The purpose of this thesis was to explore the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an access channel by establishing reliable signal detection to verify the existence of signal differences associated with changes in activity. This thesis focused on using NIRS to measure brain activity from the prefrontal cortex during an auditory Go-No-Go task. A singular spectrum analysis change-point detection algorithm was applied to identify transition points where the NIRS signal properties varied from previous data points in the signal, indicating a change in brain activity. With this algorithm, latency values for change-points detected ranged from 6.44 s to 9.34 s. The averaged positive predictive values over all runs were modest (from 49.41% to 67.73%), with the corresponding negative predictive values being generally higher (48.66% to 78.80%). However, positive and negative predictive values up to 97.22% and 95.14%, respectively, were achieved for individual runs. No hemispheric differences were found.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an access channel by establishing reliable signal detection to verify the existence of signal differences associated with changes in activity. This thesis focused on using NIRS to measure brain activity from the prefrontal cortex during an auditory Go-No-Go task. A singular spectrum analysis change-point detection algorithm was applied to identify transition points where the NIRS signal properties varied from previous data points in the signal, indicating a change in brain activity. With this algorithm, latency values for change-points detected ranged from 6.44 s to 9.34 s. The averaged positive predictive values over all runs were modest (from 49.41% to 67.73%), with the corresponding negative predictive values being generally higher (48.66% to 78.80%). However, positive and negative predictive values up to 97.22% and 95.14%, respectively, were achieved for individual runs. No hemispheric differences were found.

Title: Effect of cold water immersion on intermittent isometric forearm flexor contractions to failure in rock climbers Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cold water immersion on intermittent isometric forearm flexor contraction to failure in rock climbers. Methods: Thirty-two climbers (15 male and 17 female) completed three intermittent trials to failure, on a climbing-specific handgrip dynamometer, on three separate visits to the laboratory. For each visit a different recovery strategy was employed: passive recovery (PAS), cold water immersion at 8 řC (CWI 8) or 15 řC (CWI 15). The force time integral (FTI - time of contraction multiplied by the force of contraction) was determined to assess intermittent performance. The tissue saturation index (TSI) and total haemoglobin (tHb) during isometric contractions from near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were determined to assess hemodynamic changes. Differences between repeated trials and three recovery protocols, derived parameters NIRS, were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni corrections. Results: There was no significant difference between conditions after trial one. In response to the PAS recovery condition there was a 10% and 22% decrease in FTI in the second and third trials, respectively. The PAS...

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:21:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 15006665 bytes, checksum: 541b3c9095c1006563486163e559d5fd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The search for a better quality of life has led to increased consumption of foods with fewer calories, high in fiber and vitamins, and obtained from different forms of cultivation. Amid these foods, there are cereal bars and lettuce, foods that are easily accessible, widely consumed and have high nutritional values. Like any other food, require efficient methods that can ensure its quality. Thus, the need for rapid, accurate analytical methods and low cost, which can help to identify and classify these foods safely arises. Within this perspective, this paper makes use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) combined with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to classify samples of cereal bars and lettuce. A total of 121 samples of cereal bars, three distinct types (conventional, diet and light) and 104 samples of three different types of lettuce cultivation (conventional, organic and hydroponic) was used. The acquisition of the spectra was made on equipment Spectrum 400 (Perkin Elmer) with accessory NIRA (Near Infrared Reflectance Acessory) in the range 10000 - 4000 cm-1. Classification models were