A LIGHTWEIGHT UAV-BASED LASER SCANNING SYSTEM FOR FOREST APPLICATION

Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become a cost effective alternative for studies which use aerial Remote Sensing with high temporal frequency requirements for small areas. Laser scanner devices are widely used for rapid tridimensional data acquisition, mainly as a complementary data source to photogrammetric surveying. Recent studies using laser scanner systems onboard UAVs for forestry inventory and mapping applications have presented encouraging results. This work describes the development and accuracy assessment of a low cost mapping platform composed by an Ibeo Lux scanner, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna, an Inertial Navigation System Novatel Span-IGM-S1, integrating a GNSS receiver and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), a Raspberry PI portable computer and an octopter UAV. The system was assessed in aerial mode using an UAV octopter developed by SensorMap Company. The resulting point density in a plot with trees concentration was also evaluated. The point density of this device is lower than conventional Airborne Laser Systems but the results showed that altimetric accuracy with this system is around 30 cm, which is acceptable for forest applications. The main advantages of this system are their low weight and low cost, which make it attractive for several applications

Pré-condicionador multiescala algébrico aplicado à simulação de reservatórios de petróleo

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Mecânica, Florianópolis, 2015.Um dos grandes desafios presentes na simulação numérica de reservatórios de petróleo diz respeito à resolução dos sistemas lineares obtidos pela discretização de equações elípticas. Essa tarefa torna-se ainda mais complexa quando campos de permeabilidade altamente heterogêneos são considerados. Diversas estratégias de solução diretas e iterativas foram desenvolvidas ao longo dos últimos anos e empregadas nesse contexto, restringindo-se às últimas, nota-se que os métodos iterativos construídos a partir de pré-condicionadores do tipo multigrid são os mais utilizados devido a sua robustez e eficiência. Nesse trabalho avaliam-se as propriedades matemáticas e o desempenho computacional de uma subclasse de pré-condicionadores desse último tipo conhecida como ?multiescala?. As alternativas estudadas são implementadas computacionalmente e empregadas em conjunto com diversos métodos iterativos para a resolução precisa e também aproximada de problemas elípticos desafiadores. Dentre os problemas testados, verifica-se que a melhor estratégia de configuração para o pré-condicionador multiescala é constituída por um operador de restrição do tipo galerkin, suavizador baseado em fatoração incompleta e razões de engrossamento ao redor de 10 ao longo de cada direção do reservatório. Diversas outras estratégias de solução direta e iterativa disponíveis no pacote científico PETSc são testadas para a resolução dos problemas em questão, da onde conclui-se que o pré-condicionador BoomerAMG associado ao método do gradiente conjugado e também o método direto Cholesky-UMFPACK são as mais eficientes em ambos quesitos matemático e computacional, inclusive em relação ao método multiescala de referência quando se deseja encontrar soluções com elevadas precisões. Abstract : One of the major challenges faced by reservoir simulation is about the solution of the linear systems obtained by the discretization of elliptic equations. This task turns out to be even more complex when highly heterogeneous permeability fields are present. Different strategies of direct and iterative methods have been developed in the last years and employed in this context. Considering the last ones, it s possible to note that iterative methods built by multigrid preconditioners are the most employed because of their robustness and efficiency. In this work, the mathematical properties and the computational performance of multigrid-like preconditioners called multiscale preconditioners are evaluated. The studied alternatives are implemented computationally and employed in conjunction of iterative methods for the precise and approximate solution of challenging elliptic problems. Given the tested problems, it was possible to verify that the best configuration properties for a multiscale preconditioner are composed by a galerkin restriction operator, smoothers based on incomplete factorization and coarsening ratios around of ten for each direction of the grid. Several others solutions strategies available in the scientific package PETSc were evaluated using the same set of problems as before and it was possible to conclude that the BoomerAMG preconditioner associated with the conjugate gradient method as well as the direct method Cholesky-UMFPACK are the most efficient ones in both mathematical and computational evaluation points and are even better than the multiscale preconditioner when the intention is to get a precise solution

A robust multilevel approximate inverse preconditioner for symmetric positive definite matrices

The use of factorized sparse approximate inverse (FSAI) preconditioners in a standard multilevel framework for symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices may pose a number of issues as to the definiteness of the Schur complement at each level. The present work introduces a robust multilevel approach for SPD problems based on FSAI preconditioning, which eliminates the chance of algorithmic breakdowns independently of the preconditioner sparsity. The multilevel FSAI algorithm is further enhanced by introducing descending and ascending low-rank corrections, thus giving rise to the multilevel FSAI with low-rank corrections (MFLR) preconditioner. The proposed algorithm is investigated in a number of test problems. The numerical results show that the MFLR preconditioner is a robust approach that can significantly accelerate the solver convergence rate preserving a good degree of parallelism. The possibly large set-up cost, mainly due to the computation of the eigenpairs needed by low-rank corrections, makes its use attractive in applications where the preconditioner can be recycled along a number of linear solves

