Towards rule-based visual programming of generic visual systems

This paper illustrates how the diagram programming language DiaPlan can be used to program visual systems. DiaPlan is a visual rule-based language that is founded on the computational model of graph transformation. The language supports object-oriented programming since its graphs are hierarchically structured. Typing allows the shape of these graphs to be specified recursively in order to increase program security. Thanks to its genericity, DiaPlan allows to implement systems that represent and manipulate data in arbitrary diagram notations. The environment for the language exploits the diagram editor generator DiaGen for providing genericity, and for implementing its user interface and type checker.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures contribution to the First International Workshop on Rule-Based Programming (RULE'2000), September 19, 2000, Montreal, Canad

Parsing of Adaptive Star Grammars

In a recent paper, adaptive star grammars have been proposed as an extension of node and hyperedge replacement grammars. A rule in an adaptive star grammar is actually a rule schema which, via the so-called cloning operation, yields a potentially infinite number of concrete rules. Adaptive star grammars are motivated by application areas such as modeling and refactoring object-oriented programs, and they are more powerful than node and hyperedge replacement grammars by this mechanism. It has been shown that the membership problem is decidable for a reasonably large subclass of adaptive star grammars, however no parser has been proposed. This paper describes such a parser for this subclass motivated by the well-known string parser by Cocke, Younger, and Kasami

The Breakage of Needle-Shaped Crystals Under Pressure Filtration

Pressure filtration is one of the most common solid-liquid separation techniques in use in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Typically pressure filtrations are conducted within the same unit operation as agitated drying, thus the opportunity to study the individual effects of filtration are often negated. Recent findings have shown pressure filtration to be a major cause of particle breakage, which has consequences for product quality, bioavailability and downstream operations like formulation. A new method for the investigation of the effect of hydrodynamic stress on static crystals has been developed by continuously recirculating fluid through a bed of freshly crystallised particles. The method is compared to traditional batch pressure filtration tests with good correlation between results. Levels of breakage of needle-like glutamic acid crystals are found to increase with rises in pressure and fluid flow rate. Particle size and shape data obtained from optical microscopy is critically analysed in order to determine the type and extent of crystal breakage. Automated methods have also been developed to filter particle data in order to provide a more representative measurement. Small-scale centrifugal testing of particle beds has been conducted with an analytical photo-centrifuge. Needle-like crystal beds are found to consolidate to greater extents than more rounded particles, and also show evidence of inelastic behaviour. The more isometric particles conversely display elastic behaviour in response to the application of stress. Modelling of particle data has simulated algorithmic breakage events to predict the breakage observed under pressure filtration, with good agreement between modelled and experimental particle size distributions. The structure of particle beds has also been modelled by generation of simulated needle-beds from particle length data

MORPHOLOGICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES OF CHICK AND DUCKLING SMALL INTESTINE DURING PREHATCH AND POSTHATCH PERIOD

