Analytic Approach to the Operation of RTD Ternary Inverters Based on MML

Open Access.Multiple-valued Logic (MVL) circuits are one of the most attractive applications of the Monostable-to-Multistable transition Logic (MML), and they are on the basis of advanced circuits for communications. However, a proper design is not inherent to the usual MML circuit topologies. This paper analyses the case of an MML ternary inverter, and determines the relations that circuit representative parameters must verify to obtain a correct behaviour.This work has been funded by the Spanish Government under project NDR, TEC2007- 67245/MIC, and the Junta de Andalucía through the Proyecto de Excelencia TIC-2961.Peer Reviewe

Methane oxidation over zirconia-supported palladium and tin catalysts

Orientador: Gustavo Paim ValençaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia QuimicaResumo: Pd e Sn foram suportados sobre ZrO2 por impregnação incipiente usando Pd(NO3)2.XH2O e SnC4H4O6.XH2O como precursores. Os sólidos foram secados e calcinados a 800, 1100 e 1400 K e caracterizados por ICP-AES, TEM, XRD, TPR, adsorção de H2, O2 e CO e por titulação de oxigênio adsorvido com H2. Nos sólidos contendo Pd ou Pd-Sn calcinados a 800 K as partículas de Pd foram completamente oxidadas formando fases com baixo grau de cristalinidade e os sólidos calcinados a 1400 K a fase ativa foi decomposta a Pd° e sinterizada, formando partículas de Pd com planos cristalinos expostos de baixa densidade Pd(200). A quantidade de O2 adsorvido sobre Pd-Sn ou Sn suportado sobre ZrO2 foi maior que nos sólidos contendo Pd suportado sobre ZrO2. O tamanho das partículas metálicas de Pd determinadas por adsorção de H2 foi maior que nos sólidos contendo Sn. Os testes de reação da oxidação de CH4 sobre catalisadores de Pd e Sn suportados sobre a ZrO2 foram realizados em um reator de fluxo contínuo a pressão atmosférica, na faixa de temperaturas de 450 até 750 K. A atividade catalítica dos sólidos foi dependente das condições de preparação dos catalisadores. Os sólidos Pd-Sn/ZrO2 calcinados a temperaturas = 1100 K mostraram valores de TOR de 2 a 4 vezes maiores do que para Pd/ZrO2 devido à alta capacidade de armazenamento de O2 nos sólidos contendo Pd e Sn. No entanto, com o aumento da temperatura de calcinação a contribuição do Sn diminuiu, sendo praticamente zero a 1400 K.Abstract: Pd and Sn were supported on ZrO2 by incipient wetness using Pd(NO3)2.XH2O and SnC4H4O6.XH2O as precursors. The solids were dried and calcined at 800, 1100 and 1400K. The solids were characterized by ICP- AES, TEM, XRD, TPR, adsorption of H2, O2, and CO and by titration of adsorbed oxygen with H2. In the solids containing Pd or Pd-Sn calcined at 800 K the Pd particles were made of fully oxidized low crystalline phases and the solids calcined at 1400 K the active phase was decomposed to Pdº and sinterized, with the formation of particles with exposed low density planes such as Pd(200). The amount of adsorbed O2 on Pd-Sn or Sn supported on ZrO2 was higher than that on Pd supported on ZrO2. The size of the Pd particles determined by adsorption of H2 was larger for the Sn-containing samples. The methane catalytic combustion on palladium and tin catalysts supported on ZrO2 was carried out in a flow reactor at atmospheric pressure at the temperatures range of 450 to 750 K. The catalytic activity of the solids was strongly dependent on the preparation conditions. The solids Pd-Sn/ZrO2 calcined at temperatures = 1100K showed values of TOR twice to four times higher than the Pd/ZrO2 due to the high O2 storage capacity of the catalysts containing Pd and Sn. However, with the increase of the calcination temperature the Sn contribution decrease and was null at 1400 K.DoutoradoDesenvolvimento de Processos QuímicosDoutor em Engenharia Químic

Estudo da influencia das variaveis de preparação nas propriedades estruturais e na hidrogenação de benzeno em catalisadores de Pt/[gama]-Al2O3