constructed by combining the LDA algorithms and variable selection: Stepwise (SW), Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). Strategies for pre - processing data were evaluated and the efficiency of the models was determined from the of correct classification rate (CCR) for the full set of samples and the test set. For both matrices the model that generated a better CCR was the GA-LDA valued 95% to matrix of the cereal bars and 97.1 % for array of lettuces, both based on the total set of samples (training, validation and testing). Regarding the set of test models presented results of CCR with performance of 90.3 % and 95.4 % for matrices of cereal bars and lettuce respectively. / A busca por uma melhor qualidade de vida tem levado ao aumento do consumo de alimentos com menos calorias, ricos em fibras e vitaminas, e obtidos de formas de cultivo diferenciadas. Em meio a esses alimentos, encontram-se as barras de cereais e as alfaces, que são alimentos de fácil acesso, muito consumidos e que possuem altos valores nutricionais. Como qualquer outro alimento, necessitam de métodos eficientes que possam assegurar sua qualidade. Assim, surge a necessidade de métodos analíticos rápidos, precisos e de baixo custo, que possam ajudar a identificar e classificar com segurança a esses alimentos. Dentro desta perspectiva, este trabalho faz uso da Espectroscopia no Infravermelho Próximo (NIR) aliada a Análise Discriminante Linear (LDA) para classificar amostras de barras de cereais e alfaces. Um total de 121 amostras de barras de cereais, de três tipos distintos (convencional, diet e light) e 104 amostras de alface de três diferentes tipos de cultivo (convencional, orgânico e hidropônico) foi utilizado. A aquisição dos espectros foi feita no equipamento Spectrum 400 (Perkin Elmer) com acessório NIRA (Near Infrared Reflectance Acessory) na faixa de 10.000 a 4.000 cm-1. Modelos de classificação foram construídos através da associação da LDA e algoritmos de seleção de variáveis: Stepwise (SW), Algoritmo das Projeções Sucessivas (SPA) e Algoritmo Genético (GA). Estratégias de pré-processamento de dados foram avaliadas e a eficiência dos modelos foi determinada em relação à taxa de classificação correta (TCC), para o conjunto total das amostras e para o conjunto de teste. Para as duas matrizes o modelo que gerou um melhor TCC foi o GA-LDA com valor de 95% para matriz das barras de cereais e 97,1% para matriz das alfaces, ambos baseados no conjunto total das amostras (treinamento, validação e teste). Em relação ao conjunto de teste os modelos apresentaram resultados de TCC com desempenho de 90,3% e 95,4% para as matrizes das barras de cereais e alfaces respectivamente.

Orientadores: Eduardo Augusto Caldas Batista, Antonio Jose de Almeida Meirelles / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T02:56:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Priamo_WagnerLuiz_M.pdf: 1151319 bytes, checksum: 0c097b45fca5039b53924a7b27cd3e1a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: A extração de óleos vegetais com solvente possui a vantagem de operar a temperaturas menores em relação às usadas na extração mecânica, permitindo também a extração de outros compostos desejáveis da semente oleaginosa. Hexana é, geralmente, utilizada para extrair óleo por lixiviação, porém é inflamável e suspeita de causar danos à saúde humana. Alguns estudos surgiram com o intuito de investigar a mudança deste solvente. O processo de refino dos óleos vegetais brutos envolve a dessolventização, degomagem, branqueamento, desacidificação e desodorização. Óleos vegetais podem ser desacidificados por processos convencionais, como o refino químico e físico. O refino químico é aplicado para todos os óleos brutos, entretanto, proporciona grandes perdas de óleo neutro. Para óleo de alta acidez, o refino físico é também uma possibilidade, mas pode causar alterações indesejáveis na cor e na estabilidade oxidativa. Uma alternativa é a desacidificação por extração líquido-líquido, o qual é um processo mais brando, ocorrendo à temperatura ambiente e pressão atmosférica, causando menores perda de óleo neutro. Ainda, destaca-se a produção de biodiesel a partir de matrizes vegetais, onde este pode ser produzido pela transesterificação de triacilgliceróis com metanol ou etanol gerando metil ou etil ésteres. A baixa solubilidade dos triacilgliceróis em álcoois aponta para a necessidade do uso de outros solventes que proporcionem um sistema monofásico e melhorar a difusão dos reagentes. O conhecimento do comportamento de fases destes sistemas compostos por óleo vegetal bruto/solventes à diferentes temperaturas, configura o principal tópico em operações de