Este trabalho detalha o desenvolvimento de dois sistemas portáteis de detecção eletroquímica, desde sua construção até a aplicação das técnicas. As técnicas de detecção eletroquímica apresentam diversas vantagens, em relação a outros métodos de detecção, como boa sensibilidade, boa seletividade, ampla aplicabilidade e baixo custo de manutenção do equipamento. Neste trabalho foram aplicadas as técnicas de voltametria cíclica e voltametria por pulso diferencial. Os potenciostatos são os circuitos tipicamente utilizados para proceder a varredura de potencial em celas eletroquímicas, ao mesmo tempo em que fazem a leitura da corrente proveniente da reação. Estes circuitos geram tensão proporcional a corrente medida, através de amplificadores operacionais, cujo ganho é variado conforme a intensidade da corrente. Buscando conseguir um sistema sensível e seletivo foi desenvolvido um multipotenciostato, agregando quatro circuitos de potenciostato. As análises voltamétricas realizadas com esse sistema apresentaram resultados comparáveis a equipamentos comerciais, sendo limitados em correntes até unidades de micro-ampères. Visando atingir correntes ainda menores, desenvolveu-se um sistema que fosse menos influenciado por ruídos de diversas naturezas, isolando o circuito do potenciostato. Assim, utilizando um potenciostato opto-acoplado, foi possível detectar correntes da ordem de nano-ampères. Para a utilização destes potenciostatos foram utilizados dois tipos de interface. Utilizando sistemas de aquisição de dados comerciais e instrumentos virtuais, foi desenvolvida a interface de comunicação e controle do multipotenciostato. Buscando tornar todo o sistema de aquisição portátil, foi desenvolvido um sistema de aquisição microcontrolado dedicado, também interfaceado por instrumentos virtuais. Os sistemas desenvolvidos visam aplicações ambientais e biomédicas. / This work presents the development of two different portable electrochemical detection systems. Both systems are applicable in environment and biomedical areas. The electrochemical detection techniques have many interesting advantages, when compared to other detections techniques, such as good sensitivity, good selectivity, and low maintenance cost. The detections techniques used were cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Potentiostats are circuits used to scan potential in electrochemical cells while acquire the reaction current. Those circuits convert the measured current into voltage by operational amplifiers, whose gain changes with the current intensity. In order to achieve a selective and sensitive system, it was developed a multipotentiostat, joining four potentiostat circuits. The analysis done with this system showed results comparable to commercial equipments, but limited to microampere currents. Intending to detect lower currents, it was developed a noise-protected system, isolating the potentiostat. Therefore, using an optic-coupled potentiostat, it was detected nano-ampère currents. Two different interfaces were used to control these potentiostats. Using commercial data acquisition systems and virtual instruments, it was implemented a control and data view multipotentiostat interface. Aiming a whole portable acquisition system, it has been developed a dedicated microcontrolled acquisition system with also a virtual instrument interface.

