[pt] Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um sensor inovador combinando três técnicas de inspeção utilizadas nos Pigs Instrumentados Geométrico e Magnético, para a detecção e caracterização de defeitos na geometria em tubulações de aço. O sensor GMD, Geométrico Magnético Discriminador, faz a leitura magnética do duto através da técnica de campo de fuga magnético, com a adição da leitura geométrica além da discriminação de defeitos internos de externos. A combinação dessas três tecnologias habilita a construção de uma ferramenta de inspeção de alta resolução compacta e capaz de identificar e quantificar, com apenas uma coroa de sensores, amassamentos, perdas de espessura e além da sua combinação. Este estudo se apresenta em um momento oportuno, já que a Integração de dados é o ponto fundamental da recente norma de gerenciamento de ricos em dutos, API 1160, na qual combinando os resultados das inspeções de geometria e corrosão, tem-se uma melhor avaliação de risco. Testes foram realizados utilizando um PIG Plano com corpos de prova contendo defeitos variados. Os resultados verificaram que o sensor GMD quantifica e discrimina amassamentos com perda de espessura. Aspectos técnicos do desenvolvimento como os detalhes construtivos do sensor, testes de avaliação a resultados de laboratório são apresentados. / [en] This thesis presents the development of an innovative sensor head for detection and characterization of geometric defects in steel pipes that combines three inspection techniques usually employed separately in Caliper and Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) PIGs. The novel Geometric Magnetic Discriminator (GMD) sensor performs high- resolution magnetic pipeline readings using MFL with the addition of internal pipe geometry evaluations and discrimination between internal and external defects. The combination of these technologies in a single sensor facilitates characterization of dents and corrosions, while at the same time optimizing the PIG set-up. According to the repair criteria in the standard API1160, combined defects such as a dent with metal loss, which in the past could only be detected through combined data of two different runs (MFL+ Caliper), must be repaired immediately. The GMD sensor was tested in a linear test rig, known as Flat Pig, and data were taken from different defect sets. Evaluation tests demonstrated that the GMD sensor sizes and discriminates a dent with metal loss. Technical aspects of the development, e.g.: the construction details of the sensor, evaluation tests and laboratory results are presented.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:58:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JarbasSM_DISSERT.pdf: 2192547 bytes, checksum: 650bc570adcbb8b8a6b8e1427b27389d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-05 / Ensure the integrity of the pipeline network is an extremely important factor in the oil and gas industry. The engineering of pipelines uses sophisticated robotic inspection tools in-line known as instrumented pigs. Several relevant factors difficult the inspection of pipelines, especially in offshore field which uses pipelines with multi-diameters, radii of curvature accentuated, wall thickness of the pipe above the conventional, multi-phase flow and so on. Within this context, appeared a new instrumented Pig, called Feeler PIG, for detection and sizing of thickness loss in pipelines with internal damage. This tool was developed to overcome several limitations that other conventional instrumented pigs have during the inspection. Several factors influence the measurement errors of the pig affecting the reliability of the results. This work shows different operating conditions and provides a test rig for feeler sensors of an inspection pig under different dynamic loads. The results of measurements of the damage type of shoulder and holes in a cyclic flat surface are evaluated, as well as a mathematical model for the sensor response and their errors from the actual behavior / Garantir a integridade da rede de dutos ? um fator de extrema import?ncia na ind?stria de petr?leo e g?s. A engenharia de dutos utiliza sofisticadas ferramentas robotizadas de inspe??o in-line (durante opera??o) conhecidas como pigs instrumentados. V?rios fatores relevantes dificultam a inspe??o de dutos, especialmente em campos offshore onde se utiliza dutos com multi-di?metros, raios de curvatura acentuados, espessura de parede do duto acima do convencional, escoamento multif?sico e etc. Dentro deste contexto, surgiu um novo Pig instrumentado, chamado de Pig perfilom?trico, para detec??o e dimensionamento de perda de espessura em dutos com danos interno. Esta ferramenta foi desenvolvida para superar diversas limita??es que outros pigs instrumentados convencionais t?m durante a inspe??o. Diversos fatores influenciam nos erros de medi??o do pig afetando a confiabilidade dos resultados obtidos. O presente trabalho aponta diferentes condi??es de opera??o e apresenta uma bancada para ensaiar sensores perfilometricos de pig de inspe??o sob diferentes solicita??es din?micas. Os resultados das medi??es dos danos do tipo ressaltos e rebaixos em uma superf?cie plana c?clica s?o avaliados, assim como, um modelo matem?tico para a resposta do sensor e seus erros em rela??o ao comportamento real

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze the development of key economic indicators and indicators of tourism and determination of trends of Italian economy and tourism in the last years. The first chapter is about the influence of the global financial crisis on the development of Italian economy and the economic competitiveness. This chapter also analyzes the measures which were approved by Italian government in effort to improve the state of the economy after the crisis. The second chapter defines the tourism in Italy and describes the development of inbound, outbound and domestic tourism, Italian tourism trends and the tourism competitiveness of Italy. The third chapter compares Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain in terms of economic level and position of these countries in the international tourism market. The last part of this thesis is devoted to the comparison of Italian regions Lombardy and Calabria which are analyzed by chosen indicators for purpose of showing regional differences between both regions.