The thesis is divided into two parts theoretical one and practical one. The theoretical part describes methods of implementation of physical experiments, also there is discussion about curriculum that was used in the created experiments and description of video analysis with used app, at the end of this part there is also several experiments that are made to inspire teachers and to show them video analysis options. For some of the experiments there is also graphical manual. The practical part contains a set of differentiated tasks and worksheets. In this work there is also few worksheets that were filled by students.

The thesis is divided into two parts theoretical one and practical one. The theoretical part describes methods of implementation of physical experiments, also there is discussion about curriculum that was used in the created experiments, at the end of this part there is also several experiments that are made to inspire teachers and to show them video analysis options. The practical part contains a set of differentiated tasks and worksheets. In this work there is also few worksheets that were filled by students.

Os campos do Rio Grande do Sul apresentam grande biodiversidade, beleza cênica e um importante recurso para a economia do estado, cuja principal atividade é a pecuária. O manejo inadequado do campo traz conseqüências graves para a diversidade e sustentabilidade desse ecossistema através da perda de espécies promovida pelo pastejo excessivo. Entretanto, algumas espécies desempenham as mesmas funções nos ecossistemas, logo a perda de algumas espécies pode não afetar o seu funcionamento, pela compensação de outras espécies do mesmo grupo funcional. Esta redundância funcional aumentaria a confiabilidade do funcionamento do ecossistema quando perturbado, funcionando como um tipo de "seguro" contra a perda de espécies. A hipótese da redundância funcional foi avaliada em ecossistemas campestres através de um experimento de remoção no qual os tratamentos avaliados consistiram em: 1) remoção de duas espécies graminóides, 2) remoção de duas espécies herbáceas não-graminóides, 3) remoção de uma espécie de graminóide e uma herbácea não-graminóide e 4) sem remoção. As evidências indicam que existe redundância funcional para as espécies de plantas em ecossistemas campestres, pois a remoção de uma espécie de cada grupo funcional causou menos modificações na composição de espécies das comunidades que a remoção de duas espécies do mesmo grupo funcional. Observou-se também que a porcentagem da cobertura das espécies remanescentes tende a compensar a remoção de espécies do mesmo grupo funcional. Entretanto, os tratamentos não tiveram efeito para a biomassa aérea. A avaliação de um banco de dados de um experimento de pastejo realizado anteriormente revelou que a redundância funcional está positivamente relacionada com a resistência da comunidade ao pastejo, enquanto a riqueza de espécies não apresentou relação. Áreas de campo com maiores níveis de redundância funcional são mais resistentes ao pastejo, sofrendo menos modificações na composição de espécies de suas comunidades. Além disso, um manejo adequado não reduz os níveis de redundância funcional dos campos. Áreas de campo dentro de unidades de conservação deveriam ser manejas adequadamente mantendo os níveis de redundância funcional e a estabilidade deste ecossistema. Entretanto, novos estudos são necessários para avaliar a importância da redundância funcional em experimentos de longa duração. / Grasslands from Rio Grande do Sul present great biodiversity, scenic beauty and an important resource to the province economy, which main activity is cattle grazing. Inadequate pasture management brings serious consequences to ecosystem diversity and sustainability by the loss of species promoted by excessive grazing. Although, some species may role the same functions in ecosystems, therefore loss of some species may not affect functioning, due to species compensation within functional groups. This functional redundancy would increase ecosystem reliability when perturbations occur, working as an "insurance" to species loss. Functional redundancy hypothesis was evidenced in grassland plant communities through a removal experiment in which evaluated treatments were: 1) removal of two graminoid species, 2) removal of two forb species, 3) removal of one species of each functional group and 4) no removal (control). Evidences point to functional redundancy for grassland plant species; removal of one species of each functional group caused less harm to community species composition than removal of two species of the same functional group. Furthermore, remaining species percent covers tend to compensate removed species of the same functional group. However, treatments did not effected aboveground biomass. Data set evaluation of a previously conducted cattle-grazing experiment reveled that functional redundancy is positively related to community resistance to cattle grazing, otherwise species richness presented no relation. Grassland areas with higher levels of functional redundancy are more resistant to cattle grazing, suffering less modification in community species composition. Also, adequate management do not reduce functional redundancy on pastures. Grassland areas inside conservation units should be managed adequately maintaining redundancy levels and ecosystem reliability. Although, new studies are required to better evaluate functional redundancy implications in long term experiments.