Este trabalho detalha o desenvolvimento de dois sistemas portáteis de detecção eletroquímica, desde sua construção até a aplicação das técnicas. As técnicas de detecção eletroquímica apresentam diversas vantagens, em relação a outros métodos de detecção, como boa sensibilidade, boa seletividade, ampla aplicabilidade e baixo custo de manutenção do equipamento. Neste trabalho foram aplicadas as técnicas de voltametria cíclica e voltametria por pulso diferencial. Os potenciostatos são os circuitos tipicamente utilizados para proceder a varredura de potencial em celas eletroquímicas, ao mesmo tempo em que fazem a leitura da corrente proveniente da reação. Estes circuitos geram tensão proporcional a corrente medida, através de amplificadores operacionais, cujo ganho é variado conforme a intensidade da corrente. Buscando conseguir um sistema sensível e seletivo foi desenvolvido um multipotenciostato, agregando quatro circuitos de potenciostato. As análises voltamétricas realizadas com esse sistema apresentaram resultados comparáveis a equipamentos comerciais, sendo limitados em correntes até unidades de micro-ampères. Visando atingir correntes ainda menores, desenvolveu-se um sistema que fosse menos influenciado por ruídos de diversas naturezas, isolando o circuito do potenciostato. Assim, utilizando um potenciostato opto-acoplado, foi possível detectar correntes da ordem de nano-ampères. Para a utilização destes potenciostatos foram utilizados dois tipos de interface. Utilizando sistemas de aquisição de dados comerciais e instrumentos virtuais, foi desenvolvida a interface de comunicação e controle do multipotenciostato. Buscando tornar todo o sistema de aquisição portátil, foi desenvolvido um sistema de aquisição microcontrolado dedicado, também interfaceado por instrumentos virtuais. Os sistemas desenvolvidos visam aplicações ambientais e biomédicas. / This work presents the development of two different portable electrochemical detection systems. Both systems are applicable in environment and biomedical areas. The electrochemical detection techniques have many interesting advantages, when compared to other detections techniques, such as good sensitivity, good selectivity, and low maintenance cost. The detections techniques used were cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Potentiostats are circuits used to scan potential in electrochemical cells while acquire the reaction current. Those circuits convert the measured current into voltage by operational amplifiers, whose gain changes with the current intensity. In order to achieve a selective and sensitive system, it was developed a multipotentiostat, joining four potentiostat circuits. The analysis done with this system showed results comparable to commercial equipments, but limited to microampere currents. Intending to detect lower currents, it was developed a noise-protected system, isolating the potentiostat. Therefore, using an optic-coupled potentiostat, it was detected nano-ampère currents. Two different interfaces were used to control these potentiostats. Using commercial data acquisition systems and virtual instruments, it was implemented a control and data view multipotentiostat interface. Aiming a whole portable acquisition system, it has been developed a dedicated microcontrolled acquisition system with also a virtual instrument interface.

Realizamos medidas dielétricas a baixas freqüências (10-2-40Hz) em cristais de KCN empregando uma ponte de ultra-baixas freqüências, bem como a altas freqüências (50-104 Hz) empregando uma ponte de capacitância comercial (General Radio). As curvas de perda dielétrica mostraram um bom ajuste entre altas e baixas freqüências. Obtivemos picos de perda dielétrica num intervalo de cinco décadas e entre 53 e 78K. Os picos destas curvas foram ajustados segundo uma equação de Arrhenius, e obtivemos uma energia de ativação de 0,148 eV e um tempo de relaxação característico de 6,53 x 10-15s para os dipolos CN-. Para temperaturas entre 53 e 59K observamos o aparecimento gradual de um segundo pico de perdas de 25Hz. Sua origem ainda não é conhecida, mas isto sugere que o cristal de KCN pode apresentar propriedades de um dielétrico composto, com dois mecanismos de relaxação distintos. / Dielectric measurements were performed at low frequencies (10-2- 40Hz) with an ultra-low frequency bridge in KCN crystals , as well as at high frequencies (50-10-4 Hz) employing a commercial capacitance bridge (General Radio). The dielectric loss curves show a good adjustment between the high and low frequencies. We obtain dielectric loss peaks in a window of five decades and in the range of 53 and 78 K. The peaks of these curves were fitted with an Arrhenius expression giving for the CN- dipoles an activation energy of 0,148eV and an attempt relaxation time of 6,53x10-15. At temperatures between 53 and 59K we observed the gradual appearing of a second loss peak for frequency of 25Hz. Its origin is not yet known butt his suggestt that the KCN, crystal may present compound dielectric properties , with - two distinct relaxation mechanisms.