transferência de massa e catálise. Levando isto em consideração, este trabalho teve por objetivo determinar experimentalmente dados de equilíbrio líquido-líquido de sistemas ternários compostos por óleo de farelo de arroz refinado/etanol anidro/n-hexano e quaternários compostos por óleo de farelo de arroz refinado/ácido oléico comercial/etanol anidro/n-hexano, usando a técnica de espectroscopia por infravermelho próximo para a quantificação dos componentes das fases em equilíbrio. A partir dos resultados obtidos, verificou-se que a solubilidade dos sistemas é afetada pelo teor de ácido graxo livre presente no óleo de farelo de arroz, onde com o aumento deste acarreta numa diminuição da região heterogênea. O mesmo fato ocorreu no estudo realizado para os sistemas ternários, onde o aumento da temperatura promoveu um aumento da solubilidade, devido ao fato de a solubilidade mútua entre o óleo de farelo de arroz e etanol aumentar com o aumento desta variável. Em todos os sistemas, verificaram-se maiores desvios no balanço de massa para o componente ácido oléico comercial e n-hexano, enquanto que para os demais componentes, óleo de farelo de arroz e etanol anidro, seus desvios foram baixos. Através dos dados obtidos nesse trabalho verificou-se que o método proposto pode ser utilizado na quantificação dos componentes nas fases em equilíbrio para sistemas ternários e quaternários apresentando algumas vantagens em relação a outras técnicas, como por exemplo, a cromatografia. Os dados de equilíbrio líquido-líquido foram usados para ajustar os parâmetros do modelo de NRTL, com desvio médio relativo de 1,06 % para os sistemas a 25 ºC e de 0,26 % para o sistema ternário a 40 ºC / Abstract: Solvent extraction has the advantage of operating at lower temperatures and also can extract other desirable components from oilseeds when compared to mechanical extraction. Commercial hexane is the usual solvent to extract oil by leaching, but it is highly flammable and it can cause hazard to human health. Some studies have begun to investigate the change of this solvent. The refining processes of crude vegetable oils involve solvent stripping, degumming, bleaching, deacidification and deodorization. Vegetable oils can be deacidified by conventional processes, such as chemical and physical refining. Chemical refining is applicable for all raw materials; however, it can result in large losses of neutral oil. For high acidity oils, physical refining is also a possibility, but can cause undesirable alterations in color and stability to oxidation. An alternative is the deacidification by liquid-liquid extraction, process carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and that causes lower loss of neutral oil. Biodiesel is a renewable energetic source and it is gaining acceptance and market. The most common way to produce biodiesel is by transesterification of triacylglycerols with methanol or ethanol, generating methyl or ethyl esters. The low solubility of triacylglycerols in alcohols presents the necessity of using some another solvent to create a system of one phase and to improve the diffusion of the reagents. The knowledge of the behavior of all these systems of crude vegetable oil / solvents at different temperatures configures the principal topic in mass transfer operations and catalysis. Taking, these points into account, this work aims to determine experimental data for liquid-liquid equilibrium of ternary systems containing refined rice brain oil / anhydrous ethanol / n-hexane and quaternary systems containing refined rice brain oil / commercial oleic acid / anhydrous ethanol / n-hexane, using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) for quantification of the components in each phase in equilibrium. For the quaternary systems, the increasing in the oleic acid composition in rice brain oil increases the solubility of the systems and decreases the biphasic region. For the ternary systems, the results showed that the increase in the temperature promotes a reduction of the two phase region, given by the increase of the mutual solubility of refined rice brain oil and anhydrous ethanol. In all systems higher deviations of mass balance for the commercial oleic acid and hexane were found, while for the other components, refined rice brain oil and anhydrous ethanol, the deviations were lower. According to the results obtained, we concluded that the Near Infrared Spectroscopy is highly accurate, with some advantage in relation to other analytical methods. The experimental data were correlated using the NRTL model, and for the systems at 298.3 K, the global deviation was 1.06 %; for the ternary system at 313.3 K, the global deviation was 0.26 % / Mestrado / Mestre em Engenharia de Alimentos