Introdução: Variados recursos são utilizados na reabilitação pós Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE). Todavia os dados apresentados não evidenciam que alguma intervenção fisioterápica em especifico seja melhor que outra. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos da Eletroestimulação Funcional na amplitude de movimento (ADM), força muscular, pressão plantar e independência funcional comparado a estimulação sham em indivíduos hemiparéticos crônicos. Método: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, randomizado e controlado, composto por 10 indivíduos hemiparéticos pós AVE Isquêmico, com idade entre 30 e 80 anos de ambos os sexos. O grupo intervenção recebeu a aplicação do FES no músculo tibial anterior, 3 vezes por semana, por 4 semanas, durante 30 minutos. O grupo controle recebeu a aplicação de uma corrente elétrica sham no mesmo período. Todos os sujeitos receberam, adicionalmente, tratamento fisioterapêutico convencional. O grupo controle recebeu a aplicação de uma corrente elétrica sham no mesmo período. Todos os sujeitos receberam, adicionalmente, tratamento fisioterapêutico convencional. Os efeitos do tratamento foram avaliados por um observador cegado para os seguintes desfechos: (1) grau de espasticidade, (2) tônus muscular, (3), força muscular de dorsiflexores e plantiflexores através do dinamômetro isocinético Biodex System Pro, (4) pressão plantar através do Sistema de baropodometria computadorizada- F-Scan[TM] versão 4.22 Windows 95 Tekscan e (5) independência funcional através da Medida de Independência Funcional (MIF). Resultados: O grupo intervenção apresentou maiores valores de ADM de tornozelo em relação ao grupo controle, além de maior pressão plantar a região do antepé e maior escore na MIF. Comparando-se pré e pós tratamento no grupo intervenção, a ADM de dorsiflexão e plantiflexão (p=0.0001), força muscular de dorsiflexores (p=0.023) e escore da MIF (p=0.001) apresentaram maiores no período pós intervenção. No grupo controle, somente o escore da MIF apresentou diferença estatisticamente significativa entre pré e pós intervenção (p=0.034). Conclusão: A EENM demonstrou aspectos eficazes em relação à estimulação sham, todavia, estudos adicionais com amostras maiores devem ser realizados para melhor investigar os efeitos destas correntes. / Background: Considerable resources are devoted to poststroke rehabilitation. However, to date there is no evidence that one physiotherapy approach is any better than any other approach. Objective: To evaluate the effects of the functional electrostimulation – FES on the range of movement, muscle strength, plantar pressure and functional independency, compared to a sham stimulation, in stroke patients. Methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial was carried out at a Physiotherapy Unit of University hospital with consecutive hemiparetic ischemic stroke patients. The study sample was randomized into the functional electrostimulation (FES) or sham stimulation groups. Interventions were carried out 3 times/week during 4 weeks, for 30 minutes. Ten hemiparetic ischemic stroke patients with age between 30 and 80 years of both sexes were included in the study. All subjects received routine interdisciplinary stroke rehabilitation, as the kinesiotherapic treatment program. The effects of the treatments were assessed by a blinded observer for: (1) degree of spasticity, (2) muscle tone, (3) muscle strength of the maximal voluntary torque of the dorsal and plantar flexion of the feet, (4) plantar pressure, (5) functional independence. Results: The FES group presented higher values than the sham group in the range of movement of the ankle, in the plantar pressure of the anterior region of the foot, and in the functional independence measure at the post-intervention period. Comparing the pre- and post-intervention periods of the FES group, dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the foot (p = 0.0001), muscle strength responsible for the dorsiflexion of the foot (p = 0.023), and functional independence (p = 0.001) presented higher values at the post-intervention period. In the Sham group, the FIM scale was the only measure significantly different between the two moments (preand post-intervention) (p = 0.034). Conclusions: This functional electrostimulation showed aspects of efficacy in relation to the sham stimulation, however, further investigation with higher sample should be carried out.

