Two crucial issues related to personality in non-human animals have been identified: firstly, the underlying 'causes' of personality and,secondly, the stability of behavioural repertoires (essentially the defining feature of personality) have both been the subject of long-standing debate. This thesis is focused on investigating stable inter- and intra- individual differences in the behaviour of wildcaught bank voles, Myodes glareolus (that varied according to mtDNA type), and in common voles, Microtus arvalis. The first study, using wild voles, revealed empirical evidence about the effects of sex and mtDNA type on individual differences in basal metabolic rate and in behaviour in the open field which provides measures of approach and avoidance (here, generically termed 'proactivity') and which relate to several theoretical conceptualisations of animal personality. The second study demonstrated the presence of stable individual differences in reactions to exposure to open field test and radial maze in common voles, which were shaped by the social environment and in turn, related to cognitive efficiency. The same species was used in the third study documenting the distinct temporal patterns of behavioural plasticity that manifested over repeated exposures to the open field test. We suggest that this distinct temporal patterning in habituation, whilst it varied over time, was predictable in nature and therefore a reflection of a stable underlying personality. To conclude, this body of thesis work draws together a number of influencing factors, and considers their contribution to animal personality.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:21:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4203.pdf: 1547039 bytes, checksum: fbfd6a9b5b93509ee40ca815bcf3a07b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-14 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In mammals, newborns need parental care, mostly maternal care, to succeed in development. Mother emotionality may affect development at initial stages or even emotionality of the offspring in adulthood. In the present study we investigate emotionality, in maternal period, by performing the open field test in mice females from SM/J, LG/J inbred lines and generations F1 and F2 from this intercross. F2 females were also tested in nonmaternal phase. We investigate if F2 females emotionality was associated with variation in weight gain and offspring viability. Finally, we perform QTLs analysis (Quantitative Trait Loci) aiming to study genetic architecture of emotionality at postpartum phase. Ethological analysis indicates that LG/J females seem to have higher level of anxiety when compared to SM/J females. F1 and F2 generations did not show significant differences in most of the phenotypes analyzed. In the contrast between maternal and non-maternal phases of F2 females, it seems females were less anxious in non-maternal phase. In the relationship between anxiety and weight gain among F2 females we observed that several ethological data show significant association with weight gain in some period of life of these females. However, the ethological variations do not seem to interfere in the offspring survival. QTL analysis revealed 11 individual QTLs associated to the phenotypes grooming, immobility, activity at center, and motor activity, that accounts between 5 and 9% of emotionality variation. Beside individual QTLs, we found a total of 88 epistatic QTLs involving the five evaluated phenotypes that together with the individual QTLs explain 24 to 53% of emotionality variation in postpartum females. The present study allowed the identification of putative candidate genes, as well as their relative size effects and patterns of gene action affecting mice emotionality. These results reveal that genetic architecture of emotionality of LG/J x SM/J dams is complex, since indicate the existence of many genes, including the interaction among them in a complex network of epistasis. Besides the genetic basis, is worth noted that environment also have a important impact in emotions through epigenetic mechanisms. / Em mamíferos, filhotes recém-nascidos necessitam de cuidados para que tenham sucesso em seu desenvolvimento. Esse sucesso está diretamente relacionado ao cuidado materno, cujas alterações na emocionalidade da mãe podem afetar o desenvolvimento dos filhotes nos estágios iniciais ou mesmo a própria emocionalidade dos filhotes na idade adulta. No presente estudo investigamos a emocionalidade no período materno, utilizando o teste de campo aberto, em fêmeas de camundongos SM/J, LG/J e gerações F1 e F2 deste intercruzamento, sendo a última também testada para fase não materna. Também averiguamos se a emocionalidade em fêmeas F2 estava associada com a variação do ganho em peso nestas fêmeas e com a viabilidade de sua progênie. Finalmente, utilizamos a análise de QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) com o intuito de estudar a arquitetura genética da emocionalidade na fase pós-parto. A análise etológica revela indícios de que fêmeas LG/J apresentam um maior nível de ansiedade quando comparadas com fêmeas SM/J. As gerações F1 e F2 não apresentaram diferenças significativas na maioria dos fenótipos analisados e no contraste entre fase materna e não materna para fêmeas F2, as últimas parecem ser menos ansiosa que as primeiras. Na relação entre ansiedade e ganho em peso entre as fêmeas F2, verificamos que vários dados etológicos estão significativamente associados com o ganho em peso em algum período da vida destas fêmeas. No entanto, as variações etológicas parecem não interferir na sobrevivência da progênie. A análise de QTL revelou 11 QTLs individuais associados aos fenótipos groming, imobilidade, atividade no centro e atividade motora, que respondem entre 5 a 9% da variação de emocionalidade. Além dos QTLs individuais, encontramos um total de 76 QTLs epistáticos envolvendo os cinco fenótipos avaliados, que juntamente com os QTLs individuais explicam de 24 a 53 % da variação de emocionalidade em fêmeas pós-parto. Este estudo permitiu a identificação de potenciais genes candidato, bem como o tamanho relativo dos efeitos do gene e os padrões de ação gênica afetando emocionalidade em camundongos. Esses resultados revelam que a arquitetura genética da emocionalidade de mães LG/J x SM/J é complexa, pois indica a existência de muitos genes, incluindo as interações entre eles em uma complexa rede de epistasia. Além da base genética, vale ressaltar que o ambiente também pode apresentar um grande impacto nas emoções por meio de mecanismos epigenéticos.

