Detection and on-line prediction of leak magnitude in a gas pipeline using an acoustic method and neural network data processing

Considering the importance of monitoring pipeline systems, this work presents the development of a technique to detect gas leakage in pipelines, based on an acoustic method, and on-line prediction of leak magnitude using artificial neural networks. On-line audible noises generated by leakage were obtained with a microphone installed in a 60 m long pipeline. The sound noises were decomposed into sounds of different frequencies: 1 kHz, 5 kHz and 9 kHz. The dynamics of these noises in time were used as input to the neural model in order to determine the occurrence and the leak magnitude. The results indicated the great potential of the technique and of the developed neural network models. For all on-line tests, the models showed 100% accuracy in leak detection, except for a small orifice (1 mm) under 4 kgf/cm² of nominal pressure. Similarly, the neural network models could adequately predict the magnitude of the leakages.14515

Biomimetic coatings enhance tribocorrosion behavior and cell responses of commercially pure titanium surfaces

CAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOBiofunctionalized surfaces for implants are currently receiving much attention in the health care sector. Our aims were ( 1) to create bioactive Ti-coatings doped with Ca, P, Si, and Ag produced by microarc oxidation ( MAO) to improve the surface properties of biomedical implants, ( 2) to investigate the TiO2 layer stability under wear and corrosion, and ( 3) to evaluate human mesenchymal stem cells ( hMSCs) responses cultured on the modified surfaces. Tribocorrosion and cell experiments were performed following the MAO treatment. Samples were divided as a function of different Ca/P concentrations and treatment duration. Higher Ca concentration produced larger porous and harder coatings compared to the untreated group ( p<0.001), due to the presence of rutile structure. Free potentials experiments showed lower drops ( 0.6 V) and higher coating lifetime during sliding for higher Ca concentration, whereas lower concentrations presented similar drops ( 0.8 V) compared to an untreated group wherein the drop occurred immediately after the sliding started. MAO-treated surfaces improved the matrix formation and osteogenic gene expression levels of hMSCs. Higher Ca/P ratios and the addition of Ag nanoparticles into the oxide layer presented better surface properties, tribocorrosive behavior, and cell responses. MAO is a promising technique to enhance the biological, chemical, and mechanical properties of dental implant surfaces. (C) 2016 American Vacuum Society.Biofunctionalized surfaces for implants are currently receiving much attention in the health care sector. Our aims were ( 1) to create bioactive Ti-coatings doped with Ca, P, Si, and Ag produced by microarc oxidation ( MAO) to improve the surface properties of biomedical implants, ( 2) to investigate the TiO2 layer stability under wear and corrosion, and ( 3) to evaluate human mesenchymal stem cells ( hMSCs) responses cultured on the modified surfaces. Tribocorrosion and cell experiments were performed following the MAO treatment. Samples were divided as a function of different Ca/P concentrations and treatment duration. Higher Ca concentration produced larger porous and harder coatings compared to the untreated group ( p<0.001), due to the presence of rutile structure. Free potentials experiments showed lower drops ( 0.6 V) and higher coating lifetime during sliding for higher Ca concentration, whereas lower concentrations presented similar drops ( 0.8 V) compared to an untreated group wherein the drop occurred immediately after the sliding started. MAO-treated surfaces improved the matrix formation and osteogenic gene expression levels of hMSCs. Higher Ca/P ratios and the addition of Ag nanoparticles into the oxide layer presented better surface properties, tribocorrosive behavior, and cell responses. MAO is a promising technique to enhance the biological, chemical, and mechanical properties of dental implant surfaces.113114CAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO11838-13-22013/08451-1The authors would like to thank the University of Illinois at Chicago for providing the facilities to perform this study, Rush University Medical Center on behalf of R. Urban for the SEM facility, Denise Carleto Andia for providing the human bone marrow stromal cells for some cell experiments, Rafael Parra from Univ Estadual Paulista (Sorocaba, Brazil) for his contribution and support in the Plasma Technology Laboratory, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES) from Brazil for the doctoral fellowship of the first author (PDSE Proc. 11838-13-2), the State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for Grant No. 2013/08451-1, the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Grant No. 1067424, and finally financial support from NIH R03 AR064005

Produção de forragem e características morfológicas de pastagens de Brachiaria Xaraés sob plantio solteiro e consorciado.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar produção de forragem e características morfológicas de pastagens de Brachiaria Xaraés em plantios solteiros e consorciado com milho. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, com dois tratamentos e dois blocos com sete repetições em cada bloco. Os tratamentos foram Brachiaria Xaraés em plantio solteiro e Brachiaria Xaraés consorciada com híbrido BRS 1030, em sistema de plantio direto. Estimou-se a massa de forragem, cortando a 20 cm do solo 4 amostras de 1m2, em cada parcela experimental, que foram divididas em duas subamostras, sendo uma secada e pesada, e outra separada em lâmina foliar, colmo (bainha e colmo) e material morto. Os resultados foram expressos em Massa de Matéria Seca (MMS), relação folha/colmo (F/Co) e a proporção de cada componente morfológico foi expressa como percentagem do peso total. Os resultados foram avaliados por meio da análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a nível de 5% de probabilidade. A massa de forragem da cultivar Xaraés foi superior quando do cultivo solteiro. Houve uma redução de 57,5% na produção de forragem quando em plantio consorciado com milho. No plantio consorciado obteve-se uma produção de milho de 5,754 kg ha-1. Não houve diferença estatística entre os tratamentos para as percentagens de lâmina foliar, material morto e relação folha/colmo. A pastagem apresentou uma elevada percentagem de colmos e material morto para ambos tratamentos

