Pulp fruit added to culture medium for in vitro orchid development

As an additive in in vitro culture media, fruits have a great potential for facilitating economical orchid production because of lower technology requirements and the ease of obtaining raw materials to formulate culture media. We studied the in vitro growth of Cattleya bicolor Lindl. grown in a simplified culture medium supplemented with different kinds of fruit pulp. The experimental design was completely randomised, with eight seedlings per replication and ten replications per treatment, for a total of 80 seedlings per treatment. The culture medium was made using 150 g L -1 of pulp (without peel or seed) from the following fruits: ripe Santa Cruz tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), dwarf bananas (Musa cavendishii L.) of intermediate ripeness, light green chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw), ripe papaya (Carica papaya L.) or green coconut (Cocos nucifera L.).The treatment control was MS 50 %. The treatments and the control were kept in a growth chamber for seven months before evaluating seedling survival percentage, shoot height, number of leaves, rooting percentage, root number, root length and dry masses of shoot and roots. The highest percentages of seedling survival were obtained using MS 50 %, banana and coconut medium. The seedling survival and rooting percentages illustrate that it is possible to emphasise the culture medium MS 50% and the culture medium supplemented with coconut on the most traditional culture medium with banana or tomato pulp. For the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl., a simplified culture medium supplemented with coconut pulp is the most suitable for use as an alternative to MS 50%. A simplified culture medium supplemented with papaya pulp is not recommended for the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl.

Development and validation of a microbiological assay by turbidimetry to determine the potency of cefazolin sodium in the lyophilized powder form

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

Development and validation of a rapid turbidimetric assay to determine the potency of ampicillin sodium in powder for injectable solution

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

Development and validation of UV spectrophotometric method for orbifloxacin assay and dissolution studies

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

Development and validation of an economic, environmental friendly and stability-indicating analytical method for determination of ampicillin sodium for injection by RP-HPLC

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

Development and characterization of a distributed measurement system for the evaluation of voltage quality in electric power networks

The research activity carried out during the PhD course in Electrical Engineering belongs to the branch of electric and electronic measurements. The main subject of the present thesis is a distributed measurement system to be installed in Medium Voltage power networks, as well as the method developed to analyze data acquired by the measurement system itself and to monitor power quality. In chapter 2 the increasing interest towards power quality in electrical systems is illustrated, by reporting the international research activity inherent to the problem and the relevant standards and guidelines emitted. The aspect of the quality of voltage provided by utilities and influenced by customers in the various points of a network came out only in recent years, in particular as a consequence of the energy market liberalization. Usually, the concept of quality of the delivered energy has been associated mostly to its continuity. Hence the reliability was the main characteristic to be ensured for power systems. Nowadays, the number and duration of interruptions are the “quality indicators” commonly perceived by most customers; for this reason, a short section is dedicated also to network reliability and its regulation. In this contest it should be noted that although the measurement system developed during the research activity belongs to the field of power quality evaluation systems, the information registered in real time by its remote stations can be used to improve the system reliability too. Given the vast scenario of power quality degrading phenomena that usually can occur in distribution networks, the study has been focused on electromagnetic transients affecting line voltages. The outcome of such a study has been the design and realization of a distributed measurement system which continuously monitor the phase signals in different points of a network, detect the occurrence of transients superposed to the fundamental steady state component and register the time of occurrence of such events. The data set is finally used to locate the source of the transient disturbance propagating along the network lines. Most of the oscillatory transients affecting line voltages are due to faults occurring in any point of the distribution system and have to be seen before protection equipment intervention. An important conclusion is that the method can improve the monitored network reliability, since the knowledge of the location of a fault allows the energy manager to reduce as much as possible both the area of the network to be disconnected for protection purposes and the time spent by technical staff to recover the abnormal condition and/or the damage. The part of the thesis presenting the results of such a study and activity is structured as follows: chapter 3 deals with the propagation of electromagnetic transients in power systems by defining characteristics and causes of the phenomena and briefly reporting the theory and approaches used to study transients propagation. Then the state of the art concerning methods to detect and locate faults in distribution networks is presented. Finally the attention is paid on the particular technique adopted for the same purpose during the thesis, and the methods developed on the basis of such approach. Chapter 4 reports the configuration of the distribution networks on which the fault location method has been applied by means of simulations as well as the results obtained case by case. In this way the performance featured by the location procedure firstly in ideal then in realistic operating conditions are tested. In chapter 5 the measurement system designed to implement the transients detection and fault location method is presented. The hardware belonging to the measurement chain of every acquisition channel in remote stations is described. Then, the global measurement system is characterized by considering the non ideal aspects of each device that can concur to the final combined uncertainty on the estimated position of the fault in the network under test. Finally, such parameter is computed according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurements, by means of a numeric procedure. In the last chapter a device is described that has been designed and realized during the PhD activity aiming at substituting the commercial capacitive voltage divider belonging to the conditioning block of the measurement chain. Such a study has been carried out aiming at providing an alternative to the used transducer that could feature equivalent performance and lower cost. In this way, the economical impact of the investment associated to the whole measurement system would be significantly reduced, making the method application much more feasible.

