The research searches for an identification strategy which is able to recognize three small-wattage metal halide lamps rated at powers of 20-W, 35-W and 70-W from three world-wide prominent brands of GE, OSRAM and PHILIPS. A two-stage constant-power starting scenario is adopted to successfully start all three kinds of lamps without causing a tremendous power during the identification process. At the first stage, the tested lamps are started by a constant power of 25 W. The 20-W lamps can be distinguished from the others by their relatively high lamp voltages at the 30th seconds after being ignited. Then, the other lamps are driven up to 35 W to manifest the voltage difference of between the 35-W and 70-W lamps, and thus can be recognized at the 40th seconds. After being made out, the lamps are operated at their rated powers. Eventually, a verification checking with protection is introduced to prevent the tested lamps from over power operation. Experiments have been done on numerous new and aged lamps. The experimental results evidence that the electronic ballast with the proposed identification strategy can recognize three lamps¡¦ rated powers correctly during the starting transition, and drive the lamp to its rated power before entering the steady-state.

This master's thesis is focused on properties of direct solar radiation, diffuse radiation and their usage in solar systems. Goal of this paper is to compare the different sources of light with the radiation and selection source for the solar radiation simulator, followed by a measuring device for homogeneous distribution of solar radiation and implemantation of solar simulator.

This work is about lighting equipment of modern vehicles, its historical development, present condition and possibilities of its further progress and measuring of the range of visibility of the rear lights. First part is aimed at lighting equipment used in modern vehicles as a whole. It describes sources of light, their principle, construction, advantages and disadvantages. Next it deals with searchlights and other lighting devices, their gradual development, construction and modern solutions which are used in them, and also their future development. Second part of the work is aimed at characterization of ways of measuring the range of visibility used in practice, their possible application to measuring of the range of visibility of the rear lights and on proposal of presentive methodics for this measurement. Realization and interpretation of practical measurement by this methodics is included.

Loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP) are currently used as standalone diagnostic test for C. difficile infection (CDI). We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP for the diagnosis of CDI. We searched 5 databases to identify studies that compared LAMP with culture cytotoxicity neutralization assay or anaerobic toxigenic culture (TC) of C. difficile. We used the random-effects model to calculate pooled sensitivities, specificities, diagnostic odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The search of the databases yielded 16 studies (6,979 samples) that met inclusion criteria. When TC was used as the gold standard (6,572 samples), bivariate analysis yielded a mean sensitivity of 0.95 (95%CI, 0.93-0.97; I2 = 67.4) and a mean specificity of 0.99 (95%CI, 0.96-1.00; I2 = 97.0). LAMP is a useful diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting CDI. The results should however be interpreted only in the presence of clinical suspicion and symptoms of CDI. / Revisión por pares

This study compared the acquisition and maintenance of an Augmentative and Alternative device (iPad application, LAMP), and American Sign Language when teaching a 6th-grade student with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) and limited functional vocal verbal speech to make a request. A single-case alternating treatment design was applied to compare the acquisition rate between the two strategies. The system of least prompts was used to teach the student how to perform the request using the AAC device and ASL (American Sign Language). Results showed the student required fewer sessions to reach mastery when making a request using the AAC device. This study showed the system of least prompts paired with AAC was an effective and efficient strategy for the acquisition of a targeted communication request. This study provides additional evidence of an effective strategy that could be used when identifying a priority communication system for learners with limited functional speech and IDD.

Nucleic-based acid technology (NAT) is a reliable and well-established method in molecular diagnosis for the detection of bacterial infection. Specifically, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is the most popular technique to amplify the number of DNA or RNA copies in the sample. However, due to the thermal cycles in the PCR method, advanced equipment and technologies are required to precisely control the temperature during the cycles. To overcome this limitation, isothermal amplification methods have been developed which function at constant temperatures and help reduce the need for state-of-the-art machines to perform the amplification. Among isothermal amplification methods, LAMP (loop mediated isothermal amplification) has demonstrated robustness and sensitivity compared to PCR. Additionally, microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology can facilitate the intensive processes which have been used traditionally in laboratories by automating the required procedures, reducing the volume of the reagents and minimizing the cost and the time of experiments. Although many microfluidic LOC devices have been developed in order to be used in resource poor settings, there is still a need for a simple setup which is inexpensive, accurate and can be performed without the need for a trained technician. In this thesis, a disposable microfluidic device was developed which is capable of performing high-throughput DNA amplification by using a simple segmentation method in order to digitize the sample into multiple micro-wells. Moreover, design and fabrication of a disposable, inexpensive flexible heater which is an inevitable part of the setup using a direct write process was introduced in order to provide the required energy for the LAMP reaction. Parallel real-time DNA amplification with limit of detection down to few copies per micro-well in less than an hour was illustrated. Using E. coli 0157, it was demonstrated that the detection time of E.coli can be as quick as 11 to 55 minutes with sample concentrations varying from 700,000 copies/micro-well (11 minutes), 70,000 copies/micro-well (18 minutes), 700 copies/micro-well (31 minutes), 7 copies/micro-well (40 minutes) and 0.07 copies/micro-well (55 minutes). Finally, the capability of the device for on chip reagent storage up to 3 days without using any coating methods was illustrated. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

