<p>More and more attention has been paid to decreasing the number and size of non-metallic inclusions existing in the final products recently in steel industries. Therefore, more efforts have been made to monitor the inclusions' size distributions during the metallurgy process, especially at the secondary steelmaking period. A liquid sampling procedure is one of the commonly applied methods that monitoring the inclusion size distribution in ladles, for example, during the secondary steelmaking. Here, a crucial point is that the steel sampler should be filled and solidified without changing the inclusion characteristics that exist at steel making temperatures. In order to preserve the original size and distributions in the extracted samples, it is important to avoid their collisions and coagulations inside samplers during filling. Therefore, one of the first steps to investigate is the flow pattern inside samplers during filling in order to obtain a more in-depth knowledge of the sampling process to make sure that the influence is minimized.</p><p>The main objective of this work is to fundamentally study the above mentioned sampler filling process. A production sampler employed in the industries has been scaled-up according to the similarity of Froude Number in the experimental study. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to capture the flow field and calculate the velocity vectors during the entire experiment. Also, a mathematical model has been developed to have an in-depth investigate of the flow pattern in side the sampler during its filling. Two different turbulence models were applied in the numerical study, the realizable k-ε model and Wilcox k-ω model. The predictions were compared to experimental results obtained by the PIV measurements. Furthermore, it was illustrated that there is a fairly good agreement between the measurements obtained by PIV and calculations predicted by the Wilcox k-ω model. Thus, it is concluded that the Wilcox k-ω model can be used in the future to predict the filling of steel samplers.</p>

The cold chain industry has a need for a standalone, electricity independent cooling unit that is used for both storage of warehouse product and on deliveries [1]. Mixed temperature fresh and frozen food deliveries are problematic without the distributor having specialized duel compartment refrigerated trucks [2]. These trucks permanently reduce the available capacity for payload delivery [2]. It would be valuable to the cold chain industry to have a passive, independent, storage unit that can be moved using a forklift and placed anywhere within a reefer or warehouse [1]. This versatile unit is a simple mechanical system, but presents a complicated thermal problem. One of the design challenges is to thermally isolate the load from the environment and to maintain thermal conditions for a specified length of time. A proposed storage system uses heat pipes to connect the cargo compartment to a heat sink containing solid CO2. Heat pipes are a simple, passive, and quiet way to transfer heat. Heat pipe design and theory is an active area of research with numerous papers in the literature; however, there is less reported about the actual process of manufacturing. This thesis investigates a new potential application of heat pipes, with a focus on the manufacturing process and experimental performance. A total of four heat pipes and two thermosyphons are created using acetone and methanol as the working fluids, and copper and aluminum as the heat pipe housing. Performance is compared to an insulated copper tube with the same outer dimensions, where the primary performance metric is steady-state thermal resistance. In addition, transient performance is quantified as well as the temperature distribution along the outer in the evaporator, adiabatic and condenser regions. Results show that the prototypes made out of copper reached steady-state faster than the aluminum pipes, while also having a smaller temperature differential between the evaporator and condenser. Methanol and acetone have similar performance over the temperature ranges of 198 K to 358 K. The best performing prototype is a copper thermosyphon containing methanol which achieves an effective thermal resistance of 2.0 K/W with an applied load of 40.7 W, when the condenser is cooled with dry ice in acetone. When cooled with ice water the copper thermosyphon achieves an effective thermal resistance of 0.5 K/W with a load of 40.7 W. / Graduate / 0548 / jstrain@uvic.ca

