O Processamento e Análise Digital de Imagens é utilizado cada vez mais para agilizar processos, aumentar a precisão, segurança e confiabilidade de dados extraídos de imagens nas mais diversas áreas de pesquisa. No entanto, muitas vezes é necessário que o pesquisador faça, ele próprio, o pré-processamento das imagens, mesmo não sendo um especialista nesta área. Isto coloca em risco o próprio objetivo do uso do Processamento e Análise Digital de Imagens. Este trabalho analisa a relação dos dados extraídos de uma imagem (micrografia) através do software livre ImageJ com relação ao seu processamento final desejado, avaliando assim, a necessidade ou não, de uma ou mais sequencias de pré-processamento para adequar a imagem para o processamento final, indicando ainda quais fatores de influência apresentam informações irrelevantes ou incompletas para o processamento final utilizando ferramentas da Lógica Paraconsistente Anotada. Os resultados obtidos mostram que esta abordagem carece de informações diversificadas sobre a imagem original capturada que possam subsidiar a tomada de decisão quanto aos procedimentos necessários e, para o pré-processamento adequado ao objetivo desejado. / Processing and Analysis of Digital Images is increasingly used to streamline processes, improve accuracy, safety and reliability of data extracted from images in various research areas. However, it is often necessary for the researcher to make himself, the preprocessing of images, although not an expert in this area. This puts at risk the very purpose of using the Processing and Analysis of Digital Images. This paper analyzes the relationship of the data extracted from an image (micrograph) through the free software ImageJ, with respect to its desired final processing. Thus, evaluating the necessity or not, of one or more sequences of preprocessing to adjust the image to the final processing, further indicating which factors influence presents incomplete or irrelevant information for final processing using tools of Annotaded Paraconsistent Logic. The results show that this approach lacks diversified information about the original image captured that can support decision making about procedures for appropriate preprocessing to the desired goal.

This diploma thesis deals with the relation between the longitudinal friction coefficient dependence on measuring speed and the value of road surface macrotexture MPD. Results of longitudinal friction coefficient and value of MPD measurement on 73 sections are included in this thesis. The results were compared by regression analysis and its outcome was used for determination of formula that enable calculation of longitudinal friction coefficient for any operating speed when longitudinal friction coefficient for 60 km/h and value of macrotexture are known. The evaluation scale for skid resistance index (SRI) was also determined in this thesis. It could be used for evaluation of skid resistance independently of the type of device used for friction coefficient measurement.

As conventional chemical rockets reach the outer limits of their abilities, significant research is going into alternative thruster technologies, some of which decouple the maximum thrust and efficiency from the propellant's internal chemical energy by supplying energy to the propellant as needed. Of particular interest and potential is the electrically powered thruster, which promises very high specific thrust using relatively inexpensive and stable propellant gasses. Some such thrusters, specifically ion thrusters, have achieved significant popularity for various applications. However, there exist other classes of electrical thrusters which promise even higher levels of efficiency and performance. This thesis will focus on one such thruster type - the magnetoplasmadynamic thruster - which uses an ionized propellant flow and large currents to accelerate the propellant gas by electrical and magnetic force interactions. The necessary background will be presented in order to understand and characterize the operation of such devices, and a theoretical model will be developed in order to estimate the levels of performance which can be expected. Simulations will be performed and analyzed in order to better understand the principles on which these devices are designed. Finally, a thruster package will be designed and built in order to test the performance of the device and accuracy of the model. This will include a high-current power supply, ignition circuit, gas delivery system, and nozzle. Finally, the measured performance of this thruster package will be measured and compared to the theoretical predictions in order to validate the models constructed for this type of thruster.

Managed Pressure Drilling now at the pinnacle of the 'Oil Well Drilling' evolution tree, has itself been coined in 2003. It is an umbrella term for a few new drilling techniques and some preexisting drilling techniques, all of them aiming to solve several drilling problems, including non-productive time and/or drilling flat time issues. These techniques, now sub-classifications of Managed Pressure Drilling, are referred to as 'Variations' and 'Methods' of Managed Pressure Drilling. Although using Managed Pressure Drilling for drilling wells has several benefits, not all wells that seem a potential candidate for Managed Pressure Drilling, need Managed Pressure Drilling. The drilling industry has numerous simulators and software models to perform drilling hydraulics calculations and simulations. Most of them are designed for conventional well hydraulics, while some can perform Underbalanced Drilling calculations, and a select few can perform Managed Pressure Drilling calculations. Most of the few available Managed Pressure Drilling models are modified Underbalanced Drilling versions that fit Managed Pressure Drilling needs. However, none of them focus on Managed Pressure Drilling and its candidate selection alone. An 'Managed Pressure Drilling Candidate Selection Model and software' that can act as a preliminary screen to determine the utility of Managed Pressure Drilling for potential candidate wells are developed as a part of this research dissertation. The model and a flow diagram identify the key steps in candidate selection. The software performs the basic hydraulic calculations and provides useful results in the form of tables, plots and graphs that would help in making better engineering decisions. An additional Managed Pressure Drilling worldwide wells database with basic information on a few Managed Pressure Drilling projects has also been compiled that can act as a basic guide on the Managed Pressure Drilling variation and project frequencies and aid in Managed Pressure Drilling candidate selection.

