The characteristics of a nonlinear vibration neutralizer

This paper concerns an investigation into the use of cubic nonlinearity in a vibration neutralizer to improve its effectiveness. It is assumed that the frequency of the harmonic excitation is well above the resonance frequency of the machine to which the neutralizer is attached, and that the machine acts as a simple mass. It is also assumed that the response of the system is predominantly at the harmonic excitation frequency of the machine. The harmonic balance method is used to analyze the system. It is shown how the nonlinearity has the effect of shifting the resonant peak to a higher frequency away from the tuned frequency of the neutralizer so that the device is robust to mistune. In a linear neutralizer this can only be achieved by adding mass to the neutralizer, so the nonlinearity has a similar effect to that of adding mass. Some characteristic features are highlighted, and the effects of the system parameters on the performance are discussed. It is shown that, for a particular combination of the system parameters, the effect of the nonlinearity is also to increase the bandwidth of the device compared to the linear neutralizer with similar mass and damping. Some approximate expressions are derived, which facilitate insight into the parameters which influence the dynamics of the system. The results are validated by some experimental work. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of the modifier on the short and long range disorder of stannate perovskites

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Structural and microstructural characterization of SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.48W0.02)(2)O-9 powders

SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.48W0.02)(2)O-9 powders (SBTN-W) were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. The influence of annealing temperature on the phase formation and specific surface area was evaluated. TG/DTA associated with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed the formation of perovskite phase at around 500-600 degrees C. An orthorhombic structure with A21am space group was identified by Rietveld refinement. BET analysis revealed that the specific surface area reduces with increasing thermal annealing. SEM micrographies showed grains in an almost-spherical morphology with the presence of agglomerates. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An intercomparison of bio-optical techniques for detecting dominant phytoplankton size class from satellite remote sensing

Satellite remote sensing of ocean colour is the only method currently available for synoptically measuring wide-area properties of ocean ecosystems, such as phytoplankton chlorophyll biomass. Recently, a variety of bio-optical and ecological methods have been established that use satellite data to identify and differentiate between either phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) or phytoplankton size classes (PSCs). In this study, several of these techniques were evaluated against in situ observations to determine their ability to detect dominant phytoplankton size classes (micro-, nano- and picoplankton). The techniques are applied to a 10-year ocean-colour data series from the SeaWiFS satellite sensor and compared with in situ data (6504 samples) from a variety of locations in the global ocean. Results show that spectral-response, ecological and abundance-based approaches can all perform with similar accuracy. Detection of microplankton and picoplankton were generally better than detection of nanoplankton. Abundance-based approaches were shown to provide better spatial retrieval of PSCs. Individual model performance varied according to PSC, input satellite data sources and in situ validation data types. Uncertainty in the comparison procedure and data sources was considered. Improved availability of in situ observations would aid ongoing research in this field. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low intensity laser therapy (LILT) in vivo acts on the neutrophils recruitment and chemokines/cytokines levels in a model of acute pulmonary inflammation induced by aerosol of lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli in rat

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

Assessment of tropical forest degradation by selective logging and fire using Landsat imagery

Many studies have assessed the process of forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon using remote sensing approaches to estimate the extent and impact by selective logging and forest fires on tropical rain forest. However, only a few have estimated the combined impacts of those anthropogenic activities. We conducted a detailed analysis of selective logging and forest fire impacts on natural forests in the southern Brazilian Amazon state of Mato Grosso, one of the key logging centers in the country. To achieve this goal a 13-year series of annual Landsat images (1992-2004) was used to test different remote sensing techniques for measuring the extent of selective logging and forest fires, and to estimate their impact and interaction with other land use types occurring in the study region. Forest canopy regeneration following these disturbances was also assessed. Field measurements and visual observations were conducted to validate remote sensing techniques. Our results indicated that the Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index aerosol free (MSAVI(af)) is a reliable estimator of fractional coverage under both clear sky and under smoky conditions in this study region. During the period of analysis, selective logging was responsible for disturbing the largest proportion (31%) of natural forest in the study area, immediately followed by deforestation (29%). Altogether, forest disturbances by selective logging and forest fires affected approximately 40% of the study site area. Once disturbed by selective logging activities, forests became more susceptible to fire in the study site. However, our results showed that fires may also occur in undisturbed forests. This indicates that there are further factors that may increase forest fire susceptibility in the study area. Those factors need to be better understood. Although selective logging affected the largest amount of natural forest in the study period, 35% and 28% of the observed losses of forest canopy cover were due to forest fire and selective logging combined and to forest fire only, respectively. Moreover, forest areas degraded by selective logging and forest fire is an addition to outright deforestation estimates and has yet to be accounted for by land use and land cover change assessments in tropical regions. Assuming that this observed trend of land use and land cover conversion continues, we predict that there will be no undisturbed forests remaining by 2011 in this study site. Finally, we estimated that 70% of the total forest area disturbed by logging and fire had sufficiently recovered to become undetectable using satellite data in 2004. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Location and contract pricing of distributed generation using a genetic algorithm

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Medial Septal Area Vasopressin Receptor Subtypes in the Regulation of Urine and Sodium Excretion in Rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural evolution of Eu-doped hydroxyapatite nanorods monitored by photoluminescence emission

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

Frequency upconversion properties of Tm3+ doped TeO2-ZnO glasses containing silver nanoparticles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural and electrical properties of SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.5)(2)O-9 thin films

SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.5)(2)O-9 (SBTN) thin films were obtained by polymeric precursor method on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrates. The film is dense and crack-free after annealing at 700 degrees C for 2 h in static air. Crystallinity and morphological characteristic were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The films displayed rounded grains with a superficial roughness of 3.5 nm. The dielectric permittivity was 122 with loss tangent of 0.040. The remanent polarization (P-r) and coercive field (E-c) were 5.1 mu C/cm(2) and 96 kV/cm, respectively. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Synthesis and photoluminescence behavior of Bi4Ti3O12 powders obtained by the complex polymerization method

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Photoluminescent behavior of BaWO4 powders processed in microwave-hydrothermal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Leaiid conchostracans from the uppermost Permian strata of the Parana Basin, Brazil: Chronostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic implications

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Disulfide Biochemistry in 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin: Requirement of Glu50 and Arg146 for the Reduction of Yeast Tsa1 by Thioredoxin

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