The study investigated the effect of non-genetic social factors (represented by litter size, litter sex composition, and affinity to age cohort) on the development of consistent inter-specific differences in reaction to novelty in common voles (Microtus arvalis). The voles were tested in three behavioural experiments ? Forced Open Filed test (FOF), Unforced Open Field test (UFOF), and Radial-arm maze (RAM). A siginificant impact of compontents of social environment was detected.

Testes comportamentais do tipo Campo Aberto figuram dentre os mais básicos e consolidados para estudos de comportamento animal, sendo, portanto, amplamente utilizados em pesquisas de Neurociência e Farmacologia. Através dele se pode avaliar os efeitos da imposição de diferentes condições no comportamento de animais, bem como comparar ou caracterizar perfis típicos de comportamento entre linhagens de uma mesma espécie. Consistindo de soltar animal em uma caixa e observar, dentre outros parâmetros, seu deslocamento e preferência em permanecer nas áreas próximas às paredes ou nas centrais, a extração desses dados pela forma tradicional acabar por ser limitante à obtenção plena de resultados. Isso posto, este trabalho visa oferecer aos pesquisadores um meio para obter os dados de maneira automatizada, sem o desgaste de ficar assistindo o vídeo do teste para anotar o deslocamento. Escrita em Python, utilizando técnicas consolidadas de Visão Computacional e operações de compreensão acessível, esta ferramenta além de ser Open Source pode ser ajustada à extração de outros parâmetros e à aplicação em outras modalidades do teste, além de oferecer a medida do deslocamento de forma mais precisa. / Open Field Test is a basic and consolidated test used in Animal Behavior studies, especially Neuroscience and Pharmacology. Through it, its possible to evaluate the effects in behavior of imposing different conditions, as well to compare or characterize typical behavior profiles between lineages of the same species. Consisting of releasing an animal in a box and observing, among other parameters, its displacement and preference in remaining in the areas near the walls or in the central ones, the extraction of these data in the traditional way ends up being limiting to obtaining full results. That said, this essay aims to offer researchers a way to get the data in an automated way, without need watching the video of the test to note the displacement. Written in Python, using consolidated techniques of Computational Vision and operations of accessible comprehension, this tool besides being Open Source can be adjusted to the extraction of other parameters and application in other modalities of the test, besides offer a more accurate measure of displacement.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi estabelecer os critérios de autenticidade científica de validade, reprodutibilidade e a sensibilidade do FSKT10s e do FSKTmult para o taekwondo. O objetivo secundário foi construir uma tabela normativa para classificação do desempenho físico gerado no FSKT. O estudo foi conduzido em seis etapas, contendo amostras de praticantes ou atletas de diferentes níveis competitivos. Visando investigar a validade lógica do FSKT, foi apresentado um questionário para 94 sujeitos que tivessem alguma experiência com a modalidade. O objetivo do questionário foi conhecer a opinião a respeito do entendimento sobre as instruções, viabilidade de aplicação e predominância energética. Os participantes julgaram que o teste é \'fácil\' ou \'muito fácil de entender\', \'viável\' ou \'muito viável\' de aplicar e que ambos os testes medem predominantemente a condição anaeróbia. Quanto maior o grau de instrução, maior a frequência de resposta de que o FSKT10s é predominantemente anaeróbio, enquanto para o FSKTmult a maior frequência de resposta no grupo não graduado mede predominantemente a condição aeróbia e o grupo pós-graduado julgou que o teste mede predominantemente a condição anaeróbia. Na etapa seguinte 13 atletas de taekwondo do sexo masculino participaram em duas sessões experimentais para determinar a validade de critério entre a luta e