Grammatical Evolution (GE) is a method of utilising a general purpose evolutionary algorithm to ???evolve??? programs written in an arbitrary BNF grammar. This thesis extends GE as follows: GE as an extension of Genetic Programming (GP) A novel method of automatically extracting information from the grammar is introduced. This additional information allows the use of GP style crossover which in turn allows GE to perform identically to a strongly typed GP system as well as a non-typed (or canonical) GP system. Two test problems are presented one which is more easily solved by the GP style crossover and one which favours the tradition GE ???Ripple Crossover???. With this new crossover operator GE can now emulate GP (as well as retaining its own unique features) and can therefore now be seen as an extension of GP. Dynamically Defined Functions An extension to the BNF grammar is presented which allows the use of dynamically defined functions (DDFs). DDFs provide an alternative to the traditional approach of Automatically Defined Functions (ADFs) but have the advantage that the number of functions and their parameters do not need to be specified by the user in advance. In addition DDFs allow the architecture of individuals to change dynamically throughout the course of the run without requiring the introduction of any new form of operator. Experimental results are presented confirming the effectiveness of DDFs. Self-Selecting (or variable) crossover. A self-selecting operator is introduced which allows the system to determine, during the course of the run, which crossover operator to apply; this is tested over several problem domains and (especially where small populations are used) is shown to be effective in aiding the system to overcome local optima. Spatial Co-Evolution in Age Layered Planes (SCALP) A method of combining Hornby???s ALPS metaheuristic and a spatial co-evolution system used by Mitchell is presented; the new SCALP system is tested over three problem domains of increasing difficulty and performs extremely well in each of them.

Distant dipolar field (DDF)-based nuclear magnetic resonance is an active research area with many fundamental properties still not well understood. Already several intriguing applications have developed, like HOMOGENIZED and IDEAL spectroscopy, that allow high resolution spectra to be obtained in inhomogeneous fields, such as in-vivo. The theoretical and experimental research in this thesis concentrates on the fundamental signal properties of DDF-based sequences in the presence of relaxation (T1 and T2) and diffusion. A general introduction to magnetic resonance phenomenon is followed by a more in depth introduction to the DDF and its effects. A novel analytical signal equation has been developed to describe the effects of T2 relaxation and diffusing spatially modulated longitudinal spins during the signal build period of an HOMOGENIZED cross peak. Diffusion of the longitudinal spins results in a lengthening of the effective dipolar demagnetization time, delaying the re-phasing of coupled anti-phase states in the quantum picture. In the classical picture the unwinding rate of spatially twisted magnetization is no longer constant, but decays exponentially with time. The expression is experimentally verified for the HOMOGENIZED spectrum of 100mM TSP in H2O at 4.7T. Equations have also been developed for the case of multiple repetition steady state 1d and 2d spectroscopic sequences with incomplete magnetization recovery, leading to spatially varying longitudinal magnetization. Experimental verification has been accomplished by imaging the profile. The equations should be found generally applicable for those interested in DDF-based spectroscopy and imaging.

Submitted by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2017-12-04T14:26:20Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Jorge C. Seabra.pdf: 2679171 bytes, checksum: a3f32ee0ecd6132b922b8c292c8c6ffc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2017-12-04T14:26:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Jorge C. Seabra.pdf: 2679171 bytes, checksum: a3f32ee0ecd6132b922b8c292c8c6ffc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-04T14:26:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Jorge C. Seabra.pdf: 2679171 bytes, checksum: a3f32ee0ecd6132b922b8c292c8c6ffc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-28 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The conventional household equipment we use on a day-to-day basis is practically not monitored for real-time faults and defects. In this work, an approach will be presented to the application of machine learning with the use of selected data of the equipment when in operation, and of data references extracted from the datasheets. In order to analyze, compare and evaluate differences in data sets, the fault detection and diagnosis device was developed to classify the symptoms that may represent defects in the equipment in real time. The occurrences of these equipment failures are traditionally identified by the users themselves when the expected performance does not occur. With the use of a microprocessed board connected to the electronic sensors installed at strategic points in the equipment, the data comparison step is started, the data collected are transmitted to the server, which through the Machine Learning algorithm performs the tasks for identification of the Detected failures. Real-time monitoring of the behavior of electrical and physical magnitudes of conventional household equipment is aimed at monitoring functional behavior and informing the user of any faults using local or Internet resources. / Os equipamentos domésticos convencionais que utilizamos no dia a dia, praticamente, não são monitorados para verificação de falhas e defeitos em tempo real. Neste trabalho, será apresentada uma abordagem da aplicação do aprendizado de máquina com a utilização de dados selecionados dos equipamentos quando em funcionamento, e de dados referências extraídos das fichas técnicas. Para analisar, comparar e avaliar as diferenças nos conjuntos de dados, foi desenvolvido o dispositivo de detecção e diagnóstico de falha para classificar os sintomas que podem representar defeitos nos equipamentos em tempo real. As ocorrências das falhas destes equipamentos, tradicionalmente são identificadas pelos próprios usuários quando o desempenho esperado não acontece. Com a utilização de uma placa micro processada conectada aos sensores eletrônicos instalados em pontos estratégicos no equipamento, iniciase a etapa da comparação de dados, os dados coletados são transmitidos ao servidor que através do algoritmo de Aprendizado de Máquina executa as tarefas para identificação das falhas detectadas. O monitoramento em tempo real do comportamento das grandezas elétricas e físicas dos equipamentos de usos domésticos convencionais tem como objetivo, monitorar o comportamento funcional e informar ao usuário, eventuais falhas, utilizando os recursos da rede local ou da internet.