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a influência dos parâmetros de um sistema mecanizado de soldagem, composto por uma tocha TIG e outra MAG em tandem, sobre a geometria do cordão de solda resultante. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com soldas realizadas pelos processos TIG e MAG operando isoladamente. Os testes foram executados por meio de simples deposição de cordões sobre chapas de aço ao carbono AISI 1010 com espessura de 6,3 mm. Os parâmetros analisados foram: corrente de soldagem e distância da ponta do eletrodo até a peça no processo TIG, velocidade de alimentação de arame e tensão do arco no processo MAG, além de velocidade de soldagem e distância entre as tochas. Os cordões de solda foram executados em um dispositivo de soldagem mecanizado, que permite a variação da velocidade de soldagem, distância da ponta do eletrodo TIG e a distância entre as tochas. Os ajustes de corrente e tensão de soldagem foram feitos em duas fontes de potência separadas, ambas do tipo transformador-retificador, uma para cada tocha, devido às diferentes curvas características de cada processo. Através do projeto de experimento fatorial fracionado, foram avaliados os efeitos de dois níveis, um mínimo e outro máximo, mais quatro réplicas dos seus níveis intermediários, resultando em 20 experimentos para cada processo de soldagem. Os valores dos resultados finais indicam uma diferença ao utilizar uma tocha TIG para pré-aquecer o material base, porém, estatisticamente, essa diferença não é significativa entre os processos TIG e MAG em tandem e MAG convencional para a faixa de parâmetros de soldagem adotada. / This study aims to investigate the influence of process parameters of a mechanized welding system, comprising a GTAW torch and a GMAW torch in tandem configuration, on the geometry of the resulting weld bead, performed using GTAW and GMAW welding processes in tandem. The results were compared with weld beads performed by conventional GTAW and GMAW welding processes. The tests were conducted performing bead-on-plate deposits over AISI 1010 6,3 mm thick carbon steel plates. GTAW current, GMAW wire feed speed, GTAW arc length, GMAW voltage, welding speed and the distance between GTAW and GMAW torches were the analyzed parameters. The weld beads were performed in a mechanized welding bench, which allows the variation of speed, distance between torches and arc length of the GTAW torch. Current and voltage adjustments were made in two separate transformer-rectifier power sources, one for each welding torch, due to their different characteristic curves of each process. Through the fractional factorial design of experiment, the effects of two different levels for each parameter were analyzed, plus four replicates of the average values of these levels, resulting in 20 experiments for each welding process. The results show a difference on the weld bead geometry using a GTAW torch to preheat the base metal, however, this difference is not statistically significant between GTAW and GMAW welding process in tandem and GMAW welding process for the adopted range of welding parameters.