Reproductive parameters of dairy goats submitted to estrus synchronization with prostaglandin F2alfa associated or not to hCG at estrous onset.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two doses of PGF associated or not to hCG on the associated reproductive parameters in dairy goats. A total of 29 goats received two doses of 30 ug d-cloprostenol latero-vulvar at a 10 day intervals (Day 1 and Day 10). The does were allocated according to body weight and body condition score into two treatments, to receive hCG (250IU) or saline at estrus onset. After the second dose of PGF, estrus was monitored and ultrasound exams were performed twice daily. All does were inseminated 16h after estrus onset. Blood collection was performed every day for progesterone assay. The use of hCG at estrus onset did not affect any studied parameter and therefore the data were pooled. Estrous response rate was similar (P>0.05) after the first (75.9%, 22/29) and the second dose of PGF (79.3%, 23/29). The interval between the administration of PGF and estrus onset was greater (P0.05) between both experimental groups were detected in the following parameters, averaging: the interval from the second dose administration to the ovulation (86.6±11.4h), interval from estrus to ovulation (39.9±12.3 h), diameter of largest follicle (7.2±1.4) and number of ovulations (1.8±0.6). At Day 1, 52.4% (11/21) of does presented progesterone concentrations 1ng/mL. The results of the present study indicate that estrus can be efficiently synchronized in dairy goats with the use of two doses of PGF at a 10 day interval. Further research should be done evaluating hCG use in different doses or moments of administration. [Parâmetros ovarianos de cabras leiteira submetidas a sincronização do estro com protaglandina F2 alfa associada ou não ao hCG no início do estro]. Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficiência do uso de duas doses de PGF associadas ou não à administração de hCG no início do estro sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos de cabras leiteiras. Um total de 29 cabras receberam duas doses de 30 ?g d-cloprostenol pela via latero-vulvar com 10 dias de intervalo (Dia 1 e Dia 10). As cabras foram alocadas para receberem o hCG (250 IU) ou salina i.m. no momento em que o estro foi detectado. Depois da realização da segunda dose de PGF, o estro foi monitorado e exames ultrassonográficos foram realizados duas vezes ao dia. Todas as fêmeas foram inseminadas 16 h após o inicio do estro. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas diariamente para determinação das concentrações plasmáticas de progesterona. O uso do hCG no momento do início do estro não afetou os parâmetros estudados e, portanto, os dados serão apresentados agrupados. A taxa de manifestação de estro foi similar (P > 0,05) na primeira (75,9% - 22/29) ou na segunda dose de PGF (79,3% - 23/29). O intervalo entre a administração de PGF e o início do estro foi maior (P 0,05) entre os grupos experimentais quanto aos parâmetros reprodutivos: intervalo entre a aplicação da segunda dose e a ovulação (86,6±11,4h), intervalo do estro a ocorrência da ovulação (39,9±12,3h), diâmetro do maior folículo (7,2±1,4) e número de ovulações (1,8±0,6). No Dia 1, 52,4% (11/21) apresentavam concentrações de progesterona 1ng/mL. O presente estudo permite concluir que o estro pode ser eficientemente sincronizado em cabras leiteiras com duas doses de PGF intervaladas em 10 dias. Novas pesquisas devem se realizadas para avaliar diferentes doses e momentos de utilização do hCG

Characterization of materials used in the manufacture of ceramic tile with incorporation of ornamental rock waste

The production of ceramic tiles, such as tiles, has a great environmental impact, either in the extraction of natural raw materials or gas emissions in the burning stages. The use of industrial solid waste in ceramic materials can contribute to the reduction of these impacts, according to the characteristics of solid waste and its interaction with ceramic materials in the processing steps. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the materials needed to make a ceramic tile with incorporation of ornamental rock waste (ORW), thus evaluating its main characteristics regarding the feasibility of this incorporation. The physical characterization of the clays used in the production of ceramic artifacts was performed, and for the waste the mineralogical analyzes were performed, through x-ray diffraction (XRD), microstructure analysis from confocal optical microscopy, after sintering the prototypes and chemical analysis by X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Soon after the raw materials went through the step of conformation and preparation of the prismatic specimens by the process of extrusion of the ceramic mass, with an incorporation of the ORW in 0% and 15% of the ceramic mass, for its subsequent The prototypes were sintered at three different temperatures (850 °C, 950 °C and 1,050 °C). The specimens were submitted to technological tests of mechanical resistance, water absorption, firing shrinkage and porosity to evaluate the incorporation viability. The results indicated the presence of quartz particles in all raw materials, and also that the clays of the study region are predominantly kaolinitic. The presence of these materials in the ceramic masses directly influences the micrographs, because they result in the formation of liquid phase, inert particles that can turn the site into a stress concentration point and when incorporated in the ORW the specimens met the technical specifications of the Brazilian standard for application on ceramic tiles. The results found in the technological tests carried out, that the incorporation of 15% of ornamental rock waste in both clays did not affect the tile properties, indicating the feasibility of incorporating this waste in civil construction, minimizing the impacts generated

Avaliação da tolerância de acesso do gênero Paspalum ao sombreamento.

Editado por Ana Rita de Araújo Nogueira, Simone Cristina Meo Niciura