o FSKT. Não foram encontradas associações entre as variáveis da luta e o FSKT. Não foram identificadas diferenças significantes para o lactato pico após FSKTmult e após luta, mas houve diferença estatística entre a luta e o FSKT10s. O objetivo seguinte foi determinar a validade de constructo. Foram avaliados 153 homens agrupados em não competidores (n= 53), competidores de nível regional/estadual (n= 55) e de nível internacional/nacional (n= 45) e 42 mulheres agrupadas em competidoras de nível regional/estadual (n= 21) e de nível internacional/nacional (n= 21). Houve superioridade dos competidores de nível nacional/internacional em comparação aos não competidores. As competidoras de nível regional/estadual diferiram do grupo de nível nacional/internacional. A etapa seguinte foi conduzida com 14 atletas para determinar a reprodutibilidade relativa e absoluta do FSKT em teste e reteste. Para a reprodutibilidade relativa foram observados valores de CCI entre 0,63 e 0,95. O EPM ficou entre 0,60 e 3,99 enquanto o SWC0,6 ficou entre 0,73 e 4,83 para as diferentes séries do FSKT. Na etapa seguinte foi determinada a sensibilidade do FSKT de 8 atletas após nove semanas de treinamento de taekwondo e de força/potência muscular. Foi observada melhora do desempenho gerado em todas as variáveis analisadas, exceto para o índice de decréscimo de chutes (IDC). Por fim, 115 homens e 70 mulheres praticantes/atletas familiarizados com o FSKT executaram cada teste uma vez. Após análise dos dados foi elaborada a tabela com cinco escalas (classificação, percentil: muito bom, >=95; bom, >75; regular, 25-75; ruim, <25; muito ruim, <=5) para as seguintes variáveis FSKT10S, FSKTmult (séries 1-5) e IDC. A conclusão é que o FSKT pode ser uma ferramenta utilizada por técnicos e treinadores visando medir o desempenho físico. Diferentes critérios de autenticidade científica foram apresentados no presente estudo, o que ajudará a tomar decisões mais confiáveis quando de sua aplicação. Também será possível classificar o desempenho dos praticantes/atletas via tabela normativa / The purpose of the present study was stablishing the authenticity criteria scientific of validity, reliability and the sensibility of FSKT10s and the FSKTmult for taekwondo. The secondary purpose was building a normative table to classify physical performance generated by FSKT. The study was conducted in six parts, content sample of practitioners or athletes in different competitive levels. Aiming to investigate the logical validity of FSKT, was presented a questionnaire for 94 subjects that would have any experience with the modality. The purpose was to know the opinion about the understanding of the instructions, feasibility of application and energetic predominance. The participants judged that the test is \"easy\" or \"very easy\", \"viable\" or \"many viable\" of apply and that both tests measure predominantly the anaerobic condition. The higher the level of education, higher is the response frequency of that the FSKT10s is predominantly anaerobic, while for FSKTmult the higher response frequency in the no-graduate group measure predominantly the aerobic condition and the postgraduate group judge that the test measure predominantly the anaerobic condition. In the next step 13 male taekwondo athletes participated in twice experimental sessions to determine a validity criterion between match and the FSKT. No associations were found between match variables and FSKT. No statistically significant difference were identified for the peak blood lactate concentration post FSKT and match, but there was statistical difference between the match and FSKT10s. the next objective was to determine the construct validity. 