Muitas vezes, a agricultura extensiva falha sob as condições semi-áridas da região Nordeste do Brasil, onde há escassez de águas superficiais e as chuvas são irregulares. O uso de águas subterrâneas poderia melhorar a produtividade das culturas. Mas, devido à condição geológica, é freqüente a ocorrência de águas subterrâneas salobras. A utilização dessas águas levaria à salinização do solo. Além disso, os poços perfurados têm baixas vazões. Nesse cenário, a hidroponia pode ser condizente à produção intensiva, baseada em pequenas áreas. A eficiência do uso da água na hidroponia é reconhecidamente maior que no solo porque torna mínima a perda por evaporação. Além disso, a hidroponia poderia aumentar a tolerância das culturas à salinidade. Isso permitiria o uso de águas salobras e, como benefício extra, incrementaria a proteção ambiental. Em hidroponia, não há o potencial mátrico que leva à diminuição da energia livre da água. Também, a própria estrutura funciona como sistema de drenagem. Os sais acumulados ao final do processo produtivo podem ser facilmente dirigidos para fora do sistema. Com essa hipótese, foram conduzidos experimentos para avaliar a tolerância da alface (cultivar Verônica) à salinidade em hidroponia e em solo. Foi construída uma estrutura experimental (40 parcelas independentes) para simular o cultivo na técnica do fluxo laminar de nutrientes (NFT). Para o cultivo em solo, foram utilizados vasos de 12 L e mulch plástico. Foi observado que na hidroponia NFT é possível empregar águas mais salobras que no cultivo em solo. Quando se têm disponíveis água doce e salobra, pode ser mais interessante usar água doce no preparo da solução nutritiva e água salobra na reposição ao volume consumido. O uso de água salobra para o preparo da solução nutritiva e da água doce para a reposição ao consumo produziu maiores perdas relativas sobre o rendimento do que a salinização gradual. Esse resultado foi proporcionado pela precocidade da alface. Em relação à tolerância, a salinidade limiar da alface 'Verônica' cultivada em hidroponia NFT foi estimada em 4,03 dS m-1. Sob as mesmas condições experimentais, a tolerância em solo foi estimada em 2,51 dS m-1. Esses resultados confirmam a hipótese levantada e permitem apresentar uma alternativa agrícola condizente à realidade de muitas famílias isoladas no semi-árido brasileiro. / Several times, the extensive agriculture fails under semi-arid conditions in the Northeast region of Brazil, where the surface water is shortage and the pluvial precipitation is irregular. The use of groundwaters could increase the crops yield. However, due to the geological factors, it is usual the occurrence of brackish groundwaters in this region. The utilization of these waters would carry to soil salinization. Moreover, the opened deep tubewells often have low capacity. In this scenario, the hydroponics systems may be suitable to intensive production based in reduced areas. The higher water use efficiency in soilless cultivation is a well reported advantage, because in this system the water loss by evaporation is minimum. In hydroponics systems could be increase the crop salt tolerance. This would permit the brackish water use and, as an extra benefit, would increase the environmental safety. In hydroponics system, there is no the matric potential, which decreases the free-energy of water. Furthermore, the hydroponics structure operates as a drainage system. The accumulated salts, at the end of the period, may be easily removed from system. In order to test this hypothesis, were carried out experiments to evaluate the lettuce (cv. Verônica) salt tolerance under soil and hydroponics conditions. It was constructed a structure (40 independent experimental units) to simulate the Nutrient Technique Film (NFT) cultivation. For the soil experiment, it was used 12 L recipients and plastic mulch. It was registered that is feasible use waters more brackish in NFT system than in soil. For available of brackish and nonsaline waters, it was more productive to use non-saline water to prepare the nutrient solution and brackish water to supply the water consumption. Higher yield losses were observed with the use the brackish water to prepare nutrient solution and the non-saline water to replace the water consumption. The nutrient solution salinization was less depreciative to yield than the constant salinity. This finding was providing by the lettuce precocity. In relation to the salt tolerance in NFT system, the lettuce salinity threshold was estimated in 4.03 dS m-1. Under the same experimental conditions, the tolerance in soil was estimated in 2.51 dS m-1. These results confirmed the hypothesis and permit to present an agricultural alternative suitable to reality of many isolated families in Brazilian semi-arid.

