abstract: Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one of the important mitigation options for climate change. Numerous technologies to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) are in development but currently, capture using amines is the predominant technology. When the flue gas reacts with amines (Monoethanaloamine) the CO2 is absorbed into the solution and forms an intermediate product which then releases CO2 at higher temperature. The high temperature necessary to strip CO2 is provided by steam extracted from the powerplant thus reducing the net output of the powerplant by 25% to 35%. The reduction in electricity output for the same input of coal increases the emissions factor of Nitrogen Oxides, Mercury, Particulate matter, Ammonia, Volatile organic compounds for the same unit of electricity produced. The thesis questions if this tradeoff between CO2 and other emissions is beneficial or not. Three different methodologies, Life Cycle Assessment, Valuation models and cost benefit analysis are used to identify if there is a net benefit to the society on implementation of CCS to a Pulverized coal powerplant. These methodologies include the benefits due to reduction of CO2 and the disbenefits due to the increase of other emissions. The life cycle assessment using ecoindicator'99 methodology shows the CCS is not beneficial under Hierarchical and Egalitarian perspective. The valuation model shows that the inclusion of the other emissions reduces the benefit associated with CCS. For a lower CO2 price the valuation model shows that CCS is detrimental to the environment. The cost benefit analysis shows that a CO2 price of at least $80/tCO2 is required for the cost benefit ratio to be 1. The methodology integrates Montecarlo simulation to characterize the uncertainties associated with the valuation models. / Dissertation/Thesis / sima pro / excel sheets / M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering 2012

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:36:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JorgeBI.pdf: 1097245 bytes, checksum: c841c05107380380ead3a9c8500eb87f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-19 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / In this thesis I discuss the reproductive behaviour and ecology of the libellulid Diastatops obscura Fabricius, 1775, (Insecta: Odonata) in natural conditions. Populations of this species were studied on the middle stretch of the Pitimbu River, Parnamirim municipality, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, during four discontinuous periods between 2002 and 2004. The objectives include the description of strategies and behaviors of both sexes, with especial interest in the intra-male competition for territories and females, the mate selection by females and the importance of male body size and other secondary characters on their reproductive success; from an adaptationist point of view. It was observed that the behavior of males and females in the reproductive areas are interrelated : the males came earlier to compete for the best territories and the females waited the result of that competition to be fertilized by dominants males, which preferably occupied areas near the river margin. The reproductive success of males with territories on the margin, estimated by number of copulations, ovipositions and days acting as territorial, was better than obtained by more separated territorial males and by satellite males. The body size of males is an important factor for the copulation and oviposition taxes and for the number of territorial days, favoring the biggest individuals. I also discuss the apparently importance of wing brilliance and wing integrity on male reproductive success. On inter-sexual relationships, I proved that females of D. obscura participate in mate selection, rejecting non-territorial males or substituting their sperm for other of higher status / Nesta tese discutem-se os aspectos ecol?gicos e comportamentais relativos ? reprodu??o do libelul?deo Diastatops obscura Fabricius, 1775, (Insecta: Odonata), em ambiente natural. Foram estudadas popula??es dessa esp?cie no trecho m?dio do rio Pitimbu, no munic?pio de Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, durante quatro per?odos descont?nuos entre os anos 2002 e 2004. Entre os objetivos encontram-se a descri??o e compreens?o das estrat?gias e comportamentos reprodutivos de ambos os sexos, com especial ?nfase na competi??o entre os machos pelo acesso aos territ?rios reprodutivos e ?s f?meas, a escolha de parceiro pelas f?meas e a implica??o do tamanho e de outros caracteres secund?rios dos machos no seu sucesso reprodutivo; tudo desde um ponto de vista adaptacionista. Foi observado que os comportamentos de machos e f?meas nas ?reas reprodutivas est?o inter-relacionados: os machos chegam antes para competir pelos melhores territ?rios e as f?meas aguardam o resultado dessa competi??o para serem fertilizadas pelos machos dominantes, que ocupam os territ?rios na margem do rio. O sucesso reprodutivo dos machos que mant?m territ?rios na margem, estimado a partir do n?mero de c?pulas e ovoposi??es conseguidas pelas suas parceiras, comprovou-se maior do que aquele dos machos defendendo territ?rios mais afastados ou dos machos sat?lites. O tamanho corporal dos machos mostrou-se um fator importante na taxa de c?pulas e ovoposi??es conseguidas, e no n?mero de dias atuando como territorial, favorecendo em todos os casos os indiv?duos maiores. Discute-se, tamb?m, a aparente import?ncia no sucesso reprodutivo do grau de brilho nas asas dos machos e da preserva??o da integridade das mesmas ao longo do tempo. Sobre as rela??es intersexuais, comprovamos que as f?meas maduras participam da escolha de parceiro, rejeitando machos n?o territoriais ou substituindo seu esperma pelo procedente de machos de mais alta hierarquia

