The main topic of my diploma thesis is the diagnosis and the therapy of handwriting training of hand grasp in preschool children. This diploma thesis describes and evaluates possibilities of using a handwriting tool, which was developed in cooperation with Centre for Biomedical Engineering and 1. Faculty of Medicine, for hand grasp testing. A handwriting tool measures fingers grip pinch while the fingers are used in hand grasp. The theoretic part comprehend useful findings about handwriting, its development. In detail it is focused on diagnosis and therapy of hand grasp, which is an important aspect in handwriting development. This theoretic part also includes description of handwriting disabilites in preschool children and description handwriting tools, which are used for correct hand grasp training. The conclusion of the theoretic part is focused on therapy of hand grasp and handwriting training from the ergotherapist point of view. The goal of the practical part is to find out fingers pinch in hand grasp in normal healthy preschool children using a specialy developed handwriting tool and to recommend another possibilites of using this new tool in handwriting training.

How are neuromodulatory networks organised to adapt sensory discrimination for different contexts? I hypothesised that neurons within a sensory circuit express different neuromodulatory receptors for differential modulation. Here I aimed to use the simple and genetically amenable Drosophila larval Mushroom Body (MB) calyx, a higher order processing area involved in learned odour discrimination, as a model to map octopamine (OA) neuromodulatory circuitry. I first identified olfactory projection neurons (PNs), a GABAergic feedback neuron and cholinergic extrinsic neurons as putative postsynaptic partners to OA neurons in the MB calyx using GFP reconstitution across synaptic partners. Next, I used novel EGFP-tagged OA receptors generated from recombination-mediated cassette exchange with MiMIC insertions in receptor genes to visualise endogenous expression patterns of OA receptors. Most notably, this is the first report of α2-adrenergic-like OA receptor localisation in any insect. For the first time, I showed that the α1-adrenergic-like OAMB localised to PN presynaptic terminals in the calyx; while Octβ1R localised diffusely in the calyx, resembling the innervation pattern of MB neuron dendrites. I detected EGFP-tagged Octα2R and Octβ2R in some PN cell bodies but not in neuron terminals - suggesting that Octα2R and Octβ2R may be expressed in some PNs, provided the misfolded fusion proteins are retained in the cell bodies of the neurons they are normally expressed in. Furthermore, I found that Octα2R and GABAAR fusion proteins localised to OA cell bodies but not to neuronal terminals, suggesting that OA neurons are subjected to inhibition, again given that these are not artefacts of the fusion proteins. To obtain tools to study OA modulation in the larval calyx, I then confirmed the expression patterns of driver lines that more specifically labelled calyx-innervating OA and extrinsic neurons, and tested the efficacy of three OAMB receptor knockdown lines. This initial attempt of mapping OA receptors, while subjected to further verification and development, is consistent with my hypothesis that a single neuromodulatory source can regulate multiple neuronal types in the same circuit through the distribution of different types of neuromodulatory receptors. This provides a new perspective in how the anatomical organisation of neuromodulation within a sensory network may translate to flexible outputs.