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Jim L. Nelssen / Eleven-thousand one-hundred eighty-five pigs were used in 11 experiments to determine effects of birth-weight, feeder design, and dietary astaxanthin (AX) and ractopamine HCl (RAC) on growth, carcass, and pork quality characteristics of pigs. Also, data from 27 experiments were used in meta-analyses to improve prediction of pork fat iodine value (IV). In Exp. 1, increased birth-weight resulted in greater (quadratic, P < 0.05) pre-weaning survivability, ADG, final BW, and likelihood of achieving full-value market at 181-d of age. In Exp. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, pigs using the wet-dry feeder (WD) had greater (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and final BW than those using the conventional dry feeder (CD). Pigs using WD had poorer (P < 0.05) G:F in Exp. 3 and 4, and increased (P < 0.05) HCW and backfat depth in Exp. 3, 4, 6, and 7, compared to pigs fed using CD. In Exp. 5, pigs using WD from 19 to 38 kg had decreased (P < 0.02) ADFI and better G:F than pigs using CD. Increased feeder opening of WD increased (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and final BW in Exp. 5, 6, and 7; as well as HCW and backfat depth in Exp. 6 and 7. Reducing WD opening at 28- and 56-d in Exp. 7 decreased (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and backfat depth. Different openings of CD had little effect on performance in Exp. 5 and 6. In Exp. 8, changing water-source of WD to a separate location during late-finishing reduced (P < 0.05) overall ADG, ADFI, and final BW. Limited responses to AX were observed in Exp. 9, 10, and 11, but ADG, G:F, final BW, HCW, and fat-free lean were improved (P < 0.05) for pigs fed RAC in Exp. 10 and 11. Total color change during retail display of LM chops for gilts and pigs fed RAC was reduced (P < 0.05) in Exp. 10 and 11, indicating their color shelf-life improved. In the meta-analyses, models using dietary PUFA with ADG, BW, or backfat depth improved the fat IV prediction from R2 = 0.45 to R2 = 0.90.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Science / Jim L. Nelssen and Michael D. Tokach / The optimum sampling method swine producers should use to estimate the mean and SD of pig BW within a barn was determined based upon both the time required to conduct and the precision and accuracy of each sampling method. Weighing 5 pigs from 15 pens was determined to be the optimal sampling method. This should require approximately 55 min to complete. Weighing 5 pigs from 15 pens had a CI range of 7.2 to 8.0 kg for estimating the mean BW and 5.6 kg for estimating SD. Next, a meta-analysis was conducted using data from existing literature to generate equations to predict finishing pig back, belly, and jowl fat iodine value. While numerous factors were evaluated, dietary essential fatty acids, dietary net energy content, and backfat thickness had the greatest influence on predicting iodine value of the 3 distinct fat depots. Lastly, 6 experiments were conducted to determine the effects of added Zn on growth performance, pork quality, plasma Zn, and ileal mucosal inflammation mRNA expression of finishing pigs fed diets containing ractopamine-HCl (RAC; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN). Additional Zn increased plasma Zn and reduced relative expression of IL-1β, but did not improve growth performance of pigs fed diets containing RAC in 5 of the experiments. However, in 1 of the experiments, adding Zn to diets containing RAC resulted in a trend for improved growth performance of pigs. Supplementing the RAC diets with dietary Zn decreased the percentage of type IIA fibers and tended to increase the percentage of type IIX fibers compared to pigs fed the RAC diet without added Zn. Ractopamine-HCl produced chops that were lighter and less red, but possessed reduced metmyoglobin reducing ability at the end of the display period. However, adding Zn to RAC diets increased metmyoglobin reducing ability levels at the end of the display period.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Michael D. Tokach / Four experiments were conducted to determine the interactive effects of dietary L-carnitine and ractopamine HCl (ractopamine) on finishing pig growth performance. In analysis of treatments common to all experiments, ractopamine increased (P < 0.01) ADG and G:F compared to pigs not fed ractopamine. Added L-carnitine tended to increase (P < 0.07) ADG and improved (P < 0.01) G:F compared to pigs not fed L-carnitine. Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of L-carnitine and ractopamine on carcass characteristics and meat quality. In Exp. 1, drip loss decreased (linear, P < 0.04) in pigs fed increasing L-carnitine. In Exp. 2, drip loss decreased (P < 0.04) with increasing L-carnitine when fed with ractopamine. Percentage lean was higher (P < 0.01) for pigs fed ractopamine. In Exp. 3, lean percentage increased (P < 0.03) in pigs fed L-carnitine or ractopamine. Pigs fed L-carnitine tended (P < 0.06) to have decreased drip loss. These results suggest that ractopamine increases carcass leanness and L-carnitine reduces drip loss when fed in combination with ractopamine. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of L-carnitine and ractopamine on the metabolic response to handling. Non-gentle handling increased (P < 0.01) lactate and rectal temperature, and decreased pH. In Exp. 1, non-gentle handled pigs fed ractopamine had decreased (P < 0.01) pH and increased temperature and tended (P < 0.09) to have higher lactate than other pigs. In Exp. 2, lactate and temperature changes from immediately post-handling to 1 h post-handling were not different for pigs fed L-carnitine or ractopamine suggesting that L-carnitine did not decrease recovery time of pigs subjected to non-gentle handling or fed ractopamine. These results suggest that pigs fed ractopamine are more susceptible to stress when handled aggressively. Because carnitine did not alleviate the negative effects of handling for pigs fed ractopamine, the improvement in drip loss from feeding carnitine must be due to a different mode of action.