Growth and performance parameters of chicks and ducklings depend on adequate development of the small intestine during prehatch and posthatch period. So morphological and histological parameters of this part are important indexes to describe the small intestinal development of the chicks and ducklings and, consequently, allow future growth capacity prediction. On the other hand, embryo development of small intestine could be affected by feed composition given to hen during egg laying. Therefore, it should be of great importance to extablish if maternal diet manipulation could positively influence chicken small intestine maturation. In order to better understand some aspects of this subject different trials were peformed. The objective of the first study was to investigate the morphological and histological changes of small intestine in different poultry species and breed during prehatch and posthatch period. In chicks all parameters studied (intestinal wall thickness, villi height, width and perimeter, crypt depth, Goblet cell numbers and argyrophil cell numbers) show an evident increase during prehatch and posthatch. Some differences has been observed comparing different parts of small intestine in the same breed or between breeds. In Ovambo chicks, intestinal wall thickness at E15 presented the lowest value in the ileum and the highest in the duodenum. Villi height of duodenum increased more rapidly than either jejunum or ileum from E17. Villi width increased from E19 to 9day in the three sections. The perimeter of villi increased in the duodenum from E19 to 2d and from 7d to 9d; in the jejunum and ileum from E19 to hatch and from 2d to 9d. Crypt depth progressively increased in the three intestinal segments from hatch to 7d. PAS/AB Positive goblets cells increased in the duodenum and jejunum from E19 to 7d while they increased in the ileum throughout E19 to 9d. The density of agyrophil cells was highest in the duodenum and jejunum at hatch, while in the ileum the highest density value was at 2d. Comparing Leghorn and Ovambo chicks from hatch to 9d, duodenum and ileum intestinal wall of Leghorn resulted greater than that of Ovambo. On the contrary, the latter had longer villi than that of Leghorn from E15 through 7d in the duodenum and ileum and from E19 through 9d in the jejunum. Moreover Ovambo had a significantly greater width of villi in the duodenum from hatch through 9d and in the jejunum at hatch and at 9d; the perimeter of villi was consistently higher in the duodenum and jejunum from E19 through 9d. Likewise duodenum crypt width in Ovambo was wider than that in Leghorn at 2d and 9d. In Muscovy duckling, the height and width of small intestinal villi significantly increased with age. Villi number slightly increased from E24 to 2d, but there was a rapid decrease from 2d to 13d. There were significant differences in the villi perimeter of duodenum and jejunum between E30 and hatching day, 2d and 9d, 9d and 13d. Increases in crypt depths were significantly affected by age from hatching in the duodenum and between hatching and 2d in the jejunum. Crypt width increased significantly only between hatching day and 2d. In the duodenum and jejunum the V:C ratio peaked at hatching, and decreased from hatching to 2d. AB/PAS-positive goblet cells appeared on the villi and crypts of the duodenum and jejunum at 30E, and in the ileum at hatching. The AB-positive cells, compared with the PAS-positive cells, predominated in villi and crypts of the three segments, moreover the rate of AB-positive cells to PAS-positive cells significantly decreased from 30E to 9d. The argyrophil and goblet cells distribution was variable over the length of the small intestine from embryonic day 24E to post-hatching day13d. In the duodenum the density of agyrophil cells was highest at hatching, while in the jejunum and in the ileum the highest density value was at hatching and 13d. Throughout the small intestine and in the pancreas, NPY immunoreative cells were detected from E24. PP positive cells were observed in the pancreas from E24, in the duodenum and jejunum from E30 and in the ileum from hatch. GLP-1 positive cells were observed in the pancreas and jejunum at E24 and in the duodenum and ileum at E30. Gastrin releasing peptide positive cells were first seen in the distal duodenum at E30 while in the proximal duodenum at hatch and in the jejunum at 9d, however they did not appeared in the pancreas. PACAP positive cells were primarily observed in the jejunum and ileum at E30 and in the duodenum at hatch. The objective of the second study was to evaluate the effects of maternal diet supplemented with vitamin D3 (VD) and vitamin E (VE) on the development of the small intestine of Ovambo chicks during prehatch and posthatch period. VD body weight was heavier (7.1 mg) than the control (C) at hatch. VD Intestinal weight was lighter (1.45 mg) than the Control at 7 days after hatch, however, the thickness of intestinal muscle layers in the C were higher than that in VD at 2 d and 7d. Villi height was obviously higher in the VD group in the duodenum and ileum at hatch, 2d and 7d, in the jejunum at E15, hatch and 2d. Villi height of VE was higher than that of C, respectively at hatch and 2d in duodenum and at 2d in jejunum. At E15 villi width in the VD group was higher than that in the C group in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Villi perimeter of VD was higher than that of C in the duodenum at E15 and E19, in the jejunum at hatch and in the ileum at 7d. These results contribute to better understand the pattern of the morphological and histological changes of small intestine in Muscovy duck and in two different chicken breeds. Moreover, our findings suggest the effect of vitamin D and E supplemented maternal diet on the morphological changes of the small intestine in chicks

Uma ferramenta para auxiliar no ensino de estruturas de dados como tipo de dado abstrato

Orientador : Beatriz Mascia DaltriniTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de ComputaçãoDoutorad

Functional roles of the rat nucleus accumbens: further investigations using microinjection, lesion and electrochemical techniques