During dexterous manipulation with the fingertips, forces are applied to objects' surfaces. To achieve grasp stability, these forces must be appropriate given the properties of the objects and the skin of the fingertips, and the nature of the task. It has been demonstrated that tactile sensors in the fingertips provide crucial information about both object properties and mechanical events critical for the control of fingertip forces, while in certain tasks vision may also contribute to predictions of required fingertip actions. This thesis focuses on two specific aspects of the sensory control of manipulation: (i) how individual fingers are controlled for grasp stability when people restrain objects subjected to unpredictable forces tangential to the grasped surfaces, and (ii) how tactile sensors in the fingertips encode direction of fingertip forces and shape of surfaces contacted by the fingertips. When restraining objects with two fingers, subjects adjust the fingertip forces to the local friction at each digit-object interface for grasp stability. This is accomplished primarily by partitioning the tangential force between the digits in a way that reflects the local friction whereas the normal forces at the involved digits are scaled by the average friction and the total load. The neural control mechanisms in this task rely on tactile information pertaining to both the friction at each digit-object interface and the development of tangential load. Moreover, these mechanisms controlled the force application at individual digits while at the same time integrating sensory inputs from all digits involved in the task. Microneurographical recordings in awake humans shows that most SA-I, SA-II and FA-I sensors in the distal phalanx are excited when forces similar to those observed during actual manipulation are applied to the fingertip. Moreover, the direction of the fingertip force influences the impulse rates in most afferents and their responses are broadly tuned to a preferred direction. The preferred direction varies among the afferents and, accordingly, ensembles of afferents can encode the direction of fingertip forces. The local curvature of the object in contact with the fingertip also influenced the impulse rates in most afferents, providing a curvature contrast signals within the afferent populations. Marked interactions were observed in the afferents' responses to object curvature and force direction. Similar findings were obtained for the onset latency in individual afferents. Accordingly, for ensembles of afferents, the order by which individual afferents initially discharge to fingertip events effectively represents parameters of fingertip stimulation. This neural code probably represents the fastest possible code for transmission of parameters of fingertip stimuli to the CNS.

In semiconductor manufacturing, wafers are grouped into lots and sent to a separate facility for assembly and test (AT) before being shipped to the customer. Up to a dozen operations are required during AT. The facility in which these operations are performed is a reentrant flow shop consisting of several dozen to several hundred machines and up to a thousand specialized tools. Each lot follows a specific route through the facility, perhaps returning to the same machine multiple times. Each step in the route is referred to as a "pass." Lots in work in process (WIP) that have more than a single step remaining in their route are referred to as multi-pass lots. The multi-pass scheduling problem is to determine machine setups, lot assignments and lot sequences to achieve optimal output, as measured by four objectives related to key device shortages, throughput, machine utilization, and makespan, prioritized in this order. The two primary goals of this research are to develop a new formulation for the multipass problem and to design a variety of solution algorithms that can be used for both planning and real-time control. To begin, the basic AT model considering only single-pass scheduling and the previously developed greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) along with its extensions are introduced. Then two alternative schemes are proposed to solve the multipass scheduling problem. In the final phase of this research, an efficient procedure is presented for prioritizing machine changeovers in an AT facility on a periodic basis that provides real-time support. In daily planning, target machine-tooling combinations are derived based on work in process, due dates, and backlogs. As machines finish their current lots, they need to be reconfigured to match their targets. The proposed algorithm is designed to run in real time. / text