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[pt] O mercado de telecomunicações no Brasil está alcançando a maturidade e a competição tem pressionado as margens das operadoras. Há especulações sobre um processo de racionalização e consolidação da indústria em curso para os próximos anos. Considerando a complementaridade das operações, bem como o baixo nível de concentração de mercado e de consolidação do espectro de frequências, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as potenciais sinergias geradas em uma fusão entre a TIM e a Oi. A avaliação foi feita utilizando o método de fluxo de caixa descontado, perpetuidade, o CAPM e os múltiplos de mercado. Também foi levada em consideração a vivência de 10 anos em implantação de projetos estratégicos e planejamento estratégico nas duas operadoras avaliadas. O resultado obtido foi um alto potencial de sinergias, mesmo com premissas conservadoras, principalmente na geração de receita, na redução de custos de rede e investimentos sobrepostos. Ao final, foi possível inferir que o volume esperado de sinergias poderia gerar um valor maior para as companhias em uma operação consolidada do que em operações separadas. / [en] The telecommunications market in Brazil is reaching maturity and the competition has pushed the operators margins. Market agents speculate about an ongoing rationalization and consolidation process in the industry for the coming years. Considering the complementarity of the operations, a low level of market concentration and frequency spectrum consolidation, the analysis aimed to evaluate the potential synergies generated by a merger between TIM and Oi. The evaluation used the discounted cash flow method, perpetuity, CAPM and market multiples. It was also taken into account the experience of 10 years in the implementation of strategic projects and strategic planning in the two operators. As a result, a high potential for synergies was found, even using conservative assumptions, mainly in revenue generation, reduction of network costs and overlapping investments. The findings suggest that it is possible to infer, given the expected volume of synergies, a greater value for the companies in a consolidated operation than in a separate scenario.

For almost a century, the electrical properties of the brain and the nervous system have been investigated to gain a better understanding of their mechanisms and to find cures for pathological conditions. Despite the fact that today's advancements in surgical techniques, research, and medical imaging have improved our ability to treat brain disorders, our knowledge of the brain and its functions is still limited. Culturing dissociated cortical neurons on Micro-Electrode Array dishes is a powerful experimental tool for investigating functional and structural characteristics of in-vitro neuronal networks, such as the cellular basis of brain learning, memory and synaptic developmental plasticity. This dissertation focuses on combining MEAs with novel electrophysiology experimental paradigms and statistical data analysis to investigate the mechanisms that regulate brain development at the level of synaptic formation and growth cones. The goal is to use a mathematical approach and specifically designed experiments to investigate whether dissociated neuronal networks can dependably display long and short-term plasticity, which are thought to be the building blocks of memory formation in the brain. Quantifying the functional evolution of dissociated neuronal networks during in- vitro development, using a statistical analysis tool was the first aim of this work. The results of the False Discovery Rate analysis show an evolution in network activity with changes in both the number of statistically significant stimulus/recording pairs as well as the average length of connections and the number of connections per active node. It is therefore proposed that the FDR analysis combined with two metrics, the average connection length and the number of highly connected "supernodes" is a valuable technique for describing neuronal connectivity in MEA dishes. Furthermore, the statistical analysis indicates that cultures dissociated from the same brain tissue display trends in their temporal evolution that are more similar than those obtained with respect to different batches. The second aim of this dissertation was to investigate long and short-term plasticity responsible for memory formation in dissociated neuronal networks. In order to address this issue, a set of experiments was designed and implemented in which the MEA electrode grid was divided into four quadrants, two of which were chronically stimulated, every two days for one hour with a stimulation paradigm that varied over time. Overall network and quadrant responses were then analyzed to quantify what level of plasticity took place in the network and how this was due to the stimulation interruption. The results demonstrate that here were no spatial differences in the stimulus-evoked activity within quadrants. Furthermore, the implemented stimulation protocol induced depression effects in the neuronal networks as demonstrated by the consistently lower network activity following stimulation sessions. Finally, the analysis demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the stimulation decreased over time, thus suggesting a habituation phenomenon. These findings are sufficient to conclude that electrical stimulation is an important tool to interact with dissociated neuronal cultures, but localized stimuli are not enough to drive spatial synaptic potentiation or depression. On the contrary, the ability to modulate synaptic temporal plasticity was a feasible task to achieve by chronic network stimulation. / Electrical and Computer Engineering

Cette thèse présente un système bioélectronique prometteur, l'Hynet. Ce Réseau Hybride (vivant-artificiel) est conçu pour l'étude du comportement à long terme des cellules électrogénératrices, comme les neurones et les cellules betas, en deux aspects : l'individuel et en réseau. Il est basé sur une boucle fermée et sur la communication en temps réel entre la culture cellulaire et une unité artificielle (Matériel, Logiciel). Le premier Hynet utilise des Matrices d'électrodes (MEA) commerciales qui limitent les performances spatiotemporelles du Hynet. Une nouvelle Matrice d'électrodes intelligente (iMEA) est développée. Ce nouveau circuit intégré, analogique et mixte, fournit une interface à forte densité, à forte échelle et adaptative avec la culture. Le nouveau système améliore le traitement des données en temps réel et une acquisition faible bruit du signal extracellulaire.

