaire : (1) un projet de recherche th��orique sur la communication des caract��res musicaux; (2) un projet artistique s'articulant autour de la composition de trois pi��ces : L'homme �� deux t��tes - op��ra de chambre, Un instant dans l'esprit de Lovecraft - pour clarinette solo, orchestre �� cordes et percussions, et Balade ornithologique - pour orchestre �� vents. La conception de la musique comme un moyen de communication est �� l'origine de cette recherche th��orique qui est motiv��e par un d��sir de compr��hension des strat��gies d'expressions des émotions en musique, �� partir du point de vue du compositeur. Cette th��se aborde les mod��les de communication, le concept de personnage virtuel et la th��orie de la contagion des humeurs. Par la suite, nous d��taillerons les indices acoustiques menant �� la perception des caract��res musicaux. Toutes ces notions sont illustr��es et explor��es par la composition de miniature ayant un caract��re bien cibl��. Finalement, nous proposons un syst��me d'analyse musical des caract��res et des émotions qui est appliqu�� �� l'analyse de sections des pi��ces compos��es au cours de ce projet de doctorat. Ce dernier chapitre met en lumi��re les strat��gies utilis��es pour cr��er un discours dramatique tout en exposant l'��vocation de diff��rents caract��res musicaux.

Croire : une tendance lourde

Au moins trois motifs sont susceptibles d���expliquer pourquoi la raison baisse les bras devant la croyance quelle qu���en soit la nature (religieuse, paranormale) : la satisfaction de l���homme �� l�����gard de sa propre pens��e, la pr����minence des émotions sur la raison et la fabrication de sens inh��rente au travail du cerveau humain.

Syst��mes tutoriels ��motionnellement intelligents

M��moire num��ris�� par la Direction des biblioth��ques de l'Universit�� de Montr��al.

Travail, engagement et communication : le travail comme exp��rience ��motionnelle positive

M��moire num��ris�� par la Direction des biblioth��ques de l'Universit�� de Montr��al.

La source des activations diff��rentielles obtenues lors d'��tudes IRMf de la tristesse : une ��tude de jumeaux

M��moire num��ris�� par la Direction des biblioth��ques de l'Universit�� de Montr��al.

The Anxious Heart of Injustice: Negative Affective Responses to Disabilities

Essai / Essay

Expertise sportive et entra��nement perceptivo-cognitif de l���athl��te

Pour ��tre performant au plus haut niveau, les athl��tes doivent poss��der une capacit�� perceptivo-cognitive sup��rieure �� la moyenne. Cette facult��, refl��t��e sur le terrain par la vision et l���intelligence de jeu des sportifs, permet d���extraire l���information cl�� de la sc��ne visuelle. La science du sport a depuis longtemps observ�� l���expertise perceptivo-cognitive au sein de l���environnement sportif propre aux athl��tes. R��cemment, des ��tudes ont rapport�� que l���expertise pouvait ��galement se refl��ter hors de ce contexte, lors d���activit��s du quotidien par exemple. De plus, les r��centes th��ories entourant la capacit�� plastique du cerveau ont amen�� les chercheurs �� d��velopper des outils pour entra��ner les capacit��s perceptivo-cognitives des athl��tes afin de les rendre plus performants sur le terrain. Ces m��thodes sont la plupart du temps contextuelles �� la discipline vis��e. Cependant, un nouvel outil d���entra��nement perceptivo-cognitif, nomm�� 3-Dimensional Multiple Object Tracking (3D-MOT) et d��nu�� de contexte sportif, a r��cemment vu le jour et a fait l���objet de nos recherches. Un de nos objectifs visait �� mettre en ��vidence l���expertise perceptivo-cognitive sp��cifique et non-sp��cifique chez des athl��tes lors d���une m��me ��tude. Nous avons ��valu�� la perception du mouvement biologique chez des joueurs de soccer et des non-athl��tes dans une salle de r��alit�� virtuelle. Les sportifs ��taient syst��matiquement plus performants en termes d���efficacit�� et de temps de r��action que les novices pour discriminer la direction du mouvement biologique lors d���un exercice sp��cifique de soccer (tir) mais ��galement lors d���une action issue du quotidien (marche). Ces r��sultats signifient que les athl��tes poss��dent une meilleure capacit�� �� percevoir les mouvements biologiques humains effectu��s par les autres. La pratique du soccer semble donc conf��rer un avantage fondamental qui va au-del�� des fonctions sp��cifiques �� la pratique d���un sport. Ces d��couvertes sont �� mettre en parall��le avec la performance exceptionnelle des athl��tes dans le traitement de sc��nes visuelles dynamiques et ��galement d��nu��es de contexte sportif. Des joueurs de soccer ont surpass�� des novices dans le test de 3D-MOT qui consiste �� suivre des cibles en mouvement et stimule les capacit��s perceptivo-cognitives. Leur vitesse de suivi visuel ainsi que leur facult�� d���apprentissage ��taient sup��rieures. Ces r��sultats confirmaient des donn��es obtenues pr��c��demment chez des sportifs. Le 3D-MOT est un test de poursuite attentionnelle qui stimule le traitement actif de l���information visuelle dynamique. En particulier, l���attention s��lective, dynamique et soutenue ainsi que la m��moire de travail. Cet outil peut ��tre utilis�� pour entra��ner les fonctions perceptivo-cognitives des athl��tes. Des joueurs de soccer entra��n��s au 3D-MOT durant 30 sessions ont montr�� une am��lioration de la prise de d��cision dans les passes de 15% sur le terrain compar��s �� des joueurs de groupes contr��les. Ces donn��es d��montrent pour la premi��re fois un transfert perceptivo-cognitif du laboratoire au terrain suivant un entra��nement perceptivo-cognitif non-contextuel au sport de l���athl��te cibl��. Nos recherches aident �� comprendre l���expertise des athl��tes par l���approche sp��cifique et non-sp��cifique et pr��sentent ��galement les outils d���entra��nements perceptivo-cognitifs, en particulier le 3D-MOT, pour am��liorer la performance dans le sport de haut-niveau.