Le blé dur, du fait de sa vitrosité et de sa richesse en protéines est particulièrement adapté àla fabrication des pâtes alimentaires. Cette céréale, largement cultivée dans le bassinméditerranéen, est fréquemment soumise à des stress hydriques et thermiques. Les objectifsde cette thèse ont été d'approfondir les connaissances sur les modalités d'accumulation etd'assemblage des protéines de réserve au cours du développement du grain. Un suivi fin duremplissage du grain, de la morphologie des corps protéiques, des changements d'état redox etde la distribution en taille des polymères de gluténines a été réalisé. L'influence, sur cesdifférents paramètres, de températures élevées appliquées à différents stades dedéveloppement du grain a été étudiée.En privilégiant l'accumulation des protéines au détriment de l'amidon, le stress thermiquejoue un rôle non négligeable dans l'obtention de grains vitreux et à fortes teneurs en protéines.L'arrêt de la croissance du grain, observé à 45% de teneur en eau, est précédé de la mise enplace de la matrice protéique. L'accumulation de la matière sèche apparaît étroitement liée à ladynamique de l'eau, confirmant le lien entre teneur en eau et poids final du grain. Au cours duremplissage du grain, les températures élevées exercent un effet significatif sur la formationdes polymères de gluténines insolubles dans le SDS. Leur formation n'intervient qu'en fin dedessiccation et en deçà de 30% de teneur en eau. La durée de cette phase ultime d'oxydation etd'assemblage des polymères de gluténines a été reliée à la teneur en protéines.L'évolution du statut redox du grain montre qu'une accumulation massive de polymères degluténines intervient juste avant l'entrée en dessiccation du grain qui coïncide avecl'effondrement de l'ascorbate dans le grain. Coïncidant avec cette oxydation manifeste, unphénomène de glutathionylation des protéines a été détecté avec une rupture de l'activité de laCAT. Au cours de la dessiccation, les activités de la SOD et de la GR augmentent de façonsignificative. Cette synthèse tardive pourrait se produire au niveau de la couche à aleurone etdu germe en réponse à l'oxydation massive de l'albumen.Enfin, nous avons analysé le couplage entre oxydation des thiols protéiques et croissance entaille des polymères de gluténines. Très précocement, les sous-unités de gluténiness'assemblent sous forme d'oligomères partiellement réduits. Durant le remplissage du grain,une oxydation massive des thiols intervient avec la formation de polymères majoritairementcomposés de SG-HPM sur lesquels viendraient se fixer les SG-FPM. Au cours de la dessiccation,la taille des polymères augmente. Les structures polymériques formées au cours del'élaboration du grain possèdent un nombre de cystéines réduites élevé et incompatible avecun modèle d'assemblage linéaire. Les résultats obtenus nous permettent de proposer unrepliement tardif des SG-FPM, postérieur à leur insertion dans les assemblages oligomériques.Ils nous amènent à mettre en avant le rôle du glutathion comme co-facteur de la genèse despolymères, à l'opposé des thèses classiques qui en font plutôt un inhibiteur de la croissance entaille des polymères de gluténines. / Durum wheat is particularly recognized as the most suitable raw material for pasta makingdue to its vitreousness and its high protein content. This cereal is commonly grown inMediterranean environment and then frequently submitted to high temperature and waterstress. The aim of this thesis was to better understand the accumulation and assembly ofstorage proteins during the grain development. Evaluation of the grain filling, the morphologyof protein bodies, the redox status and the size distribution of glutenin polymers were carriedout. The effect of high temperatures applied at different stages of the grain development onthese parameters was studied.By favouring protein accumulation at the expense of starch, heat stress appeared essentialto obtain vitreous grains and high protein content. The arrest of grain growth observed at 45%grain water content is preceded by the formation of a continuous protein matrix. The dry massaccumulation is closely related to water dynamics, confirming the link between water contentand final grain weight. During grain filling, high temperatures have a significant effect on theformation of SDS-insoluble glutenin polymers. It occurred when grain water concentrationdropped below 30%. The duration of this final stage of oxidation and assembly of gluteninpolymers was related to protein content.Changes in the grain redox status showed an accumulation of glutenin polymers mainlyoccurring before the onset of grain desiccation phase and coinciding with the ascorbateoxidation. This clear oxidation coincided also with the glutathionylation of proteins and thedrop of the CAT activity. During desiccation, the activities of SOD and GR increased significantly.This late synthesis could occur in the aleurone layer and germ in response to massive oxidationof the endosperm cells.Finally, we evaluated the coupling between protein thiol oxidation and size increase ofglutenin polymers. In the early stages, glutenin subunits assembled as oligomers partiallyreduced. During grain filling, a strong thiol oxidation took place with the formation of polymersmainly composed of HMW-GS associated with LMW-GS branching. The polymer size increasedduring desiccation. The polymeric structures obtained during the grain development presenteda high number of reduced cysteines inconsistent with a linear concatenation model ofassembly. It allowed us to propose that the folding of LMW-GS is a late event, subsequent totheir insertion into oligomeric assemblies. These results highlighted the role of glutathione asco-factor in the polymers formation, contrasting with the common assumption that considers itas an inhibitor of the size increase of glutenin polymers.

