SOLUTION OF 1D AND 2D POISSON'S EQUATION BY USING WAVELET SCALING FUNCTIONS

The use of multiresolution techniques and wavelets has become increasingly popular in the development of numerical schemes for the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs). Therefore, the use of wavelet scaling functions as a basis in computational analysis holds some promise due to their compact support, orthogonality and localization properties. Daubechies and Deslauriers-Dubuc functions have been successfully used as basis functions in several schemes like the Wavelet- Galerkin Method (WGM) and the Wavelet Finite Element Method (WFEM). Another possible advantage of their use is the fact that the calculation of integrals of inner products of wavelet scaling functions and their derivatives can be made by solving a linear system of equations, thus avoiding the problem of using approximations by some numerical method. These inner products were defined as connection coefficients and they are employed in the calculation of stiffness matrices and load vectors. In this work, some mathematical foundations regarding wavelet scaling functions, their derivatives and connection coefficients are reviewed. A scheme based on the Galerkin Method is proposed for the direct solution of Poisson's equation (potential problems) in a meshless formulation using interpolating wavelet scaling functions (Interpolets). The applicability of the proposed method and some convergence issues are illustrated by means of a few examples

Quantification and distribution of vibrio species in water from an estuary in Ceará-Brazil impacted by shrimp farming

Vibrios were quantified and their distribution determined for the estuary of the Coreaú river, in Northeastern Brazil, based on 24 water samples collected between June and October 2005. The most probable number of vibrios per 100 mL ranged from 230 x 10³ to 240 x 10(11). The pH value was the environmental factor most strongly associated with the abundance of vibrios. Sixty-two vibrio strains were isolated belonging to 15 species (6 of which observed in June-September and 8 in October). The most frequently isolated species were V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae.Foram realizadas análises concernentes à quantificação e distribuição de Vibrio em 24 amostras de água do estuário do Rio Coreaú (CE) no período de junho a novembro de 2005. O Número Mais Provável (NMP/100 mL) de Vibrio oscilou de 230 x 10³ a 240 x 10(11). O pH foi o fator ambiental que mais favoreceu ao aumento da microbiota de Vibrio. Foram isoladas 62 cepas de Vibrio, sendo observada uma distribuição de sete espécies nos meses de junho a setembro, e oito espécies no mês de outubro. As espécies mais freqüentes nos isolamentos foram V. parahaemolyticus e V. cholerae

Out-of-plane neural microelectrode arrays fabrication using conventional blade dicing

\This paper describes an optimized out-of-plane fabrication method for neural 3D high-aspect-ratio microelectrode array (MEA) based on a dicing technology platform (a standard procedure in semiconductor industry). The proposed MEA fabrication required important modifications in the dicing process. Since electrodes length reaches up to 4 mm, the main hindrance was the 2 mm cutting depth limit allowed for dicing machines with regular blades. This new procedure consisted on modifying Z-axis calibration, so cuts as deep as the exposure of blades were possible. The employment of proper blades for each fabrication step was also mandatory. Thin and high-exposure blades were used for deep cuts in silicon wafers, and V-shaped blades were employed to produce sharpened tips on the electrodes. Moreover, parameters as very low-cut speeds were essential to avoid wafer chipping and microcracks. Results showed high-precision and high-quality cuts in all steps of the 3D MEA fabrication, without unnecessary additional steps of etching post-processing. The optimized fabrication process was successfully demonstrated with a 3D neural probe array comprising 36 individually addressable electrodes

Flexible three-dimensional microelectrode array for neural applications

A neural electrode array design is proposed with 3 mm long sharpened pillars made from an aluminumbased substrate. The array is composed by 25 electrically insulated pillars in a 5 x 5 matrix, in which each aluminum pillar was precisely machined via dicing saw technique. The result is an aluminum structure with high-aspect-ratio pillars (19:1), each with a tip radius of 10 mu m. A thin-film of platinum was deposited via sputtering technique to perform the ionic signal transduction. Each pillar was encapsulated with an epoxy resin insulating the entire pillar excluding the tip. This process resulted in mechanically robust electrodes each capable of withstanding loads up to 200 mN before bending. The array implantation tests were conducted on agar gel at speeds of 50 mm/min, 120 mm/min and 180 mm/min which resulted in average implantation forces of 119 mN, 145 mN and 150 mN, respectively. Insertion and withdrawal tests were also performed in porcine cadaver brain showing a necessary force of 66 mN forsuccessful explantation. A three point flexural test demonstrated a displacement of 0.8 mm before array's breakage. The electrode's impedance was characterized showing a near resistive impedance of 385 Omega in the frequency range from 2 kHz to 125 kHz. The resultant array, as well as the fabrication technique, is an innovative alternative to silicon-based electrode solutions, avoiding some fabrication methods and limitations related to silicon and increasing the mechanical flexibility of the array.A.C. Peixoto is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under grant SFRH/BD/89509/2012. This work was supported by FCT with the reference project FCOMP 01 0124-FEDER-010909 (FCT/PTDC/SAU-BEB/100392/2008). The authors wish to thank Professor Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez for kindly granting access to the Shimadzu dynamometer and also to Pedro Libânio Martins for the valuable suggestions and technical assistance during the implantation tests.A. C. Peixoto is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under grant SFRH/BD/89509/2012. This work was supported by FCT with the reference project FCOMP 01 0124- FEDER-010909 (FCT/PTDC/SAU-BEB/100392/2008). The authors wish to thank Professor Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez for kindly granting access to the Shimadzu dynamometer and also to Pedro Libânio Martins for the valuable suggestions and technical assistance during the implantation tests