Orientador: Rubens Maciel Filho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T11:19:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MartinezArias_EdgarLeonardo_M.pdf: 60155872 bytes, checksum: 6edb8dbfd65cb71ea0a617a741e58925 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: A tecnologia da microreação é um importante método de intensificação de processos que oferece numerosos benefícios para a indústria de processos químicos. A elevada razão área superficial-volume aumenta as taxas de transferência de massa e energia, melhorando a eficiência e o desempenho dos reatores, e permitindo um aumento na segurança resultante do baixo hold-up em comparação com o reator convencional. O fluxo de líquidos imiscíveis nos microreatores tem mostrado uma intensificação da transferência de massa através da aplicação de estruturas internas que servem como misturadores passivos, o que aumenta a difusão e, conseqüentemente, aumenta a taxa de reação observada. Nesta dissertação, destaca-se o estudo da hidrodinâmica e da influência dos parâmetros de reação na intensificação da produção contínua de biodiesel em três microreatores com configurações diferentes, através de técnicas experimentais e computacionais. Experimentos foram realizados para caracterizar o óleo de mamona como potencial matéria prima para a produção de biodiesel. Testes reológicos, calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC), termogravimetria (TG/DTG) e cromatografia gasosa foram utilizados para determinar as propriedades físicas e químicas do óleo vegetal. Cromatografia de exclusão de tamanho (HPLC/SEC) foi utilizada para avaliar as diferentes variáveis que afetam a reação de transesterificação de óleo de mamona com etanol anidro tendo o hidróxido de sódio como catalisador em um reator em batelada. O efeito da temperatura, razão molar álcool/óleo, concentração de catalisador e tempo de reação foram analisados, observando a variação da composição do meio de reação. Um modelo matemático foi aplicado para descrever a cinética química de transesterificação. Tecnologias de microfabricação convencionais, tais como fotolitografia e litografia macia foram aplicadas na fabricação de microreatores utilizando fotorresiste SU-8 e polidimetilsiloxano (PDMS). Várias dificuldades no processamento do fotorresiste SU-8 para obter estruturas complexas através do processo de fotolitografia foram discutidas. No processo de litografia macia o molde foi fabricado com base em técnicas de fotolitografia, onde o fotorresiste SU-8 foi usado para construir a estrutura dos moldes dos microreatores. Experimentos foram realizados para a análise da influência da geometria do microreator. Três diferentes estruturas foram construídas: T, Omega e Tesla. A mistura dentro dos microreatores para baixos números de Reynolds foi avaliada mediante procedimentos experimentais e simulações de dinâmica de fluidos (CFD). A caracterização qualitativa da mistura foi realizada através da observação da evolução da mistura do óleo de mamona/etanol para diferentes razões de fluxo com base na taxa de transferência de um corante solvatocrômico entre os dois líquidos imiscíveis. Além disso, mediante simulações CFD foi possível caracterizar as circulações internas e capturar o mecanismo de geração de mistura, melhorando a compreensão dos resultados obtidos experimentalmente. Finalmente, a produção contínua de biodiesel foi estudada nos microreatores, a fim de avaliar a influência de parâmetros tais como: geometria, massa de catalisador, temperatura de reação, razão molar etanol/óleo e tempo de residência no rendimento da reação. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o microreator Tesla exibiu maior mistura e alta conversão para baixos números de Reynolds em comparação com os microreatores T e Omega. Uma conversão de etil ésteres de aproximadamente 98,9% foi obtida no microreator Tesla, enquanto, para os microreatores T e Omega a conversão foi ao redor de 79,1% e 96,2%, respectivamente. Além disso, uma fibra óptica conectada ao espectrômetro portátil no infravermelho próximo foi utilizada para avaliar a possibilidade do monitoramento on-line da reação de transesterificação. / Abstract: Microreactor technology is an important method of process intensification which offers potential benefits to the chemical process industries due to the well-defined high specific interfacial area available for heat and mass transfer, which increases transfer rates, improves efficiency and reactor performance, and enhances safety resulting from low holdups when compared to the conventional reactors. The immiscible liquid-liquid