Efetividade dos meios atípicos no processo de execução por quantia certa a luz do artigo 139, IV do CPC

The present work is concentrated in the area of ​​civil procedure, specially about execution for a certain amount and this study has as main objective, to question the effectiveness of atypical means in the execution process, which Article 139, IV, of the CPC 2015 is legally safeguarded. This legal provision gives the judge discretionary powers for the realization of the jurisdiction's right, however always seeking to maintain a balance so that the enforcement process does not harm fundamental rights and guarantees that prevent those executed from guaranteeing a dignified existence, making the execution process more fair and effective, where, notably the search for balance and effectiveness of execution will be the object of this study. Regarding the methodology used in the research, the method used was deductive and bibliographic and documentary research techniques, since, it uses doctrines, jurisprudence and scientific articles, in addition to diverse legal instruments, such as 1988 Federal Constitution, the Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, with a primarily qualitative bias. At the end, it appears that the atypical measures in the execution process for a certain amount is a necessary legal apparatus to give more effectiveness to the execution process, and as a consequence making the executive phase more just.O presente trabalho concentra-se na área do direito processual civil, especificamente acerca da execução por quantia certa e tem como objetivo principal, problematizar a efetividade dos meios atípicos no processo de execução, que possui salvaguarda legal o Artigo 139, IV, do CPC de 2015. Este dispositivo legal confere ao juiz poderes discricionários para a concretização do direito do jurisdicionado, todavia sempre buscando manter um equilíbrio para que o processo de execução não venha ferir direitos e garantias fundamentais que impeça os executados de garantirem uma   existência digna, fazendo com que o processo de execução se torne mais justo e efetivo, onde, notadamente a busca pelo equilíbrio e efetividade da execução será objeto deste estudo. Em relação à metodologia empregada na pesquisa, utilizou-se método dedutivo e técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, posto que, constrói-se a partir de obras doutrinárias, jurisprudências e artigos científicos, além de instrumentos legais diversos, como a Constituição Federal de 1988, o Código Civil, Código de Processo Civil, com o viés primordialmente qualitativo. Ao final, constata-se que as medidas atípicas no processo de execução por quantia certa são um aparato jurídico necessário para dar mais efetividade ao processo de execução, e como consequência tornando a fase executiva mais justa

Human MDSCs derived from the bone marrow maintain their functional ability but have a reduced frequency of induction in the elderly compared to pediatric donors

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immunosuppressive cells developing from myeloid progenitors, which are enriched in pathological conditions such as cancer, and are known to inhibit the functions of effector T cells. During aging, several changes occur both at the adaptive and innate immune system level, in a process defined as immunoscenescence. In particular, the low-grade inflammation state observed in the elderly appears to affect hematopoiesis. We previously demonstrated that the combination of GM-CSF and G-CSF drives the in vitro generation of bone marrow-derived MDSCs (BM-MDSCs) from precursors present in human bone marrow aspirates of healthy donors, and that these cells are endowed with a strong immune suppressive ability, resembling that of cancer-associated MDSCs. In the present work we investigated BM-MDSCs induction and functional ability in a cohort of pediatric versus elderly donors. To this aim, we analyzed the differences in maturation stages and ability to suppress T cell proliferation. We found that the ex vivo distribution of myeloid progenitors is similar between pediatric and elderly individuals, whereas after cytokine treatment a significant reduction in the more immature compartment is observed in the elderly. Despite the decreased frequency, BM-MDSCs maintain their suppressive capacity in aged donors. Taken together, these results indicate that in vitro induction of MDSCs from the BM is reduced with aging and opens new hypotheses on the role of age-related processes in myelopoiesis

Exome sequencing in schizophrenic patients with high levels of homozygosity identifies novel and extremely rare mutations in the GABA/glutamatergic pathways

Inbreeding is a known risk factor for recessive Mendelian diseases and previous studies have suggested that it could also play a role in complex disorders, such as psychiatric diseases. Recent inbreeding results in the presence of long runs of homozygosity (ROHs) along the genome, which are also defined as autozygosity regions. Genetic variants in these regions have two alleles that are identical by descent, thus increasing the odds of bearing rare recessive deleterious mutations due to a homozygous state. A recent study showed a suggestive enrichment of long ROHs in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that recent inbreeding could play a role in the disease. To better understand the impact of autozygosity on schizophrenia risk, we selected, from a cohort of 180 Italian patients, seven subjects with extremely high numbers of large ROHs that were likely due to recent inbreeding and characterized the mutational landscape within their ROHs using Whole Exome Sequencing and, gene set enrichment analysis. We identified a significant overlap (17%; empirical p-value = 0.0171) between genes inside ROHs affected by low frequency functional homozygous variants (107 genes) and the group of most promising candidate genes mutated in schizophrenia. Moreover, in four patients, we identified novel and extremely rare damaging mutations in the genes involved in neurodevelopment (MEGF8) and in GABA/glutamatergic synaptic transmission (GAD1, FMN1, ANO2). These results provide insights into the contribution of rare recessive mutations and inbreeding as risk factors for schizophrenia. ROHs that are likely due to recent inbreeding harbor a combination of predisposing low-frequency variants and extremely rare variants that have a high impact on pivotal biological pathways implicated in the disease. In addition, this study confirms that focusing on patients with high levels of homozygosity could be a useful prioritization strategy for discovering new high-impact mutations in genetically complex disorders