The general purpose of this thesis is to establish capability and accuracy of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in assessing left atrial (LA), left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function and their correlation with myocardial fibrosis, filling pressure and clinical outcomes in advanced heart failure (HF) patients before and after heart transplantation (HT). I demonstrated that HT recipients had impaired LV twist dynamics in the form of reduced rotation twist angle and untwist rate but time to peak twist was not different from the age matched controls and other cardiac surgical patients. With a longitudinal study conducted on patients with refractory HF, the best prognostic power has been shown by RV strain analysis. Among the indexes of LV function, the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) demonstrated the lowest diagnostic accuracy; instead LV global circumferential strain (GCS) showed a better sensitivity and specificity than LV global longitudinal strain (GLS). When analyzing the relationship between different severity of myocardial fibrosis and LV cavity function, the strongest function parameter that correlated with severity of myocardial fibrosis was GLS. In contrast, none of diastolic LV function or even measures of exercise capacity correlated with myocardial fibrosis. In patients with end-stage HF, global peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), an index of atrial reservoir function was dependent by pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and LV fibrosis, but not influenced by LV systolic function. Results from this study confirm previous evidence of correlation between impaired global PALS and increased PCWP.

This paper analyses the purchase and operation of vehicles on compressed natural gas. It contains a definition of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and discusses the various phases of its use in transport. It indicates the differences of this alternative fuel compared to traditional fuel such as gasoline or diesel. Then it focuses on the main reasons to support the use of compressed natural gas transport and talks about the legislation which has a major role in the development of alternative fuels. Then it specifies the disadvantages which can be associated with its use in transport. The last section includes an analysis on the specific example of the RWE CZ Group, which compares the different costs for compressed natural gas vehicles and vehicles which run on conventional fuel. Specifically the cost per kilometer of vehicle, CO2 emission and purchase price are given for comparison.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as propriedades físico-químicas e citotoxicidade quatro cimentos endodônticos, com diferentes bases químicas, utilizados na rotina clínica do Cirurgião-dentista. Foram utilizados os cimentos AH Plus®, BioRoot RCS®, Endomethasone N® e Sealapex®. Foram realizados os testes físico-químicos de tempo de endurecimento, radiopacidade e escoamento, segundo a especificação nº 57 da ANSI/ADA (2012). Para o teste de citotoxicidade, foram coletadas amostras sanguíneas de seis doadores voluntários adultos, com idade entre 18 e 35 anos, de ambos os gêneros. Foi realizada a cultura de células primárias de linfócitos do sangue periférico humano em contato com o eluato dos cimentos obturadores, e a viabilidade celular foi analisada por meio do ensaio de MTT. Cada teste foi realizado em triplicata, tanto para propriedades físico-químicas como para o ensaio do MTT, sendo os resultados analisados empregando o programa GraphPad Prism 5®, por meio do teste Oneway ANOVA e pós-teste de Tukey, com nível de significância de 5%. