No cenário da produção de edificações sustentáveis, a madeira laminada colada (MLC) ocupa lugar de destaque, sobretudo pela possibilidade de emprego de madeiras provenientes de florestas plantadas. Com o propósito de amenizar os problemas de durabilidade, quando exposta às intempéries, uma solução pressupõe a associação das vigas de MLC com um tabuleiro de concreto armado, sendo as partes ligadas por meio de conexões flexíveis. Essa técnica tem sido aplicada com sucesso, especialmente por conta do expressivo acréscimo de rigidez proporcionado pela composição. No entanto, em situações de elevados carregamentos ou de grandes vãos, a aplicação de reforços com fibras sintéticas, na face tracionada das vigas de MLC, aprimora ainda mais essa técnica, refletindo-se em significativos acréscimos nas forças de ruptura. Neste trabalho avaliou-se, de forma experimental e numérica, o comportamento estrutural de vigas mistas de MLC-concreto reforçadas com fibras de vidro. Numa primeira etapa foram estudados os elementos de ligação, optando-se pelos ganchos de aço com diâmetro de 8 mm pelo seu excepcional desempenho. Em seguida foram confeccionadas as vigas mistas, com e sem reforços com fibras de vidro, registrando-se acréscimo médio de 37% no módulo de ruptura (MOR) das vigas mistas em relação às vigas de MLC, ambas reforçadas com fibras. O emprego do reforço com fibras sintéticas se justifica pela diminuição na dispersão dos resultados. Por fim, um algoritmo foi proposto para o dimensionamento das vigas mistas de MLC-concreto reforçadas com fibras de vidro, o qual, associado às avaliações numéricas e experimentais, permite ampliar os horizontes de aplicação das estruturas de madeira. / Production of sustainable constructions forms a scenario where glulam beams occupy a prominence place, because of the possibility of utilization of wood that comes from planted forests. With the intention of diminution in the durability problems, when exposed to the weather effects, a solution presupposes the association of glulam beams with a reinforced concrete slab, in which the components are linked by means of flexible connections. This technique has been applied with results, especially due to the expressive increment in stiffness provided by the composition. However, in situations where high loads or great spans are found, the application of synthetic fibers reinforcements in the tension side of glulam beams improve this technique, being reflected in significant increments in the rupture forces. In this study it was evaluated, in experimental and numerical way, the structural behavior of glulam-concrete composite beams reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP). In a first stage the connection elements were studied, being opted for steel hooks with 8 mm in diameter because of their exceptional behavior. Soon after, the composite beams were made with and without GFRP reinforcements and their tests showed average increment of 37% in modulus of rupture (MOR), when the composite beams were compared to glulam beams, both reinforced with GFRP. The decrease in the variability of results justifies the use of synthetic fibers reinforcements. Finally, an algorithm was proposed for the design of glulam-concrete composite beams reinforced with GFRP. So, when associated with the experimental and numerical evaluations that were carried out, this method allows enlarging the horizons of timber structures applications.