Cette thèse propose un nouveau paradigme de représentation d’applications pour les machines virtuelles, capable d’abstraire l’architecture des systèmes informatiques. Les machines virtuelles actuelles reposent sur un modèle unique de représentation d’application qui abstrait les instructions des machines et sur un modèle d’exécution qui traduit le fonctionnement de ces instructions vers les machines cibles. S’ils sont capables de rendre les applications portables sur une vaste gamme de systèmes, ces deux modèles ne permettent pas en revanche d’exprimer la concurrence sur les instructions. Or, celle-ci est indispensable pour optimiser le traitement des applications selon les ressources disponibles de la plate-forme cible. Nous avons tout d’abord développé une représentation « universelle » d’applications pour machine virtuelle fondée sur la modélisation par graphe flux de données. Une application est ainsi modélisée par un graphe orienté dont les sommets sont des unités de calcul (les acteurs) et dont les arcs représentent le flux de données passant au travers de ces sommets. Chaque unité de calcul peut être traitée indépendamment des autres sur des ressources distinctes. La concurrence sur les instructions dans l’application est alors explicite. Exploiter ce nouveau formalisme de description d'applications nécessite de modifier les règles de programmation. A cette fin, nous avons introduit et défini le concept de « Représentation Canonique et Minimale » d’acteur. Il se fonde à la fois sur le langage de programmation orienté acteur CAL et sur les modèles d’abstraction d’instructions des machines virtuelles existantes. Notre contribution majeure qui intègre les deux nouvelles représentations proposées, est le développement d’une « Machine Virtuelle Universelle » (MVU) dont la spécificité est de gérer les mécanismes d’adaptation, d’optimisation et d’ordonnancement à partir de l’infrastructure de compilation Low-Level Virtual Machine. La pertinence de cette MVU est démontrée dans le contexte normatif du codage vidéo reconfigurable (RVC). En effet, MPEG RVC fournit des applications de référence de décodeurs conformes à la norme MPEG-4 partie 2 Simple Profile sous la forme de graphe flux de données. L’une des applications de cette thèse est la modélisation par graphe flux de données d’un décodeur conforme à la norme MPEG-4 partie 10 Constrained Baseline Profile qui est deux fois plus complexe que les applications de référence MPEG RVC. Les résultats expérimentaux montrent un gain en performance en exécution de deux pour des plates-formes dotées de deux cœurs par rapport à une exécution mono-cœur. Les optimisations développées aboutissent à un gain de 25% sur ces performances pour des temps de compilation diminués de moitié. Les travaux effectués démontrent le caractère opérationnel et universel de cette norme dont le cadre d’utilisation dépasse le domaine vidéo pour s’appliquer à d’autres domaine de traitement du signal (3D, son, photo…) / This thesis proposes a new paradigm that abstracts the architecture of computer systems for representing virtual machines’ applications. Current applications are based on abstraction of machine’s instructions and on an execution model that reflects operations of these instructions on the target machine. While these two models are efficient to make applications portable across a wide range of systems, they do not express concurrency between instructions. Expressing concurrency is yet essential to optimize processing of application as the number of processing units is increasing in computer systems. We first develop a “universal” representation of applications for virtual machines based on dataflow graph modeling. Thus, an application is modeled by a directed graph where vertices are computation units (the actors) and edges represent the flow of data between vertices. Each processing units can be treated apart independently on separate resources. Concurrency in the instructions is then made explicitly. Exploit this new description formalism of applications requires a change in programming rules. To that purpose, we introduce and define a “Minimal and Canonical Representation” of actors. It is both based on actor-oriented programming and on instructions ‘abstraction used in existing Virtual Machines. Our major contribution, which incorporates the two new representations