Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada each year. Currently, most therapeutic approaches target rapidly dividing cancer cells by inhibition of normal cellular processes, however these therapies are not selective for cancer cells and unwanted side effects occur. Accordingly, novel cancer-targeted therapeutic strategies and drug targets are urgently needed to diminish the morbidity and mortality rates associated with CRC. Synthetic lethality is a new therapeutic approach that is designed to better target and kill cancer cells by exploiting a cancer-associated mutation (i.e. RAD54B-deficiency) thereby minimizing adverse side effects. We hypothesize that RAD54B-deficient CRC cells will be selectively killed via a synthetic lethal (SL) interaction with PARP1. We have identified and validated a novel drug target, PARP1, within CRC cells harboring RAD54B-deficiencies through a SL paradigm. This study represents the first steps necessary to identify and develop precision medicine based therapeutic strategies to combat CRC. / October 2016

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile (TLAM) is the long-range precision weapon of choice in strike warfare against strategic targets for U.S. military forces. Predesignation is the process of determining which ship or submarine will fire which TLAM missiles in support of an authorized attack upon specified targets. This thesis revisits the mathematical models and algorithms developed by previous NPS faculty and students to optimally conduct the allocation of TLAMs to firing units. We incorporate all the problem specifications addressed by previous heuristic algorithms for the problem, and compare our results to those in publicly available test cases. We show that our models can be solved optimally in affordable time for most of the cases and make provisions to establish accurate bounds in the other cases. / First Lieutenant, Turkish Army

A sustentabilidade dos sistemas de produção agrícolas envolve fatores ambientais, econômicos e socioculturais. Um dos componentes essenciais do sistema de produção agrícola é a prática da fertilização. Portanto o uso de fertilizantes pode contribuir para o aumento da produção sustentável em diversas culturas. A Agricultura de Precisão por meio da técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável permite o uso de diferentes doses de insumos segundo as exigências da cultura e solo. Com isso pode ser possível otimizar as aplicações, aprimorando assim o retorno econômico e a conservação do ambiente. Contudo, existe a necessidade de conferir os benefícios desta técnica. As análises de energia e econômica permitem avaliar a eficácia desta técnica, já que determinam a disponibilização e eficiência energética de um sistema produção, e a lucratividade para condições particulares de cada produtor. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi analisar a viabilidade energética e econômica da aplicação em taxa variável de fertilizantes, a fim de avaliar seus efeitos sobre as culturas. Estabeleceu-se um algoritmo para as operações efetuadas na fertilização (amostragem de solo e aplicação de fertilizantes). Dessa forma, analisou-se a viabilidade energética e econômica por meio de indicadores (energia incorporada e lucro da técnica). O modelo foi verificado com estudos de caso em culturas de café e laranja. Determinou-se que a técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável apresentou viabilidade energética para a maioria das áreas avaliadas, para as culturas de café e laranja se obtiveram reduções na energia incorporada de 25.551 MJ ha-1 e 15.368 MJ ha-1 respectivamente, demostrando melhor aproveitamento dos fertilizantes usados. Do mesmo modo se determinou viabilidade econômica em todas as áreas de estudo, por meio dos cenários estabelecidos no modelo. Determinaram-se aumentos de lucro para a cultura de café e laranja até de 1.319 R$ ha-1 e 1.031 R$ ha-1 respectivamente, em relação à aplicação convencional ou em taxa fixa. Concluiu-se que a técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável apresentou viabilidade energética e econômica para a maioria das áreas avaliadas. / The sustainability of agricultural production systems involves environmental, economic and sociocultural factors. One of the essential components of the agricultural production system is the practice of fertilization. Therefore, the use of fertilizers can contribute to increase the sustainability of agricultural production. Precision Agriculture through the variable rate application of fertilizer allows the use of different doses of inputs according to the requirements of the crop and soil. It may be possible to optimize applications, thereby improving the economic return and environmental conservation. However, there is a need to assess the benefits of this technique. The analysis of energy and economic permit the assessment of the efficacy of this technique, since they determine the availability and energy efficiency of a production system, and profitability for particular conditions of each producer respectively. The aim of the study was to analyze the energy and economic viability of the variable rate application of fertilizers in order to evaluate its effects on crops. An algorithm was established for the calculation carried out in fertilization (soil sampling and fertilizer application). In this way, was analyzed the energy and economic viability through indicators (energy embodiment and profit technical). The model was verified with case studies on coffee and orange crops. It was determined that the variable rate fertilizer application technique presented energy viability for most of the evaluated areas for coffee and orange cultures were obtained reduction in embodied energy of 25,551 MJ ha-1 and 15,368 MJ ha-1 respectively, demonstrating better use of fertilizers used. Likewise, it was determined economic viability in all areas of study through the scenarios set out in the model. They were determined profit increases for coffee and orange cultures up to 1.319 R$ ha-1 and 1.031 R$ ha-1, respectively, compared to conventional application or fixed rate. It was concluded that the fertilizer application technique in variable rate showed energy and economic viability for most areas assessed.

Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento de uma mesa angular rotativa, para o microposicionamento de peças anesféricas durante a usinagem de ultraprecisão, para atender as tolerâncias nanométricas. Este microposicionamento angular é alcançado com o emprego de atuadores piezelétricos. Por se tratar de um tipo de sistema com movimento de rotação, relata-se o problema encontrado para energizar os atuadores. Este problema é abordado mostrando a alternativa encontrada destacando pontos relevantes, como: a) energização através de anéis coletores deslizantes, de cobre revestidos em prata, fixados no diâmetro externo do dispositivo; b)isolação elétrica entre os anéis e a peça; c) ligação do cabo coaxial vindo dos atuadores piezelétricos; d) aterramento dos cabos coaxiais, utilizando apenas um anel coletor deslizante. Explica como acontece a transmissão do sinal de corrente elétrica do aparelho de controle para os anéis deslizantes e posteriormente aos atuadores piezelétricos, utilizando contatos através de escovas, com 65% de prata e 35% de grafite, com molas duplas para garantir a pressão do contato, fixadas numa base rígida externa ao dispositivo. Destaca-se que a confiabilidade no microposicionamento da peça está na preservação da transmissão de uma corrente elétrica de 50mA para os atuadores. Conclui que é possível realizar o microposicionamento angular da peça que está sendo trabalhada, durante a usinagem de ultraprecisão, garantindo assim suas tolerâncias nanométricas / This work deals with a rotating tilt stage. It considers the micropositioning of aspheric workpieces during high precision machining, in order to obtain nanometric accuracies. It defines this angular micropositioning with the use of piezoelectric actuators. The problem found to energize the actuators, because it is a rotating driving mechanism is discussed. The chosen solution is presented and import points are highlighted, such as: a) to energize through sliding ring collectors, of copper coated in silver, fastened to the external diameter of the device; b) electric isolation between the rings and the workpiece; c) connection of the coax cable of the piezoelectric actuators; d) to ground the coax cables, just using a sliding ring collector. The transfer of electric current of the control system to the sliding rings and piezoelectric actuators is explained. Contacts with 65% of silver and 35% of carbon, with double springs to guarantee the pressure of the contact, fastened to a rigid base are used. The reliability in the micropositioning of a workpiece depends on the preservation of the electric current of 50mA to the actuators. It is shown that it is possible to realize the angular micropositioning of workpiece, during high precision machining, guaranteeing nanometric accuracies