Orientador : Gustavo Paim ValençaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia QuimicaResumo: As propriedades estruturais de catalisadores metálicos suportados dependem das etapas de impregnação, secagem e ativação os quais podem ter efeitos significativos sobre o seu desempenho. Também, estas propriedades podem ser alteradas em presença de outros elementos (e.g, íons Na+). Projetos de experimentos de Taguchi (L12 e L8) e planejamento de superficie de resposta, foram usados para estudar os efeitos de diferentes fatores de preparação nos catalisadores de Pt/y-Ah03 manufaturadas pelo método de impregnação até umidade incipiente, utilizando como precursor, soluções aquosas de ácido hexacloroplatínico.A identificação dos fatores mais significativos foi feita por análise de variância. A caracterização dos sólidos foi realizada por quimissorção de oxigênio e hidrogênio e por titulação de oxigênio adsorvido com hidrogênio. Os sólidos foram testados na reação de hidrogenação de benzeno. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho, sugerem que é conveniente estimar os parâmetros de caracterização a partir da titulação de O adsorvido com H2. Nem todas os fatores apresentaram efeitos significativos na estrutura dos catalisadores metálicos. Assim, a fração de átomos metálicos expostos diminuiu com o aumento do teor metálico e foi favorecido com a temperatura de calcinação e de redução. Os catalisadores preparados com 6,5%Pt (P/p) e calcinados antes da etapa de redução apresentaram tamanhos de partículas metálicas menores a 2,2 nm. No entanto, os sólidos ativados por redução direta apresentaram tamanhos de partículas metálicas de até 3,7 nrn. A presença de íons Na+ contribuiu na diminuição da fração de átomos metálicos expostos. Os efeitos da etapa de calcinação e a presença de íons Na+, não foram significativosem sólidos preparados com baixos teores de Pt (ca. 2,5% p/p) e de Na « 0,5% p/p). O tempo de envelhecimento(lh) à temperatura de impregnação, após de embebido o suporte com a solução precursora e antes da etapa de secagem (ca. 400K), foi mais significativo nos sólidos preparados com 2,5%Pt (P/p). A taxa de reação da hidrogenação de benzeno apresentou sensibilidadeà mudança dos mesmos fatores de preparação que influenciaram nas propriedades estruturais dos sólidos. A taxa de reação aumento, enquanto o teor metálico e a temperatura de redução aumentaram. Os catalisadores não calcinados apresentaram, menor taxa de reação que aqueles calcinados previa a etapa de redução, este efeito foi mais significativo nos sólidos com altos teores metálicos (6,5%Pt p/p). No entanto, a taxa de reação diminuiu quando a temperatura de calcinação e a presença de íons Na+ aumentaram. A taxa de reação, nos sólidos preparados com baixos teores metálicos (2,5%Pt p/p), foi favorecida pelo tempo de envelhecimento (lh) à temperatura de impregnação. A taxa de giro (TOR) apresentou uma aparente sensibilidade a estrutura dos sólidos quando o tamanho médio das partículas metálicas variou de 1 até 2,2 nm. A energia de ativação foi influenciadapela presença de íons Na+. O coeficiente de desativação diminuiu como aumento do teor metálico em presença de íonsNa+, dos fluxos dinâmicos de ar e hidrogênio (40 até 80 cm3min-1)e dos tempos (2 até 4 h) das etapas de calcinação e redução, respectivamente. A perda da atividade dos catalisadores de Pt/y-Al2O3,foi atribuída à forte adsorção de espécies de benzeno sobre sítios ativos através de ligações 1t (transferência de elétrons do anel de benzeno ao metal). A aparente sensibilidade da hidrogenação de benzeno (323 K) à estrutura da fase ativa, foi atribuída à interação metal-suporte, incrementando-se esta com a diminuição do tamanho das partículas metálicas. Isto possivelmente devido ao caráter elétron-deficiente das partículas metálicas (transferência de elétrons das partículas metálicas aos átomos de oxigênio do suporte), à possível formação de espécies [Pt(OAl)4] ou [Ptn+Al(O)3]após calcinação (ca. 700 K) que são dificeisde reduzir e à presença de íons cr e íons Na+. As tendências dos efeitos dos fatores foram comparadas satisfatoriamente com resultados da literatura. Além disso, os modelos estatísticos obtidos neste trabalho podem ser utilizados no estudo, controle e otimização dos fatores na preparação de catalisadores Pt/y-Al2O3 para aplicações específicasAbstract: The structure of supported metal catalysts depends on the impregnation, drying and activation steps, which may significantly affect their catalytic performance. The catalyst structure may depend on the presence of other elements (e.g., sodium ions). Taguchi Statistical Methods (L12 and L8) and Response Surface Experimental Design were used in order to study the effects of different factors in the preparation of Pt/y-A12O3 catalysts prepared by incipient wetness withaqueous solutions of hexacloroplatinic acid. The most significant factors were chosen based on the analysis of variance. The superficial structure of the solids was characterized by chemisorption of oxygen and hydrogen, and by titration of adsorbed oxygen with hydrogen. The solids were used as catalysts in the benzene hydrogenation reaction. The results of this work suggest that the titration of adsorbed oxygen with hydrogen is a reliable technique to estimate the structure of supported metallic particles. Not alI factors were significant to the structure of metal catalysts. The fraction of exposed metallic atoms decrease with an increase of Pt loading and increase as the temperature of reduction or the temperature of calcination increases. Catalysts prepared with 6.5%Pt,(w/w) and calcinated before the reduction step had an average metallic particle size less than 2.2 nm. While the solids reduced without a prior calcinations step had metallic particle size of up to 3.7 nm. Sodium ions contributed to a decrease in the fraction of exposed metallic atoms. The effects of the calcination step and the presence of sodium ions were not significant in solids prepared with low Pt (ca. 2.5% w/w) and Na (<0.5% w/w) loadings. Time of aging (lh), at the same temperature of impregnation, was more significant for solids prepared with 2.5%Pt (w/w). The rate of benzene hydrogenation was sensitive to the same factors that influenced the structure of the solids. The rate of benzene hydrogenation increased as the metal loading and the reduction temperature increased. The rate of benzene hydrogenation was lower on catalysts that were not calcinated, this effect being more pronounced for solids with high metallic loadings (6.5%Pt w/w). On the other hand, the rate of benzene hydrogenation decreased as the calcination temperature and the amount of sodium ions increased. The rate of benzene hydrogenation for solids prepared with low metallic loadings (2.5%Pt w/w) increased as time of aging (1h) after impregnation increased. The turnover rate showed an apparently sensitivity on the structure of solid as the metallic particle size varied between 1 and 2.2 nm. The activation energy was influenced by the presence of sodium ions. The deactivation coeflicient decreased as the metal loading increased in the presence of sodium ions. It also decreased as air and hydrogen flow rates (40 up to 80 cm3min-1)and calcination and reduction times (2 up to 4 h) increased. The loss of the activity of the catalysts Pt/y-A12O3was attributed to a strong adsorption of benzene species on the active sites by 1t bonds (electrons transfer ftom the benzene ring to the metal). The apparent sensitivity of the benzene hydrogenation reaction (323 K) was attributed to the metal-support interaction. This is probably caused by the electron-deficient character of the metallic particles (electrons transfer ttom metals particles to the oxygen atoms of the support), by the possible formation of [Pt(OAl)4] or [Ptn+Al(O)3 ] species after calcination (ca. 700 K) which are very diflicult to reduce completely and by the presence of chloride and sodium ions. The tendencies of the effects of the factors were compared satisfactorily with results in the literature. Therefore, the statistical models obtains in this work can be used to study, control and optimize the preparation of Pt/y-AlZO3 catalysts for specific applicationsMestradoMestre em Engenharia Químic