Controladores PID são largamente utilizados no controle de processos industriais, tanto em sistemas monovariáveis como em sistemas multivariáveis. No entanto, muitos dos controladores encontrados na indústria são mal sintonizados. Um dos métodos mais simples de sintonia de controladores PID consiste em identificar algumas grandezas, as quais se relacionam com características do processo a controlar, e em seguida aplicar fórmulas para os parâmetros dos controladores baseadas nestas grandezas. Estas grandezas são o ganho e o período críticos do processo, os quais se relacionam diretamente com o limite de estabilidade do sistema. Uma característica bastante interessante deste método é que o mesmo pode facilmente ser implementado por um controle auto-ajustável. Por este fato, métodos de auto-ajuste destes controladores têm sido bastante utilizados em sistemas monovariáveis, através do uso do método do relé como procedimento de obtenção das grandezas críticas, necessárias à sintonia dos controladores. O método do relé consiste em aplicar um controle bang-bang em malha fechada com o processo do qual se quer identificar as grandezas críticas. Este procedimento, dentro de certas condições, provoca uma oscilação sustentada na saída do processo, da qual as grandezas críticas são obtidas. Tendo como objetivo o auto-ajuste de controladores PID em sistemas multivariáveis, o método do relé também pode ser utilizado para obtenção das grandezas críticas, devidamente adequado de maneira a obter as grandezas críticas multivariáveis do processo. Diferentes procedimentos de ensaios com relés podem ser aplicados em sistemas multivariáveis, porém somente um destes procedimentos é capaz de identificar as grandezas críticas multivariáveis do processo diretamente: o ensaio descentralizado com relés. Mesmo assim, a sintonia proposta na literatura é baseada nas fórmulas monovariáveis de Ziegler-Nichols e afins, mostrando-se, muitas vezes, inadequada. Desta forma, este trabalho tem o objetivo de apresentar um método de ajuste multivariável para controladores PID descentralizados, baseado nas grandezas críticas do processo. Este método estende o método do ponto crítico para sistemas monovariáveis aos sistemas multivariáveis, através da análise multivariável do problema. A análise do método do ponto crítico para sistemas monovariáveis mostra que um controlador PI ou PID sintonizado pelas fórmulas baseadas nas grandezas críticas do processo sempre irá deslocar o ponto crítico do processo para um outro ponto no plano complexo, determinado pelas fórmulas utilizadas. Da mesma forma, o método de sintonia proposto neste trabalho desloca o ponto crítico do processo para outro ponto no plano complexo, escolhido a priori, alterando a freqüência crítica do sistema. / PID controllers are widely used in process control, in singlevariable systems as well as in multivariable ones. Yet, many of the controllers found in industry are poorly tuned. One of the simplest tuning method of PID controllers consists in identifying some values which are related to the process characteristics, and simply apply some formulae based on these quantities to determine the parameters of the controllers. Theses quantities are the ultimate gain and the ultimate period of the process, which are directly related to the system stability limit. A very interesting characteristic of this method is that it is easily implemented by an auto-tuning control. Thus, auto-tuning methods of this kind of controllers have been largely used in singlevariable systems, using the relay feedback experiment in order to obtain the ultimate quantities, which are needed to tune the controllers. The relay feedback experiment consists in applying a bang-bang control to the process from which the ultimate quantities are to be identified. This procedure, under some conditions, provides a sustained oscillation in the process’ output, from which the ultimate quantities are obtained. Aiming at auto-tuning of PID controllers in multivariable systems, the relay feedback experiment can also be used in order to get the ultimate quantities. Different relay feedback procedures can be applied to multivariable processes, but only one of these can identify the real multivariable ultimate quantities, formally considering the multivariable nature of the process: the decentralized relay feedback (DRF). However, the tuning of the controllers proposed in the literature is based on Ziegler-Nichols like formulae, what seems to be, many times, inappropriate. This work presents a multivariable tuning method of decentralized PID controllers, based on the process’ ultimate quantities. This method extends the ultimate point method used in SISO systems to multivariable ones, through multivariable analysis of the problem. The analysis of the ultimate point method used in singlevariable systems shows that a PI or PID controller tuned through formulae based on the process’ ultimate quantities will always dislocate the ultimate point to another point in the complex plane, determined by the used formulae. The tuning method proposed in this work dislocates the process’ ultimate point of a multivariable process to another point in the complex plane, chosen a priori, modifying the system’s ultimate frequency.

abstract: Climate change will result not only in changes in the mean state of climate but also on changes in variability. However, most studies of the impact of climate change on ecosystems have focused on the effect of changes in the central tendency. The broadest objective of this thesis was to assess the effects of increased interannual precipitation variation on ecosystem functioning in grasslands. In order to address this objective, I used a combination of field experimentation and data synthesis. Precipitation manipulations on the field experiments were carried out using an automated rainfall manipulation system developed as part of this dissertation. Aboveground net primary production responses were monitored during five years. Increased precipitation coefficient of variation decreased primary production regardless of the effect of precipitation amount. Perennial-grass productivity significantly decreased while shrub productivity increased as a result of enhanced precipitation variance. Most interesting is that the effect of precipitation variability increased through time highlighting the existence of temporal lags in ecosystem response. Further, I investigated the effect of precipitation variation on functional diversity on the same experiment and found a positive response of diversity to increased interannual precipitation variance. Functional evenness showed a similar response resulting from large changes in plant-functional type relative abundance including decreased grass and increased shrub cover while functional richness showed non-significant response. Increased functional diversity ameliorated the direct negative effects of precipitation variation on ecosystem ANPP but did not control ecosystem stability where indirect effects through the dominant plant-functional type determined ecosystem stability. Analyses of 80 long-term data sets, where I aggregated annual productivity and precipitation data into five-year temporal windows, showed that precipitation variance had a significant effect on aboveground net primary production that is modulated by mean precipitation. Productivity increased with precipitation variation at sites where mean annual precipitation is less than 339 mm but decreased at sites where precipitation is higher than 339 mm. Mechanisms proposed to explain patterns include: differential ANPP response to precipitation among sites, contrasting legacy effects and soil water distribution. Finally, increased precipitation variance may impact global grasslands affecting plant-functional types in different ways that may lead to state changes, increased erosion and decreased stability that can in turn limit the services provided by these valuable ecosystems. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biology 2014