In the past, radial-mode piezoelectric transformer (Transoner) design has been difficult due to the complex interaction between the physical and electrical circuit characteristics. Prior to a design procedure, experimental design by Face Electronics, LC led to a sample that could fit a ballast application enabling zero voltage switching (ZVS) for the semiconductors without the use of any external inductance. In the ballast circuit, the piezoelectric transformer is used to replace the conventional inductor-capacitor resonant tank saving valuable space and expense. With ballast in mind, a design process has been developed in this thesis to optimize radial mode transformers to fit specifically tailored applications. The graphical process described, allows the engineer to design in the capability of zero voltage switching for a half-bridge drive while simultaneously providing highly efficient performance. The problem of mounting a piezoelectric transformer to a circuit board has also been addressed in this thesis. A thermally conductive mounting technique has been developed which can enhance both the power capability and reliability of circuits utilizing these devices. / Master of Science

The High-Intensity-Discharge Lamps (HID), consisting of a broad range of gas discharge lamps, are notable for their high luminous efficacy, good color rendering, and long life. Metal halide lamps have the best combination of the above properties and are considered the most ideal light sources. Recently, there has been an emerging demand to replace the conventional halogen headlamps with the newly introduced small-wattage metal halide HID lamps. However, this lamp demands a highly efficient ballast and very complex control circuitry that can achieve fast turn-on and different regulation modes during the lamp start-up process. Due to the complex lamp v-i profile and timing control requirements, control circuit built with conventional analog control is unavoidably cumbersome. With the unparalleled flexibility and programmability, digital control shows more advantages in this application. An automotive HID ballast with digital controller is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the digital control along with some key issues in digital controller selection and design. Results show that the microcontroller-based HID ballast can successfully realize the required control functions and achieve a smooth turn-on process and a fast turn-on time of 8 seconds. One of the major issues of ballast design is the ballast/HID lamp system stability, which originates from the lamp negative incremental impedance. The lamp small-signal model is presented with simulation and measurements. The negative incremental impedance is attributed to a RHP zero in the small-signal model. A new analysis approach, impedance ratio criterion, is proposed to analyze the system stability. With this approach, it clearly shows how the control configurations and converter and control design affect the system stability. The results can provide guidance and be easily used in control configuration selection and converter and control design. Analysis shows that ballast based on PWM converter without inner current loop is unstable and with inner current loop can stabilized the system. This is the reason why for a microcontroller-based ballast system the inner current loop has to be used. HID lamp has its special acoustic resonance problem and thus a low-frequency unregulated full-bridge is used following the front-end DC/DC converter. To prevent from lamp re-igniting during each bridge commutation, a minimum current changing slope has to be guaranteed. In order to help design the converter, the ballast/lamp re-ignition analysis is presented. With this analysis, it shows that the output capacitance has to be small enough to ensure adequate current slope during zero crossing. Though some approximation is used to simplify the analysis, the results can provide qualitative guidance in the ballast design. / Master of Science