A simplified computer vision system for road surface inspection and maintenance

This paper presents a computer vision system whose aim is to detect and classify cracks on road surfaces. Most of the previous works consisted of complex and expensive acquisition systems, whereas we have developed a simpler one composed by a single camera mounted on a light truck and no additional illumination. The system also includes tracking devices in order to geolocalize the captured images. The computer vision algorithm has three steps: hard shoulder detection, cell candidate proposal, and crack classification. First the region of interest (ROI) is delimited using the Hough transform (HT) to detect the hard shoulders. The cell candidate step is divided into two substeps: Hough transform features (HTF) and local binary pattern (LBP). Both of them split up the image into nonoverlapping small grid cells and also extract edge orientation and texture features, respectively. At the fusion stage, the detection is completed by mixing those techniques and obtaining the crack seeds. Afterward, their shape is improved using a new developed morphology operator. Finally, one classification based on the orientation of the detected lines has been applied following the Chain code. Massive experiments were performed on several stretches on a Spanish road showing very good performance

Haematopoietic ESL-1 enables stem cell proliferation in the bone marrow by limiting TGF beta availability

The life-long maintenance of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) critically relies on environmental signals produced by cells that constitute the haematopoietic niche. Here we report a cell-intrinsic mechanism whereby haematopoietic cells limit proliferation within the bone marrow, and show that this pathway is repressed by E-selectin ligand 1 (ESL-1). Mice deficient in ESL-1 display aberrant HSPC quiescence, expansion of the immature pool and reduction in niche size. Remarkably, the traits were transplantable and dominant when mutant and wild-type precursors coexisted in the same environment, but were independent of E-selectin, the vascular receptor for ESL-1. Instead, quiescence is generated by unrestrained production of the cytokine TGF beta by mutant HSPC, and in vivo or in vitro blockade of the cytokine completely restores the homeostatic properties of the haematopoietic niche. These findings reveal that haematopoietic cells, including the more primitive compartment, can actively shape their own environment

Haematopoietic ESL-1 enables stem cell proliferation in the bone marrow by limiting TGF beta availability