Neste trabalho descreve-se o desenvolvimento e a construção de um instrumento eletro-óptico que analisa o processo de inibir a acomodação ocular utilizado nos exames refrativos dinâmicos. Nesses exames, devido a não utilização de drogas para dilatar e paralisar a pupila e o cristalino, pode haver variações no poder dióptrico ocular, o que torna o exame ineficaz e ineficiente. Isto é evitado se o equipamento analisador possuir um sistema de inibição. O projeto do instrumento foi dividido em 2 etapas. A primeira etapa foi dedicada à simulação óptica do instrumento eletro-óptico, pelo método do Traçado de Raios, e de um sistema aferidor. Na segunda etapa, construiu-se a eletrônica de controle e as peças mecânicas do conjunto (instrumento eletro-óptico e sistema aferidor). Após o desenvolvimento do protótipo do instrumento, foram realizados testes de avaliação através da análise de imagens feita pelo aferidor. O instrumento eletro-óptico foi desenvolvido para ser utilizado num analisador de frente de ondas, que utiliza uma das técnicas mais recentes e eficientes aplicada nos exames refrativos oftalmológicos. / In this work it is described the development and construction of an electro-optical instrument It analyzes the process of inhibiting ocular accommodation used in the dynamic refractive exams. Due to no use of drugs to dilate and paralyze the pupil and the crystalline lens, variations in the ocular dioptric power can occur, becoming those exams ineffective and inefficient. This is avoided if the analyzer equipment possess an inhibition system. The project of the instrument was divided in 2 stages. The first stage was dedicated to the optical simulation of electro-optical instrument, by the Ray Tracing Method, and of the system inspector. In the second stage, the control electronics and the mechanical parts (electro-optical and system inspector) was built. After the development of the prototype of the instrument, evaluation tests were accomplished through the analysis of images done by the inspector. The electro-optical instrument was developed to be used in an analyzer of front of waves, using one of the most recent and efficient techniques applied in the ophthalmologic refractive exams.

Este trabalho consiste na elaboração de um conjunto de sistemas eletro-eletrônicos. aplicados principalmente na área de ótica, com a finalidade de se criar recursos tais que possibilitem a realização de experimentos com maior facilidade. confiabilidade e versatilidade. Ele está dividido em 2 partes principais. A primeira apresenta a construção de um sistema completo para acionamento de um laser de Argônio/Criptônio incluindo fonte de alimentação e cavidade ressonante com a utilização de um tubo importado. A segunda consta de um sistema de aquisição de dados baseado em um microcomputador da linha IBM-PC/XT-AT com um modulo para aquisição de pulsos rápidos, placa de interface para o microcomputador e software de controle. / This work describes the development of a electric-electronically system applied principally in the Optics area. Its purpose is to create the means such that experiments can be realized with greater facility, reliability and versatility. It is divided into two parts. The first introduces the construction of an Argon/Krypton laser system its power supply and the resonance cavity, with the use of an import tube. The second consists of a data acquisition system, based on an IBM-PC/XT-AT microcomputer, with a module for fast pulse acquisition, an interface board to the microcomputer and control software.

"Ischemia is a condition of decreased tissue viability caused by a lack of perfusion, which prevents the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to biological tissue. Ischemia plays a major role in many clinical disorders, yet there are limited means by which tissue viability can be assessed. The long-term objective of this research is to develop a non-invasive or non-contact instrument for quantifying human tissue ischemia. Skeletal muscle ischemia is evaluated at this stage because skeletal muscle is easily accessible, its ischemia represents a clinical problem, and it can endure short periods of ischemia without suffering permanent injury. The ischemia monitor designed for this study is based on impedance spectroscopy, the measurement of tissue impedance at various frequencies. This study had three major goals. The first goal was to improve upon the design of the ischemia monitor to achieve optimal system performance in a clinical environment. Major considerations included electrode sterility, instrument mobility, and electrosurgical unit interference. The second goal was to collect both impedance and pH data from human subjects undergoing tourniquet surgeries, which induce skeletal muscle ischemia and result in changes of the tissue's pH and impedance. The average in recorded pH during ischemia was 0.0053 pH units/minute and the average change in Ro was -0.1481 Ohms/minute. The third goal was to develop a relationship between parameters of tissue impedance and pH utilizing neural networks. This goal was accomplished in three stages. First, the optimal neural network type for classifying impedance data and pH values was determined. Based on these results, the backpropagation neural network was utilized for all subsequent work. Then, the input parameters of the neural network were optimized using previously collected data. The number of inputs to the previously developed neural network were reduced by 35% (13/20) with a maximum of a 3% reduction in neural network performance. Finally, the neural network was trained and tested using human impedance and pH data. The network was able to correctly estimate tissue pH values with an average error of 0.0440 pH units. Through the course of this research the ischemia monitor based on impedance spectroscopy was improved, a methodology for the use of the instrument in the operating room was developed, and a preliminary relationship between parameters of impedance spectra and pH was established. The results of this research indicate the feasibility of the instrument to monitor both pH and impedance in a clinical setting. Additionally, it was demonstrated that impedance data collected non-invasively could be used to estimate the pH and level of ischemia in human skeletal muscle."