RF MIMO Systems for Wide-Area Indoor Human Motion Monitoring

<p>Human motion monitoring is an important function in numerous applications. In this dissertation, two systems for monitoring motions of multiple human targets in wide-area indoor environments are discussed, both of which use radio frequency (RF) signals to detect, localize, and classify different types of human motion. In the first system, a coherent monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array is used, and a joint spatial-temporal adaptive processing method is developed to resolve micro-Doppler signatures at each location in a wide-area for motion mapping. The downranges are obtained by estimating time-delays from the targets, and the crossranges are obtained by coherently filtering array spatial signals. Motion classification is then applied to each target based on micro-Doppler analysis. In the second system, multiple noncoherent multistatic transmitters (Tx's) and receivers (Rx's) are distributed in a wide-area, and motion mapping is achieved by noncoherently combining bistatic range profiles from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. Also, motion classification is applied to each target by noncoherently combining bistatic micro-Doppler signatures from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. For both systems, simulation and real data results are shown to demonstrate the ability of the proposed methods for monitoring patient repositioning activities for pressure ulcer prevention.</p>

Seismic Response Analysis of a Full-Scale Base-Isolated Structure via Measurements and Modeling

<p>The full-scale base-isolated structure studied in this dissertation is the only base-isolated building in South Island of New Zealand. It sustained hundreds of earthquake ground motions from September 2010 and well into 2012. Several large earthquake responses were recorded in December 2011 by NEES@UCLA and by GeoNet recording station nearby Christchurch Women's Hospital. The primary focus of this dissertation is to advance the state-of-the art of the methods to evaluate performance of seismic-isolated structures and the effects of soil-structure interaction by developing new data processing methodologies to overcome current limitations and by implementing advanced numerical modeling in OpenSees for direct analysis of soil-structure interaction.</p><p>This dissertation presents a novel method for recovering force-displacement relations within the isolators of building structures with unknown nonlinearities from sparse seismic-response measurements of floor accelerations. The method requires only direct matrix calculations (factorizations and multiplications); no iterative trial-and-error methods are required. The method requires a mass matrix, or at least an estimate of the floor masses. A stiffness matrix may be used, but is not necessary. Essentially, the method operates on a matrix of incomplete measurements of floor accelerations. In the special case of complete floor measurements of systems with linear dynamics, real modes, and equal floor masses, the principal components of this matrix are the modal responses. In the more general case of partial measurements and nonlinear dynamics, the method extracts a number of linearly-dependent components from Hankel matrices of measured horizontal response accelerations, assembles these components row-wise and extracts principal components from the singular value decomposition of this large matrix of linearly-dependent components. These principal components are then interpolated between floors in a way that minimizes the curvature energy of the interpolation. This interpolation step can make use of a reduced-order stiffness matrix, a backward difference matrix or a central difference matrix. The measured and interpolated floor acceleration components at all floors are then assembled and multiplied by a mass matrix. The recovered in-service force-displacement relations are then incorporated into the OpenSees soil structure interaction model.</p><p>Numerical simulations of soil-structure interaction involving non-uniform soil behavior are conducted following the development of the complete soil-structure interaction model of Christchurch Women's Hospital in OpenSees. In these 2D OpenSees models, the superstructure is modeled as two-dimensional frames in short span and long span respectively. The lead rubber bearings are modeled as elastomeric bearing (Bouc Wen) elements. The soil underlying the concrete raft foundation is modeled with linear elastic plane strain quadrilateral element. The non-uniformity of the soil profile is incorporated by extraction and interpolation of shear wave velocity profile from the Canterbury Geotechnical Database. The validity of the complete two-dimensional soil-structure interaction OpenSees model for the hospital is checked by comparing the results of peak floor responses and force-displacement relations within the isolation system achieved from OpenSees simulations to the recorded measurements. General explanations and implications, supported by displacement drifts, floor acceleration and displacement responses, force-displacement relations are described to address the effects of soil-structure interaction.</p>

Data-Driven Motion Detection and Characterization in PET Brain Scans Using List Mode

