Iterated uniform finite-state transducers

A deterministic iterated uniform finite-state transducer (for short, iufst) operates the same length-preserving transduction on several left-to-right sweeps. The first sweep occurs on the input string, while any other sweep processes the output of the previous one. We focus on constant sweep bounded iufsts. We study their descriptional power vs. deterministic finite automata, and the state cost of implementing language operations. Then, we focus on non-constant sweep bounded iufsts, showing a nonregular language hierarchy depending on sweep complexity

A micromechanical constitutive model for ductile fracture: numerical treatment and calibration strategy

This contribution describes the numerical treatment and calibration strategy for a new micromechanical damage model, which employs two internal damage variables. The new micromechanical model is based on Gurson's theory incorporating the void volume fraction as one damage parameter and a shear mechanism, which was formulated considering geometrical and phenomenological aspects, as the second internal damage variable. The first and the second damage variables are coupled in the constitutive formulation in order to affect the hydrostatic stress and deviatoric stress contributions, respectively. Both internal damage variables are independent and, as a consequence, they also require independent nucleation mechanisms for each one in order to trigger the growth contribution. These mechanisms require the determination of material parameters that are obtained through two calibration points: one for high and the other for low stress triaxiality. This is in contrast to other damage models that typically require one calibration point. In the first part of this paper, theoretical aspects of the constitutive formulation are presented and discussed. Then, an implicit numerical integration algorithm is derived, based on the operator split methodology, together with a methodology to perform the calibration of all material parameters. In order to assess the performance of the new model, the “butterfly” specimen was used and the 1045 steel was employed under a wide range of stress triaxiality. The results obtained from the numerical simulations are presented such as: the evolution of both damage parameters, the evolution of the equivalent plastic strain, the reaction versus displacement curve and the contour of the effective damage parameter. From the comparison of the numerical results with experimental evidence, it will be highlighted that the present formulation is able to predict accurately the location of fracture onset and the level of the associated equivalent plastic strain at fracture

Bounded Languages Meet Cellular Automata with Sparse Communication

Cellular automata are one-dimensional arrays of interconnected interacting finite automata. We investigate one of the weakest classes, the real-time one-way cellular automata, and impose an additional restriction on their inter-cell communication by bounding the number of allowed uses of the links between cells. Moreover, we consider the devices as acceptors for bounded languages in order to explore the borderline at which non-trivial decidability problems of cellular automata classes become decidable. It is shown that even devices with drastically reduced communication, that is, each two neighboring cells may communicate only constantly often, accept bounded languages that are not semilinear. If the number of communications is at least logarithmic in the length of the input, several problems are undecidable. The same result is obtained for classes where the total number of communications during a computation is linearly bounded

Implantation of autologous muscle-derived stem cells in treatment of fecal incontinence : results of an experimental pilot study

Background The aim of this study is to present results of the implantation of autologous myoblasts into the external anal sphincter (EAS) in ten patients with fecal incontinence. Methods After anatomical and functional assessment of the patients’ EAS, a vastus lateralis muscle open biopsy was performed. Stem cells were extracted from the biopsy specimens and cultured in vitro. Cell suspensions were then administered to the EAS. Patients were scheduled for follow-up visits in 6-week intervals. Total follow-up was 12 months. Results All biopsy and cell implantation procedures were performed without complications. Nine of the patients completed a full 12-month follow-up. There was subjective improvement in six patients (66.7 %). In manometric examinations 18 weeks after implantation, squeeze anal pressures and high-pressure zone length increased in all patients, with particularly significant sphincter function recovery in five patients (55.6 %). Electromyographic (EMG) examination showed an increase in signal amplitude in all patients, detecting elevated numbers of propagating action potentials. Twelve months after implantation two patients experienced deterioration of continence, which was also reflected in the deterioration of manometric and EMG parameters. The remaining four patients (44.4 %) still described their continence as better than before implantation and retained satisfactory functional examination parameters. Conclusions Implantation of autologous myoblasts gives good short-term results not only in a subjective assessment, but also in objective functional tests. It seems that this promising technology can improve the quality of life of patients with fecal incontinence, but further study is required to achieve better and more persistent results

On Measuring Non-Recursive Trade-Offs

We investigate the phenomenon of non-recursive trade-offs between descriptional systems in an abstract fashion. We aim at categorizing non-recursive trade-offs by bounds on their growth rate, and show how to deduce such bounds in general. We also identify criteria which, in the spirit of abstract language theory, allow us to deduce non-recursive tradeoffs from effective closure properties of language families on the one hand, and differences in the decidability status of basic decision problems on the other. We develop a qualitative classification of non-recursive trade-offs in order to obtain a better understanding of this very fundamental behaviour of descriptional systems

Counter Machines and Distributed Automata: A Story about Exchanging Space and Time

We prove the equivalence of two classes of counter machines and one class of distributed automata. Our counter machines operate on finite words, which they read from left to right while incrementing or decrementing a fixed number of counters. The two classes differ in the extra features they offer: one allows to copy counter values, whereas the other allows to compute copyless sums of counters. Our distributed automata, on the other hand, operate on directed path graphs that represent words. All nodes of a path synchronously execute the same finite-state machine, whose state diagram must be acyclic except for self-loops, and each node receives as input the state of its direct predecessor. These devices form a subclass of linear-time one-way cellular automata.Comment: 15 pages (+ 13 pages of appendices), 5 figures; To appear in the proceedings of AUTOMATA 2018

Viabilidade de sementes de biribá (Rollinia mucosa (Jack) Baill) em diferentes ambientes.