Orientador: Julio Cesar Molina / Resumo: A Madeira Laminada Colada (MLC) é uma alternativa promissora no mercado brasileiro de construção, as indústrias vêm buscando alternativas que melhorem a qualidade de seus produtos seja através das espécies de madeira utilizadas, tipo de adesivo ou processo de fabricação. Este estudo avaliou os métodos de ensaio de delaminação e resistência da linha de cola propostos pelo projeto de revisão da norma brasileira de madeiras ABNT NBR 7190:1997. Foram considerados os métodos de ensaio ABNT NBR PN 02:126.10-001-5 e ABNT NBR ISO PN 02:126.10-001-3. Foram utilizados dois gêneros de madeiras (Pinus e Eucalipto), com e sem tratamento preservativo das lamelas com CCA e três tipos de adesivos (poliuretanas mono e bicomponente e resorcinol-formaldeído). Para os ensaios de delaminação e resistência da linha de cola, foram confeccionados os dispositivos necessários (autoclave e dispositivo para ensaio de cisalhamento da linha de cola). Os resultados de delaminação revelam que os valores médios obtidos para as combinações ERS (Eucalipto - Resina resorcinol-formaldeído - In natura), EBS (Eucalipto - Resina poliuretana bicomponente - In natura) e PRS (Pinus - Resina resorcinol-formaldeído - In natura) apresentaram valores dentro do aceitável de 4% pelo projeto de norma PN 02:126.10-0001- 5. Os resultados da análise estatística entre as linhas de cola mostraram que há diferença significativa entre as resistências médias ao cisalhamento. De modo geral, as combinações empregando Eucalipto apresen... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Elementos estruturais de Madeira Laminada Colada (MLC) têm sido muito utilizados na América do Norte e na Europa. Entretanto no Brasil há restrições quanto ao uso, principalmente, em razão da insegurança diante de potenciais riscos relacionados a incêndios. Este trabalho investigou o comportamento térmico e mecânico de elementos estruturais de MLC expostos à curva de incêndio-padrão ISO 834, preparados com duas espécies de madeira (Eucalyptus e Pinus) sem adição de tratamentos preservantes. Adicionalmente, elementos tratados com preservante ignífugo a base Borato de Cobre Cromatado (MOQ® OX 50CCBO) ou tratamento retardantes ao fogo (OSMOGUARD® FR100) também foram utilizados para analisar a influência na carbonização. O objetivo principal da pesquisa foi analisar a resistência ao fogo de elementos de MLC, avaliando a influência da espécie de madeira, a influência da densidade, bem como os efeitos dos tratamentos preservantes. O programa experimental foi realizado no forno horizontal a gás instalado no Departamento de Engenhara das Estruturas - EESC/USP, com dimensões internas de 3m x 4m x 1,5m, e as análises numéricas foram implementadas no pacote computacional ABAQUS. O modelo numérico, com vistas ao monitoramento a deflexão no meio do vão e a avaliação da distribuição da temperatura ao longo da profundidade dos elementos, foram desenvolvidos e os resultados obtidos foram comparados com os dados obtidos por meio das análises experimentais. Métodos de cálculo propostos por diferentes autores e regulamentações internacionais foram aplicados para verificação das propostas de dimensionamento em situação de incêndio. A comparação dos resultados mostrou que a utilização dos métodos de dimensionamento (simplificado ou avançado) representa risco à segurança contra incêndio caso utilize valores para a taxa de carbonização das espécies nacionais determinados a partir dos métodos de cálculo ou normas internacionais. / Structural elements of Glued Laminated Timber (glulam) have long been used in North America and Europe, but their use is still restricted in Brazil for safety reasons, especially related to potential risks in face of fire. The present work investigated the thermal and mechanical behavior of structural elements of glulam exposed to fire standard ISO 834. The glued laminated timber was produced from two wood species (Eucalyptus and Pinus) without any treatments. However, elements treated with wood treatments like Copper Chrome Boron (MOQ® OX 50 -CCB-O) or fire retardant treatment (OSMOGUARD® FR100) were also used to investigate their influence on charring. The main objective of this study was to assess the fire resistance of the glulam elements, evaluating the influence of wood species and, consequently, the influence of density, as well as the effects of preservative treatment. The experimental program was carried out in a gas oven, with internal dimensions of 3m x 4m x 1.5m, and the numerical analyses were performed by ABAQUS. The numerical analyses aimed to monitor the deflection in the middle of the span as well as the temperature distribution along the depth of the elements. The results obtained from both the experimental and numerical analyses were compared. Calculation methods proposed by different authors and international regulations have been applied for verification of the proposed design in fire. A comparison of the results show that the use of calculation methods (simplified and advanced) represents a risk to fire safety in case of using the values of char rate for Brazilian wood species determined from the calculation methods.

