Periodic window arising in the parameter space of an impact oscillator

In the bi-dimensional parameter space of an impact-pair system, shrimp-shaped periodic windows are embedded in chaotic regions. We show that a weak periodic forcing generates new periodic windows near the unperturbed one with its shape and periodicity. Thus, the new periodic windows are parameter range extensions for which the controlled periodic oscillations substitute the chaotic oscillations. We identify periodic and chaotic attractors by their largest Lyapunov exponents. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grafisk profilering med praktisk tillämpning på Rookiefestivalen

This degree project includes both a theoretic component and a practical component within the graphicprofiling domain. Literature on graphic design has been studied for the theoretical part and the achievedknowledge has been used for the practical part. The project has been to produce graphic materialfor “Rookiefestivalen” in Hultsfred.In modern society it is important for a corporation to distinguish itself from others by using a graphicprofile. Through using a graphic profile the company can have an affect on how it is perceived byothers. This is true not only for corporations as both organisations, societies and other events will benefitfrom the use of a graphic profile.The material that’s been produced is not within the traditional boundaries of graphic profiling. It israther marketing material for the festival. The graphic profile was applied to a variety of things suchas posters, flyers, ad’s and the festival’s website. The result is to be seen in the appendix of this degreeproject and on the Internet: http://www.rookierockparty.se

ICT as a tool in English teaching : A literature review on the use of ICT for Swedish students with learning difficulties and their literacy learning in grades 7-9

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a subject that is being discussed as a tool that is used within education around the world. Furthermore it can be seen as a tool for teachers to individualize students´ education. Students with literacy difficulties, such as dyslexia, are in constant need of new ways to learn, and new ways to be motivated to learn. The aim of this study is to see what research says in regard to how ICT can be used as a tool to help students with literacy difficulties. Literacy difficulties can be due to a number of things, such as the student has not been taught how to read, trouble within the family which can cause distress, or a neurological disorder such as dyslexia. Furthermore, the main research questions will focus on how ICT can be compared to traditional education forms, such as books and a more teacher centered education within the classroom, and whether ICT can be preferred. The results of this literature review indicates that ICT can be seen as a way for teachers to help students with literacy difficulties gain more self-esteem – something the literature tells us students with learning difficulties lack. The results also show how ICT can lead to a more individualized education. This is due to tools that increase reading comprehension and tools that give direct response when working with ICT, which helps students work more independently.

Os impactos da internet no varejo automobilístico brasileiro

Ainda considerada uma tecnologia emergente, a Internet tem provocado importantes transformações na comercialização, logística de suprimentos e distribuição, modelagem organizacional, produção e nos recursos humanos no setor do varejo automobilístico nacional. Outrossim, a Internet tem mudado a forma de atuação no mercado por parte das empresas de veículos automotores brasileiros, as quais devem passar a dispor de novos métodos de gestão, práticas comerciais e recursos da tecnologia on-line, visto que a tendência do tipo tradicional de vendas face a face é tomar-se obsoleto em relação à venda" virtual". o presente estudo foi desenvolvido com a finalidade de analisar quais os impactos e as mudanças causadas pela Internet nas empresas de varejo de veículos automotores nacionais, bem como apontar possíveis soluções para adaptação das concessionárias de automóveis brasileiras frente a esse novo panorama - a era da tecnologia. Para tanto, além da revisão de literatura, foram realizadas duas pesquisas - uma de abrangência nacional e outra regional, que teve como base a cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Através da coleta de dados, foram obtidas informações sobre o que influi no uso e não-uso da Internet no segmento de varejo de automotores.

Behavioral study of Cebus nigritus (Goldfuss, 1809) (Primates, Cebidae) in captivity

The objective of this study was to describe the behavior of Cebus nigritus kept in captivity. The work, carried out during the month of March 2008 at "Dr. Belrio Guimaraes Brandao" County Zoo in GarYa- SP and Monte Alegre Farm Ecological Park in Telemaco Borba- PR, included 48 hours of observations, divided equally in four daytime periods. The behavioral catalogue used was constituted of different categories such as: foraging, feeding, locomotion, rest, social interaction, physical care, alertness, manipulation of things, reproductive behavior and stereotyped behavior. Animals showed activities of foraging, feeding, and locomotion and social interaction in low percentages in the two morning periods; however, their frequencies increased in the afternoon. Other activities like physical care, alertness and stereotyped behavior appeared mainly in the two morning periods, but were reduced in the afternoon. The rest category was more evident early morning and late afternoon. Since the stereotypical behavior presented high percentages, this study recommends that the number of individuals be diversiied in the social organization of the groups and that environment enriching activities be developed in captivity, creating situations similar to the animal's natural habitat.