Development of a method for plasma - induced combustion of intermediate to low-level radioactive waste

This work demonstrates that the plasma - induced combustion of intermediate to low-level radioactive waste is a suitable method for volume reduction and stabilization. Weaknesses of existing facilities can be overcome with novel developments. Plasma treatment of LILW has a high economical advantage by volume reduction for storage in final repositories.

A simple, economical, and effective portable paediatric mock circulatory system

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) and total artificial hearts have been in development for the last 50 years. Since their inception, simulators of the circulation with different degrees of complexity have been produced to test these devices in vitro. Currently, a new path has been taken with the extensive efforts to develop paediatric VADs, which require totally different design constraints. This paper presents the manufacturing details of an economical simulator of the systemic paediatric circulation. This simulator allows the insertion of a paediatric VAD, includes a pumping ventricle, and is adjustable within the paediatric range. Rather than focusing on complexity and physiological simulation, this simulator is designed to be simple and practical for rapid device testing. The simulator was instrumented with medical sensors and data were acquired under different conditions with and without the new PediaFlowTM paediatric VAD. The VAD was run at different impeller speeds while simulator settings such as vascular resistance and stroke volume were varied. The hydraulic performance of the VAD under pulsatile conditions could be characterized and the magnetic suspension could be tested via manipulations such as cannula clamping. This compact mock loop has proven to be valuable throughout the PediaFlow development process and has the advantage that it is uncomplicated and can be manufactured cheaply. It can be produced by several research groups and the results of different VADs can then be compared easily.

Integrated robust airline schedule development

In air transportation, airline profitability is influenced by the airline's ability to build flight schedules. In order to generate operational schedules, airlines engage in a complex decision-making process, referred to as airline schedule planning. Up to now, the generation of flight schedules has been separated and optimized sequentially. The schedule design has been traditionally decomposed into two sequential steps. The frequency planning and the timetable development. The purpose of the second problem of schedule development, fleet assignment, is to assign available aircraft types to flight legs such that seating capacity on an assigned aircraft matches closely with flight demand and such that costs are minimized. Our work integrates these planning phases into one single model in order to produce more economical solutions and create fewer incompatibilities between the decisions. We propose an integrated robust approach for the schedule development step. We design the timetable ensuring that enough time is available to perform passengers’ flight connections, making the system robust avoiding misconnected passengers. An application of the model for a simplified IBERIA network is shown.

Social development benefits of hydroelectricity CDM projects in Brazil

In recent years, the concept of sustainable development has become increasingly recognized and important. Within organizations, sustainable development is often portrayed as a balancing act, and requires a combination of three elements to be considered: economy, environment, and society. Traditionally, organizational management research has been focused on economical and environmental fronts. However, social aspects are also important for organizations, especially those in emerging and developing countries. The goal of this paper is to investigate the potential of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects to deliver social benefits in Brazil?s hydroelectricity sector. The investigation involved the assessment of 46 registered hydro CDM projects under the Kyoto Protocol in terms of their potential impact on the envisaged social development goals. Two case studies were also examined. Results indicate that organizations managing hydroelectric initiatives in Brazil can provide the pathway towards achieving a number of important social benefits. Successful projects were found to have good community involvement and were managed by both cooperative ventures and money making corporations. The research also identified several challenges that are hindering hydro CDM projects from delivering more social benefits, and enabled a number of recommendations to be extracted for the organizations facing these challenges.

Wind pumps for irrigating greenhouse crops: comparison in different socio-economical frameworks

Wind power can play an interesting role in irrigation projects in different areas. A methodology can determine the feasibility of the technology and the levels of daily irrigation demand satisfied by windmills at different levels of risk, using tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) as greenhouse crop. The present work compared the feasibility of the technology and the critical factors involved in three different countries: Cuba, Spain and Pakistan. The study considered as factors the wind speed level, the energy cost, the tomato prices, the reliability and distance to the electrical grid, and the crop development dates, determining the economic feasibility for each combination of factors in each country.