abstract: Affection represents a positive and often intimate psychological state (Floyd & Morman, 1998) that is communicated through verbal, nonverbal, and social supportive behaviors. A formidable research literature indicates that receiving and expressing affection significantly benefits health. One form of affection that may produce these benefits is cuddling. Cuddling includes intimate, physical, and loving whole-body contact that does not necessarily include sexual activity and tends to be reserved for very intimate relationships. Working from affectionate exchange theory (Floyd, 2001), this study’s purpose is to examine the effects of cuddling on relational health for individuals living with their spouse. To test a causal relationship between cuddling and relational health, a four-week experiment was conducted. Eighty adults were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) a treatment condition in which individuals were instructed to increase cuddling behaviors with their spouse, (2) a comparison condition in which individuals were instructed to increase shared mealtime with their spouse, or (3) a control condition in which individuals were instructed to not change their behavior. Individuals in the treatment condition were predicted to experience significant improvements in relational health as outlined in the investment model (i.e., relational satisfaction, investment, quality of alternatives, and commitment) to a greater extent than individuals in the comparison or control conditions. A research question explored whether individuals in the comparison condition differed from those in the control condition. Planned contrasts were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results revealed that individuals in the treatment condition reported more relationship satisfaction and commitment and less quality of alternatives than individuals in the comparison and control conditions. Experimental conditions did not differ on reports of investment. Finally, individuals in the comparison and control conditions did not differ on any of the relational health markers. These findings support affection exchange theory and contribute to a growing literature identifying the benefits of affectionate communication. Moreover, the methodology and results of this study provide compelling evidence for a causal relationship between cuddling and satisfaction and commitment for relatively satisfied couples. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2017

abstract: Total digital media advertising spending of $72.5 billion surpassed total television Ad spending of $71.3 billion for the first time ever in 2016. Approximately $39 billion, or 54% of the digital media advertising spend, involved pre-programmed software that purchased Ads on behalf of a buyer in Real-Time Bidding (RTB) settings. A major concern for Ad buyers is sub-optimal spending in RTB settings owing to biases in the attribution of customer conversions to Ad impressions. The purpose of this research is twofold. First, identify and propose a novel experimental design and analysis plan for to handling a previously unidentified and unaddressed source of endogeneity: count/quality simultaneity bias (CQB). Second, conduct a field study using data for Ad response rates, cost, and observed consumer behavior to solve for the profit maximizing daily Ad frequency per customer. One large online retailer provided data for Ad impressions, bid costs, response rates, revenue per visit, and operating costs for 153,561 unique users over 23 days. Unique visitors were randomly assigned to one of seven treatment groups with one, two, three, four, five, and six impressions per day limits as well as a final condition with no daily impression cap. Ordinary least square models (OLS) were fit to the data and a non-linear relationship between Ad impressions and site visits demonstrating declining marginal effect of Ad impression on site visits after an optimal point. The results of the field study confirmed the existence of negative CQB and demonstrated how my novel experimental design and analysis can reduce the negative bias in the estimate of impression quantity on customer response. Second, managers interested in improving the efficiency of advertising spend should restrict display advertising to only the highest quality inventory through specific site targeting and by leveraging direct buys and private marketplace deals. This strategy ensures that subsequent impressions are not of lower quality by restricting the pool of possible impressions from a homogenous set of high quality inventory. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2017

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