São inúmeras as atividades que fazem uso do sistema Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS, sendo o Global Positioning System - GPS, desenvolvido pelos Estados Unidos, o mais utilizado. Na área de agricultura de precisão há a necessidade de posicionamento estático e cinemático com demandas de distintos níveis de acurácia e precisão para diferentes aplicações. A deficiência de informações técnicas dos fabricantes causa incertezas nos usuários, quanto à classe de receptor a ser utilizado para determinadas atividades agrícolas. Por esses motivos os objetivos deste trabalho foram: avaliar o uso de correções diferenciais através de ensaio estático, testar o uso do receptor GPS RTK como referência para avaliar o desempenho de receptores de baixo custo em condição cinemática e desenvolver uma plataforma instrumentada para avaliar os receptores de GPS sob condição cinemática representativa para operações agrícolas. No primeiro caso foram realizados ensaios com oito receptores, sobre uma torre livre de impedimentos físicos, na qual foi montada uma plataforma em formato de cruz e nos receptores foram ativadas e desativadas as correções diferenciais WAAS, EGNOS, SF1 e SF2 e também testadas as várias intensidades de filtragem disponíveis em alguns dos receptores. No ensaio cinemático utilizando um receptor GPS RTK como referência foram utilizados dois receptores de navegação, fixados sobre a cabine de um trator e foram coletados dados com diferentes freqüências. Para ensaios cinemáticos foi construída uma plataforma móvel instrumentada com um detector óptico de pulsos (encoder), um sensor foto elétrico e dois coletores de dados responsáveis por realizar o sincronismo entre os pulsos do encoder e as atualizações da sentença do GPS e armazenamento dos dados. Assim foi possível determinar as coordenadas de referência para o cálculo dos erros de precisão e acurácia do receptor GPS submetido à avaliação. Na avaliação dos receptores em ensaio estático os resultados mostraram que as correções WAAS e EGNOS não adicionam qualidade ao posicionamento na região de Piracicaba, SP. Com a ativação dessas correções os erros de precisão e de acurácia aumentaram. As correções diferencias SF1 e SF2 via satélite demonstraram ser mais acuradas que os demais sistemas ensaiados. O ensaio sob condição cinemática, com GPS RTK de referência, permitiu o cálculo de erros somente no sentido perpendicular ao percurso. A plataforma instrumentada funcionou, cumprindo as expectativas e permitindo o cálculo dos erros de precisão e acurácia, porém demonstrou problemas de robustez nos coletores de dados, necessitando de pequenas melhorias. / The activities that use the Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS, are countless, and the Global Positioning System - GPS, developed by the United States is the most used today. In precision agriculture there is a need of static and cinematic positioning with demands of distinct levels of accuracy and precision for different applications. Technical information deficiencies from the manufacturers causes uncertainties to the users, as the receiver class to be used for certain agricultural activities. For these reasons the objectives of this work were: evaluate the use of differential corrections through static test, to test the use of RTK GPS as reference to evaluate the performance of low cost receivers under cinematic condition and develop an instrumented platform to evaluate GPS receivers under cinematic condition that represents agricultural operations. In the first case were realized tests with eight receivers, in the top of a tower free of physical obstacles, where it was mounted a platform with cross shape. The differential corrections WAAS, EGNOS, SF1 and SF2 were tested and also some intensities of filtering available in some of the receivers. In one of the cinematic tests, using a RTK GPS as reference, we used two navigation receivers, fixed over a tractor cabin and the data were collected with different frequencies. For the second cinematic test it was built a moving platform instrumented with a pulse optical detector (encoder), a photoelectric sensor and two data loggers, responsible for the synchronization between the encoder pulses and the GPS strings, and also log the data. With that it was possible to determine the reference coordinates to calculate the errors of precision and accuracy of the GPS receiver submitted to evaluation. The evaluation in static way showed that the corrections WAAS and EGNOS do not work in the region of Piracicaba, SP. Activating these corrections the precision and accuracy errors increased. The data collected with the satellite differential corrections SF1 and SF2 got closer to the real coordinate than the other evaluated systems. The test under cinematic condition, with the RTK GPS as reference, allowed the errors calculation only in the perpendicular direction of the course. The instrumented platform worked, accomplishing the expectation and allowing the errors calculation of precision and accuracy, however, showed problems of robustness in the data loggers, needing some improvement.

Com o objetivo de avaliar a acurácia, a precisão e a robustez de diferentes indicadores internos na predição da digestibilidade aparente total da matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), energia bruta (EB) e fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) para equinos, foi realizado um experimento no Setor de Equideocultura da Prefeitura do Campus de Pirassununga da Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos em parceria com o Laboratório de Fermentabilidade Ruminal, no qual foram utilizadas cinco éguas em mantença, alojadas em baias individuais, dispostas em quadrado latino 5x5 (cinco dietas e cinco animais) sendo as formulações isoproteicas e isoenergéticas. Os alimentos e as fezes deste experimento foram usados para a comparação dos dados estimados com os dados calculados através do experimento in vivo de coleta total de fezes. A determinação das frações indigestíveis foi feita após incubação in vitro com inóculo fecal equino diluído e tamponado. As amostras foram incubadas por 168 horas, retiradas, lavadas e então realizadas as análises dos nutrientes e estimativas da digestibilidade aparente, corrigida pela taxa de recuperação dos indicadores internos. A acurácia foi avaliada pela comparação do viés médio (dado predito - dado observado) entre os indicadores; a precisão, por meio da raiz quadrada do erro de predição e do erro residual; e a robustez, pelo estudo da regressão entre o viés e o consumo de matéria seca, consumo do indicador e peso vivo. Observando as taxas de recuperação (TR), pode-se dizer que a celulose indigestível (CELi) e a fibra em detergente neutro indigestível (FDNi) tiveram melhores TR, uma vez que sua recuperação média não diferiu de 100% (P>0,05). O viés médio obtido com FDNi não difere do viés médio obtido pela lignina em detergente ácido indigestível (LDAi). Por consequência de uma menor TR, os indicadores FDNi e LDAi possuem vieses negativos e diferentes de zero (P<0,05), mostrando que estes são menos acurados e subestimam o coeficiente de digestibilidade da MS. Quanto à precisão, as variâncias dos vieses (RQMEP2) para os indicadores CELi e LDAi foram maiores que a dos demais indicadores avaliados, pelo teste de Barllet. Não houve diferença significativa entre os coeficientes angulares da regressão dos vieses dos indicadores e as variáveis consumo de matéria seca, consumo de indicador e peso vivo (P>0,05). Nas condições em que o trabalho foi realizado, pode-se concluir que os indicadores mais acurados foram FDAi e CELi, seguidos da FDNi e LDAi. Quanto à precisão, FDAi e FDNi foram mais precisos que CELi e LDAi, sendo todos os indicadores robustos quanto a consumo de matéria seca, consumo de indicador e peso vivo. / Aiming to evaluate the accuracy, precision and robustness of different internal markers to predict total digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE) and detergent fiber neutral (NDF) in horses, an experiment was carried out at the Horse Breeding Sector of the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering in partnership with the Laboratory of Rumen Fermentability, in which five maintenance mares were used, housed in individual pens, arranged in a 5x5 Latin square design (five treatments and five animals) with isoproteic and isocaloric formulations. Feeds and faeces from this experiment were used to compare estimated and observed data obtained by the in vivo assay with total faecal collection. The determination of indigestible fractions was done after in vitro incubation with buffered diluted equine faecal inoculum. The samples were incubated for 168 hours, removed, washed and then conducted to the analysis of nutrients and the estimative of apparent digestibility, corrected by the recovery rate of internal markers. The accuracy was evaluated by comparing the mean bias (predicted data - observed data) between indicators; the precision by means of the square root of the prediction error and the residual error, and the robustness, by the study of regression between the bias and dry matter intake, marker intake and body weight. Observing the recovery rates (RR), it is possible to see that indigestible cellulose (CELi) and indigestible acid detergent fibre (ADFi) had better RR, since their average recovery did not differ of 100% (P>0.05). The mean bias obtained with indigestible NDF (NDFi) was not different of mean bias obtained by indigestible acid detergent lignin (ADLi). By consequence of lower RR, the markers NDFi and LDAi have negative biases and different of zero (P<0.05), showing that they are less accurate and underestimate the coefficient of DM digestibility. For precision, the variances of the biases (RQMEP2) for markers CELi and ADLi were higher than the other markers (Barllet test). There was no significant difference between the slopes of the regression of the biases of markers and the variables dry matter intake, markers intake and body weight (P>0.05). In conditions in which the work was done, it can be concluded that the most accurate indicators were ADFi and CELi followed by NDFi and ADLi. For precision, ADFi and NDFi were more precise than CELi and ADLi, and all markers were robust for dry matter intake, markers intake, and body weight.