Submitted by JÚLIO HEBER SILVA (julioheber@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-06-05T17:44:09Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Thiago Henrique Moreira da Fé - 2018.pdf: 1985149 bytes, checksum: 20d3ea58da14d653dfbb18d338dbb1b8 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-06-06T11:04:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Thiago Henrique Moreira da Fé - 2018.pdf: 1985149 bytes, checksum: 20d3ea58da14d653dfbb18d338dbb1b8 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-06T11:04:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Thiago Henrique Moreira da Fé - 2018.pdf: 1985149 bytes, checksum: 20d3ea58da14d653dfbb18d338dbb1b8 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Dengue and zika are viral infectious diseases occurring in countries with a tropical and subtropical climate in which around 3.6 billion people live. It is estimated that in 50 to 100 million new cases of dengue occur annually, generating economic, social and public health impacts. Dengue and zika have usually been diagnosed by serological methods which are generally of low confidence, as they can generate false-positive results, which are related to the presence of antibodies produced against previous infections of the virus. The molecular methods are more accurate, however the molecular method most commonly used (PCR) requires a long time of reaction and requires sophisticated instrumentation and high cost, making point of care applications difficult,, especially in developing countries. This work presents the development of a molecular diagnostic methodology in a paper-based platform that allowed the detection of the virus through the reverse transcription -loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). The reactions were carried out on 6 mm diameter FTA paper discs, confined in a multi-layered polyester-toner device, incubated at 65 ° C for 45 minutes in a dry bath and then performed visual detection using the SYBR Green intercalator. Positive reactions were identified by the green fluorescence emitted after the addition of the intercalator. The results were recorded through the capture of the images by a photodocumentator and/or by smartphone and later analyzed by the software ImageJ, allowing the comparison between negative and positive reactions. The methodology developed for the detection of the virus by RT-LAMP in paper substrate was sensitive, being able to detect the virus in initial concentrations of 0.1 pg μL -1 of RNA in the master mixture. In addition, it was possible to detect the virus directly in complex samples (serum of infected patients) without the need of previous viral RNA extraction step. Elimination of the RNA extraction step together with the visual detection on the paper produce the final result in 46 minutes. The results demonstrated that the detection of the virus by RT-LAMP in paper substrates is a valuable tool for the molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases, presenting great potential for point-of-care applications for both diagnostics and epidemiological studies, especially in developing countries. / A dengue e a zika são doenças infecciosas virais de ocorrência nos países de clima tropical e subtropical no qual vivem cerca de 3,6 bilhões de pessoas, estimando-se, no caso da dengue, que 50 a 100 milhões de novos casos da doença ocorram anualmente, gerando impactos econômicos, sociais e de saúde pública. A dengue e a zika têm sido usualmente diagnosticadas por métodos sorológicos que são em geral de baixa confiança, pois podem gerar resultados falso-positivos, que estão relacionados à presença de anticorpos produzidos contra infecções anteriores do vírus. Os métodos moleculares são mais precisos, porém o método molecular mais utilizado atualmente (PCR) requer longo tempo de realização e necessita de instrumentação sofisticada e de alto custo, dificultando sua aplicação no ponto de atendimento, especialmente em países em desenvolvimento. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de diagnóstico molecular em uma plataforma a base de papel que permitiu a detecção do vírus por meio da reação de transcrição reversa seguida pela amplificação isotérmica mediada por loop (RTLAMP). As reações foram realizadas em discos de papel FTA com 6 mm de diâmetro, confinado em dispositivo multicamadas de poliéster-toner, incubados à 65 °C por 45 minutos em banho seco e posteriormente realizado a detecção visual onchip, através da utilização do intercalador SYBR Green. As reações positivas foram identificadas pela fluorescência verde emitida após a adição do intercalador. Os resultados foram registrados por meio da captura das imagens por uma fotodocumentadora e/ou por câmera de celular e posteriormente analisados pelo software ImageJ, permitindo a comparação entre reações negativas e positivas. A metodologia desenvolvida para a detecção do vírus por RT-LAMP em substrato de papel apresentou-se sensível, sendo capaz de detectar o vírus em concentrações iniciais de 0,1 pg µL-1 de RNA na mistura reacional. Além disso, foi possível detectar o vírus diretamente em amostras complexas (soro de pacientes infectados) sem a necessidade da etapa prévia de extração do RNA viral. A eliminação da etapa de extração do RNA juntamente com a realização da detecção visual no próprio papel proporcionou a obtenção do resultado final em 46 minutos. Os resultados demonstraram que a detecção do vírus por RT-LAMP em substrato de papel é uma importante ferramenta para o diagnóstico molecular de doenças infecciosas, apresentando grande potencial para aplicações no ponto de atendimento tanto para diagnósticos quanto para estudos epidemiológicos, especialmente em países em desenvolvimento.