An Advanced Control Strategy for the Evaporation Section of An Integrated First- and Second-Generation Ethanol Sugarcane Biorefinery

The sugarcane crushing stage is one of the most important technologies being developed at the moment. In this paper, the control of the multiple-stage evaporation system was addressed, as it is a crucial stage in the first- and second-generation ethanol production from sugarcane. A neural network model was proposed based on a dynamic phenomenological model developed in EMSO (Environment for Modeling, Simulation and Optimization). The phenomenological model was used to build a neural network prediction model for an MPC (Model Predictive Control) scheme using a DMC (Dynamic Matrix Control) algorithm. Simulations were carried out to evaluate the performance for tracking the set-point. Also, disturbance rejection tests were performed, considering different step disturbances. The analysis demonstrated that the MPC scheme performed well in the tests and showed superiority when compared to classical PID controllers. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

SNPs in ultraconserved elements and familial breast cancer risk

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Preliminary definitions for the sonographic features of synovitis in children

Objectives Musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) has the potential to be an important tool in the assessment of disease activity in childhood arthritides. To assess pathology, clear definitions for synovitis need to be developed first. The aim of this study was to develop and validate these definitions through an international consensus process. Methods The decision on which US techniques to use, the components to be included in the definitions as well as the final wording were developed by 31 ultrasound experts in a consensus process. A Likert scale of 1-5 with 1 indicating complete disagreement and 5 complete agreement was used. A minimum of 80% of the experts scoring 4 or 5 was required for final approval. The definitions were then validated on 120 standardized US images of the wrist, MCP and tibiotalar joints displaying various degrees of synovitis at various ages. Results B-Mode and Doppler should be used for assessing synovitis in children. A US definition of the various components (i.e. synovial hypertrophy, effusion and Doppler signal within the synovium) was developed. The definition was validated on still images with a median of 89% (range 80-100) of participants scoring it as 4 or 5 on a Likert scale. Conclusions US definitions of synovitis and its elementary components covering the entire pediatric age range were successfully developed through a Delphi process and validated in a web-based still images exercise. These results provide the basis for the standardized US assessment of synovitis in clinical practice and research

Dinâmica de carbono em um solo cultivado com capim-Bermuda Tifton 85 e irrigado com esgoto tratado.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar as variações no estoque e composição isotópica do C (?13C) no solo em uma pastagem de capim-Bermuda Tifton 85 (Lins/SP) irrigada com água e efluente secundário de esgoto tratado. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos completos casualizados com seis tratamentos: SI (controle, sem irrigação e sem fertilização), A100 (água potável + 520 kg de N ha-1 ano-1); E0, E33, E66 e E100 (irrigação com esgoto tratado + 0, 33, 66 e 100% de 520 kg de N ha-1 ano-1). Amostras de efluente/água e solo foram coletadas no período de janeiro de 2004 a outubro de 2007. Os tratamentos receberam entre 420 a 1500 mm de esgoto tratado e água por ano, correspondendo a uma entrada pelo esgoto tratado de 640 a 2300 kg ha-1 ano-1 de C total (29% de C particulado total, 55% de C inorgânico dissolvido, 14% de C orgânico dissolvido). Utilizando como referência o estoque de C de SI, o menor decréscimo ocorreu em E33 (-1,2 Mg ha-1) e o maior em A100 (-7,9 Mg ha-1). As entradas de C orgânico pelo esgoto tratado não afetaram a composição isotópica do C do solo, sendo que o empobrecimento isotópico, de 0,7 a 1,2 ?, observado no solo dos tratamentos irrigados foi provavelmente resultante da desproteção física e mineralização de carbono orgânico, de plantas C3, remanescente no solo

Carotid intima-media thickness by B-mode ultrasound as surrogate of coronary atherosclerosis: correlation with quantitative coronary angiography and coronary intravascular ultrasound findings

Aims. Although well supported by postmortem studies, the reliability of carotid atherosclerosis as surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis has been put in doubt by in vivo studies showing a poor correlation between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) detected by external carotid ultrasound (ECU) and coronary stenosis assessed by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). In the present study, we have investigated whether a stronger in vivo correlation between the two arteries can be obtained by using homogeneous variables such as carotid and coronary IMT, detected by ECU and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), respectively. Methods and results. ECU, QCA, and IVUS measurements were made in 48 patients. Carotid IMT was correlated with both angiographic and IVUS findings. A significant but weak correlation was observed between ECU and QCA variables (r = 0.35, P 1 mm was associated with an 18-fold increase in risk of having a positive IVUS test (OR = 17.99, 95% CI 1.83\u2013177.14, P = 0.013) and with a seven-fold increased risk of having a significant IVUS coronary stenosis (OR = 7.4, 95% CI 1.27\u201344.0, P = 0.028). Conclusion. Carotid atherosclerosis correlates better with coronary atherosclerosis when both circulations are investigated by the same technique (ultrasound) using the same parameter (IMT). This supports the concept that carotid IMT is a good surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis