Approximation of hyperbolic tangent activation function using hybrid methods

Artificial Neural Networks are widely used in various applications in engineering, as such solutions of nonlinear problems. The implementation of this technique in reconfigurable devices is a great challenge to researchers by several factors, such as floating point precision, nonlinear activation function, performance and area used in FPGA. The contribution of this work is the approximation of a nonlinear function used in ANN, the popular hyperbolic tangent activation function. The system architecture is composed of several scenarios that provide a tradeoff of performance, precision and area used in FPGA. The results are compared in different scenarios and with current literature on error analysis, area and system performance. © 2013 IEEE.

Combining anisotropic diffusion, transport equation and texture synthesis for inpainting textured images

In this work we propose a new image inpainting technique that combines texture synthesis, anisotropic diffusion, transport equation and a new sampling mechanism designed to alleviate the computational burden of the inpainting process. Given an image to be inpainted, anisotropic diffusion is initially applied to generate a cartoon image. A block-based inpainting approach is then applied so that to combine the cartoon image and a measure based on transport equation that dictates the priority on which pixels are filled. A sampling region is then defined dynamically so as to hold the propagation of the edges towards image structures while avoiding unnecessary searches during the completion process. Finally, a cartoon-based metric is computed to measure likeness between target and candidate blocks. Experimental results and comparisons against existing techniques attest the good performance and flexibility of our technique when dealing with real and synthetic images. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ICT adoption and diffusion patterns in Latin American agriculture

Includes bibliography

Influência de variáveis de processo sobre a cinética de secagem de abóbora (Cucurbita moschata)

Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Ciência de Alimentos - IBILCE

Wave equation depth migration using complex Padé approximation

Propomos um novo método de migração em profundidade baseado na solução da equação da onda com densidade constante no domínio da freqüência. Uma aproximação de Padé complexa é usada para aproximar o operador de evolução aplicado na extrapolação do campo de ondas. Esse método reduz as imprecisões e instabilidades devido às ondas evanescentes e produz imagens com menos ruídos numéricos que aquelas obtidas usando-se a aproximação de Padé real para o operador exponencial, principalmente em meios com fortes variações de velocidades. Testes em dados de afastamento nulo do modelo de sal SEG/EAGE e nos dados de tiro comum 2-D Marmousi foram realizados. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o método de migração proposto consegue lidar com fortes variações laterais e também tem uma boa resposta para refletores com mergulhos íngremes. Os resultados foram comparados àqueles resultados obtidos com os métodos split-step Fourier (SSF), phase shift plus interpolarion (PSPI) e Fourier diferenças-finitas (FFD).

Chemical and mineralogical characterization of portuguese ceramic tiles in the historic center of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil): an approximation of the mineralogy and firing temperature of the raw materials

Nesse trabalho, foram caracterizados, pela primeira vez, azulejos históricos portugueses do Centro Histórico de São Luís (CHSL) do Maranhão. A caracterização foi realizada através dos ensaios de microscopia ótica, difração de raios X (DRX) e análise química, visando ao uso dessa informação para a determinação das possíveis matérias-primas utilizadas na sua fabricação, bem como a provável temperatura de queima desses materiais. Os resultados mostraram que a microestrutura desses materiais é constituída por poros de tamanhos variados, apresentando incrustações de calcita e grãos de quartzo de tamanhos inferiores a 500 µm, distribuídos numa matriz de cor rosa-amarelo, onde foram identificadas, por DRX, as fases minerais calcita, gelhenita, wollastonita, quartzo e amorfo. A partir da informação obtida, é possível inferir que as matérias-primas originais estiveram constituídas, provavelmente, por mistura de argilas caoliníticas (Al₂O₃•2SiO,₂•2H₂O), ricas em carbonatos de cálcio e quartzo ou misturas de argilas caoliniticas, quartzo e calcita. Essas matérias-primas originais não atingiram a temperatura de cocção de 950ºC.

Bleaching effectiveness, hydrogen peroxide diffusion, and cytotoxicity of a chemically activated bleaching gel

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

Effective tooth-bleaching protocols capable of reducing H2O2 diffusion through enamel and dentine

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

Influence of Adhesive Restorations on Diffusion of H2O2 Released from a Bleaching Agent and Its Toxic Effects on Pulp Cells

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

Influence of Concentration and Activation on Hydrogen Peroxide Diffusion through Dental Tissues In Vitro

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

High genetic diversity among Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. isolated in a public hospital in Brazil

In Brazil and other regions of the world, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. have emerged as important agents of nosocomial infection and are commonly involved in outbreaks. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the genetic relationship among P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. isolated from patients in a public university hospital in northwestern Parana, Brazil, and report their antimicrobial resistance profile. A total of 75 P. aeruginosa and 94 Acinetobacter spp. isolates were phenotypically identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility using automated methodology. Polymyxin B was tested by disk diffusion for P. aeruginosa. Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) was detected using a disk approximation test. Genotyping was performed using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR). Approximately 55% of the P. aeruginosa isolates and 92% of the Acinetobacter spp. isolates were multiresistant, but none were MBL-producers. ERIC-PCR revealed the presence of small clusters of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp., most likely OXA-type carbapenemase producers. Furthermore, high genetic diversity in P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. clinical isolates was observed, suggesting that cross-transmission is not very frequent in the studied hospital.

Diffusion of Lambda(c) in hot hadronic medium and its impact on Lambda(c)/D ratio

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