La cellule est un milieu très concentré où les interactions entre macromolécules, même faibles, jouent un grand rôle dans leur solubilité et dans l'assemblage des complexes labiles assurant les fonctions biologiques. Les interactions faibles entre protéines déterminant la non-idéalité de leurs solutions vont aussi gouverner leur cristallisation.<br />Dans quelle mesure les interactions protéine – solvant influencent-elles les interactions protéine – protéine ? Nous avons mis en relation ces deux types d'interactions pour la malate déshydrogénase (Hm MalDH) de Haloarcula marismortui, protéine halophile très acide qui a des solvatations variées et très riches en eau et en sel.<br />Nous avons développé une nouvelle méthode de détermination du second coefficient du viriel A2 par la modélisation des profils de vitesse de sédimentation en ultracentrifugation analytique, qui permet l'étude de solvants complexes.<br />Les interactions protéine – protéine de la Hm MalDH en divers sels ont été caractérisées par diffusion de neutrons ou de rayons X aux petits angles. Les A2 et les facteurs de structure en solution ont été modélisés par des potentiels d'interaction de type DLVO. Les interactions répulsives sont principalement dues au terme de volume exclu et dans une moindre mesure au terme électrostatique. Les interactions attractives sont qualitativement corrélées à des valeurs positives ou négatives des paramètres d'interaction préférentielle avec le sel. Ces résultats permettent d'expliquer l'adaptation moléculaire des protéines halophiles qui doivent ainsi avoir une solvatation riche en sel pour rester soluble à haut sel.<br />La cristallisation par dilution de la Hm MalDH dans des mélanges sel – MPD (méthyl-2-pentanediol-2,4) résulte d'une lente évolution des interactions protéine – protéine, de répulsives à modérément attractives. Le MPD modifie les interactions protéine – protéine en divers sels en ajoutant une attraction qui est liée à la répulsion du MPD par les charges de la protéine.

In the most of the drilling operations it is obvious that a considerable amount of money is spent for drilling related problems / including stuck pipe, lost circulation, and excessive mud cost. In order to decrease the percentage of non-productive time (NPT) caused by these kind of problems, the aim is to control annular frictional pressure losses especially in the fields where pore pressure and fracture pressure gradient is too close which is called narrow drilling window. If we can solve these problems, the budget spent for drilling the wells will fall, therefore enabling the industry to be able to drill wells that were previously uneconomical. Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a new technology that allows us to overcome these kinds of drilling problems by controlling the annular frictional pressure losses. As the industry remains relatively unaware of the full spectrum of benefits, this thesis involves the techniques used in Managed Pressure Drilling with an emphasis upon revealing several of its lesser known and therefore less appreciated applications.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported numerous associations between risk variants and major psychiatric disorders (MPDs) including schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and others. We reviewed all of the published GWASs, and extracted the genome-wide significant (p<10) and replicated associations between risk SNPs and MPDs. We found the associations of 6 variants located in 6 genes, including L type voltage-gated calcium channel (LTCCs) subunit alpha1 C gene (), that were genome-wide significant ( ) and replicated at single-point level across at least two GWASs. Among them, the associations between MPDs and rs1006737 within are most robust. Thus, as a next step, the expression of the replicated risk genes in human hippocampus was analyzed. We found had significant mRNA expression in human hippocampus in two independent cohorts. Finally, we tried to elucidate the roles of venlafaxine and ω-3 PUFAs in the mRNA expression regulation of the replicated risk genes in hippocampus. We used cDNA chip-based microarray profiling to explore the transcriptome-wide mRNA expression regulation by ω-3 PUFAs (0.72/kg/d) and venlafaxine (0.25/kg/d) treatment in chronic mild stress (CMS) rats. ω-3 PUFAs and venlafaxine treatment elicited significant up-regulation. We concluded that might confer the genetic vulnerability to the shared depressive symptoms across MPDs and CACNA1C might be the therapeutic target for depressive endophenotype as well.

<p>Prior to the mid-20th century, the idea of electric propulsion had been all but a foreign one that manifested itself in the topic of science fiction. It was around this time when companies and agencies like NASA began to take interest in the topic of space propulsion, as most famously seen in the landing of the Apollo 11 mission on the moon. It was not until the early-1960s where the idea of a pulsed plasma thruster was first realized, with its first test being in 1964 aboard the Russian Zond-2 satellite which contained 6 ablative Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or “Teflon”) pulsed plasma thrusters.</p> <p>In this paper, a new low-voltage, liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster was developed, tested, and characterized. This project took influence from the previous low-voltage, liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster in Purdue’s EPPL and desired to transition it from a current gas-fed system to its intended liquid-fed system. The two main objectives for this project included conducting direct studies of the cathode’s erosion rate using a simple weighing method after simulating a lifetime of discharging the thruster, and completing the initial design of the liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster using AF-M315E as its propellant while gathering data on its required breakdown voltage, exhaust velocity, and specific impulse.</p> <p>Both objectives were successfully completed, with the following parameters being measured or calculated. The required breakdown voltage was seen to be less than 26kV to keep the ignition spark inside the chamber. For the subsequent results measured however, the breakdown voltage was kept between 10-16kV for all successive tests. The peak current measured for all discharges was an average of 11kA, far exceeding similar geometries such as MPD thrusters. The operational voltage was less than 200V, although an operational voltage closer to 100V is expected after further optimization of the system is completed. The erosion rate of the tungsten cathode at this operational setting was found to be 15.4046 +/- 0.592 microgram/Coulomb which is much less than the cathode spot erosion rate reported for tungsten in literature of about 60 microgram/Coulomb and is beneficial for extending system lifetime. The exhaust velocity was calculated to be 30.6 +/- 4.8km/s which is typical of state-of-the-art PPT electric propulsion devices. The specific impulse was also extrapolated from the ion’s exhaust velocity, calculating to be 3,119 +/- 489 seconds. Future work would require optimization of the propellant injection mechanism to minimize propellant loss.</p>