No description available.

The thesis deals with the use and utilization of drones, especially in agricultural conditions, where the drones are used more and more frequently in recent years, especially in combination with precision farming, thanks to the great number of advantages that this technology currently brings, not only to agricultural sector. In the thesis there are types of drones that are used for precision agriculture. In addition, there are described the functions of drones used and their distribution according to their deployment on the farm. Finally, questions will be answered about the amount of investment in this technology and the assessment of the effectiveness of the systems.

"This thesis documents the design and implementation process for the next generation of the WPI Precision Personnel Location (PPL) system hardware. The driving goal of the new hardware was to support a new method of radio frequency location developed at WPI referred to as Transactional Array Reconciliation Tomography (TART). This new method is based on a time of arrival (TOA) technique as opposed to the previous Singular Value Array Reconciliation Tomography (SART), which uses time difference of arrival (TDOA). The use of a TOA method requires additional timing information and necessitates a bidirectional (transmit and receive) multicarrier transaction. The design of the new transceiver that can function as both a mobile locator and a static reference unit is the main focus of this thesis. This redesign also addressed previous hardware issues that have been exposed through extensive use in real world testing."

Manufacturers of cast metal parts are interested in the development of a feedback control system for use with the Precision Sand-Casting (PSC) process. As industry demands the ability to cast more complex geometries, there are a variety of challenges that engineers have to address. Certain characteristics of the mold, such as thick-to-thin transitions, extensive horizontal or flat surfaces, and sharp corners increase the likelihood of generating defective casts due to the turbulent metal-flow during fills. Consequently, it is critical that turbulent flow behavior within the mold be minimized as much as possible. One way to enhance the quality of the fill process is to adjust the flow rate of the molten metal as it fills these critical regions of the mold. Existing systems attempt to predict the position of the metal level based on elapsed time from the beginning of the fill stage. Unfortunately, variability in several aspects of the fill process makes it very difficult to consistently predict the position of the metal front. A better approach would be to embed a sensor that can detect the melt through a lift-off distance and determine the position of the metal-front. The information from this sensor can then be used to adjust the flow rate of the aluminum as the mold is filled. This thesis presents the design of a novel non-invasive sensor monitoring system. When deployed on the factory floor, the sensing system will provide all necessary information to allow process engineers to adjust the metal flow-rate within the mold and thereby reduce the amount of scrap being produced. Moreover, the system will exhibit additional value in the research and development of future mold designs.