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2017-05-12T13:19:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 1976 - Gabriel de Ara?jo Santos.PDF: 424018 bytes, checksum: 842e6f799add21cdd867e8159b9ae5c8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T13:19:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1976 - Gabriel de Ara?jo Santos.PDF: 424018 bytes, checksum: 842e6f799add21cdd867e8159b9ae5c8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1976-07-14 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / The purpose of the present work was to study the efect of heat treatments on three different oxisols and to follow the changes in free Al by chenical determinations and pot experiments with plants. Soil samples were treated in laboratory conditions for one hour at temperatures from room temperature up to 300?C. Changes in the soil chemical properties and mineralogical composition were followed in the heat treatcd samples in order to detect any modifications in the following properties: pH taken in H KCl suspensions, organic carbon content, Fe and Al extracted with KCl and XH4 Ac pH 4.8. A compelemtary experiment was carried in order to defect any effcct of the treatment at 400?C for 15 minutes, on dry matter production of sorgo plants grown76 on one of the oxisols. One hour heat treatment on these soils at temperatures below 100?C caused little to no change in the above listed soil properties, where as deep changes occured when the soil was heated above 100?C. Carbon content decreased slightly at 200?C and dropped to half its value at 300?C. Fe(III) was sensibly reduced to Fe(II) at the expenses of carbon oxidation. This reduction caused an increase in Fe extraction in NH 4 AC reaching a maximum at 200?C. At higher temperatures a fast dropin extratable Fe was observed with a tendency to reach zero. This observations seen to indicate that in the process of burning the vegetation cover of tropical soils, fhe heat itself can cause a benefic effect decrasing Al toxity. This effect is enhanced by the neutralixing action of the ash produced. / No presente trabalho estudou-se o efeito do tratamento t?rmico em tr?s latossolos com o objetivo de detectar-se modifica??es nos teores de Al livre, e conseq?ente elimina??o de toxides desse elemento para as plantas. Nos solos, tratados em laborat?rio ? temperaturas que variavam do ambiente at? 300?C, foram estudadas as modifica??es causadas pelo calor sobre: a composi??o mineral?gica, o teor de carbono, o pH determinado em suspens?o aquosa e em KCl, o Al e o Fe extra?dos em KCl 1N e AcNH4 pH 4,8. Foi ainda estudado o efeito do tratamento t?rmico a 200?C e 400?C sobre o crescimento de plantas sorgo em um dos solos que apresentava toxides. Com um per?odo de aquecimento de uma hora, poucas mo-7 3 difica??es se fizeram sentir at? a temperatura de 100?C. A partir da? houve profundas modifica??es na composic?o mineral?gica que culminaram com o desaparecimento da gibsita e da goetita. O teor de carbono reduziu-se apreciavelmente com o aquecimento ? temperatura de 200?C e acima desta, tendo produzido a redu??o do Fe3+ a Fe2+ . Com a redu??o do Fe3+, houve um aumento progressivo da extra??o desse elemento, tanto em KCl como AcNH4 pH 4,8, que atingiu um m?ximo a temperatura de 200?C, diminuindo rapidamente a temperatura mais altas. O Al troc?vel, extra?do em KCl, sofreu uma diminui- ??o progressiva e acentuada, a propor??o que a temperatura do tratamento aumentava, reduzindo-se a zero a temperatura de 300?C. O Al extra?do em AcAG14 pH 4,8 aumentou a propor??o que a temperatura do tratamento crescia acima de 100?C. Esse aumento ? provavelmente devido a solubiliza??o de estruturas do alum?nio mais sujeitas ao ataque da solu??o de pH 4,8 proveniente de estruturas cristalinas ou semi-cristalinas, pr?- existentes que foram fragmentadas pela desidrata??o consequete do tratamento t?rmico. O pH do solo tamb?m aumentou consideravelmente com ostratamentos acima de 100?C, chegando a valores que se situavam a mais de uma unidade acima do seu valor inicial. Da mesma forma o alum?nio "n?o troc?vel", representado pela diferen-74 ?a entre os dois m?todos de extra??o aumentou com a temperatura. Um experimento com sorgo usando como substrato o solo aquecido a 200?C e 400?C por 15 minutos confirmou as observa??es qu?micas de laborat?rio sobre a redu??o da toxides do alum?nio por efeito do calor. Fica portanto provado que independentemente do efeito neutralizante da cinza proveniente das queimadas, o pr?prio calor do fogo atua sobre o alum?nio livre do solo, reduzindo-o a n?veis menos t?xicos para as plantas.