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, tanto o AH Plus® quanto o BioRoot RCS® apresentaram tempo de endurecimento de 1450 minutos e 255 minutos, respectivamente; Endomethasone N® não tem tempo de endurecimento citado pelo fabricante, e Sealapex® não tomou presa no período do estudo (168 horas). Para o teste de radiopacidade, todos os materiais avaliados apresentaram radiopacidade acima de 3 mm alumínio, como recomendado pela especificação nº 57 da ANSI/ADA (2012). Para o teste de escoamento, segundo a ISO 6876:2012, um cimento endodôntico não deve apresentar um diâmetro inferior a 17 mm. Observamos a maior média para AH Plus® (39,68 mm), seguido em ordem decrescente por Sealapex® (35,73 mm), Endomethasone N® (34,22 mm) e BioRoot RCS® (23,81 mm). Quanto à viabilidade celular, Endomethasone N® foi citotóxico sobre os linfócitos em todas as concentrações (p<0,05). Sealapex® apresentou menor viabilidade celular na diluição de 1:32 (3,125mg/mL) (p<0,05). AH Plus® e BioRoot® não demonstrou citotoxicidade em nenhuma das concentrações avaliadas (p>0,05). Podemos concluir que todos os materiais avaliados atenderam aos parâmetros estabelecidos pela ANSI/ADA para os testes físico-químicos realizados. Além disso, o Endomethasone N® apresentou citotoxicidade sobre os linfócitos humanos, e os demais materiais analisados apresentaram viabilidade celular em níveis aceitáveis / The present study had as objective to evaluate the physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity of four root canal sealers with different chemical bases, used in the clinical routine of the Dentistry. The AH Plus®, BioRoot RCS®, Endomethasone N® and Sealapex® cements were used. The physicochemical tests of setting time, radiopacity and flowability were performed according to ANSI/ADA specification (nº 57). For the cytotoxicity test, blood samples were collected from six adult voluntary donors, aged 18-35 years, of both genders. Primary human lymphocyte cell cultures were placed in contact with the eluate from the plug cements, and cell viability was analyzed by the MTT assay. Each test was performed in triplicate, both for physicochemical properties and for the MTT assay. The results were analyzed using the GraphPad Prism 5® program, using the Oneway ANOVA test and Tukey\'s post-test, with a significance level of 5%. According to the results obtained, both AH Plus® and BioRoot RCS® presented setting time of 1450 minutes and 255 minutes, respectively; Endomethasone N® does not have setting time quoted by the manufacturer, and Sealapex® did not set in the study period (168 hours). For the radiopacity test, all evaluated materials had radiopacity above 3 mm aluminum, as recommended by the ANSI/ADA specification (nº 57). For the flow test, according to ISO 6876:2012, an endodontic cement must not have a diameter of less than 17mm. We observed the highest mean for AH Plus® (39.68 mm), followed in descending order by Sealapex® (35.73 mm), Endomethasone N® (34.22 mm) and BioRoot RCS® (23.81 mm). Regarding cell viability, Endomethasone N® was cytotoxic on lymphocytes at all concentrations (p <0.05). Sealapex® presented lower cell viability at 1:32 dilution (3.125 mg / mL) (p <0.05). AH Plus® and BioRoot® showed no cytotoxicity at any of the concentrations evaluated (p> 0.05). We can conclude that all materials evaluated met the parameters established by ANSI/ADA for the physicochemical tests performed. In addition, Endomethasone N® showed cytotoxicity on human lymphocytes, and the other materials analyzed presented cell viability at acceptable levels

La centralisation de la préparation des médicaments injectables à la pharmacie permet d’assurer un haut niveau de qualité mais nécessite une stabilité du médicament dans le conditionnement choisi et une capacité de production suffisantes. Aseptic Technologies a développé un système de remplissage automatisé de conditionnement primaire utilisant un flacon en copolymères d’oléfines cycliques (COC) clos, stérile et prêt à l’emploi appelé « flacon Crystal® ». Ce flacon est rempli à travers le bouchon et est re-scellé par laser, réduisant ainsi le risque de contamination microbiologique.Nous avons évalué les risques liés à l’utilisation du flacon Crystal® :• Le risque de sorption est corrélé à la lipophilie de la substance conditionnée. Pendant 3 mois, nous avons évalué l’évolution de la concentration de 8 molécules cytotoxiques (de coefficients de partage octanol/eau différents) par CLHP/MS. Une méthodologie identique a permis le suivi des concentrations, pendant 24 heures de 3 molécules dérivées du platine par RMN.• Concernant le risque de perméation, nous avons évalué l’évolution des concentrations en phénol et métacrésol dans une solution à 1UI/mL d’insuline conditionnée dans des flacons Crystal® conservés droits et retournés pendant 50 jours par CLHP/UV. Deux formulations différentes de bouchons ont été testées.