The development of a short scale measuring aggressiveness and anger in competitive athletes

Objectives: The study of aggression and anger in competitive sport relies on accurate and economical measurement via observation, interview and questionnaire. Unfortunately, extant questionnaires have been criticised for having poor validity, are not sport specific, or reflect mood states rather than trait qualities. Therefore, a measure of trait anger and aggressiveness in competitive athletes was developed. Method: A list of statements representing aggressiveness and anger was generated and distributed to competitive athletes from diverse sports. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were used to verify the theoretically predicted factor structure. Correlations with an extant measure of aggression and anger were used to ascertain concurrent validity. Discriminant validity was tested by comparing males with females, and aggressive with non-aggressive footballers. Results: A 12-item scale (Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale, CAAS) consisting of two subscales was derived using principal component factor analysis with oblimin rotation. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling confirmed the overall structure. Test-retest correlation, construct and discriminant validities were good, supporting the utility of the scale as a measure of athlete trait aggressiveness and anger. Conclusions: The CAAS appears to be a useful measure of athletic anger and aggressiveness. Its brevity and ability to discriminate aggressive from non-aggressive athletes should prove useful for future research concerning aggressive behaviour in competitive athletes. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experience of Development and Application of Expert Systems for Economic Macroparameters Forecasting and Operation

In this article there are considered problems of forecasting economical macroparameters, and in the first place, index of inflation. Concept of development of synthetical forecasting methods which use directly specified expert information as well as calculation result on the basis of objective economical and mathematical models for forecasting separate “slowly changeable parameters” are offered. This article discusses problems of macroparameters operation on the basis of analysis of received prognostic magnitude.

Calle Ocho revived : artists studios commemorate the role of Cuban exiles (1960-1973) in the development of Calle Ocho

The purpose of this study was to learn about the historical development of Eight Street in order to use this information in the revitalization of this area with the new migration of artists. This study demonstrated a cyclical pattern prompted by the economical success of the immigrant group. The 1960 Cuban migration brought an era of life to Eight Street. As the Cubans became successful they left the area causing a decline. Presently the area is witnessing a migration of artists that may bring it new life. The thesis retrofits buildings in this area to create a series of artist studios. These studios are designed using elements of 1960 Cuban urbanity, an era of robust urban life for this street.

Swimming training repercussion on metabolic and structural bone development: benefits of the incorporation of whole body vibration or pilometric training; the RENACIMIENTO project

Introduction: Enviromental factors such as exercise participation and nutrition have often been linked to bone improvements. However, not all sports have the same effects, being non-osteogenic sports such as swimming defined as negative or neutral sports to practice regarding bone mass by some authors, similarly exercise-diet interaction in especific groups is still not clear. Objective: To present the methodology of the RENACIMENTO project that aims to evaluate body composition and more specifically bone mass by several techniques in adolescent swimmers and to observe the effects and perdurability of whole body vibration (WBV) and jumping intervention (JIN) on body composition and fitness on this population and explore posible diet interactions. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: 78 swimmers (12-17 y) and 26 sex- and age-matched controls will participate in this study. Dual energy X-ray, peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography, Quantitative Ultrasound, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and anthropometry measurements will be performed in order to evaluate body composition. Physical activity, nutrition, pubertal development and socio-economical status may act as confounders of body composition and therefore will also be registered. Several fitness factors regarding strength, endurance, performance and others will also be registered to evaluate differences with controls and act as confounders. A 7-month WBV therapy will be performed by 26 swimmers consisting of a training of 15 minutes 3 times per week. An 8 month JIM will also be performed by 26 swimmers 3 times per week. The remaining 26 swimmers will continue their normal swimming training. Four evaluations will be performed, the first one in order to describe differences between swimmers and controls. The second one to describe the effects of the interventions and the third and fourth evaluations to describe the perdurability of the effects of the WBV and JIN. Conclusion: The RENACIMIENTO project will allow to answer several questions regarding body composition, fitness, bone mass and interaction with diet of adolescent swimmers, describe swimming as a positive, negative or neutral sport to practice regarding these parameters and elucidate the effects and perdurability of WBV and JIM on body composition.