O Biribazeiro (Rollinia mucosa) pertence à família das Annonaceae e seus frutos possuem sementes que são classificadas como ortodoxas, podem ter o teor de água reduzido e armazenadas a baixas temperaturas. O trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a conservação das sementes de R. mucosa armazenadas durante 3, 6 e 9 meses em diferentes ambientes. Foram utilizadas sementes provenientes de frutos colhidos de plantas matrizes estabelecidas no campo experimental da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Após o beneficiamento as sementes foram armazenadas em diferentes ambientes: a) sala com temperatura ambiente (26±2ºC), b) geladeira (8±2°C), c) germinador tipo BOD (10±1ºC), d) BOD (15±1°C) e, e) freezer (-10ºC). A cada sessenta dias foram retiradas amostras para as avaliações do teor de água, da germinação e do vigor das sementes. A avaliação do vigor foi realizada por meio de contagem diária das sementes germinadas por até 60 dias após a semeadura. A análise de variância foi realizada em cada período de avaliação, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey 5% de probabilidade. Com os resultados obtidos verificou-se que, as sementes armazenadas em ambiente (8±2°C), (10±1ºC) e (15±1°C) apresentaram as melhores médias para germinação não diferindo significativamente entre si. Dessa forma conclui-se que as sementes de R. mucosa podem ser conservadas por até nove meses sem que haja comprometimento da viabilidade

Germinação de sementes de bacurizinho rugoso (Garcinia acuminata Planch. & Triana).

Garcinia acuminata pertence à família Clusiaceae, é frutífera de porte pequeno, nativa da Amazônia. O trabalho foi desenvolvido com objetivo de verificar a influência do tipo de substrato e uso de sementes com e sem tegumento. oi retirado amostra para determinação do teor de água. Que foi avaliado pelo método da estufa a 105±3ºC, utilizando-se quatro amostras de dez sementes cada. O teste de germinação foi realizado em ambiente sem o controle da temperatura e umidade relativa do ar. Em bandejas plásticas utilizando os seguintes substratos: 1) areia, 2) areia + serragem (1:1), 3) sementes de açaí trituradas e 4) vermiculita. Além de do uso de sementes com tegumento e sem tegumento. Concomitante ao teste de germinação foi feita avaliação diária do número de plântulas emersas até 120 dias após a semeadura, para o cálculo do tempo médio de germinação. Foi adotado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial de dois fatores (4x2), com quatro repetições de 50 sementes cada. Os substratos areia e sementes de açaí trituradas foram os que apresentaram as melhores porcentagens de germinação, sendo superiores a 80% no tratamento que usou sementes sem tegumento. Os substratos, areia e sementes de açaí trituradas quando associados ao uso de sementes sem o tegumento aumentam a porcentagem e reduzem o tempo médio de germinação em sementes de Garcinia acuminata

Propagação do camucamuzeiro (Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh) por meio de estacas de ramos tratadas com ácido indol butírico.

O camucamuzeiro pode ser propagado tanto por via sexuada quanto pela forma assexuada. A propagação assexuada é recomendada para a redução do período de juvenilidade ou quando se pretende propagar plantas que apresentem características agronômicas desejáveis. O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar a viabilidade da propagação vegetativa de camucamuzeiro por meio de estacas de ramos com uso de diferentes concentrações ácido indol butírico. Foram retiradas estacas com 20 cm de comprimento e diâmetro superior a 1,5 cm. Em seguida, imersas em solução com cinco diferentes concentrações de AIB: 0, 250, 500, 750 e 1000 ppm, durante 24 horas. As estacas foram postas em tubetes contendo como substrato a mistura de areia e serragem curtida na proporção volumétrica de 1:1. Após o plantio, as estacas permaneceram em viveiro com sombrite 50% de interceptação luminosa e com sistema de nebulização intermitente durante 150 dias. A cada 30 e até 150 dias, foi verificada a porcentagem de estacas com brotações e a porcentagem de estacas com folhas. No final do período experimental avaliou-se a porcentagem de estacas com raízes. Os seguintes resultados foram obtidos, porcentagem de enraizamento, os valores em ordem decrescente foram 23,3% (0 ppm), 18,3% (250 e 750 ppm) e 6,7% (500 e 1000 ppm), não havendo diferença significativa entre tratamentos. Os resultados obtidos ainda não permitem a indicação da propagação vegetativa por meio de estaquia de ramos em larga escala. Portanto, conclui-se que as concentrações do ácido indol butírico utilizadas no experimento, não influenciam a porcentagem de enraizamento em estacas de camucamuzeiro