two-phase flow has shown a better intensifying of mass transfer through application of internal structures that serve as passive mixers in microreactors, which enhances diffusive penetration and consequently increases the reaction rates observed. The present work highlights the hydrodynamics and the influence of process parameters in the intensification of the continuous biodiesel production using an alkaline catalyst in three different microreactors through complementary experimental and computational techniques. Initially, experiments were carried out to characterize the castor oil as potential feedstock for biodiesel production. Rheological test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) and gas chromatography were performed. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to evaluate the different variables that affect the transesterification reaction of castor oil with anhydrous ethanol and sodium hydroxide as catalyst in a jacketed glass batch reactor. The effects of temperature, ethanol/castor oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration, and reaction time were analyzed by observing the variation of the reaction medium composition. A mathematical model was applied to describe chemical kinetic of transesterification based on the reversible mechanism of the reactions. Traditional micromanufacturing technology such as photolithography and soft lithography using SU-8 photoresist and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) respectively were employed for fabrication of microreactors. Several difficulties of SU-8 processing to obtain complex structures through the photolithography process have been discussed. In the soft lithography process the mold was fabricated based on photolithography techniques, and SU-8 photoresist was used to construct microreactor structure templates. Experiments were carried out to allow an examination of the influence of reactor path geometry. Three different templates were applied for evaluation: T-, Omega, and Tesla-shaped microreactors. The mixing inside of microreactors at low Reynolds number was evaluated with experimental procedures and computational fluid dynamics simulations (CFD). A qualitative characterization of the mixing was firstly carried out by observing the mixture evolution of castor oil/ethanol at different rate flow ratios on basis of the transfer of a solvatochromatic dye between the two immiscible fluids. In addition, CFD methodologies were developed to characterize internal circulations and to capture the generation mixing mechanism without chemical reaction, improved the understanding of immiscible ethanol/castor oil system. Finally, continuous biodiesel production was studied in the microreactors in order to evaluate the influence of the geometrical parameters, catalyst amount, reaction temperature, molar ratio ethanol to oil, and residence time on performance of the reaction. The Tesla-Shaped microreactor exhibited higher conversions at low Reynolds number when compared with T- and Omega-shaped microreactors. Ethyl ester conversion was about 98.9% in Tesla-shaped microreactor, whereas for T- and Omega-shaped microreactor it was only about 79.1% and 96.2% respectively. On the other hand, fiber-optic near infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate the possibility of monitoring quantitatively the transesterification reaction on-line. / Mestrado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Químicos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Orientador: Roberto Jose Maria Covolan / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T12:47:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mesquita_RicksonCoelho_D.pdf: 22300712 bytes, checksum: 11bd3fc16a125afc1c2cd8b4d18bc2e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A atividade neuronal relacionada a um determinado estímulo ou tarefa induz uma cadeia de complexos eventos biológicos no cérebro. O aumento no consumo de energia induz um acréscimo na demanda por glicose e oxigênio no tecido extravascular. Fatores bioquímicos e neuronais induzem variações nos vasos sanguíneos que resultam em alterações de uxo sanguíneo, volume e oxigenação. Embora extensivamente investigada, esta cascata de eventos ainda é pouco compreendida. Neste projeto, procuramos descrever o acoplamento entre os níveis celular, metabólico e vascular associado à ativação funcional do cérebro. Usando medidas eletro fisiológicas, modelamos os sistemas neuro-vascular e neuro-metabólico para descrever a hemodinâmica cerebral medida através de técnicas ópticas. Resultados obtidos em ratos durante a estimulação de um fio de bigode mostraram que a determinação de uma função