published_or_final_version / Biochemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Streptococcus (S.) suis is one of the most important pathogens in pigs causing meningitis, arthritis, endocarditis and serositis. Furthermore, it is also an emerging zoonotic agent. In our previous work we identified a highly specific IgM protease in S. suis, designated IdeSsuis. The objective of this study was to characterize the function of IdeSsuis in the host-pathogen interaction. Edman-sequencing revealed that IdeSsuis cleaves the heavy chain of the IgM molecule between constant domain 2 and 3. As the C1q binding motif is located in the C3 domain, we hypothesized that IdeSsuis is involved in complement evasion. Complement-mediated hemolysis induced by porcine hyperimmune sera containing erythrocyte-specific IgM was abrogated by treatment of these sera with recombinant IdeSsuis. Furthermore, expression of IdeSsuis reduced IgM-triggered complement deposition on the bacterial surface. An infection experiment of prime-vaccinated growing piglets suggested attenuation in the virulence of the mutant 10ΔideSsuis. Bactericidal assays confirmed a positive effect of IdeSsuis expression on bacterial survival in porcine blood in the presence of high titers of specific IgM. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that IdeSsuis is a novel complement evasion factor, which is important for bacterial survival in porcine blood during the early adaptive (IgM-dominated) immune response.

Maternal cardiovascular adaptations appear to be essential in order to supply extra circulation to both the developing fetus and maternal system during a successful pregnancy. Since inadequate cardiovascular adjustments may produce abortions or maternal morbidity, the characterization of maternal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and the elaboration of the underlying mechanism for these changes are essential to the understanding of how the heart enlarges during pregnancy and what significance this enlargement might have. To provide needed information regarding this time course and extent of maternal cardiac enlargement and the hormonal and hemodynamic changes which may be responsible for these changes, the guinea pig was used as an animal model to characterize the maternal cardiac, hemodynamic and hormonal changes during early, mid and late pregnancy.

L’objectif de cette étude est de caractériser des altérations de qualité de la viande du porc et de la dinde. Chez porc, la qualité de la viande est handicapée par une lésion de type de myopathie exsudative appelée PSE ou viandes déstructurées dans sa forme localisée. La transformation de ces viandes conduit à de faible rendements suite à une perte d’eau importante et un grave défaut de présentation du produit fini et donc à des pertes économiques importantes. Parmi les facteurs conditionnant l’apparition de la lésion, la génétique des animaux aux loci HAL et RN occupe un premier plan. Au second plan, l’environnement pre-mortem a une influence tout aussi importante et en particulier les conditions d’abattage. L’histologie comparative des muscles montre que la structure du réseau vasculaire et la typologie des fibres musculaires chez le porc des différents génotypes HAL et RN sont responsables de leur vulnérabilité. Chez la dinde, les expressions du problème PSE dans le muscle sont vraisemblablement similaires à celles observées chez le porc. Les caractéristiques de qualité de 3 souches de dinde (Hybride, Nicholas et BUT9) ont été étudiées : la chute du pH post mortem et la couleur de la viande évaluée dans le système L*a*b* nous confortent dans cette position / The objective of this study is to characterize the alteration of meat quality of the pork and the turkey. In pork, the quality of the meat is handicapped by a lesion exsudative myopathy called PSE (Pale Soft Exsudative) or localized destructured meats. The transformation of these meats leads to a reduced performance following an important water loss and a serious defect of presentation of the end product will cause massive losses in economy. Among the factors influencing the appearance of the lesion, HAL and RN genotypes occupy the first plan to limit these effects in pork. In the second plan, the pre-mortem environment has an all-important influence also and in particular the slaughter conditions. Comparative histology of muscles shows that the structure of the vascular network and the typology of muscle fibers of various genotypes HAL and RN in pork are responsible for their vulnerability. In turkey, the expressions of PSE muscle problem are probably similar to those observed in pork. Quality characteristics of 3 lines of turkey (Hybride, Nicholas and BUT9) were studied. The rate of pH fall post-mortem and the colour of the meat (which were evaluated in the L*a*b* system) have reinforced us in this position.