Climate fluctuations and human impact during the late Holocene in a multi-proxy marine record from the Gulf of Gaeta (Tyrrhenian Sea, central Italy)

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Efeito do Treino de Composição (Cópia) na Aprendizagem do Conceito de Proporção

This experiment investigated the effect of training conditional relations between pictorial and numerical fractional stimuli, with and without composition training, upon the learning of the proportion concept. It was evaluated the formation of equivalence classes, expansion of classes formed, generalization to new situations, and pencil and paper problem solving with fractional stimuli. The participants were 20 students of the sixth grade of Elementary School. The QEG and TCQEC groups were exposed to training and testing of conditional relations, but the last group was exposed, additionally, to a fractional composition training before the conditional relations training; two control groups were exposed only to the initial and final tests. The results indicated the formation of equivalence classes, but did not show effects of the composition training.O presente experimento investigou o efeito do treino de relações condicionais entre estímulos fracionários pictóricos e numéricos com e sem treino de composição (cópia) sobre aprendizagem do conceito de proporção. Avaliou a formação de classes de equivalência, a expansão das classes formadas, a generalização para novas situações e a resolução de problemas do tipo lápis e papel com estímulos fracionários. Cinco alunos da sexta série fundamental passaram por treinos e testes de relações condicionais (grupo GEQ) e cinco receberam treino de composição (cópia) de frações antes dos treinos das relações condicionais (grupo GEQTC). Cada grupo teve ainda um de controle. Os resultados indicaram que o treino de composição foi uma variável facilitadora para a aprendizagem do conceito de proporção

Evidence of an interaction between FXR1 and GSK3β polymorphisms on levels of Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia and their response to antipsychotics

Introduction: Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have identified several genes associated with schizophrenia (SCZ) and exponentially increased knowledge on the genetic basis of the disease. Additionally, products of GWAS genes interact with neuronal factors coded by genes lacking association, such that this interaction may confer risk for specific phenotypes of this brain disorder. In this regard, FXR1 (Fragile-X mental-retardation-syndrome-related 1) gene has been GWAS associated with SCZ. FXR1 protein is regulated by Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK3), which has been implicated in pathophysiology of SCZ and response to Antipsychotics (APs). rs496250 and rs12630592, two eQTLs of FXR1 and GSK3 respectively, interact on emotion stability and amygdala/PFC activity during emotion processing. These two phenotypes are associated with Negative Symptoms (NS) of SCZ suggesting that the interaction between these SNPs may also affect NS severity and responsiveness to medication. Methods: To test this hypothesis, in two independent samples of patients with SCZ, we investigated rs496250 by rs12630592 interaction on NS severity and response to APs. We also tested a putative link between APs administration and fxr1 expression, as already reported for GSK3 expression. Results: We found that rs496250 and rs12630592 interact on NS severity. We also found evidence suggesting interaction of these polymorphisms also on response to APs. This interaction was not present when looking at positive and general psychopathology scores. Furthermore, chronic olanzapine administration led to a reduction of FXR1 expression in mouse frontal cortex. Discussion: Our findings suggest that, like GSK3 , FXR1 is affected by APs while shedding new light on the role of the FXR1/GSK3 pathway for NS of SCZ

Local Charge Excesses in Metallic Alloys: a Local Field Coherent Potential Approximation Theory

Electronic structure calculations performed on very large supercells have shown that the local charge excesses in metallic alloys are related through simple linear relations to the local electrostatic field resulting from distribution of charges in the whole crystal. By including local external fields in the single site Coherent Potential Approximation theory, we develop a novel theoretical scheme in which the local charge excesses for random alloys can be obtained as the responses to local external fields. Our model maintains all the computational advantages of a single site theory but allows for full charge relaxation at the impurity sites. Through applications to CuPd and CuZn alloys, we find that, as a general rule, non linear charge rearrangements occur at the impurity site as a consequence of the complex phenomena related with the electronic screening of the external potential. This nothwithstanding, we observe that linear relations hold between charge excesses and external potentials, in quantitative agreement with the mentioned supercell calculations, and well beyond the limits of linearity for any other site property.Comment: 11 pages, 1 table, 7 figure