• Les solutions de pH extrêmes peuvent conduire à la présence de particules dans la solution injectable. L’impact sur la contamination particulaire du conditionnement de ces solutions dans les flacons Crystal® a été étudié et les particules caractérisées.• Les plastifiants peuvent migrer du conditionnement primaire vers la préparation parentérale. Après extraction par reflux à l’isopropanol sur le corps en COC et le bouchon en élastomère, les éventuels plastifiants ont été identifiés et dosés par RMN.Enfin, les stabilités de solutions de céfuroxime, midazolam et noradrénaline conditionnées en flacon Crystal® ont été déterminées et comparées à la seringue en polypropylène (PP).Les concentrations moyennes des 8 molécules cytotoxiques étaient comprises entre 90% et 110% à J62 sans corrélation avec le coefficient de partage. L’absence d’interaction a aussi été démontré pour le carboplatine et l’oxaliplatine par RMN. La précision de la quantification par RMN du cisplatine n’était pas suffisante.Il existe un risque de perméation du métacrésol lors du stockage à 25°C/60%RH pendant 50 jours (perte de 19,7% et de 20,3% pour les flacons Crystal® droits et retournés respectivement). La seconde formulation du bouchon permet de maîtriser le phénomène (perte de 2,6% à J50).Une contamination particulaire importante a été observée lors du conditionnement d’une solution basique et d’un contact avec le bouchon pendant 7 jours (6820 particules 3; 10µm dans un flacon Crystal® de 20mL) Les particules sont fibreuses et composées essentiellement de molécules inorganiques.Les analyses RMN mettent en évidence la présence de plastifiants dans le corps en COC et le bouchon à des concentrations largement en-dessous de la limite de 1000µg/g définie par la réglementation REACH.La solution de céfuroxime (1mL à 10mg/mL) était stable 365 jours à -20°C. Les solutions de midazolam (50mL à 1mg/mL) et de noradrénaline (20mL et 50mL à 0,2mg/mL ; 50mL à 0,5mg/mL) étaient stables 365 jours à 5°C. Des résultats similaires ont été obtenus lors de la conservation en seringue PP.Les flacons Crystal® ne sont pas sujets aux phénomènes de sorption. Il n’y a pas de risque de migration de plastifiants. Le risque de perméation du métacrésol est contrôlé par l’utilisation du nouveau bouchon. Le conditionnement de solutions basiques doit être surveillé. Les solutions de céfuroxime (à -20°C), de midazolam et de noradrénaline (à 5°C) sont stables 1 an. Par rapport à la seringue PP, le flacon Crystal® pourrait être préféré de par son système de remplissage aseptique automatisé ainsi que pour des considérations logistiques, en particulier le gain de place. / Centralized preparation of parenteral products in the pharmacy can ensure a higher quality but requires a stability of the drugs in the chosen primary packaging and a sufficient production capacity. Aseptic Technologies has developed an automated primary packaging filling system using a closed, sterile and ready-to-use cyclic olefin copolymer vial called ‘‘Crystal® vial’’. This vial is filled through the elastomeric septum and then immediately re-sealed by laser, thus reducing the risk of microbial contamination.We have evaluated risks linked to the use of Crystal® vials:- Sorption risk is correlated with substance lipophilicity. During 3 months, we have evaluated concentration evolution of 8 cytotoxic drugs (with different water/octanol partition coefficients) by HPLC/MS. Same methodology was used to measure concentration evolution of 3 platinum-derived drugs by NMR during 24 hours.- About the permeation risk, we have evaluated concentration evolution of phenol and metacresol in a 1UI/mL insulin solution during 50 days by HPLC/UV in Crystal® vials stored upright and upside down. Two stoppers formulations exist and were tested.- Extreme pH solutions can lead to the presence of particles in the parenteral product. Impact of these solutions in Crystal® vials on particles contamination was studied and particles characterized.