Today, more than forty percent of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastal area, and population densities are only increasing. In recent years, extreme conditions have resulted in several failures of coastal protection structures around the world. During these failure events, the incurred cost of damages and loss of life has been nearly immeasurable. Rubble mound breakwaters have been used for millennia, and are critical even today for the protection of coastal areas. In the last several decades, the popularity of using concrete armour units in place of natural rock has risen greatly. However, the quantitative interaction between wave hydrodynamics and the armour layer is still not clearly understood. Due to highly complex, turbulent flow patterns that occur in the armour layer, direct assessment of forces acting on individual units has not been practical. This has prevented the coastal engineering field from applying a force-balance design approach that is commonplace in other civil engineering disciplines. Instead, a wealth of experimental testing and past case studies have resulted in a wide array of empirical formulae and design techniques. These approaches are often very idealized and do not account for all parameters that have been shown to affect armour unit stability. The current study aims to quantify the forces and pressures acting on units within an armour layer, using an experimental approach. This was achieved by developing an instrumented Core-Loc armour unit. This armour unit was outfitted with 6 pressure sensors, and the ability to be mounted on a force transducer. This unit was then put through a performance analysis and calibration procedure, before being extensively tested in a breakwater setting. Wide ranges of wave conditions were utilized, with the unit at three different locations along the breakwater slope. This was done to isolate both the effect of various sea state parameters, and the effect of unit location along a breakwater slope versus generated forces and pressures. In addition to the experimental study, an accompanying numerical study was performed in OpenFOAM. This had the intent of both developing general modeling rules of thumb for rubble mound breakwaters, and for replicating the experimental results. The results showed that using relatively low-tech, low-cost, and widely available instrumentation was capable of performing in a coastal engineering setting. The performance of the unit showed great promise for “smart-units” to usher in a new paradigm of experimental testing for rubble mound breakwaters. From the results of the performance analysis and calibration procedure, it was evident that the unit could record forces and pressures to a high degree of accuracy. From the breakwater testing program, notable relationships between unit location, surf similarity, and wave steepness emerged. It appeared that the largest hydrodynamic interaction with units occurs slightly below the SWL. As well, both decreased surf similarity, and increased wave steepness resulted in higher hydrodynamic interaction for all locations. General rules of thumb for modeling armour units, as well as wave conditions in a breakwater setting were developed for the numerical study in OpenFOAM. Additionally, the calibrated numerical model was capable of reproducing the experimental results with reasonable accuracy.

This dissertation is comprised of a pair of related compositions, Sadhana (2015) for viola and electronics, and k. tracing (2015), a violin concerto, and a thesis that outlines my approach, detailing the influences and derivation of some of the parameters of these works and my compositional process. I offer a clear approach to working in relative intonation, for which I’ve also developed a small device called the “Maya proportional scale tool.” In this essay, I trace the structure and inner-movement of each work with regard to the derivation of its harmony, melody, rhythm and orchestration.The discussion of Sadhana focuses on the derivation of its harmonies and melodic lines from the influence of a string, as well as the conception of the electronics part and the role electronics play in the formation of the composition, whereas the discussion of k. tracing focuses on the coordinating of many independent instrumental parts, and the adaptation of rhythm and orchestration.