resposta para cada sistema, assumido como linear, descreve bem o comportamento hemodinâmico e possibilita o estudo dos estados vascular e metabólico caracterizados pelos parâmetros medidos. A partir de experimentos multimodais de NIRS e fMRI, desenvolvemos metodologias inovadoras para a determinação de imagens metabólicas, capazes de prever variações do consumo de oxigênio com boa resolução espacial e temporal. Por fim, analisamos a in u^encia de parâmetros fisiológicos no sinal óptico, mostrando a contribuição importante da pressão sanguínea na composição deste. Medidas de correlação temporal foram projetadas para gerar mapas de correlação vascular que podem ser aplicados ao estudo da conectividade vascular cerebral, tanto em indivíduos normais como em pacientes com patologias cerebrais. / Abstract: Task-associated neuronal activity leads to a complex chain of biological events within the brain. The increased energetics gives rise to elevated glucose and oxygen consumption in the tissue. Biochemical and neuronal factors induce changes in blood vessels and variations in blood ow, volume and oxygenation. Although it has been extensively investigated, this cascade of events is still poorly understood and highly debated. In this project, the aim was to describe the coupling among the cellular, metabolic and vascular levels associated to functional brain activation. Using electrophysiological measurements, we modeled the neuro-vascular and neuro-metabolic systems in order to describe cerebral hemodynamics as seen through optical techniques. Results obtained in rats during whisker-barrel stimulation showed that the determination of a response function for each system, assumed as linear, can describe the hemodynamic behavior and allow the study of the vascular and metabolic states characterized by the measurements. From multimodal experiments of NIRS and fMRI, we developed unique methods to the determination of metabolic images, which can predict changes in oxygen consumption with good temporal and spatial resolution. Finally, we analyzed the in uence of the physiology in the optical signal, and showed the importance of taking into account blood pressure oscillations into this signal. Measurements of temporal correlation were projected to generate vascular correlation maps that may be useful to the study of cerebral vascular connectivity, both in normal subjects and in patients with cerebral pathologies. / Doutorado / Metodos Oticos de Analise / Doutor em Ciências

Orientadores: Roberto José Maria Covolan, Rickson Coelho Mesquita / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T21:27:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Anjos_CarlosAlessandroSilvados_D.pdf: 14228439 bytes, checksum: 3f8ec7a93c1a21bbd6147d80351b5c9b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: A atividade cerebral envolve uma complexa rede de processos neurofisiológicos cuja demanda energética requer constante aporte de glicose e oxigênio, supridos através da microcirculação sanguínea cerebral. Variações na circulação sanguínea cerebral decorrentes de ativação neuronal podem ser detectadas e registradas através da técnica óptica denominada NIRS (near infrared spectroscopy). Neste trabalho, desenvolvemos estudos sobre a aplicabilidade da técnica NIRS sob três diferentes abordagens, envolvendo indivíduos saudáveis e portadores de uma condição patológica específica. Os estudos com indivíduos saudáveis foram focados na aplicabilidade da técnica NIRS para investigar alterações hemodinâmicas associadas à estimulação do córtex visual e à realização de exercício físico. No caso envolvendo condição patológica, investigamos a aplicabilidade clínica desta mesma técnica para avaliar a perfusão cerebral de pacientes com estenose carotídea. Nos estudos sobre estimulação do córtex visual, buscou-se estabelecer uma relação entre a frequência do estímulo apresentado ao voluntário e parâmetros obtidos das curvas hemodinâmicas. Nos experimentos associados a exercícios físicos, ciclistas semiprofissionais e indivíduos fisicamente ativos realizaram testes em bicicletas simulando tipos específicos de provas, envolvendo tarefas abertas (teste progressivo) e fechadas (teste contra relógio em uma prova de 4Km), em diferentes condições (controle, ingestão de placebo ou cafeína), buscando caracterizar diferenças em aspectos da hemodinâmica cerebral a elas associadas. Por fim, nos experimentos envolvendo indivíduos com estenose carotídea, foram realizadas medidas de NIRS, durante a realização de testes de apneia com duração de 30 segundos, buscando estabelecer a aplicabilidade da técnica na avaliação clínica deste tipo de patologia. Para cada uma dessas