The life-long maintenance of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) critically relies on environmental signals produced by cells that constitute the haematopoietic niche. Here we report a cell-intrinsic mechanism whereby haematopoietic cells limit proliferation within the bone marrow, and show that this pathway is repressed by E-selectin ligand 1 (ESL-1). Mice deficient in ESL-1 display aberrant HSPC quiescence, expansion of the immature pool and reduction in niche size. Remarkably, the traits were transplantable and dominant when mutant and wild-type precursors coexisted in the same environment, but were independent of E-selectin, the vascular receptor for ESL-1. Instead, quiescence is generated by unrestrained production of the cytokine TGF beta by mutant HSPC, and in vivo or in vitro blockade of the cytokine completely restores the homeostatic properties of the haematopoietic niche. These findings reveal that haematopoietic cells, including the more primitive compartment, can actively shape their own environment

Evaluación de genotipos de quínoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) en el sur de Buenos Aires durante 2020-21

Chenopodium quinoa Will. es una especie nativa de la Región andina de América del Sur (Sebastián & Aguirre, 2012). Posee abundante diversidad genética, lo que le otorga una gran capacidad de adaptación a diferentes ambientes, entre ellos a los que caracterizan a la zona del Valle Bonaerense del Río Colorado (VBRC). Sumado a esto, su baja demanda hídrica y el creciente interés del mercado Nacional e Internacional (Rivas, 2018) le otorgan un potencial productivo y comercial de gran interés para nuestra región. Sin embargo, no existen trabajos previos en los que se evalúe el comportamiento de los genotipos disponibles en la zona del VBRC. Es por ello, que dentro del Proyecto Estructural I516, se encuentra la actividad de “Red de evaluación de genotipos de quínoa” la cual tiene por objetivo observar el comportamiento de diferentes genotipos en regiones contrastantes del país. Para ello, se distribuyeron ocho genotipos en diferentes localidades y se sembraron en parcelas con tres repeticiones. Se observaron y tomaron muestras de diferentes parámetros relacionados al comportamiento fenológico y rendimiento de grano para determinar la adaptabilidad de cada uno a las diferentes regiones.EEA Hilario AscasubiFil: Quintana, Matias. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Hilario Ascasubi; ArgentinaFil: Schwal, Jose Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Hilario Ascasubi; ArgentinaFil: Reinoso, Omar Juan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Hilario Ascasubi; ArgentinaFil: Renzi Pugni, Juan Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Hilario Ascasubi; Argentin

Accelerating multi-channel filtering of audio signal on ARM processors

The researchers from Universitat Jaume I are supported by the CICYT projects TIN2014-53495-R and TIN2011-23283 of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDER. The authors from the Universitat Politècnica de València are supported by projects TEC2015-67387-C4-1-R and PROMETEOII/2014/003. This work was also supported from the European Union FEDER (CAPAP-H5 network TIN2014-53522-REDT)

Kinematic Synthesis for 3D Signatures

© 2022 IEEE.  Personal use of this material is permitted.  Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper proposes a method to generate the synthetic kinematic of signatures in 3D. The analysis of 3D signatures is becoming a hot topic due to the irruption of commercial off-the-shelf devices for easy acquisition of 3D movements. However, the novelty of this technology reveals the scarce publicly available signatures in 3D, which hinder their development. A solution is the synthesis of Signatures in 3D. As a first step, this paper synthesizes the kinematics of 3D signatures based on the Kinematic Theory of Rapid Movements and its associated Sigma-Lognormal model in 3D. To evaluate the method, we regenerate signature databases with synthetic speed profiles in all genuine and forgeries found in two 3D signature databases. Then, we analyze the similarities in the performance of a signature verifier when real and synthetic signatures are used in random and skilled forgeries experiments.This study was funded by the Spanish government’s MIMECO PID2019-109099RB-C41 research project and European Union FEDER program/funds, the CajaCanaria and la Caixa bank grant 2019SP19, and NSERC grant RGPIN-2015-06409

In vivo imaging of lung inflammation with neutrophil-specific Ga-68 nano-radiotracer

In vivo detection and quantification of inflammation is a major goal in molecular imaging. Furthermore, cell-specific detection of inflammation would be a tremendous advantage in the characterization of many diseases. Here, we show how this goal can be achieved through the synergistic combination of nanotechnology and nuclear imaging. One of the most remarkable features of this hybrid approach is the possibility to tailor the pharmacokinetics of the nanomaterial-incorporated biomolecule and radionuclide. A good example of this approach is the covalent binding of a large amount of a neutrophil-specific, hydrophobic peptide on the surface of Ga-68 core-doped nanoparticles. This new nano-radiotracer has been used for non-invasive in vivo detection of acute inflammation with very high in vivo labelling efficiency, i.e. a large percentage of labelled neutrophils. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the tracer is neutrophil-specific and yields images of neutrophil recruitment of unprecedented quality. Finally, the nano-radiotracer was successfully detected in chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis-prone ApoE(-/-) mice after several weeks on a high-fat diet