Accuracy Characterization of a MEMS Accelerometer for Vibration Monitoring in a Rotating Framework

Active and passive vibration control systems are of paramount importance in many engineering applications. If an external load excites a structure’s resonance and the damping is too low, detrimental events, such as crack initiation, growth and, in the worst case, fatigue failure, can be entailed. Damping systems can be commonly found in applications such as industrial machines, vehicles, buildings, turbomachinery blades, and so forth. Active control systems usually achieve higher damping effectiveness than passive ones, but they need a sensor to detect the working conditions that require damping system activation. Recently, the development of such systems in rotating structures has received considerable interest among designers. As a result, the development of vibration monitoring equipment in rotating structures is also a topic of particular interest. In this respect, a reliable, inexpensive and wireless monitoring system is of utmost importance. Typically, optical systems are used to measure vibrations, but they are expensive and require rather complex processing algorithms. In this paper, a wireless system based on a commercial MEMS accelerometer is developed for rotating blade vibration monitoring. The proposed system measurement accuracy was assessed by means of comparison with a reference wired measurement setup based on a mini integrated circuit piezoelectric (ICP) accelerometer adapted for data acquisition in a rotating frame. Both the accelerometers were mounted on the tip of the blade and, in order to test the structure under different conditions, the first four blade resonances were excited by means of piezoelectric actuators, embedded in a novel experimental setup. The frequency and amplitude of acceleration, simultaneously measured by the reference and MEMS sensors, were compared with each other in order to investigate the viability and accuracy of the proposed wireless monitoring system. The rotor angular speed was varied from 0 to 300 rpm, and the data acquisitions were repeated six times for each considered condition. The outcomes reveal that the wireless measurement system may be successfully used for vibration monitoring in rotating blades

ACHA: Avaliação da Contaminação hídrica por agrotóxico.

Modelos matemáticos e simuladores têm sido desenvolvidos para prever a lixiviação de agrotóxicos em solos, permitindo grande economia de tempo e recursos financeiros, além de permitir análises de risco com maior representatividade e confiabilidade. O Brasil ainda não faz uso dessas ferramentas no processo de avaliação de risco e classificação ambiental dos agrotóxicos. Estas ferramentas não são utilizadas pelas autoridades nacionais por não estarem adaptadas às condições brasileiras. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver uma ferramenta computacional para simulação da lixiviação de agrotóxicos em cenários agrícolas brasileiros. A ferramenta computacional recebeu o nome de ACHA, que se refere ao acrônimo de Avaliação da Contaminação Hídrica por Agrotóxico. Para simulação do fluxo no solo utilizou-se a equação de Richards e para o transporte de agrotóxicos considerou-se os mecanismos de convecção, dispersão e difusão na fase líquida. A sorção do agrotóxico na fase sólida foi descrita pela isoterma de Freundlich e a degradação por uma equação de primeira ordem. O efeito dos fatores ambientais como temperatura, umidade e profundidade do solo é considerado na simulação da degradação do agrotóxico no solo. Os processos de absorção de água e agrotóxicos pelas plantas não são considerados. A ferramenta é composta de três partes: (i) código em Fortran para solução e integração dos modelos matemáticos; (ii) base de dados para armazenamento dos cenários e (iii) interface gráfica para inserção dos dados de entrada e visualização das simulações. Como resultados, a ferramenta é capaz de simular perfis de umidade e concentração do agrotóxico no solo em função do tempo.bitstream/item/29245/1/BP201058.pd

Partição do carbono decomposto do reservatório ativo no simulador century: análise de sensibilidade

bitstream/item/66210/1/32006.pdfFERTBIO

Expression Patterns Of Passiflora Edulis Apetala1/fruitfull Homologues Shed Light Onto Tendril And Corona Identities