abordagens, foram estabelecidos parâmetros associados às respostas hemodinâmicas obtidas através de tarefas e estímulos específicos, que permitiram caracterizar e quantificar os processos fisiológicos envolvidos em cada tipo de experimento, demonstrando assim a aplicabilidade da técnica NIRS para o estudo da atividade cerebral sob as condições experimentais em questão / Abstract: Brain activity involves a complex network of neurophysiological processes whose energy demand requires constant supply of glucose and oxygen which is provided by the cerebral microcirculation. Changes in cerebral blood flow due to neuronal activation can be detected and recorded by the optical technique called NIRS (near infrared spectroscopy). In this work, we developed studies on the applicability of the NIRS technique under three different approaches, involving healthy subjects and patients with a specific pathological condition. Studies in healthy subjects were focused on the applicability of the NIRS technique to investigate hemodynamic changes associated with stimulation of the visual cortex and the performance of physical exercise. In the case involving pathological condition, we investigated the clinical applicability of this same technique to evaluate cerebral perfusion in patients with carotid stenosis. In studies of stimulation of the visual cortex, we sought to establish a relationship between the frequency of the stimulus presented to volunteer and parameters obtained from the hemodynamic curves. In the experiments associated with exercise, semi-professional cyclists and physically active subjects performed tasks on bicycles simulating specific types of tests, involving open tasks (progressive test) and closed (a 4km test against the clock), under different conditions (control, placebo or caffeine intake), seeking to characterize differences in aspects of cerebral hemodynamics associated with them. Finally, in experiments involving individuals with carotid stenosis, NIRS measurements were carried out during apnea tests lasting 30 seconds, from which we sought to establish the applicability of the technique in the clinical evaluation of this type of pathology. For each of these approaches, parameters associated with the hemodynamic responses obtained by stimulation of specific tasks allowed to characterize and quantify the physiological processes involved in each type of experiment, thus demonstrating the applicability of the NIRS technique to the study of brain activity under the experimental conditions in question / Doutorado / Física / Doutor em Ciências

Le but de ce travail était d'étudier le comportement des cristaux de théophylline lors de la déshydratation statique en monocouche dans différentes conditions hygrothermiques et le comportement du même produit lors de la déshydratation séchage en lit agité dans un séchoir par contact sous vide dans des conditions hygrothermiques semblables. Tout d'abord, la forme hydratée et les formes déshydratées de la théophylline ont été identifiées par DSC, ATG et DRXP. Ensuite, des essais gravimétriques statiques à température et humidité relative constantes ont été effectués et les évolutions de teneur en eau au cours du temps ont été enregistrées à des températures de 20 à 80 °C et des humidités relatives de 4 à 50%. Les données à l'équilibre thermodynamique ont été utilisées pour tracer les isothermes de désorption et établir le diagramme de phase solide-solide de la théophylline. Enfin, les cinétiques de déshydratation ont été étudiées. Il a été constaté que la constante de vitesse de déshydratation augmente exponentiellement avec la température et diminue de façon exponentielle avec l'humidité relative. Un modèle semi-empirique permettant la prédiction de l'évolution dans le temps de la teneur en eau du produit pour différentes conditions opératoires a été développé. Dans la seconde partie du travail, il a été d'abord démontré que la SPIR couplée avec la régression PLS permet de suivre en ligne et in situ la composition exacte du mélange des différentes formes de la théophylline (et d'eau) pendant le séchage. Ensuite, l'influence des paramètres de fonctionnement (température et l'activité de l'eau) sur les cinétiques de transformation de l'état solide a été étudiée. Il a été observé que la déshydratation commence d'abord par la formation de la forme anhydre métastable puis, après un temps de latence, continue par la formation de la forme anhydre stable. Il s'est avéré aussi que la température a été le principal facteur contrôlant la vitesse globale du procédé, mais aussi la teneur finale de la forme anhydre stable et de la forme métastable, ceci étant valable pour le séchoir étudié