Eficiência simbiótica de diferentes bactérias nodulíferas no feijoeiro-comum.

Foi feito um trabalho em casa de vegetação com o objetivo de avaliar a eficiência simbiótica de estirpes nativas de Rhizobium inoculadas no feijoeiro-comum, cultivar (cv.) Pérola.Pôster - pós-graduação

NIR micro beam-splitter by saw-dicing of glass substrate for Optical Coherence Tomography

This paper reports the fabrication of a near infrared (NIR) micro beam-splitter (MBS) for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) applications. The proposed configuration is based on saw-dicing micromachining of glass substrate combined with thin film deposition of a dielectric multilayer. In order to obtain a splitting with horizontal and vertical transmitted/reflected beams, a 45° surface was fabricated with conventional dicing blades. A dielectric multilayer based only in four thin films was optimized for NIR range (800-900 nm) and for a 50/50 non-polarized split ratio. This multilayer is deposited in the 45° micro machined surface. The MBS offers the possibility of wafer-level alignment and assembly, representing the first step towards OCT miniaturization.- (undefined

Long non-coding RNAs differentially expressed in swine fetuses.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-coding transcripts involved in various biological processes. The Y chromosome is known for determining the male sex in mammals. LncRNAs on the Y chromosome may play important regulatory roles. However, knowledge about their action mechanisms is still limited, especially during early fetal development. Therefore, we conducted this exploratory study aiming to identify, characterize, and investigate the differential expression of lncRNAs between male and female swine fetuses at 35 days of gestation. RNA-Seq libraries from 10 fetuses were prepared and sequenced using the Illumina platform. After sequencing, a data quality control was performed using Trimmomatic, alignment with HISAT2, and transcript assembly with StringTie. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified using the limma package of the R software (4.3.1). A total of 871 potentially novel lncRNAs were identified and characterized. Considering differential expression, eight lncRNAs were upregulated in male fetuses. One was mapped onto SSC12 and seven were located on the Y chromosome; among them, one lncRNA is potentially novel. These lncRNAs are involved in diverse functions, including the regulation of gene expression and the modulation of chromosomal structure. These discoveries enable future studies on lncRNAs in the fetal stage in pigs

A 45° saw-dicing process applied to a glass substrate for wafer-level optical splitter fabrication for optical coherence tomography

This paper reports on the development of a technology for the wafer-level fabrication of an optical Michelson interferometer, which is an essential component in a micro optoelectromechanical system (MOEMS) for a miniaturized optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. The MOEMS consists on a titanium dioxide/silicon dioxide dielectric beam splitter and chromium/gold micro-mirrors. These optical components are deposited on 45° tilted surfaces to allow the horizontal/vertical separation of the incident beam in the final microintegrated system. The fabrication process consists of 45° saw dicing of a glass substrate and the subsequent deposition of dielectric multilayers and metal layers. The 45° saw dicing is fully characterized in this paper, which also includes an analysis of the roughness. The optimum process results in surfaces with a roughness of 19.76 nm (rms). The actual saw dicing process for a high-quality final surface results as a compromise between the dicing blade’s grit size (#1200) and the cutting speed (0.3mm s−1). The proposed wafer-level fabrication allows rapid and low-cost processing, high compactness and the possibility of wafer-level alignment/ assembly with other optical micro components for OCT integrated imagingThis work is supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Carcass quality of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) finished in silvopastoral system in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil.

Avaliou-se a influência da dieta sobre a qualidade de carcaça de búfalos mestiços das raças Murrah e Mediterrâneo, alimentados com concentrado tradicional milho/soja ou resíduos agroindustriais tortas de coco e dendê. Os animais foram sacrificados em abatedouro comercial, e realizadas análises físicas e físico-químicas na carcaça, após 24 horas, e de cor e textura instrumentais no músculo Longissimus dorsi, após 48 horas de resfriamento. Os animais suplementados com a torta de dendê adquiriram melhor conformação de carcaça e acabamento de gordura, e observaram-se diferenças (P<0,05) no percentual de gordura na carcaça e na espessura de gordura de cobertura