Submitted by Jos? Henrique Henrique (jose.neves@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2017-06-22T22:29:53Z No. of bitstreams: 2 everton_oliveira_paiva.pdf: 3688473 bytes, checksum: 00c67bcc4d4564b69bb64a0b596743fc (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2017-06-23T13:21:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 everton_oliveira_paiva.pdf: 3688473 bytes, checksum: 00c67bcc4d4564b69bb64a0b596743fc (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-23T13:21:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 everton_oliveira_paiva.pdf: 3688473 bytes, checksum: 00c67bcc4d4564b69bb64a0b596743fc (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / O uso sistemas computacionais como complemento ou substitui??o da sala de aula ? cada vez mais comum na educa??o e os Sistemas Tutores Inteligentes (STIs) s?o uma dessas alternativas. Portanto ? fundamental desenvolver STIs capazes tanto de ensinar quanto aprender informa??es relevantes sobre o aluno atrav?s de t?cnicas de intelig?ncia artificial. Esse aprendizado acontece por meio da intera??o direta entre o STI e o aluno que ? geralmente demorada. Esta disserta??o apresenta a inser??o da metaheur?sticas Lista Tabu e GRASP com o objetivo de acelerar esse aprendizado. Para avaliar o desempenho dessa modifica??o, foi desenvolvido um simulador de STI. Nesse sistema, foram realizadas simula??es computacionais para comparar o desempenho da tradicional pol?tica de explora??o aleat?ria e as metaheur?sticas propostas Lista Tabu e GRASP. Os resultados obtidos atrav?s dessas simula??es e os testes estat?sticos aplicados indicam fortemente que a introdu??o de meta-heur?sticas adequadas melhoram o desempenho do algoritmo de aprendizado em STIs. / Disserta??o (Mestrado Profissional) ? Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Educa??o, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 2016. / Using computer systems as a complement or replacement for the classroom experience is an increasingly common practice in education and Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are one of these alternatives. Therefore, it is crucial to develop ITS that are capable of both teaching and learning relevant information about the student through artificial intelligence techniques. This learning process occurs by means of direct, and generally slow, interaction between the ITS and the student. This dissertation presents the insertion of meta-heuristic Tabu search and GRASP with the purpose of accelera ting learning. An ITS simulator was developed to evaluate the performance of this change. Computer simulations were conducted in order to compare the performance of traditional randomized search methods with the meta-heuristic Tabu search. Results obtained from these simulations and statistical tests strongly indicate that the introduction of meta-heuristics in exploration policy improves the performance of the learning algorithm in ITS.

Este trabalho é um estudo de caso sobre como o ensino de História pode favorecer a formação para a democracia. O recorte escolhido para o estudo empírico consiste nas relações entre o professor de História e os alunos de uma turma do ensino fundamental, ao longo de aproximadamente dois anos. A análise é focada no desenvolvimento moral do grupo, e o referencial teórico é a epistemologia genética de Jean Piaget. Partindo da definição de democracia como um conjunto de regras consensuais de procedimento para a formação das decisões políticas, o professor-pesquisador criou situações em aula que favorecessem a superação, pelos alunos, das atitudes egocêntricas (descentração), a constituição de relações de respeito mútuo (cooperação) e a constituição da autonomia moral e cognitiva. Os conteúdos da disciplina de História são instrumentos para as descentrações, e a cooperação em aula cria as condições para a construção do conhecimento. Os resultados indicam que o educador precisa intervir propondo ações coletivas para promover o desenvolvimento moral. Por outro lado, as tomadas de consciência do próprio professor-pesquisador são relevantes para compreender os processos de aprendizagem dos alunos e para intervir de maneira mais eficaz (e cooperativa) no ambiente escolar. / This work is a case study on how History teaching can improve education for Democracy. The frame for that enquiry consists on the relationship between elementary school classmates themselves and between them and their teacher, in a public school, for two years. Analysis focuses on the classmates’ moral development, accordingly Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. From defining democracy as a frame of consensual proceeding rules for the political decisiontaking, the author, as a teacher, creates situations to improve 1) students lifting from egocentric attitude to autonomy; 2) achievement of mutual respect relations (cooperation) and 3) moral and cognitive autonomy. History curriculum is an instrument to lift students from egocentrism to autonomy, and cooperation in class creates conditions for the knowledge building. Conclusions indicate that a teacher needs to intervene proposing collective actions for promote moral development. In the other hand, grasp of consciousness, for the teacher himself is necessary to understand learning process and to act in a more accurate (and cooperative) manner within the school environment.