proposed, is the development of a “Universal Virtual Machine” (UVM) for managing specific mechanisms of adaptation, optimization and scheduling based on the Low-Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) infrastructure. The relevance of the MVU is demonstrated on the MPEG Reconfigurable Video Coding standard. In fact, MPEG RVC provides decoder’s reference application compliant with the MPEG-4 part 2 Simple Profile in the form of dataflow graph. One application of this thesis is a new dataflow description of a decoder compliant with the MPEG-4 part 10 Constrained Baseline Profile, which is twice as complex as the reference MPEG RVC application. Experimental results show a gain in performance close to double on a two cores compare to a single core execution. Developed optimizations result in a gain on performance of 25% for compile times reduced by half. The work developed demonstrates the operational nature of this standard and offers a universal framework which exceeds the field of video domain (3D, sound, picture...)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-05-17Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:35:25Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 borges_as_me_ilha.pdf: 1848055 bytes, checksum: baddb0e3ae6ff7e75ac2a367efd5a7a3 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O presente trabalho propõe o estudo e implementação de uma metodologia para a estimação dos parâmetros modais de estruturas utilizando uma técnica de identificação baseada apenas na resposta do modelo, denominada Decomposição no Domínio da Freqüência (DDF). Para tal são abordados os conceitos básicos envolvidos na análise modal, análise modal baseada apenas na resposta e métodos de identificação. A formulação do algoritmo é baseada na decomposição da matriz densidade espectral de potência utilizando a técnica da decomposição em valores singulares (SVD). A decomposição da matriz densidade espectral nas linhas de freqüências correspondentes aos picos de amplitude, permite a estimativa dos modos de vibrar do sistema. Tem-se ainda que, o primeiro vetor singular obtido com a decomposição da matriz densidade espectral, para cada linha de freqüência, na região em torno do modo, contém as respectivas informações daquele modo e o correspondente valor singular leva a uma estimativa da função densidade espectral de um sistema de um grau de liberdade (1GL) equivalente. Neste caso, a matriz densidade espectral de saída é decomposta em um conjunto de sistemas de 1 grau de liberdade. Posteriormente, esses dados são transformados para o domínio do tempo, utilizando a transformada inversa de Fourier, e as razões de amortecimento são estimadas utilizando o conceito de decremento logaritmo. A metodologia é avaliada, numa primeira etapa, utilizando dados simulados e posteriormente utilizando dados experimentais. / The present work proposes the study and implementation of a methodology for the estimating of the modal parameters of structures by using the output-only data. The technique called Frequency Domain Decomposition (DDF) identifies the modal parameters without knowing the input. For that, it is discussed the basic concepts involved in identification, modal analysis and output-only modal analysis. The formulation of the algorithm is based on the decomposition of the power spectral density matrix by using the singular values decomposition technique (SVD). The decomposition of the spectral density matrix for the lines of frequency corresponding to the amplitude peaks, allows the estimating of the modes shape of the system. Additionally, the first singular vector obtained with the decomposition of the spectral density matrix, for each line of frequency, in the area around of the peak, contains the respective information of that mode. The corresponding singular value leads to an estimating of the spectral density function of an equivalent system of one degree of freedom. Therefore, the output spectral density matrix is decomposed in a set of one degree of freedom system. Later on, those data are transformed for the time domain by using the inverse Fourier transform and the damping ratios estimated from the crossing times and the logarithm decrement of the corresponding single degree of freedom system correlation function. The methodology is evaluated using simulated and experimental data.