et pour les conditions opératoires considérées. Finalement, un modèle semi-empirique permettant la simulation de l'état du produit (température, teneur en eau, teneur en forme hydratée, anhydre métastable et stable) au cours du temps pour différentes conditions opératoires du séchage (pression dans la cuve et température du fluide caloporteur) a été proposé / The aim of this work was to investigate the dehydration process of a single static layer of theophylline's crystals under different hygrothermal conditions and the dehydration-drying process of a stirred bed of theophylline in a vacuum contact dryer in nearly the same hygrothermal conditions. First of all, the hydrated and dehydrated forms of theophylline were identified using DSC, TGA and PXRD devices. Next, the static gravimetric experiments at constant temperature and relative humidity were carried out and the water content evolutions with time were recorded at temperatures from 20 to 80°C and humidities from 4 to 50%. Then, the thermodynamic equilibrium data were reported as desorption isotherms and solid-solid phase diagrams. Finally, the dehydration kinetics were analyzed. The dehydration rate constant was found to increase exponentially with temperature and to decrease exponentially with relative humidity. A simple semi-empirical model allowing for prediction of the product water content time evolution time for different processing parameters was developed. In the second part of the work, it was first proven that NIRS coupled with PLS regression enabled to monitor inline and in-situ the exact composition of the mixture of different forms of theophylline (and of water) during drying. Second, the influence of operating parameters (temperature and water activity) on the kinetics of solid state transformations was investigated. It was observed that the dehydration begun by the formation of the metastable anhydrate and, after a time delay, continued by the formation of the stable one. It was also pointed out that the temperature was the main process factor controlling not only the overall process rate but also the final contents of the stable and metastable anhydrates, this observation being valid for the considered dryer and for the considered operating conditions. Finally, a semi-empirical model allowing for simulation of the product state (temperature, hydrate content, metastable and stable anhydrate contents and water content) time evolution for different processing parameters (pressure in the vessel and temperature of the heating fluid) was proposed

L’évaluation de la performance des ouvrages hydrauliques en remblai est un enjeu majeur pour les gestionnaires en charge de leur sécurité. Qu'il s'agisse de digues ou de barrages, la présence de végétation arborescente représente un facteur de fragilité important. Deux types de mécanismes de détérioration peuvent ainsi être initiés ou aggravés : l’érosion interne et l’érosion externe. Or, ce facteur n’a été pris en compte que partiellement dans les modèles d’évaluation existants. De plus, les petits barrages en remblai peuvent avoir des dispositifs d’étanchéité différents et ne sont pas toujours équipés de drains et d’instruments d’auscultation: il est alors nécessaire d’adapter les modèles à chaque cas. L’objectif de la thèse est de répondre à ces verrous scientifiques. Les résultats de nos recherches concernent l’établissement de modèles d’évaluation de la performance basés sur des approches à base de connaissances.La démarche a été appliquée sur des ouvrages réels : 3 tronçons de digues de protection contre les inondations ainsi que 7 barrages en remblai ce qui nous a permis de montrer sa pertinence et donc son potentiel d’utilisation opérationnelle. / The performance assessment of embankment hydraulic works is a major challenge for managers in charge of their security. For both dikes and dams, the presence of trees represents an important fragility factor. Two types of deterioration mechanism can thus be initiated or aggravated: internal erosion or scouring. However, this factor has been taken only partially into account in existing assessment models. In addition, small embankment dams can have different sealing devices and are not always equipped with drains and monitoring instruments: it is thus necessary to customize the models in each case. The aim of the thesis was to remove these scientific obstacles. The results of our research concern the design of performance assessment models relying on knowledge-based approaches.The approach was implemented for real works: three sections of river dikes and seven small embankment dams which allowed us to show its relevance and therefore its operational potential.