FARIAS, Pablo Mayckon Silva. O problema de ordenação de rodadas e problemas de otimização associados. 2013. 127 f. Tese (Doutorado em ciência da computação)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2013. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-07-20T12:44:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_pmsfarias.pdf: 1600516 bytes, checksum: afaccc349ce6f2d065494cd2601913c0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rocilda Sales (rocilda@ufc.br) on 2016-07-25T12:05:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_pmsfarias.pdf: 1600516 bytes, checksum: afaccc349ce6f2d065494cd2601913c0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-25T12:05:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_tese_pmsfarias.pdf: 1600516 bytes, checksum: afaccc349ce6f2d065494cd2601913c0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / This thesis is composed of three well-delineated parts. In the first part, we introduce the round sorting problem (RSP), which models the minimization of the usage of buffer for the temporary storage of packets to be forwarded in TDMA communications of wireless mesh networks. We present a complete foundation for the definition of the RSP, and show that the problem is NP-hard for two theoretical models of radio interference known in the literature. A mixed integer programming formulation is also presented for a purely combinatorial and applicationindependent generalization of the RSP, the SMSP problem. In the second part of the work, we deal with problems about queries on insertions into sequences of numbers. Our main result in this part of the thesis is to show how, after a preprocessing step which runs in linear time on a sequence A of arbitrary real numbers, it is possible to compute in constant time the greatest sum of a (circular or not) contiguous subsequence of the sequence which results from the insertion of a given real number x into a given position p of A. In the third part of the thesis, we use the query algorithms from the second part to obtain an efficient implementation of the GRASP metaheuristic applied to the SMSP problem. An experimental analysis of this implementation is described, in which the values of the solutions returned by the metaheuristic are compared with those of the solutions obtained through the mixed integer formulation, in the case of small instances, and with the available lower bound, in the case of larger instances. / Esta tese é composta de três partes bem-delineadas. Na primeira parte, nós introduzimos o "problema de ordenação de rodadas" (POR), que modela a minimização do uso de memória ("buffer") para o armazenamento temporário de pacotes a serem repassados em comunicações TDMA de redes de rádio em malha. Nós apresentamos uma fundamentação completa para a definição do POR, e mostramos que o problema é NP-difícil para dois modelos teóricos de interferência de rádio conhecidos na literatura. Uma formulação de programação inteira mista é também apresentada para uma generalização puramente combinatória e independente de aplicação do POR, o problema SMSP. Na segunda parte do trabalho, nós abordamos problemas de consulta sobre inserções em sequências de números. O nosso principal resultado nesta parte da tese é mostrar como, após um passo de pré-processamento que executa em tempo linear sobre uma sequência "A" de números reais quaisquer, é possível computar em tempo constante a maior soma de uma subsequência contígua (circular ou não) da sequência que resulta da inserção de dado um número real "x" numa dada posição "p" de "A". Na terceira parte da tese, nós utilizamos os algoritmos de consulta da segunda parte para obter uma implementação eficiente da meta-heurística GRASP aplicada ao problema SMSP. Uma análise experimental dessa implementação é descrita, onde os valores das soluções retornadas pela meta-heurística são comparados com os das soluções obtidas pela formulação inteira mista, no caso de instâncias pequenas, e com o limite inferior disponível, no caso de instâncias maiores.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:54:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FranciscoCLJ.pdf: 1181019 bytes, checksum: b3894e0c93f85d3cf920c7015daef964 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-20 / Techniques of optimization known as metaheuristics have achieved success in the resolution of many problems classified as NP-Hard. These methods use non deterministic approaches that reach very good solutions which, however, don t guarantee the determination of the global optimum. Beyond the inherent difficulties related to the complexity that characterizes the optimization problems, the metaheuristics still face the dilemma of xploration/exploitation, which consists of choosing between a greedy search and a wider exploration of