Madeira laminada colada (MLC) é um material de construção muito empregado em estruturas. Este produto é composto de lâminas classificadas de madeira, coladas horizontalmente, para formar peças estruturais de madeira grandes dimensões. A união das lâminas é realizada através de distintos tipos de emendas longitudinais, sendo as emendas dentadas as mais utilizadas. Considerando que os componentes estruturais de MLC, em geral, são solicitadas a carregamentos cíclicos, este trabalho tem por finalidade a proposta de um modelo estatístico para a determinação da vida à fadiga em menos dentadas de madeira. O trabalho foi realizado no Laboratório de Madeiras e de Estruturas de madeira (LaMEM), com o estudo teórico e experimental da fadiga em corpos-de-prova tracionados de ligações com emendas dentadas, baseado em um planejamento estatístico de experimentos e na NBR 7190/97. Os resultados contidos mostram que o modelo Polinomial Ortogonal Múltiplo da distribuição de Birnbaum-Saunders é de grande precisão e o mais adequado ao estudo da fadiga. O uso deste modelo pode ser de grande benefício, já que com ele se poderá estimar e caracterizar com maior confiabilidade e precisão a um menor custo a vida à fadiga em emendas dentadas de madeira, considerando as variáveis independentes de tensão e freqüência. / In the production of structural elements of Glued Laminated Timber (GLULAM), the horizontal union of lumbers are made with finger joints. Considering that the structural components of GLULAM need a great number of finger joints, and some of these structures are subject to cyclic loading, the objective of this work is to present a statistical model to estimate the fatigue life in lumber tension finger joints. The theoretical and experimental work was made in the Laboratory of Wood and Timber Structures (LaMEM), based on a statistical experiment design using tension tests and in agreement with the NBR 7190/97 code. The estimation procedure was based on the multiple orthogonal polynomial Birnbaum-Saunders model and the results show that the parameter estimates of the multiple orthogonal polynomial Birnbaum-Saunders model are obtained with at good accuracy and the most appropriate for the wood fatigue study. The use of the model can be of great benefit, since with it can be fit and characterize with greater reliability and precision at a smaller cost the fatigue life in finger joints of wood, considering the independent variables stress and frequency.

Buildup dose of Mega Voltage (MV) photon beams can be a limiting factor in intensitymodulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatments. Excessive doses can cause patient discomfort and treatment interruptions, while underdosing may lead to local failure. Many factors which contribute to buildup dose, including the photon beam energy spectrum, scattered or contaminant radiation and their angular distribution, are not modeled well in commercial treatment planning systems. The accurate Monte Carlo method was employed in the studies to estimate the doses. Buildup dose of 6MV photon beams was investigated for three fundamentally different IMRT modalities: between Helical TomoTherapy and traditional opposed tangential beams, solid IMRT and multileaf collimator (MLC)-based IMRT techniques. Solid IMRT, as an alternative to MLC, achieves prescription dose distribution objectives, according to our study. Measurements and Monte Carlo calculations of buildup dose in chest wall treatment were compared between TomoTherapy IMRT and traditional tangential-beam technique. The effect of bolus in helical delivery was also investigated in this study. In addition, measurements and Monte Carlo calculations of buildup dose in solid IMRT and MLC based IMRT treatment modalities were compared. A brass step compensator was designed and built for the solid IMRT. Matching MLC step sequences were used for the MLC IMRT. This dissertation also presents the commissioning of a Monte Carlo code system, BEAMnrc, for a Varian Trilogy linear accelerator (LINAC) and the application in buildup dose calculation. Scattered dose components, MLC component dose and mean spectral energy for the IMRT treatment techniques were analyzed. The agreement between measured 6MV and calculated depth dose and beam profiles was (± 1% or ±1 mm) for 10x10 and 40x40 cm2 fields. The optimum electron beam energy and its radial distribution incident on tungsten target were found to be 6 MeV and 1 mm respectively. The helical delivery study concluded that buildup dose is higher with TomoTherapy compared to the opposed tangential technique in chest wall treatment. The solid and MLC IMRT comparison concluded that buildup dose was up to 7% lower for solid IMRT compared to MLC IMRT due to beam hardening of brass.