This thesis describes the design guidelines from two medical teams, electrocardiogram and pulse oximetry using embedded logic circuitry such as FPGA and microcontrollers, digital filters used to filter the signals obtained from analog converters to digital, graphic obtaining the data is displayed in a graphic display GLCD, and has an interface to send data to a PC through a port USB 2 at full speed. The digital filters used are FIR filters, these filters are chosen to be linear and time invariant, developed with 40 coefficients FIR filters, these filters were implemented in the FPGA, use a FPGA that has implemented only 20 multipliers For the implementation we used the VHDL language and algorithmic state machines in order to control the 20 boxes and get the 40 products. Filtered data in the stage of the FPGA, are taken to a microcontroller that is responsible for managing the data, can lead to a graphic display GLCD, and so we can see the signal and obtained values or you can send the data to a PC right through USB port and software right through it can see the graphics on the PC.

The study of cultured neuronal networks has opened up avenues for understanding the ion channels, receptor molecules, and synaptic plasticity that may form the basis of learning and memory. The hippocampal neurons prepared from Wistar rats and put in culture, show, after a few days, spontaneous activity with typical electrophysiological pattern ranging from stochastic spiking to synchronized bursting. Using a multi-electrode array (MEA) having 64 electrodes, the electrophysiological signals are acquired, and connectivity maps are constructed using correlation matrix to understand how the neurons in a network communicate during the burst. The response of the neuronal system to epilepsy caused by induced glutamate injury and subsequent exposure of the system to phenobarbital to form different connectivity networks is analyzed in this study. The correlation matrix of the neuronal network before and after administering glutamate as well as after administering phenobarbital is used to understand the neuronal and network level changes that take place in the system. In order to interface a neuronal network to a physical world, the major computations to be performed are noise removal, pattern recovery, pattern matching and clustering. These computations are to be performed in real time. The system should be able to identify a pattern and relate a physical task to the pattern in about 200-400 ms. Algorithms have been developed for the implementation of a real-time neuronal system on a multi-node digital processor system.

Aircraft design is an example of complex engineering where dimensioning tools can be valuable for the designers and decision makers in the early stage of the development process. These tools can be in form of a database over key numbers for different components or technologies. One of the critical parts of an aircraft is the actuator system. Conventional hydraulic actuators are demanding regarding maintenance which implies high operation costs. Therefore in recent years the focus has been set on electro-hydrostatic and electro-mechanical actuators. The aim of this work is to build a platform which can make it easier for designers and decision makers to analyze, compare and optimize different technologies regarding the actuator system. For this reason a simplified quasi-static actuator model, including reactive power consumption has been developed. This model makes it possible to reduce the complexity of the actuator models to such extent that the resulting computional tool can be used for studies of the system performance during entire flight missions and/or for optimization. Power density, cost and weight of the actuator systems are some of the important key numbers for comparing purpose and as a platform for the dimensioning of the aircraft. The ambition is then to build up a database of different actuator solutions with the key technical parameters mentioned above, that can be used in modeling and dimensioning of an aircraft. In order to avoid time consuming finite element calculations when analyzing an electrical machine a reluctance network model can be used. The basic idea of the proposed network model is to divide the rotor and the stator into a grid of small reluctance elements and provide those that correspond to the permanent magnet and the air gap between the magnets with time varying reluctances. The suggested computationally approach constitute a fast way to evaluate permanent magnet electrical machines with the respect to their performance. A preferred electrical machine provided with balance teeth and concentrated windings showed good electromechanical and thermal behavior. A balance tooth is a tooth without winding between each adjacent phases that has a cooling effect on the nearest windings, resulting in less copper losses. The balance teeth increases the voltage-time area, leading to higher induced voltage and higher torque production. Another advantage of the chosen design is its redundancy and fault tolerance capabilities. The machine comprises two independent half machines that also offers a high level of redundancy with two separate power channels. / QC 20100914