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2016-12-21T11:28:28Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Kezia Gomes de Oliveira - 2016.pdf: 1770872 bytes, checksum: de67c9847e819d3256098ae1514be2d0 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-12-27T13:02:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Kezia Gomes de Oliveira - 2016.pdf: 1770872 bytes, checksum: de67c9847e819d3256098ae1514be2d0 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-27T13:02:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Kezia Gomes de Oliveira - 2016.pdf: 1770872 bytes, checksum: de67c9847e819d3256098ae1514be2d0 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-07 / Outro / The several advantages of miniaturization of DNA amplification and coupling with sample preparation and detection steps on the same chip are well known. Currently, most miniaturized systems for nucleic acids analysis are based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification requires precise temperature control, switching between heating and cooling solution in three specific temperatures. Therefore, the adaptation of PCR for microchip is relatively complex and presents some limitations particularly for use in remote locations. Without the need for heating cycles, isothermal microsystems for DNA amplification can be designed to be simple and low energy consumption and hence can overlap the portable PCR detection systems. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel technique which has emerged as a simple and fast tool for DNA amplification which can be used for the detection and identification of several pathogens. The LAMP using Bst DNA polymerase enzyme which is an enzyme having strand displacement activity and uses a set of four primers designed from six individual segments of the sequence to be amplified. In this study, we developed a simple and rapid LAMP reaction for the E. coli malB gene amplification in the reaction was thermally controlled with a thermoblock for 60 minutes at 66 ° C. The PeT microdevices demonstrated compatibility with all reagents used in the LAMP and the success of the isothermal amplification was observed by agarose gel electrophoresis, yielding detectable amount amplicons as few as starting with 1 copy of DNA. Moreover, the success of the nucleic acid amplification reaction was evaluated by visual detection of the amplicons in the microchip by the use of fluorescent DNA intercalators, which yielded fluorescence in positive reactions. The LAMP in PeT microdevice is a simple and inexpensive method, that allowed a rapid detection (62 minutes) of E. coli. Because of simple operation and without the need for sophisticated instrumentation, LAMP held in microchip PeT has proven to be a valuable tool for molecular diagnostics, with great potential for applications in point-of-care. / As diversas vantagens da miniaturização das reações de amplificação de DNA e o acoplamento com as etapas de preparo da amostra e de detecção no mesmo chip já são bem conhecidas. Até o presente momento, a maioria dos sistemas miniaturizados para a análise de ácidos nucleicos são baseados na reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR). A PCR necessita de controle preciso de temperatura, alternando entre aquecimento e resfriamento da solução em três temperaturas específicas. Desta forma, a adaptação da PCR em microchips é relativamente complexa apresentando algumas limitações relacionadas principalmente a utilização em lugares remotos. Sem a necessidade de ciclos de aquecimento, os microssistemas isotérmicos podem ser projetados para serem simples e de baixo consumo de energia e, portanto, pode sobrepor a PCR em sistemas de detecção portáteis. A amplificação isotérmica mediada por loop (LAMP) é uma técnica recente e inovadora que surgiu como uma ferramenta simples e rápida de amplificação de DNA que pode ser utilizada para detecção e identificação de diversos patógenos. A LAMP utiliza a enzima Bst DNA polimerase que é uma enzima com atividade de deslocamento de fita e utiliza um conjunto de quatro iniciadores desenhados a partir de seis segmentos específicos da sequência a ser amplificada. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma metodologia simples e rápida para detecção de E.coli através da amplificação isotérmica do gene malB em dispositivos descartáveis de poliéster-toner (PeT) contendo um microcâmara com capacidade para 5 μL, e a reação foi incubada a 66 ºC em um termobloco por 60 minutos. Os microchips de PeT demonstraram compatibilidade com todos os reagentes utilizados na LAMP e o sucesso da amplificação isotérmica foi observado por eletroforese em gel de agarose, obtendo quantidade de amplicons detectáveis no gel em reações que partiram de 1 cópia de DNA. Além disso, o sucesso da reação de amplificação do ácido nucleico também foi avaliado através da detecção visual dos produtos amplificados no microchip através do uso de intercaladores fluorescentes de DNA, que produziram fluorescência nas reações positivas. A LAMP realizada em microdispositivos de PeT representa um método simples e de baixo custo, que permitiu a detecção rápida (62 minutos) da E.coli. Devido a simples operação, e sem a necessidade de instrumentação sofisticada, a LAMP realizada no microchip de PeT demonstrou ser uma ferramenta valiosa para diagnósticos moleculares, apresentando grande potencial para aplicações no point-of-care.