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Passiflora (passionflowers) makes an excellent model for studying plant evolutionary development. They are mostly perennial climbers that display axillary tendrils, which are believed to be modifications of the inflorescence. Passionflowers are also recognized by their unique flower features, such as the extra whorls of floral organs composed of corona filaments and membranes enclosing the nectary. Although some work on Passiflora organ ontogeny has been done, the developmental identity of both Passiflora tendrils and the corona is still controversial. Here, we combined ultrastructural analysis and expression patterns of the flower meristem and floral organ identity genes of the MADS-box AP1/FUL clade to reveal a possible role for these genes in the generation of evolutionary novelties in Passiflora. Results: We followed the development of structures arising from the axillary meristem from juvenile to adult phase in P.edulis. We further assessed the expression pattern of P.edulis AP1/FUL homologues (PeAP1 and PeFUL), by RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization in several tissues, correlating it with the developmental stages of P.edulis. PeAP1 is expressed only in the reproductive stage, and it is highly expressed in tendrils and in flower meristems from the onset of their development. PeAP1 is also expressed in sepals, petals and in corona filaments, suggesting a novel role for PeAP1 in floral organ diversification. PeFUL presented a broad expression pattern in both vegetative and reproductive tissues, and it is also expressed in fruits. Conclusions: Our results provide new molecular insights into the morphological diversity in the genus Passiflora. Here, we bring new evidence that tendrils are part of the Passiflora inflorescence. This points to the convergence of similar developmental processes involving the recruitment of genes related to flower identity in the origin of tendrils in different plant families. The data obtained also support the hypothesis that the corona filaments are likely sui generis floral organs. Additionally, we provide an indication that PeFUL acts as a coordinator of passionfruit development.8Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil) [2015/18900-3]Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES, Brazil)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq, Brazil)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Baixas temperaturas e risco de morte súbita cardíaca na esquizofrenia: desvendando um novo calcanhar de Aquiles?

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Laboratory of Experimental NeurologyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of PhysiologyUniversidade de São Paulo School of Medicine Department and Institute of PsychiatryUNIFESP, Laboratory of Experimental NeurologyUNIFESP, EPM, Department of PhysiologySciEL

Grasping and releasing agarose micro beads in water drops

The micromanipulation of micro objects is nowadays the focus of several investigations, specially in biomedical applications. Therefore, some manipulation tasks are required to be in aqueous environment and become more challenging because they depend upon observation and actuation methods that are compatible with MEMS Technology based micromanipulators. This paper describes how three grasping-releasing based tasks have been successfully applied to agarose micro beads whose average size is about 60 \u3bcm: (i) the extraction of a single micro bead from a water drop; (ii) the insertion of a single micro bead into the drop; (iii) the grasping of a single micro bead inside the drop. The success of the performed tasks rely on the use of a microgripper previously designed, fabricated, and tested

Thalamic nuclear abnormalities as a contributory factor in sudden cardiac deaths among patients with schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have a two- to three-fold increased risk of premature death as compared to patients without this disease. It has been established that patients with schizophrenia are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Moreover, an important issue that has not yet been explored is a possible existence of a “cerebral” focus that could trigger sudden cardiac death in patients with schizophrenia. Along these lines, several structural and functional alterations in the thalamic complex are evident in patients with schizophrenia and have been correlated with the symptoms manifested by these patients. With regard to abnormalities on the cellular and molecular level, previous studies have shown that schizophrenic patients have fewer neuronal projections from the thalamus to the prefrontal cortex as well as a reduced number of neurons, a reduced volume of either the entire thalamus or its subnuclei, and abnormal glutamate signaling. According to the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia, hypofunctional corticostriatal and striatothalamic projections are directly involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. Animal and post-mortem studies have provided a large amount of evidence that links the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) that occurs in patients with schizophrenia and epilepsy to thalamic changes. Based on the results of these prior studies, it is clear that further research regarding the relationship between the thalamus and sudden cardiac death is of vital importance

Fundamentos e aplicações da modelagem ambiental de agrotóxicos.

Vários processos, como sorção, fotólise, hidrólise, oxidação-redução, degradação biológica, deriva, volatilização, lixiviação, carreamento superficial, determinam o comportamento e destino de um agrotóxico no ambiente. Como resultado da modelagem, modelos matemáticos são representações desses processos e podem ser apresentados como ferramentas computacionais (simuladores). Modelos de simulação do comportamento e destino ambiental de agrotóxicos podem ser mais efetivos quando acompanhados da visualização e da análise espacial proporcionada pela tecnologia de um sistema de informação geográfica ? SIG. As bases científicas e os avanços tecnológicos na modelagem ambiental de agrotóxicos são aqui sucintamente apresentados.bitstream/item/32340/1/GEBLER-Doc78-2010.pd

Lines on projective varieties and applications

The first part of this note contains a review of basic properties of the variety of lines contained in an embedded projective variety and passing through a general point. In particular we provide a detailed proof that for varieties defined by quadratic equations the base locus of the projective second fundamental form at a general point coincides, as a scheme, with the variety of lines. The second part concerns the problem of extending embedded projective manifolds, using the geometry of the variety of lines. Some applications to the case of homogeneous manifolds are included.Comment: 15 pages. One example removed; one remark and some references added; typos correcte