Histological and histomorphometrical evaluation of furcation perforations filled with MTA, CPM and ZOE

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

Priority areas for the conservation of Atlantic forest large mammals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Small-angle X-ray scattering study of gelation and aging of Eu3+-doped sol-gel-derived siloxane-poly(oxyethylene) nanocomposites

The aggregation, gelation, and aging of urea-cross-linked siloxane-poly(oxyethylene) nanohybrids [(U600)-n] containing two different amounts of europium triflate initially dissolved in an ethanol-water mixture were investigated by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). For both low (n = [O]/[Eu] = 80) and high (n = 25) europium contents, the SAXS intensity was attributed to the formation of siloxane clusters of about 8-11 Angstrom in size. Siloxane cluster formation and growth is a rapid process in hybrids with low Eu contents and slow in Eu-rich hybrids. An additional contribution to the scattering intensity at very low angles was attributed to the formation of a coarse structure level. At this secondary level, the structure can be described as a set of dense domains containing siloxane clusters embedded in a depleted matrix composed of unfolded polymer chains and solvent. By fitting a theoretical function for this model to the experimental SAXS curves, relevant structural parameters were determined as functions of time during the sol-gel transition and gel aging. For hybrids with low europium contents (n = 80), the size of the siloxane clusters remains essentially invariant, whereas the dense segregation domains progressively grow. In hybrids with high doping contents (n = 25), the preponderant structure variation during the first stages of the sol-gel transformation is the slow growth of siloxane clusters. For these hybrids, the segregation of siloxane clusters forming dense domains occurs only during advanced stages of the process.

In vitro evaluation of root canal preparation using oscillatory and rotary systems in flattened root canals

Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical preparation of flattened root canals using the following systems: Endo-Eze AET stainless steel oscillatory instruments (Ultradent) and RaCe rotary NiTi instruments (FKG Dentaire). Materials and Methods: Twenty extracted human mandibular incisors were randomly assigned to two groups: Group I Instrumentation with oscillatory Endo-Eze AET files (oscillatory technique); Group 2 - Instrumentation with rotary NiTi RaCe files (rotary technique). The teeth were decoronated, had their apices and coronal openings sealed with sticky wax and were embedded in crystal-clear orthophtalic polyester resin. The roots were sectioned transversally with diamond discs at 10 mm (middle third) and 5 mm (apical third) from the apex and the segments were reassembled for instrumentation. The sections were photographed before and after root canal instrumentation and evaluated with respect to whether the original root canal shape was modified by instrumentation. To evaluate the differences in the root canal shape before and after biomechanical preparation, scores were given regarding the instruments touch on the intracanal walls. Results: In middle third of the root canals instrumented with the rotary system, there was a change in the original canal anatomy (p < 0.05), with formation of a protuberance in the mesiodistal direction. This protuberance did not occur when the oscillatory instrumentation was used. The oscillatory system had better results in the middle and apical thirds as evaluated by Dunn's multiple-comparison test (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Under the tested conditions, Endo-Eze oscillatory system yielded the instrumentation of all flattened oot canal walls, maintaining the canal original shape throughout the biomechanical preparation, and was more effective than RaCe rotary system.

A case study of the 9 August 1988 South Atlantic storm: Numerical simulations of the wave activity

During 9-11 August 1988, a cyclone developed over Uruguay in the lee of the Andes Mountains and moved over the South Atlantic Ocean, where it redeveloped into an intense storm. This storm was responsible for unusual wave activity along the Brazilian shoreline from 22° to 32°S. The Brazilian news media reported the loss of at least one life, waves of 3 m and higher, and the disappearance of a drainage pipe, which weighed 8000 kg, off the shores of Rio de Janeiro. In this paper, the evolution of this intense storm and the associated ocean wave response is studied through European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses, a hydrostatic limited-area meteorological model, and a second-generation prognostic wave model. The atmospheric model results indicated the presence of a long-lived and large fetch with surface wind velocities higher than 12 m s -1 directed toward the coast. Some areas with velocities of 20 m s -1 were embedded in the fetch. The wave model forced by this wind field was able to simulate waves with a significant height of 8 m far from the coast and about 4 m in regions very close to the Brazilian coast in agreement with the occurrence reported at Rio de Janeiro. The swell propagation toward the coast of Rio de Janeiro was obstructed by a northeastward 10-m wind during the first 24-h period of the model's integration. During the second 24-h period, the fetch was still large and strong, but the obstacle was removed by a counterclockwise rotation of wind direction favoring the swell and windsea propagation toward the Rio de Janeiro coast.

Cariostatic effect of fluoride-containing restorative systems associated with dentifrices on root dentin

Objective. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the interaction between two sources of fluoride (restorative systems and dentifrices) in inhibiting artificial root caries development. Methods. One hundred and eighty tooth segments were embedded in polyester resin, and sanded flat. Cylindrical cavities 1.0 mm-deep and 1.5 mm-diameter were prepared in root dentin and randomly restored by fluoride-containing restorative systems: Ketac-fil/Espe (Ke), Fuji II LC/GC Corp (Fj), F2000/3M (F2), Surefil/Dentsply (Su) or a control: Filtek Z250/3M (Z2). Ten experimental groups were made to test the association among the five restorative systems and two dentifrices: with F - (Sensodyne Baking Soda) or without F- (Sensodyne Original) (n = 18). After surface polishing, a 1 mm-wide margin around the restorations was demarcated and initial dentin surface Knoop microhardness values (KHNi) were obtained. The specimens were submitted to a pH-cycling model, and to applications of slurries of dentifrice. Afterwards the final dentin surface Knoop microhardness values (KHNf) were measured. Results. The differences between KHNi and KHNf, and the covariate KHNi were considered by the ANCOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The interaction between restorative system and dentifrice was statistically significant (p = 0.0026). All restorative systems provided some protection against artificial caries challenge when associated with the fluoride-containing dentifrice treatment. The means (standard deviation) of reductions in Knoop hardness values for systems associated with the fluoride-containing dentifrice were: Ke: 40.0(1.02)a, Fj: 41.9(1.02)b, F2: 43.3(1.04)c, Su: 43.5(1.00)c, Z2: 44.0(1.02)c; and with the non-fluoride-containing dentifrice were: Ke: 42.9(1.02)a, Fj: 44.7(1.01)b, F2: 45.2(1.09)bc, Su: 46.0(0.99)c, Z2: 46.6(0.99)c (statistical differences were expressed by different letters). Conclusion. The cariostatic effect shown by the fluoride-containing dentifrice could enhance that shown by Ketac-fil and Fuji II LC, and could mask that shown by F2000. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A petri net based timing model for hardware/software co-design of digital systems

We have recently proposed an extension to Petri nets in order to be able to directly deal with all aspects of embedded digital systems. This extension is meant to be used as an internal model of our co-design environment. After analyzing relevant related work, and presenting a short introduction to our extension as a background material, we describe the details of the timing model we use in our approach, which is mainly based in Merlin's time model. We conclude the paper by discussing an example of its usage. © 2004 IEEE.

Determination of resonant frequencies of triangular and rectangular microstrip antennas, using artificial neural networks

This paper presents models that can be used in the design of microstrip antennas for mobile communications. The antennas can be triangular or rectangular. The presented models are compared with deterministic and empirical models based on artificial neural networks (ANN) presented in the literature. The models are based on Perceptron Multilayer (PML) and Radial Basis Function (RBF) ANN. RBF based models presented the best results. Also, the models can be embedded in CAD systems, in order to design microstrip antennas for mobile communications.

Conception of wheeled mobile robots with reconfigurable control using integrate prototyping

With the fast innovation of the hardware and software technologies using rapid prototyping devices, with application in the robotics and automation, more and more it becomes necessary the development of applications based on methodologies that facilitate future modifications, updates and enhancements in the original projected system. This paper presents a conception of mobile robots using rapid prototyping, distributing the several control actions in growing levels of complexity and using resources of reconfigurable computing proposal oriented to embed systems implementation. Software and the hardware are structuralized in independents blocks, with connection through common bus. The study and applications of new structures control that permits good performance in relation to the parameter variations. This kind of controller can be tested on different platform representing the wheeled mobile robots using reprogrammable logic components (FPGA). © 2006 IEEE.

Social dimensions of macroeconomic policy: report of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations

Introduction The social agenda is long-term in nature, in the sense that poverty alleviation along with a better distribution of income, wealth and opportunities are long-term goals. A sound macroeconomic policy, on the other hand, has to do largely with the consistent management of short-term policy instruments pursuing a sustainable and predictable pace for aggregate economic variables and major prices (wages, inflation, interest rates and exchange rates). In spite of the different arena and rationale in which they play, there are strong links between the two. First and most obvious, macroeconomic adjustment and structural reform are more likely to be sustainable when they are equitable. Second, social intervention —i.e., policies, programmes and reforms aimed at improving social performance in the long run—, needs stable funding which is not always available in view of macroeconomic constraints. Third, macroeconomic instability —especially episodes of recession or hyperinflation— increases poverty and inequality, while restoring macroeconomic equilibrium does not restore previous social balances. Finally, there is no unique macroeconomic policy mix to tackle a given situation, and the policy options may not be neutral from a social standpoint. Monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies, together with structural reform, have major consequences for the social wellbeing of societies, not only in terms of protection against shocks and crises but also in terms of equity. Many, if not all, of the necessary social policies are of a domestic nature. This report thus concentrates on domestic strategies aimed at maximizing the linkages between consistent macroeconomic policies and social progress. Pursuing them, however, depends to a considerable extent on the international enabling environment in which the global financial system, the unsettled debt crisis and increasing ODA flows play a significant role. Countries operate in a world economy where market players everywhere immediately scrutinize domestic monetary, financial or fiscal policy decisions and the performance of exchange rate regimes of individual countries. Under these conditions, the room for manoeuvre of policymakers has become considerably constrained. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly complex to incorporate the social dimensions into such policy decisions, to the extent that external analysts consider that authorities are sacrificing sound macroeconomic policies. The main message of the report is that the expediency of short-term economic efficiency as embedded in much of the advice on macroeconomic stability needs to be tempered by long-term development objectives. The report starts with a short historical background which describes the ascendancy of macroeconomic policies over social development policies (chapter I). It continues with an evaluation of the relation between macroeconomic consistency and social effort (chapter II), and the importance of sustainable and stable growth for social progress (chapter III). The report then turns to the need for an equity-enhancing growth strategy (chapter IV) and an analysis of the priorities of social policies in an integrated approach to growth (chapter V). The final chapter adds some final institutional remarks.