En el presente trabajo, utilizamos técnicas de microfabricación, simulaciones numéricas, experimentos de electrofisiología para explorar la viabilidad en me- jorar la interface ordenador-neurona a través de microcanales, y la biofísica para la generación de señales en los dispositivos con microcanales. También demos- tramos que los microcanales pueden ser usados como una técnica prometedora con alto rendimiento en el muestreo automático de canales iónicos a nivel subce- lular. Finalmente, se ha diseñado, fabricado y probado el micropozo-microcanal como modificación adicional a los arreglos de multielectrodos, permitiendo una alta ganancia en la relación señal/ ruido (en inglés Signal to Noise Ratio SNR), y el registro de múltiples-lugares en poblaciones de baja densidad de redes neu- ronales del hipocampo in vitro. Primero, demostramos que son de alto rendimiento los microcanales de bajo costo con interface neurona-electrodo, para el registro extracelular de la activi- dad neuronal con baja complexidad, por periodos estables de larga duración y con alta ganancia SNR. En seguida, se realiza un estudio mediante experimentos y simulaciones nu- méricas de la biofísica para la generación de las señales obtenidas de los dispositi- vos con microcanales. Basados en los resultados, racionalizamos y demostramos como es que la longitud del canal (siendo 200 μm) y la sección transversal del microcanal (siendo 12 μm2) canaliza a los potenciales de acción para estar dentro del rango de milivolts. A pesar del bajo grado de complexidad envuelto en la fabricación y aplicación, los dispositivos con microcanales otorgan una sola media de valor SNR de 101 76, lo cual es favorablemente comparable con la SNR que se obtiene de desarrollos recientes que emplean electrodos curados con CNT y Si-NWFETs. Más aún, nosotros demostramos que el microcanal es una técnica promete- dora para el alto rendimiento del muestro automático de canales iónicos a nivel subcelular: (1) Información experimental y simulaciones numéricas sugieren que las señales registradas sólo afectan los parches membranales localizados dentro del microcanal o alrededor de 100 μm de las entradas del microcanal. (2) La transferencia de masa de los componentes químicos en los microcanales fue ana- lizada por experimentos y simulaciones FEM. Los resultados muestran que los microcanales que contienen glía y tejido neuronal pueden funcionar como barre- ra de fluido/química. Los componentes químicos pueden ser solamente aplicados a diferentes compartimentos a nivel subcelular. Finalmente, basado en simulaciones numéricas y resultados experimentales, se propone que del micropozo-microcanal, obtenido de la modificación de MEA (MWMC-MEA), la longitud óptima del canal debe ser 0,3 mm y la posición 1 óptima del electrodo intracanal, hacia la entrada más cercana del microcanal, debe ser 0,1 mm. Nosotros fabricamos un prototipo de MWMC-MEA, cuyo hoyo pasante sobre las películas de Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fue microtrabajado a través de la técnica de grabados reactivos de plasma de iones. La baja densidad del cultivo (57 neuronas /mm2) en el MWMC-MEAs permitió que las neuronas vivieran al menos 14 días, con lo que la señal neuronal con la máxima SNR obtenida fue de 142. 2 / In this present work, we used microfabrication techniques, numerical simulations, electrophysiological experiments to explore the feasibility of enhancing neuron-computer interfaces with microchannels and the biophysics of the signal generation in microchannel devices. We also demonstrate the microchannel can be used as a promising technique for high-throughput automatic ion-channel screening at subcellular level. Finally, a microwell-microchannel enhanced multielectrode array allowing high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), multi-site recording from the low-density hippocampal neural network in vitro was designed, fabricated and tested. First, we demonstrate using microchannels as a low-cost neuron-electrode interface to support low-complexity, long-term-stable, high SNR extracellular recording of neural activity, with high-throughput potential. Next, the biophysics of the signal generation of microchannel devices was studied by experiments and numerical simulations. Based on the results, we demonstrate and rationalize how channels with a length of 200 μm and channel cross section of 12 μm2 yielded spike sizes in the millivolt range. Despite the low degree of complexity involved in their fabrication and use, microchannel devices provided a single-unit mean SNR of 101 76, which compares favourably with the SNR obtained from recent developments employing CNT-coated electrodes and Si-NWFETs. Moreover, we further demonstrate that the microchannel is a promising technique for high-throughput automatic ion-channel screening at subcellular level: (1) Experimental data and numerical simulations suggest that the recorded signals are only affected by the membrane patches located inside the microchannel or within 100 μm to the microchannel entrances. (2) The mass transfer of chemical compounds in microchannels was analyzed by experiments and FEM simulations. The results show that the microchannel threaded by glial and neural tissue can function as fluid/chemical barrier. Thus chemical compounds can be applied to different subcellular compartments exclusively. Finally, a microwell-microchannel enhanced MEA (MWMC-MEA), with the optimal channel length of 0.3 mm and the optimal intrachannel electrode position of 0.1 mm to the nearest channel entrance, was proposed based on numerical simulation and experiment results. We fabricated a prototype of the MWMCMEA, whose through-hole feature of Polydimethylsiloxane film (PDMS) was micromachined by reactive-ion etching. The low-density culture (57 neurons/mm2) were survived on the MWMC-MEAs for at least 14 days, from which the neuronal signal with the maximum SNR of 142 was obtained.