- Plasticizers may migrate from the primary packaging to the parenteral products. After isopropanol reflux extraction on the COC body and thermoplastic elastomer stopper, potential plasticizers were identified and quantified using NMR.Finally, stabilities of ready-to-use cefuroxime, midazolam and noradrenaline solutions in Crystal® vials were determined and compared to polypropylene syringes.The 8 cytotoxic drugs mean concentrations were between 90% and 110% at day 62 with no correlation with partition coefficient. Lack of interactions was demonstrated too for the oxaliplatin and carboplatin solution by NMR. Accuracy of NMR cisplatin quantification was not sufficient.Studies performed on preservatives highlighted a metacresol permeation risk during storage at 25°C/60%RH for 50 days (loss of 19.7% and 20.3% respectively for Crystal® vials stored upright and upside down). Use of the second formulation stopper allowed a large decrease of permeation (loss of 2.6% at day 50).An important particles contamination was observed only with extrem alkaline pH and contact with the stopper (6820 particles 10µm in a 20mL Crystal® vials stored upside down during 7 days). Particles are fibrous and essentially composed by non-organic substances.NMR analysis highlighted presence of plasticizers in both COC body and elastomer stopper but concentrations were below the 1000µg/g threshold described by the REACH regulation.Cefuroxime solution (1mL at 10mg/mL) was stable 365 days at -20°C. Midazolam solution (50mL at 1mg/mL) and noradrenaline solution (20mL and 50mL at 0.2mg/mL ; 50mL at 0.5mg/mL) were stable 365 days at 5°C. Same results were achieved in polypropylene syringes.Crystal® vials were not subject to sorption phenomena. There was no risk of plasticizer migration. Metacresol permeation risk was controlled using the new stopper. Packaging of alkaline solution must be monitored. Solutions of cefuroxime (-20°C), midazolam and noradrenaline (5°C) are stable 1 year. In regards to storage in polypropylene syringes, Crystal® vials could be prefered for their automated aseptic filling process and for logistic considerations particularly taking into account the space gains.

Arbetet utfördes vid Norden Machinery i Kalmar. Norden Machinery blev år 1979 ett själv- ständigt bolag och är idag en världsledande leverantör av högpresterande tubfyllningsmaskiner. Processen i maskinerna är helautomatiserad och behandlar främst tuber av olika plastlaminat. I processen fylls tuben med sitt innehåll och överkanten värms sedan upp tillräckligt mycket för att den delvis smälta plasten ska kunna pressas samman och därmed försluta tuben. Innan överflödig plast i toppen på tuberna slutligen klipps till behöver tuberna kylas ner tillräckligt mycket för att inte lämna en dålig klippning. Norden Machinery vill idag se över kylstationens prestanda samt jämföra den mot alternativa lösningar. Syftet med arbetet var att genom teoretiska och praktiska utredningar undersöka olika koncept för att kyla tuberna före klippstationen. Prestandakriterier som utvärderades var kylförmåga, kostnad för ingående detaljer, förbrukning av tryckluft samt ljudnivå. En fördjupning i Nordens nuvarande lösning gjordes genom att mäta temperaturer på tubens överkant före och efter de olika stationerna i tubfyllningsmaskinen. Arbetet följde sedan en konceptgenereringsprocess där ett antal koncept skapades, testades och utvärderades med avseende på de uppsatta prestandakriterierna. De koncept som togs fram begränsades till att ersätta den del i tubfyllningsmaskinen som idag fungerar som kylstation. Ett framtaget koncept som tillsätter vattendimma till den kylande tryckluften visade sig genom mätningar kunna förbättra den kylande prestandan med närmare 15 % vid 25 % lägre luftflöde. Även ljudnivån påverkades positivt. Lösningen är mer komplex än nuvarande, och kräver vidare utvecklingsarbete, men har potential att klara särskilt krävande tuber som idag inte kan kylas tillräckligt effektivt. Ett slutligt koncept som likt dagens lösning kyler med tryckluft presenterades. Istället för runda utloppshål för luften används rektangulära spalter. Med den nya kylprofilen kan tillverknings- kostnaden reduceras med närmare 45 %, framförallt genom att färre moment och verktygsbyten krävs vid tillverkningen. / This work was conducted at Norden Machinery in Kalmar. Norden Machinery became an independent company in 1979 and is today a world-leading supplier