In recent years, deep neural network models have shown to outperform many state of the art algorithms. The reason for this is, unsupervised pretraining with multi-layered deep neural networks have shown to learn better features, which further improves many supervised tasks. These models not only automate the feature extraction process but also provide with robust features for various machine learning tasks. But the unsupervised pretraining and feature extraction using multi-layered networks are restricted only to the input features and not to the output. The performance of many supervised learning algorithms (or models) depends on how well the output dependencies are handled by these algorithms [Dembczy´nski et al., 2012]. Adapting the standard neural networks to handle these output dependencies for any specific type of problem has been an active area of research [Zhang and Zhou, 2006, Ribeiro et al., 2012]. On the other hand, inference into multimodal data is considered as a difficult problem in machine learning and recently ‘deep multimodal neural networks’ have shown significant results [Ngiam et al., 2011, Srivastava and Salakhutdinov, 2012]. Several problems like classification with complete or missing modality data, generating the missing modality etc., are shown to perform very well with these models. In this work, we consider three nontrivial supervised learning tasks (i) multi-class classification (MCC), (ii) multi-label classification (MLC) and (iii) label ranking (LR), mentioned in the order of increasing complexity of the output. While multi-class classification deals with predicting one class for every instance, multi-label classification deals with predicting more than one classes for every instance and label ranking deals with assigning a rank to each label for every instance. All the work in this field is associated around formulating new error functions that can force network to identify the output dependencies. Aim of our work is to adapt neural network to implicitly handle the feature extraction (dependencies) for output in the network structure, removing the need of hand crafted error functions. We show that the multimodal deep architectures can be adapted for these type of problems (or data) by considering labels as one of the modalities. This also brings unsupervised pretraining to the output along with the input. We show that these models can not only outperform standard deep neural networks, but also outperform standard adaptations of neural networks for individual domains under various metrics over several data sets considered by us. We can observe that the performance of our models over other models improves even more as the complexity of the output/ problem increases.

Elementos estruturais de Madeira Laminada Colada (MLC) têm sido muito utilizados na América do Norte e na Europa. Entretanto no Brasil há restrições quanto ao uso, principalmente, em razão da insegurança diante de potenciais riscos relacionados a incêndios. Este trabalho investigou o comportamento térmico e mecânico de elementos estruturais de MLC expostos à curva de incêndio-padrão ISO 834, preparados com duas espécies de madeira (Eucalyptus e Pinus) sem adição de tratamentos preservantes. Adicionalmente, elementos tratados com preservante ignífugo a base Borato de Cobre Cromatado (MOQ® OX 50CCBO) ou tratamento retardantes ao fogo (OSMOGUARD® FR100) também foram utilizados para analisar a influência na carbonização. O objetivo principal da pesquisa foi analisar a resistência ao fogo de elementos de MLC, avaliando a influência da espécie de madeira, a influência da densidade, bem como os efeitos dos tratamentos preservantes. O programa experimental foi realizado no forno horizontal a gás instalado no Departamento de Engenhara das Estruturas - EESC/USP, com dimensões internas de 3m x 4m x 1,5m, e as análises numéricas foram implementadas no pacote computacional ABAQUS. O modelo numérico, com vistas ao monitoramento a deflexão no meio do vão e a avaliação da distribuição da temperatura ao longo da profundidade dos elementos, foram desenvolvidos e os resultados obtidos foram comparados com os dados obtidos por meio das análises experimentais. Métodos de cálculo propostos por diferentes autores e regulamentações internacionais foram aplicados para verificação das propostas de dimensionamento em situação de incêndio. A comparação dos resultados mostrou que a utilização dos métodos de dimensionamento (simplificado ou avançado) representa risco à segurança contra incêndio caso utilize valores para a taxa de carbonização das espécies nacionais determinados a partir dos métodos de cálculo ou normas internacionais. / Structural elements of Glued Laminated Timber (glulam) have long been used in North America and Europe, but their use is still restricted in Brazil for safety reasons, especially related to potential risks in face of fire. The present work investigated the thermal and mechanical behavior of structural elements of glulam exposed to fire standard ISO 834. The glued laminated timber was produced from two wood species (Eucalyptus and Pinus) without any treatments. However, elements treated with wood treatments like Copper Chrome Boron (MOQ® OX 50 -CCB-O) or fire retardant treatment (OSMOGUARD® FR100) were also used to investigate their influence on charring. The main objective of this study was to assess the fire resistance of the glulam elements, evaluating the influence of wood species and, consequently, the influence of density, as well as the effects of preservative treatment. The experimental program was carried out in a gas oven, with internal dimensions of 3m x 4m x 1.5m, and the numerical analyses were performed by ABAQUS. The numerical analyses aimed to monitor the deflection in the middle of the span as well as the temperature distribution along the depth of the elements. The results obtained from both the experimental and numerical analyses were compared. Calculation methods proposed by different authors and international regulations have been applied for verification of the proposed design in fire. A comparison of the results show that the use of calculation methods (simplified and advanced) represents a risk to fire safety in case of using the values of char rate for Brazilian wood species determined from the calculation methods.