the solution space. A way to guide such algorithms during the searching of better solutions is supplying them with more knowledge of the problem through the use of a intelligent agent, able to recognize promising regions and also identify when they should diversify the direction of the search. This way, this work proposes the use of Reinforcement Learning technique - Q-learning Algorithm - as exploration/exploitation strategy for the metaheuristics GRASP (Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure) and Genetic Algorithm. The GRASP metaheuristic uses Q-learning instead of the traditional greedy-random algorithm in the construction phase. This replacement has the purpose of improving the quality of the initial solutions that are used in the local search phase of the GRASP, and also provides for the metaheuristic an adaptive memory mechanism that allows the reuse of good previous decisions and also avoids the repetition of bad decisions. In the Genetic Algorithm, the Q-learning algorithm was used to generate an initial population of high fitness, and after a determined number of generations, where the rate of diversity of the population is less than a certain limit L, it also was applied to supply one of the parents to be used in the genetic crossover operator. Another significant change in the hybrid genetic algorithm is the proposal of a mutually interactive cooperation process between the genetic operators and the Q-learning algorithm. In this interactive/cooperative process, the Q-learning algorithm receives an additional update in the matrix of Q-values based on the current best solution of the Genetic Algorithm. The computational experiments presented in this thesis compares the results obtained with the implementation of traditional versions of GRASP metaheuristic and Genetic Algorithm, with those obtained using the proposed hybrid methods. Both algorithms had been applied successfully to the symmetrical Traveling Salesman Problem, which was modeled as a Markov decision process / T?cnicas de otimiza??o conhecidas como metaheur?sticas t?m obtido sucesso na resolu??o de problemas classificados como NP - ?rduos. Estes m?todos utilizam abordagens n?o determin?sticas que geram solu??es pr?ximas do ?timo sem, no entanto, garantir a determina??o do ?timo global. Al?m das dificuldades inerentes ? complexidade que caracteriza os problemas NP-?rduos, as metaheur?sticas enfrentam ainda o dilema de explora??o/explota??o, que consiste em escolher entre intensifica??o da busca em uma regi?o espec?fica e a explora??o mais ampla do espa?o de solu??es. Uma forma de orientar tais algoritmos em busca de melhores solu??es ? supri-los de maior conhecimento do problema atrav?s da utiliza??o de um agente inteligente, capaz de reconhecer regi?es promissoras e/ou identificar em que momento dever? diversificar a dire??o de busca, isto pode ser feito atrav?s da aplica??o de Aprendizagem por Refor?o. Neste contexto, este trabalho prop?e o uso de uma t?cnica de Aprendizagem por Refor?o - especificamente o Algoritmo Q-learning - como uma estrat?gia de explora??o/explota??o para as metaheur?sticas GRASP (Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure) e Algoritmo Gen?tico. Na implementa??o da metaheur?stica GRASP proposta, utilizou-se o Q-learning em substitui??o ao algoritmo guloso-aleat?rio tradicionalmente usado na fase de constru??o. Tal substitui??o teve como objetivo melhorar a qualidade das solu??es iniciais que ser?o utilizadas na fase de busca local do GRASP, e, ao mesmo tempo, suprir esta metaheur?sticas de um mecanismo de mem?ria adaptativa que permita a reutiliza??o de boas decis?es tomadas em itera??es passadas e que evite a repeti??o de decis?es n?o promissoras. No Algoritmo Gen?tico, o algoritmo Q-learning foi utilizado para gerar uma popula??o inicial de alta aptid?o, e ap?s um determinado n?mero de gera??es, caso a taxa de diversidade da popula??o seja menor do que um determinado limite L, ele ? tamb?m utilizado em uma forma alternativa de operador de cruzamento. Outra modifica??o importante no algoritmo gen?tico h?brido ? a proposta de um processo de intera??o mutuamente cooperativa entre o os operadores gen?ticos e o Algoritmo Q-learning. Neste processo interativo/cooperativo o algoritmo Q-learning recebe uma atualiza??o adicional na matriz dos Q-valores com base na solu??o elite da popula??o corrente. Os experimentos computacionais apresentados neste trabalho consistem em comparar os resultados obtidos com a implementa??o de vers?es tradicionais das metaheur?sticas citadas, com aqueles obtidos utilizando os m?todos h?bridos propostos. Ambos os algoritmos foram aplicados com sucesso ao problema do caixeiro viajante sim?trico, que por sua vez, foi modelado como um processo de decis?o de Markov