<p>Head motion during a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain scan can considerably degrade image quality. External motion-tracking devices have proven successful in minimizing this effect, but the associated time, maintenance, and workflow changes inhibit their widespread clinical use. List-mode PET acquisition allows for the retroactive analysis of coincidence events on any time scale throughout a scan, and therefore potentially offers a data-driven motion detection and characterization technique. An algorithm was developed to parse list-mode data, divide the full acquisition into short scan intervals, and calculate the line-of-response (LOR) midpoint average for each interval. These LOR midpoint averages, known as ���radioactivity centroids,��� were presumed to represent the center of the radioactivity distribution in the scanner, and it was thought that changes in this metric over time would correspond to intra-scan motion.</p><p>Several scans were taken of the 3D Hoffman brain phantom on a GE Discovery IQ PET/CT scanner to test the ability of the radioactivity to indicate intra-scan motion. Each scan incrementally surveyed motion in a different degree of freedom (2 translational and 2 rotational). The radioactivity centroids calculated from these scans correlated linearly to phantom positions/orientations. Centroid measurements over 1-second intervals performed on scans with ~1mCi of activity in the center of the field of view had standard deviations of 0.026 cm in the x- and y-dimensions and 0.020 cm in the z-dimension, which demonstrates high precision and repeatability in this metric. Radioactivity centroids are thus shown to successfully represent discrete motions on the submillimeter scale. It is also shown that while the radioactivity centroid can precisely indicate the amount of motion during an acquisition, it fails to distinguish what type of motion occurred.</p>

Assessment of primary energy conversions of oscillating water columns. II. Power take-off and validations

This is the second part of the assessment of primary energy conversions of oscillating water columns (OWCs) wave energy converters. In the first part of the research work, the hydrodynamic performance of OWC wave energy converter has been extensively examined, targeting on a reliable numerical assessment method. In this part of the research work, the application of the air turbine power take-off (PTO) to the OWC device leads to a coupled model of the hydrodynamics and thermodynamics of the OWC wave energy converters, in a manner that under the wave excitation, the varying air volume due to the internal water surface motion creates a reciprocating chamber pressure (alternative positive and negative chamber pressure), whilst the chamber pressure, in turn, modifies the motions of the device and the internal water surface. To do this, the thermodynamics of the air chamber is first examined and applied by including the air compressibility in the oscillating water columns for different types of the air turbine PTOs. The developed thermodynamics is then coupled with the hydrodynamics of the OWC wave energy converters. This proposed assessment method is then applied to two generic OWC wave energy converters (one bottom fixed and another floating), and the numerical results are compared to the experimental results. From the comparison to the model test data, it can be seen that this numerical method is capable of assessing the primary energy conversion for the oscillating water column wave energy converters.

Artificial neural network application in short-term prediction in an oscillating water column

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) is one type of promising wave energy devices due to its obvious advantage over many other wave energy converters: no moving component in sea water. Two types of OWCs (bottom-fixed and floating) have been widely investigated, and the bottom-fixed OWCs have been very successful in several practical applications. Recently, the proposal of massive wave energy production and the availability of wave energy have pushed OWC applications from near-shore to deeper water regions where floating OWCs are a better choice. For an OWC under sea waves, the air flow driving air turbine to generate electricity is a random process. In such a working condition, single design/operation point is nonexistent. To improve energy extraction, and to optimise the performance of the device, a system capable of controlling the air turbine rotation speed is desirable. To achieve that, this paper presents a short-term prediction of the random, process by an artificial neural network (ANN), which can provide near-future information for the control system. In this research, ANN is explored and tuned for a better prediction of the airflow (as well as the device motions for a wide application). It is found that, by carefully constructing ANN platform and optimizing the relevant parameters, ANN is capable of predicting the random process a few steps ahead of the real, time with a good accuracy. More importantly, the tuned ANN works for a large range of different types of random, process.

Performance improvements of mooring systems for wave energy converters

In the development of wave energy converters, the mooring system is a key component for a safe station-keeping and an important factor in the cost of the wave energy production. Generally, when designing a mooring system for a wave energy converter, two important conditions must be considered: (i) that the mooring system must be strong enough to limit the drifting motions, even in extreme waves, tidal and wind conditions and (ii) it must be compliant enough so that the impact on wave energy production can be minimised. It is frequently found that these two conditions are contradictory. The existing solutions mainly include the use of heavy chains, which create a catenary shaped mooring configuration, allowing limited flexibility within the mooring system, and hence very large forces may still be present on mooring lines and thus on anchors. This solution is normally quite expensive if the costs of the materials and installation are included. This paper presents a new solution to the mooring system for wave energy converters within the FP7 project, ���GeoWAVE���, which is a project aiming to develop a new generation of the moorings system for minimising the loads on mooring lines and anchors, the impact on the device motions for power conversion, and the footprint if it is applicable, and meanwhile the new types of anchors are also addressed within the project. However this paper will focus on the new mooring system by presenting the wave tank test results of the Pelamis wave energy converter model and the new developed mooring system. It can be seen that the new generation of mooring system can significantly reduce the loads on mooring lines and anchors, and reduce the device excursions as a result of the new mooring system when compare to the conventional catenary mooring.