153 subjects were evaluated grouped in non-competitors (n= 53), regional/state competitors (n= 55) and national/international competitors (n= 45) and 42 women grouped in regional/state level competitors (n= 21) and international/national level (n= 21). There was a statistically significant difference with the superiority of national/international competitors compared to non-competitors. The regional/state level competitors differed from the national/international level group. The next step was conducted with 14 athletes to determine the relative and absolute reliability of FSKT test-retest. Regarding relative reliability, ICC values between 0.63 and 0.95 were observed. The EPM was between 0.60 and 3.99 while the SWC0.6 was between 0.73 and 4.83 for the different FSKT series. The next step was to determine the sensitivity of the FSKT of 8 athletes after nine weeks of taekwondo and strength training. It was observed an improvement in the performance generated in all variables analyzed except for the kicks decrement index (KDI). Finally, 115 mens and 70 womens practitioners/athletes familiar with the FSKT performed each test once. After analyzing the data, the table was elaborated with five scales (classification: \'Excellent\': >=95th percentile, \'Good\': 75th percentile up to 94th percentile, \'Regular\': 25th percentile up to 74th percentile, \'Poor\': 6th percentile up to 24th percentile, \'Very poor\': <=5th percentile) for the following variables FSKT10S, FSKTmult (series 1-5 and total) and IDC. The conclusion is that the FSKT can be a tool used by coaches and technicians to measure physical performance. Different criteria of scientific authenticity were presented in the present study, which will help to make more reliable decisions. It will also be possible to classify the performance of the practitioners/athletes, based on the classifications of the normative table

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-08-14T14:20:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 nataliacunhamuniz.pdf: 1125755 bytes, checksum: efe31dd995cd852cbe9d452697e12f67 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-09-03T16:32:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nataliacunhamuniz.pdf: 1125755 bytes, checksum: efe31dd995cd852cbe9d452697e12f67 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-03T16:32:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nataliacunhamuniz.pdf: 1125755 bytes, checksum: efe31dd995cd852cbe9d452697e12f67 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-04 / O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a atividade carrapaticida do carvacrol sobre larvas de Rhipicephalus microplus em lâminas foliares de Brachiaria ruziziensis, bem como a genotoxicidade desta solução sobre esta espécie de gramínea . Soluções de carvacrol em concentrações de 1,25; 2,50; 5,00; 10,00 e 20,00 mg/mL foram aspergidas em vasos que haviam recebido larvas não alimentadas de R. microplus. Após um período de 24h da aplicação, foram contabilizados os sobreviventes e calculada a eficiência de cada tratamento. Nas menores concentrações, os percentuais de eficiência foram semelhantes ao grupo controle, enquanto nas maiores concentrações, 10,00 e 20,00 mg/ml, a eficiência do tratamento foi de 89,84% e 94.66%, respectivamente. Na avaliação de genotoxicidade de B. ruziziensis , feita por análise de citometria de fluxo, foram observados danos celulares de até 100%. Portanto, é possível concluir que o carvacrol é uma alternativa no controle de carrapatos, visando a redução da utilização de produtos químicos. / The aim of this study was to evaluate an acaricide activity of carvacrol on larvae of Rhipicephalus microplus in leaf blades of Brachiaria ruziziensis and the genotoxicity of this solution on this species of grass. Carvacrol solutions in concentrations of 1,25; 2,50; 5,00; 10,00 e 20,00 mg/mL were sprayed on vessels that had previously received non-fed R. microplus larvae. After a 24-hour application period, the survivors were accounted for and the efficiency of each treatment was calculated. At the lowest concentrations, the efficiency percentages were similar to those of the control, while at the highest concentrations, 10.00 and 20.00 mg/mL, the treatment efficiency was 89.84% and 94.66%, respectively. In the evaluation of genotoxicity of B. ruziziensis , made by flow cytometric analysis, cellular damage up to 100% was observed. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that carvacrol is an alternative in the control of ticks, aiming to reduce the use of chemicals.