Snowmelt is one of the major sources of surface water supply and ground-water recharge in high elevation areas and can also cause flooding in snow dominated watersheds. Direct estimation of daily snowmelt requires daily snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements that are not always available, especially in places without monitoring stations. There are two alternative approaches to modeling snowmelt without using direct measurements of SWE, temperature-based and energy-based models. Due to its simplicity, computational efficiency, and less input data requirement, the temperature-based method is commonly used than the energy-based method. In the temperature-index approach snowmelt is estimated as a linear function of average air temperature, and the slope of the linear function is called the degree-day factor (DDF). Hence, the DDF is an essential parameter for utilizing the temperature-based method to estimate snowmelt. Thereby, to analyze the spatial properties of DDF, 10 years DDF from the entire state of Colorado was calculated for this research. Likewise, to study the temporal properties, DDFs for 27 years from the White Yampa water basin and the Colorado Headwaters water basin were calculated. As a part of the spatial analysis, the calculated DDFs were correlated with spatial variables (slope, aspect, latitude and elevation) and a spatial correlation graph was created to observe the possibility of predicting DDF. Also a multivariate regression model was prepared using these spatial variables to predict the DDF using spatial variables. Further, the DDFs calculated from Colorado headwaters and the White Yampa water basins were correlated for annual temporal variation, daily variation, variation with peak snow water equivalent and variation with important temporal cycles like accumulation period and melting period of snowmelt. The result obtained from this study showed that the variability of DDF is more dependent upon temporal factors compared to the spatial factors. Also, the results showed that predicting DDF is a difficult process and requires complex methods than simple linear models or multivariate models.

The design techniques of the components on the macro level are established in the scientific community, however are far behind from the real material performance limits. To obtain those limits, the deeper understanding of the material structure is required. The methods of a new comonents production through standard alloying are the basis of the modern material science manufacturing. The design of the materials with expected required performance limits is the next conceptual step for the materials scientist. As results, to make this step, the problem of a precise material structure analyses on the microstructural level is one os the major importance for the next generation materials design. The complexity of the material structure across the scales(macro-micro) requires a new non deterministic methods for better understanding of the connectivity betwen a materials performance and material microstructure features. This work presents a various new research methodologies and techniques of the material microstructure characterization and numerical design with future applications to the anlyses of the material behavior. The focus of the particular research was to analyse a new cross correlation function of the material structure on the micro length scale and develop a novel framework which allows a better understanding of various important material phenomenas such as failure initiation and recrystallization.

Animal models have been recognized for the valuable roles they serve in both animal and human medicine. Dogs share many of the same naturally occurring tumors as humans including osteosarcoma, lymphoma, and mammary tumors. In addition, dogs share the same environment as humans, have a shorter lifespan, and often have a quicker progression of disease, making them an attractive model of human disease. Platelets are small anucleate cell fragments that have essential roles in hemostasis, angiogenesis, and wound healing, and, more recently recognized, roles in development, survival, growth, and metastasis of various cancers. Their roles in angiogenesis has proven to be both directly and indirectly linked to tumor growth due to the angiogenic roles they play in the development of tumor blood supply. Being able to study the interactions and mechanisms between platelets and tumor cells at the protein level, through proteomics, would allow great insight into the effects of platelets on tumor cell behavior as well as potential biomarker identification and therapeutic development. The objective of this research is to integrate the roles of canine platelet proteins into a better understanding of the effects and interactions that platelets have with different tumor cells while utilizing the canine model of neoplasms commonly affecting their human counterparts. The first study in this research describes an efficient technique developed for the purification of canine platelets from clinically relevant volumes of whole blood with high platelet recovery and minimal contamination from other blood cells. The second study describes a non-electrophoretic detergent fractionation technique used for the digestion of canine platelet samples for proteomic analysis as well as description of the proteomic findings for the normal canine platelet. Lastly, the third study describes the proteomic analysis of proteins differentially expressed by canine osteosarcoma and mammary tumor cells following incubation with canine platelet lysate in vitro. Overall, findings of this research support the canine model of human cancers and provide comprehensive information regarding canine platelet proteomics as well as novel efficient techniques that aid the future of canine platelet-tumor cell interaction research