The nucleus accumbens (N.Acc.) has been ascribed an important role in mediating locomotor activity and exploration, as well as more complex processes such as reinforcement, reward and the acquisition of displacement activities. Previous investigations of N.Acc. functions have primarily been based on pharmacological manipulations of activity of one of the main neurotransmitters in the N.Acc., dopamine (DA), either through administration of dopaminergic agonists or antagonists or through depletion of DA terminal fields in the N.Acc.. In the present thesis, the functional role of the N.Acc. in a number of different forms of behaviour has been investigated further using specific, fibre-sparing excitotoxic lesions of intrinsic neurones, intra-accumbens injections of DA and in vivo electrochemical measurements of extracellular levels of DA in the N.Acc.. Excitotoxic lesions in the N.Acc. were found to enhance spontaneous locomotion and exploratory behaviours while leaving intact the locomotor- stimulating effects of an indirect dopaminergic agonist, displacement drinking in response to intermittent food-reinforcement (SIP) and amphetamine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Thus, fibre-sparing excitotoxic lesions induced a pattern of behaviour distinct from that observed following terminal depletion in the N.Acc.. Further, microinjection and in vivo electrochemical experiments showed no direct relationship between DA activity in the N.Acc. and SIP. Overall, these results are discussed in terms of a theoretical model proposing that the N.Acc. may function as an interface between sensory input and locomotor output and that inhibitory activity in the N.Acc. is needed to channel activity levels appropriately in response to cortical input about the direction of change. It is suggested that rather than viewing it as a unitary structure with specific functions, the N.Acc. should be considered as a heterogeneous part of the striatal complex with a number of distinct subsystems that exist within a complex framework of interactive processes, where changes in one structure can only be understood by taking into account other, related structures

Technical paper contest for women 1992. Space challenges: Earth and beyond

Two of the major concerns of the NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC) Advisory Committee for Women (ACW) are that recruitment of women scientists, engineers, and technicians needs to increase and that barriers to advancement need to be removed for improved representation of women in middle and upper management and scientific positions. One strategy that addressed this concern was the ACW sponsorship of a Technical Paper Contest for Women at Ames Research Center. Other sponsors of the Contest were the Ames Equal Opportunity Council and the Ames Contractor Council. The Technical Paper Contest for Women greatly increased the visibility of both the civil service women and the women who work for contractors at Ames. The women had the opportunity to hone their written and oral presentation skills. Networking among Ames women increased

The statistical modelling of production processes of biodegradable aliphatic aromatic co-polyester fibres used in the textile industry

Since the success of production processes in the textile industry depends on good planning and having a clear programme from the raw materials until the final product, the focus of this research is in the modelling of the production process of biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic co-polyester (AAC) fibres. The statistical modelling of the effects of the extrusion temperature profile and polymer grade on the properties of linear AAC as-spun fibres aims to find the better linear grade to be used. The investigation helped to establish a statistical method to optimize the extrusion temperature profile required for extrusion of AAC fibres. The effects of melt spinning conditions together with linear and branched grades of AACs on as-spun fibres were statistically modelled, programmed and evaluated. To identify the effect of the drawing process, the effect of multi stage hot and cold drawing process on AACs fibres has been statistically investigated and modelled. The additional effect gained from twisting the drawn fibres has been investigated in terms of process parameters interactions. Forecasting models have been set for optimizing and controlling the manufacturing of biodegradable AACs fibres. The novel statistical factorial method will help when taking the best experimental decision controlled by the design factors

IPBrick.GT - Módulo Gráfico para Gestão do Dialplan

O dialplan surge como uma combinação de funções, as quais definem os fluxos de entrada e saída de chamadas numa determinada organização tendo como base o serviço de voz sobre IP (VoIP). O serviço VoIP na IPBrick, no qual se insere o dialplan, é implementado pelos serviços Kamailio e Asterisk e possui inúmeras funções disponíveis para configuração: IVRs, filas de espera, escalonadores, conferências, grupos de chamada, sequências de atendimento, classes de acesso, entre muitos outros. Como tal, é um serviço de elevada complexidade dada a variedade e quantidade de combinações e caminhos que uma determinada chamada pode seguir. Desta forma, este projecto, tem a finalidade de dotar a interface de administração do sistema operativo IPBrick OS de um módulo capaz de criar uma representação gráfica do dialpan configurado (blocos de funções), respetivas interações e com a possibilidade do administrador IPBrick realizar alterações on-demand (drag&drop)