Madeira laminada colada (MLC) é um material de construção muito empregado em estruturas. Este produto é composto de lâminas classificadas de madeira, coladas horizontalmente, para formar peças estruturais de madeira grandes dimensões. A união das lâminas é realizada através de distintos tipos de emendas longitudinais, sendo as emendas dentadas as mais utilizadas. Considerando que os componentes estruturais de MLC, em geral, são solicitadas a carregamentos cíclicos, este trabalho tem por finalidade a proposta de um modelo estatístico para a determinação da vida à fadiga em menos dentadas de madeira. O trabalho foi realizado no Laboratório de Madeiras e de Estruturas de madeira (LaMEM), com o estudo teórico e experimental da fadiga em corpos-de-prova tracionados de ligações com emendas dentadas, baseado em um planejamento estatístico de experimentos e na NBR 7190/97. Os resultados contidos mostram que o modelo Polinomial Ortogonal Múltiplo da distribuição de Birnbaum-Saunders é de grande precisão e o mais adequado ao estudo da fadiga. O uso deste modelo pode ser de grande benefício, já que com ele se poderá estimar e caracterizar com maior confiabilidade e precisão a um menor custo a vida à fadiga em emendas dentadas de madeira, considerando as variáveis independentes de tensão e freqüência. / In the production of structural elements of Glued Laminated Timber (GLULAM), the horizontal union of lumbers are made with finger joints. Considering that the structural components of GLULAM need a great number of finger joints, and some of these structures are subject to cyclic loading, the objective of this work is to present a statistical model to estimate the fatigue life in lumber tension finger joints. The theoretical and experimental work was made in the Laboratory of Wood and Timber Structures (LaMEM), based on a statistical experiment design using tension tests and in agreement with the NBR 7190/97 code. The estimation procedure was based on the multiple orthogonal polynomial Birnbaum-Saunders model and the results show that the parameter estimates of the multiple orthogonal polynomial Birnbaum-Saunders model are obtained with at good accuracy and the most appropriate for the wood fatigue study. The use of the model can be of great benefit, since with it can be fit and characterize with greater reliability and precision at a smaller cost the fatigue life in finger joints of wood, considering the independent variables stress and frequency.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide and particularly in the developed World. The search for new therapeutic approaches for improving the functions of the damaged heart is therefore a critical endeavour. Myocardial infarction, which can lead to heart failure, is associated with irreversible loss of functional cardiomyocytes. The loss of cardiomyocytes poses a major difficulty for treating the damaged heart since terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes have very limited regeneration potential. Currently, the only effective treatment for severe heart failure is heart transplantation but this option is limited by the acute shortage of donor hearts. The high incidence of heart diseases and the scarcity donor hearts underline the urgent need to find alternative therapeutic approaches for treating cardiovascular diseases. Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into functional cardiomyocytes. Therefore the engraftment of ES cell-derived functional cardiomyocytes or cardiac progenitor cells into the damaged heart to regenerate healthy myocardial tissues may be used to treat damaged hearts. Stem cell-based therapy therefore holds a great potential as a very attractive alternative to heart transplant for treating heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. A major obstacle to the realisation of stem cell-based therapy is the lack of donor cells and this in turn is due to the fact that, currently, the molecular mechanisms or the regulatory signal transduction mechanisms that are responsible for mediating ES cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes are not well understood. Overcoming this huge scientific challenge is absolutely necessary before the use of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to