nÃo hà / Nosso trabalho apresenta uma anÃlise numÃrica da propagaÃÃo e comutaÃÃo de solitons fundamentais em acopladores de dois nÃcleos de fibras nÃo lineares construÃdos com fibras de perfis de dispersÃo (DPF). NÃs mostramos, que o formato apropriado do perfil DPF à muito eficaz na recuperaÃÃo, quase total, do comportamento da comutaÃÃo do sinal original associado à situaÃÃo sem perdas. O estudo da comutaÃÃo de solitons em acopladores nÃo lineares de fibras DPF proporciona possibilidades de se alcanÃar alta eficiencia no processamento de sinais ultra-rÃpidos em sistemas totalmente Ãticos, especialmente para comutadores e transistors Ãticos. Iniciamos, estudando as equaÃÃes de Maxwell, os Solitons Ãpticos, as EquaÃÃes dos Modos Acoplados, e a EquaÃÃo NÃo Linear de SchrÃdinger - NLSE (mÃtodos analÃtico, e numÃrico). A seguir, detalhamos a PropagaÃÃo e Chaveamento de Sinais Ãpticos âCWâ e âQuasi-CWâ em Acopladores Ãpticos, bem como analisamos de forma teÃrica os acopladores duplos nÃo lineares de Fibras Ãpticas com Perfis de DispersÃo Decrescente (DPF). Os Ãltimos capÃtulos tratam do objetivo real de nossa DissertaÃÃo, ou seja, a AnÃlise Detalhada de Acopladores Ãpticos de Fibras com Perfis de DispersÃo (DPF), Com, e Sem Perdas Ãpticas, incluindo dois tipos de configuraÃÃo(PA1 e PB1). Encerramos a DissertaÃÃo com as ConclusÃes sobre os estudos acima referidos / We present a numerical investigation of the propagation and the switching of fundamental solitons in a two-core nonlinear fiber coupler constructed with Dispersion Profile Fiber (DPF). We have shown that appropriate shaping of the DPF profile is quite effective to recover, almost completely, the original switching behavior associated to the lossless situation. The study of soliton switching in DPF nonlinear fiber couplers provides possibilities for achieving, high efficiency in ultrafast all-optical signal processing, especially for optical switches and optical transistors. We initiate, studying the Maxwell Equations, the Coupled-Mode Equations, and the the Nonlinear SchrÃdinger Equation - NLSE, (analytic, and numerical approaches). After this, we detail the Propagation and Switching of "CW" and "Quasi-CW" Optical Signals in Optical Couplers, as well like we analyze, through theoretical form, the nonlinear double couplers of Dispersion Profiles Fibers (DPF). The last chapters explain the real objective of our Dissertation, or be, Detailed Analysis of the Optical Couplers of Profiles Dispersion Fiber (DPF), With, and Without Optical Losses, including two kinds of configuration (PA1 and PB1). We enclose the Dissertation with the Conclusions about the above referred studies

Cette thèse propose un nouveau paradigme de représentation d'applications pour les machines virtuelles, capable d'abstraire l'architecture des systèmes informatiques. Les machines virtuelles actuelles reposent sur un modèle unique de représentation d'application qui abstrait les instructions des machines et sur un modèle d'exécution qui traduit le fonctionnement de ces instructions vers les machines cibles. S'ils sont capables de rendre les applications portables sur une vaste gamme de systèmes, ces deux modèles ne permettent pas en revanche d'exprimer la concurrence sur les instructions. Or, celle-ci est indispensable pour optimiser le traitement des applications selon les ressources disponibles de la plate-forme cible. Nous avons tout d'abord développé une représentation " universelle " d'applications pour machine virtuelle fondée sur la modélisation par graphe flux de données. Une application est ainsi modélisée par un graphe orienté dont les sommets sont des unités de calcul (les acteurs) et dont les arcs représentent le flux de données passant au travers de ces sommets. Chaque unité de calcul peut être traitée indépendamment des autres sur des ressources distinctes. La concurrence sur les instructions dans l'application est alors explicite. Exploiter ce nouveau formalisme de description d'applications nécessite de modifier les règles de programmation. A cette fin, nous avons introduit et défini le concept de " Représentation Canonique et Minimale " d'acteur. Il se fonde à la fois sur le langage de programmation orienté acteur CAL et sur les modèles d'abstraction d'instructions des machines virtuelles existantes. Notre contribution majeure qui intègre les deux nouvelles représentations proposées, est le développement d'une " Machine Virtuelle Universelle " (MVU) dont la spécificité est de gérer les mécanismes d'adaptation, d'optimisation et d'ordonnancement à partir de l'infrastructure de compilation Low-Level Virtual Machine. La pertinence de cette MVU est démontrée dans le contexte normatif du codage vidéo reconfigurable (RVC). En effet, MPEG RVC fournit des applications de référence de décodeurs conformes à la norme MPEG-4 partie 2 Simple Profile sous la forme de graphe flux de données. L'une des applications de cette thèse est la modélisation par graphe flux de données d'un décodeur conforme à la norme MPEG-4 partie 10 Constrained Baseline Profile qui est deux fois plus complexe que les applications de référence MPEG RVC. Les résultats expérimentaux montrent un gain en performance en exécution de deux pour des plates-formes dotées de deux cœurs par rapport à une exécution mono-cœur. Les optimisations développées aboutissent à un gain de 25% sur ces performances pour des temps de compilation diminués de moitié. Les travaux effectués démontrent le caractère opérationnel et universel de cette norme dont le cadre d'utilisation dépasse le domaine vidéo pour s'appliquer à d'autres domaine de traitement du signal (3D, son, photo...)