Den här C-uppsatsens mål är att undersöka om den trådlösa tekniken ZigBee är lämplig att använda i en industriell miljö. Arbetet med uppsatsen har utförts i Trolhättan (Sverige) i företaget Binar Elektronik AB:s lokaler. Bakgrunden till detta samarbete är att Binar vill veta om ZigBee är ett lämpligt val för en av deras framtida produkter. Uppsatsen är uppdelad i fyra delar, där den första och inledande delen översiktligt beskriver begreppet ZigBee. Den här delen innehåller även en marknadsundersökning rörande ZigBee-hårdvara. Uppsatsen fortsätter sedan med nästa del där en specialisering mot en specifik ZigBee-hårdvara tar vid. Den ZigBee-modul som valdes kallas Xbee och den blev utvald baserat på resultatet från marknadsundersökningen. Den här delen beskriver även den kod som utvecklats för att på ett effektivt sätt kommunicera med Xbee-modulen. Uppsatsens tredje del består av ett antal praktiska tester i olika miljöer, vars mål är att påvisa vilka styrkor och svagheter som ZigBee-tekniken har i respektive miljö. Den här delen innehåller även ett räckviddstest av Xbee-modulen. Den sista och avslutande delen innehåller uppsatsens resultat och slutsatser. Dessa slutsatser visar tydlig att Xbee-modulen, och dess ZigBee-tekniken, har stor potential att uppfylla de krav som ställs på ett trådlöst system i en industriell miljö. Det måste dock noteras att denna slutsats ej bör tas ur sitt sammanhang och att den således endast är giltig för de testmiljöer som den här uppsatsen behandlat. / This Bachelor of Science thesis has the primary objective to investigate whether or not the wireless technology ZigBee is suitable for industry usage. The thesis work has been done in collaboration with Binar Elektronik AB (Trollhättan, Sweden). The background story for this collaboration is that Binar is interested in finding out if ZigBee is suitable for one of their upcoming products. The thesis is divided into four main parts, beginning with a researching part concerning ZigBee as a concept and a market research on ZigBee hardware. The thesis continuous with a specialization towards one ZigBee hardware, the ZigBee module from MaxStream called Xbee. The Xbee module was chosen based on the result from the market research. This part also describes the code that has been developed for the Xbee module, which main purpose is to simplify communication with the module. The next part of the thesis contains a number of different field tests that show how ZigBee communication is affected in different environments. This part also includes a range test with the Xbee module. The last part of the thesis contains the final results and conclusions, which clearly show that the ZigBee technology, and Xbee in particular, has a potential to satisfy the requirements for a wireless system in an industrial environment. This conclusion concerning the industrial usability of ZigBee should however be seen in the light of this particular thesis work, making this conclusion viable only for the field test environments. / See hompage http://www.wettergren.se/zigbee/.

Personality, or behavioural differences among individuals, which are stable both in time and across contexts, is a highly popular topic. Currently there has been an increase of interest in the relationship between personality and repeatability, which is a methodical approach developed to measure the stability of interindividual differences in time. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the personality of rats according to behavioural patterns exhibited under widely used testing procedures in new environment (open field test, hole board test) and to compare, how behavioural traits in these tests mutually correlate and change over time. Each test trial was repeated eight times with different intervals (24 hours, 6 days, 4 weeks). The results suggest that most of the recorded behavioural variability can be explained with three principal axes. The first one is associated with loco-exploratory activity of the subject. The elements of behaviour associated with this axis are the most repeatable. The second axis is mostly associated with time the animal spent in the central part of the arena and the third axis represents the interest in holes in hole board test. These two axes are less repeatable. A significant effect of the identity of the animal was found in all behavioural traits, associated with these...

Nowadays the needs to fulfill severe emission standards and to reduce the mobile machine operative costs have driven the off-highway industrial research towards new solutions able to increase the overall vehicle efficiency. Within this scenario, smart power split transmissions demonstrated to be a very attractive technology able to achieve the fuel consumption reduction targets, increasing the machine working cycle productivity. Compared to the standard technologies (such as Torque Converters - TC), the power split hydromechanical varible transmissin (HVT), designed and developed by Dana Rexroth Transmission Systems S.r.l. (DRTS), is able to fully decouple the engine to wheel behavior during the machine working cycle, with an higher efficiency than a pure hydrostatic transmission. Due to this fundamental characteristic, the HVT allows the engine to work next to the maximum efficiency point, consequently it is possible to downsize the engine to further increase the fuel saving. The analysis of the field test performed by an off-highway vehicle (Kalmar Cargotec DRG Gloria 450 reachstacker) equipped with a DRTS HVT has been shown along this paper; particular attention has been given to the cycle load spectra, the fuel consumption and the working cycle productivity through a comparison with standard TC technologies.

The paper covers the use of a COMB generator to detect and diagnose RF problems related to cable and shielding problems in data acquisition systems in situ. The setup and method to conduct these tests is discussed in detail. Circuit design for a COMB generator is covered, as well as commercially available units. The use of a spectrum analyzer for the detector is covered and characteristic outputs are examined. Low cost alternatives to the spectrum analyzer are also examined. The COMB generator and the spectrum analyzer used for the test are portable devices and so, lend themselves to field use where access to alternating current sources is problematic.