of high-performance tube filling machines. The process in the machines is fully automated and handles mainly various types of laminated plastic tubes. In the process, the tube is filled with its content, the top of the tube is heated to partially melt the plastic and the top is then pressed together in order to seal the tube. Before any excess plastic at the top of the tubes is cut in the final step, the tubes need to cool down enough to not leave a bad cut. Norden Machinery wants to examine their current cooling station and further compare it with alternative solutions. The purpose of the work was that through theoretical and practical investigations examine different concepts of cooling. Performance criteria to be evaluated were cooling ability, cost of manufacturing, consumption of compressed air and noise level. Norden’s present solution was examined by temperature measurements at the top of the tube before and after the different stations in the tube filling machine. A concept generation process then followed, where a number of concepts were created, tested and evaluated with regard to the performance criteria. The concepts generated were limited to replacing the part of the tube filling machine that today serves as a cooling station. A generated concept that adds water mist to the compressed airflow could by measurements be demonstrated to increase the cooling performance by nearly 15 % at 25 % less airflow. The noise level was also positively affected. The solution is more complex than the current, and further development is needed, but the concept has the potential to cope with particularly demanding tubes that today cannot be cooled sufficiently. A final concept was presented, in which similar to the current solution compressed air is used for cooling the tube. Rectangular air outlets are used instead of round holes. With the new cooling profile, manufacturing costs can be reduced by close to 45%, mainly due to fewer operations and tool changes during the manufacturing.

Devido ao rápido crescimento demográfico, a construção de represas tornou-se indispensável para suprir a demanda de água necessária para abastecer toda a população e o sistema econômico e social que a mantém. A transformação de um rio em um lago artificial não promove apenas efeitos positivos; essa prática altera permanentemente o ambiente no qual ela é inserida, com conseqüências prejudiciais e irreversíveis. O objetivo deste estudo foi acompanhar o processo de enchimento da represa Paraitinga, que faz parte do Sistema Produtor Alto Tietê (SPAT) e está associada ao abastecimento de água da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, através de alterações nas características físicas e químicas da água, além de alterações na estrutura e composição da comunidade zooplanctônica. O processo de enchimento não se deu de forma homogênea e o seu recrudescimento foi acompanhado por aumentos mais acentuados na profundidade do reservatório. Foi verificado que esta represa, apesar de recém-formada, já apresenta alguns sinais de comprometimento da qualidade da água, tais como valores elevados de condutividade elétrica. Não ocorreu depleção de oxigênio nas camadas próximas ao fundo, apesar de muitos autores relatarem que é comum os reservatórios apresentarem condições de anoxia nas camadas mais profundas da coluna dágua durante o período de enchimento. A estrutura da comunidade esteve instável durante todo o período de estudo, sendo observada uma alternância da dominância dos grupos que a compuseram; apesar disso, houve predominância marcante de rotíferos. Foi verificado que o processo de enchimento não acarretou efeito de diluição sobre as variáveis físicas e químicas, mas que as alterações na velocidade com que se dava este processo influenciaram as flutuações de densidade numérica apresentadas pelo zooplâncton. / Due to rapid population growth, construction of dams has become indispensable to meet the demand of water needed to supply the entire population and to support the social and economic system. The transformation of a river in an artificial lake not only promotes positive effects, the practice changes permanently the environment in which it is inserted, with harmful and irreversible consequences. This study