Este trabalho é um estudo de caso sobre como o ensino de História pode favorecer a formação para a democracia. O recorte escolhido para o estudo empírico consiste nas relações entre o professor de História e os alunos de uma turma do ensino fundamental, ao longo de aproximadamente dois anos. A análise é focada no desenvolvimento moral do grupo, e o referencial teórico é a epistemologia genética de Jean Piaget. Partindo da definição de democracia como um conjunto de regras consensuais de procedimento para a formação das decisões políticas, o professor-pesquisador criou situações em aula que favorecessem a superação, pelos alunos, das atitudes egocêntricas (descentração), a constituição de relações de respeito mútuo (cooperação) e a constituição da autonomia moral e cognitiva. Os conteúdos da disciplina de História são instrumentos para as descentrações, e a cooperação em aula cria as condições para a construção do conhecimento. Os resultados indicam que o educador precisa intervir propondo ações coletivas para promover o desenvolvimento moral. Por outro lado, as tomadas de consciência do próprio professor-pesquisador são relevantes para compreender os processos de aprendizagem dos alunos e para intervir de maneira mais eficaz (e cooperativa) no ambiente escolar. / This work is a case study on how History teaching can improve education for Democracy. The frame for that enquiry consists on the relationship between elementary school classmates themselves and between them and their teacher, in a public school, for two years. Analysis focuses on the classmates’ moral development, accordingly Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. From defining democracy as a frame of consensual proceeding rules for the political decisiontaking, the author, as a teacher, creates situations to improve 1) students lifting from egocentric attitude to autonomy; 2) achievement of mutual respect relations (cooperation) and 3) moral and cognitive autonomy. History curriculum is an instrument to lift students from egocentrism to autonomy, and cooperation in class creates conditions for the knowledge building. Conclusions indicate that a teacher needs to intervene proposing collective actions for promote moral development. In the other hand, grasp of consciousness, for the teacher himself is necessary to understand learning process and to act in a more accurate (and cooperative) manner within the school environment.

Este trabalho é um estudo de caso sobre como o ensino de História pode favorecer a formação para a democracia. O recorte escolhido para o estudo empírico consiste nas relações entre o professor de História e os alunos de uma turma do ensino fundamental, ao longo de aproximadamente dois anos. A análise é focada no desenvolvimento moral do grupo, e o referencial teórico é a epistemologia genética de Jean Piaget. Partindo da definição de democracia como um conjunto de regras consensuais de procedimento para a formação das decisões políticas, o professor-pesquisador criou situações em aula que favorecessem a superação, pelos alunos, das atitudes egocêntricas (descentração), a constituição de relações de respeito mútuo (cooperação) e a constituição da autonomia moral e cognitiva. Os conteúdos da disciplina de História são instrumentos para as descentrações, e a cooperação em aula cria as condições para a construção do conhecimento. Os resultados indicam que o educador precisa intervir propondo ações coletivas para promover o desenvolvimento moral. Por outro lado, as tomadas de consciência do próprio professor-pesquisador são relevantes para compreender os processos de aprendizagem dos alunos e para intervir de maneira mais eficaz (e cooperativa) no ambiente escolar. / This work is a case study on how History teaching can improve education for Democracy. The frame for that enquiry consists on the relationship between elementary school classmates themselves and between them and their teacher, in a public school, for two years. Analysis focuses on the classmates’ moral development, accordingly Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. From defining democracy as a frame of consensual proceeding rules for the political decisiontaking, the author, as a teacher, creates situations to improve 1) students lifting from egocentric attitude to autonomy; 2) achievement of mutual respect relations (cooperation) and 3) moral and cognitive autonomy. History curriculum is an instrument to lift students from egocentrism to autonomy, and cooperation in class creates conditions for the knowledge building. Conclusions indicate that a teacher needs to intervene proposing collective actions for promote moral development. In the other hand, grasp of consciousness, for the teacher himself is necessary to understand learning process and to act in a more accurate (and cooperative) manner within the school environment.