No Brasil, a fermentação alcoólica é o processo predominante para produção de etanol a partir de cana-de-açúcar. A utilização de mosto esterilizado associada ao uso de linhagens de leveduras selecionadas apresenta-se como uma das estratégias com potencial para proporcionar melhorias no processo de fermentação alcoólica para produção de etanol e para aumentar a produtividade da indústria sucroenergética. Embora existam diversos métodos aplicáveis na esterilização de compostos líquidos, o tratamento térmico baseado no uso de vapor superaquecido ou saturado é interessante na indústria sucroenergética devido a disponibilidade de redes de distribuição de vapor. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo desenvolver um trocador de calor de contato direto equipado com sistema eletrônico microcontrolado para controle dinâmico da temperatura de misturas de fluidos a diferentes temperaturas. A tecnologia poderá ser aplicada ao tratamento térmico do mosto utilizado em processos de fermentação alcoólica na indústria sucroenergética. O sistema de mistura utilizado foi o aparato montado para misturar dois fluidos distintos. O aparato era composto por um trocador de calor de contato direto, uma válvula proporcional, um sensor de temperatura e duas válvulas de retenção. O trocador de calor foi montado em forma de um \"tê\" como dispositivo para mistura de fluidos. Foram realizados experimentos em laboratório; A partir dos dados gerados foi determinado a função de transferência característica do sistema seguida pela sintonização de um controlador Proporcional-Integral. O controlador foi sintonizado com a finalidade de obter temperatura alvo na câmara de mistura do sistema, através de ajustes na seção de escoamento da tubulação de vapor. O desempenho do equipamento foi avaliado com base no tempo de subida, sobressinal, tempo de acomodação, IAE e ITAE, evidenciando-se adequado desempenho para a aplicação em questão. As atividades foram limitadas ao desenvolvimento do equipamento, havendo maior enfoque em aspectos relacionados a controle. Não foram realizadas avaliações da eficácia do tratamento térmico em aplicações industriais ou laboratoriais. Trabalhos futuros poderão utilizar a tecnologia desenvolvida nesta pesquisa para estudos da eficácia do tratamento térmico conduzido sob diferentes temperaturas na redução de microrganismos ou esterilização do mosto. / In Brazil, alcoholic fermentation is the predominant process for the production of ethanol from sugarcane. The use of sterilized must associated with the use of selected yeast strains is one of the strategies with potential to provide improvements in the alcoholic fermentation process for ethanol production and to increase the productivity of the sugarcane industry. Although there are several methods applicable to the sterilization of liquid compounds, heat treatment based on the use of superheated or saturated steam is interesting in the sugarcane industry due to the availability of steam distribution networks. This research aimed to develop a direct contact heat exchanger equipped with a microcontrolled electronic system for dynamic temperature control of fluid mixtures at different temperatures. The technology can be applied to the heat treatment of must used in alcoholic fermentation processes in the sugar-energy industry. The mixing system was the apparatus which was assembled to mix two distinct fluids. The apparatus consisted of a direct contact heat exchanger, a proportional valve, a temperature sensor and two check valves. The heat exchanger was assembled in the form of a \"t\" as a fluid mixing device. Experiments were performed in the laboratory; the characteristic transfer function of the system was determined followed by the tuning of a Proportional-Integral controller. The controller was tuned for the purpose of obtaining target temperature in the system mixing chamber by adjusting the flow section of the steam pipe. The performance of the equipment was evaluated based on rise time, settling time, percent overshoot, IAE e ITAE, showing adequate performance for the application in question. The activities were limited to the development of technology, with a greater focus on aspects related to control. No evaluation of the effectiveness of heat treatment in industrial or laboratory applications has been made. Future works may use the technology developed in this research to study the efficacy of heat treatment conducted at different temperatures in the reduction of microorganisms or sterilization of the must.

Dynamic Binary Modification (DBM) is a technique for modifying applications at runtime, working at the level of native code. It has numerous applications, including instrumentation, translation and optimisation. However, DBM introduces a performance overhead, which in some cases can dominate execution time, making many uses impractical. While avenues for reducing this overhead have been widely explored on x86, ARM, an architecture gaining widespread adoption, has received little attention. Consequently, the overhead of DBM on ARM, as reported in the literature and measured using the available DBM systems, has fallen behind the state-of-the-art by one or two orders of magnitude. The research questions addressed in this thesis are: 1) how to develop low overhead DBM systems for the ARM architecture, and 2) whether new optimisations are plausible and needed. Towards that end, a number of novel optimisations were developed and evaluated specifically to address the sources of overhead for DBM on various ARM microarchitectures. Furthermore, many of the optimisations in the literature were ported to ARM and evaluated. This work was enabled by a new DBM system, named MAMBO, created specifically for this purpose. MAMBO, using the optimisations presented in this thesis, is able to achieve an overhead an order of magnitude smaller than that of the most efficient DBM system for ARM available at the start of this PhD.