treat the damaged heart can become a reality. Therefore the aim of this thesis was to investigate the signal transduction pathways that are involved in the differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes. The first objective was the establishment and use of cardiomyocyte differentiation models using H9c2 cells and P19 stem cells to accomplish the specific objectives of the thesis. The specific objectives of the thesis were, the investigation of the roles of (i) nitric oxide (ii) protein kinase C (PKC), (iii) p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) (vi) phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and (vi) nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) signalling pathways in the differentiation of stem cells to cardiomyocytes and, more importantly, to identify where possible any points of convergence and potential cross-talk between pathways that may be critical for differentiation to occur. P19 cells were routinely cultured in alpha minimal essential medium (α-MEM) supplemented with 100 units/ml penicillin /100 μg/ml streptomycin and 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS). P19 cell differentiation was initiated by culturing the cells in microbiological plates in medium containing 0.8 % DMSO to form embryoid bodies (EB). This was followed by transfer of EBs to cell culture grade dishes after four days. H9c2 cells were cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% FBS. Differentiation was initiated by incubating the cells in medium containing 1% FBS. In both models, when drugs were employed, they were added to cells for one hour prior to initiating differentiation. Cell monolayers were monitored daily over a period of 12 or 14 days. H9c2 cells were monitored for morphological changes and P19 cells were monitored for beating cardiomyocytes. Lysates were generated in parallel for western blot analysis of changes in cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC), ventricular myosin chain light chain 1(MLC-1v) or troponin I (cTnI) using specific monoclonal antibodies. H9c2 cells cultured in 1% serum underwent differentiation as shown by the timedependent formation of myotubes, accompanied by a parallel increase in expression of both MHC and MLC-1v. These changes were however not apparent until 4 to 6 days after growth arrest and increased with time, reaching a peak at day 12 to 14. P19 stem cells cultured in DMSO containing medium differentiated as shown by the timedependent appearance of beating cardiomyocytes and this was accompanied by the expression of cTnI. The differentiation of both P19 stem cells and H9c2 into cardiomyocytes was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, PKC inhibitor BIM-I and the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB2035800. However when LY294002, BIM-I or SB2035800 were added after the initiation of DMSO-induced P19 stem cell differentiation, each inhibitor failed to block the cell differentiation into beating cardiomyocytes. The NF-kB activation inhibitor, CAPE, blocked H9c2 cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Fast nitric oxide releasing donors (SIN-1 and NOC-5) markedly delayed the onset of differentiation of H9c2 cells into cardiomyocytes while slow nitric oxide releasing donors (SNAP and NOC-18) were less effective in delaying the onset of differentiation or long term differentiation of H9c2 cells into cardiomyocytes. Akt (protein kinase B) is the key downstream target of PI3K. Our cross-talk data also showed that PKC inhibition and p38 MAPK inhibition respectively enhanced and reduced the activation of Akt, as determined by the phosphorylation of Akt at serine residue 473. In conclusion, PKC, PI3K, p38 MAPK and NF-kB are relevant for the differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes. Our data also show that the PKC, PI3K and p38 MAPK signalling pathways are activated as very early events during the differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes. Our data also suggest that PKC may negatively regulate Akt activation while p38 MAPK inhibition inhibits Akt activation. Our fast NO releasing donor data suggest that nitric oxide may negatively regulate H9c2 cell differentiation.