aimed to follow the filling process of Paraitinga Reservoir, which is part of the Sistema Produtor Alto Tietê (SPAT) and is linked to the water supply of Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo, through changes in physical and chemical characteristics of the water, as well as changes in the structure and composition of the zooplankton community. The process of filling has not been so homogeneous and its rise was accompanied by high increases of the reservoir depth. It was found that this dam, though newly formed, is already showing some signs of impairment of water quality, such as high values of electrical conductivity. There was no depletion of oxygen in layers near the bottom, although many authors reported that during the filling, many of the reservoirs showed anoxic conditions of the deeper layers of water column. The zooplankton community structure was unstable throughout the studied period, and it was observed an alternation of the dominance of the groups. Nevertheless, there was marked predominance of rotifers. It was found that the process of filling had not caused a dilution effect on the physical and chemical variables, but that changes in the velocity of the process has influenced fluctuations of the numerical density of the zooplankton.

Com o progresso da computação e popularização da Internet, a sociedade entrou na era da informação. Esta nova fase é marcada pela forma como produzimos e lidamos com a informação. Diariamente, são produzidos e armazenados milhares de Gigabytes de dados cujo valor é reduzido se a informação ali contida não puder ser transformada em conhecimento. Concomitante a este fato, o padrão da computação está caminhando para a miniaturização e acessibilidade com os dispositivos móveis. Estes novos equipamentos estão mudando o padrão de comportamento dos usuários que passam de leitores passivos a geradores de conteúdo. Neste contexto, este projeto de mestrado propõe a técnica de visualização de dados NMap e a ferramenta de visualização de dados web aplicável a dispositivo móvel SPCloud. A técnica NMap utiliza todo o espaço visual disponível para transmitir informações de grupos preservando a metáfora distância-similaridade. Teste comparativos com as principais técnicas do estado da arte mostraram que a técnica NMap tem melhores resultados em preservação de vizinhança com um tempo de processamento significativamente melhor. Este fato coloca a NMap como uma das principais técnicas de ocupação do espaço visual. A ferramenta SPCloud utiliza a NMap para visualizar notícias disponíveis na web. A ferramenta foi desenvolvida levando em consideração as características inerentes aos dispositivos moveis o que possibilita utiliza-la nestes equipamentos. Teste informais com usuários demonstraram que a ferramenta tem um bom desempenho para sumarizar grandes quantidades de notícias em um pequeno espaço visual. / With the development of computers and the increasing popularity of the Internet, our society has entered the information age. This era is marked by the way we produce and deal with information. Everyday, thousand of Gigabytes are stored, but their value is reduced if the data cannot be transformed into knowledge. Concomitantly, computing is moving towards miniaturization and affordability of mobile devices, which are changing users behavior who move from passive readers to content generators. In this context, in this master thesis we propose and develop a data visualization technique, called NMap, and a web data visualization tool for mobile devices, called SPCloud. NMap uses all available visual space to transmit information preserving the metaphor of distance-similarity between elements. Comparative evaluations were performed with the state of the art techniques and the result has shown that NMap produces better results of neighborhood preservation with a significant improvement in processing time. Our results place NMap as a major space-filling technique establishing a new state of the art. SPCloud, a tool which uses NMap to present news available on the web, was developed taking into account the inherent characteristics of mobile devices. Informal user tests revealed that SPCloud performs well to summarize large amounts of news in a small visual space.