Recentemente, o uso dos Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs) surgiu como uma ferramenta para a aquisição de dados geoespaciais. Os Modelos Digitais de Elevação (MDEs), as ortoimagens e os modelos tridimensionais gerados a partir de imagens de VANT são produtos cartográficos de grande utilidade para as mais diversas aplicações. Em vista das limitações dos VANTs e da recentidade desta ferramenta, este estudo visa determinar a correlação da configuração dos pontos de apoio e dos parâmetros do voo com a acurácia de ortofotomosaicos elaborados a partir de dados de VANT. Esta pesquisa utilizou dados de três levantamentos aerofotogramétricos distintos realizados com três aeronaves diferentes e considerou parâmetros relacionados à configuração dos pontos de apoio e à execução do voo. Foram gerados 200 ortofotomosaicos e 200 MDEs. Ao todo foram feitas 4616 observações de pontos de controle. Os resultados mostraram baixa correlação linear entre acurácia planimétrica e altimétrica. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos de forma inversa às alturas de voo. No geral, sob as condições de processamento utilizadas neste trabalho, recomenda-se o uso de 4 a 5 pontos de apoio por km², além do uso de voo cruzado. / Recently, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) emerged as a tool for geospatial data acquisition. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), orthoimages and three- dimensional models generated from UAV images are cartographic products of great utility for many different applications. Considering the recency and limitations of UAV, this study aims at determining the correlation of ground control points and flight configuration with the accuracy of orthophotomosaics based on UAV data. This research used data from three different aerial surveys, performed with three different aircrafts, and considered parameters related to ground-control points distribution and to flight missions. 200 orthophotomosaics and 200 DEMs were generated and a total of 4616 ground-control points measurements were performed. Results did not show a linear correlation between planimetric and altimetric accuracy. The best correlation results were obtained inversely related to flight height. In general, under the processing conditions used in this work, we recommend the use of 4 control points per km² and a cross flight pattern.

This thesis introduces pathogenesis as methodology for a vitalist metaphysics, where life is understood as emerging and developing through functioning and grounding. This methodology is defined in an analysis of the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze, whose work is used as central resource alongside the work of historical figures – Plato, Hume, Kant, Bergson and Nietzsche – and contemporary writings on Deleuze as secondary resources. The analysis proceeds by problematising the related concepts of function and ground in relation to Deleuze’s vitalist philosophy and in relation to the supplementary material indicated.

The Pile Mound survey includes magnetometry paired with targeted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys of the mound and testing of associated features over the ca. 6.5 ha site. The GPR survey discovered six rock features (five large rock features within the mound and one marking the outside of the mound). Knowledge of mounds in the Upper Cumberland Plateau (UCP) is lacking—the closest other studied sites are at the Corbin Site, Croley-Evans, Bell Site, and Beasley Mounds, approximately 75 – 100 km away. However, the most similar mound construction is found at Corbin and Cherokee sites, some 175 – 275 km away. In addition, the associated ceramic assemblage appears to reflect more similarity to the East Tennessee Valley rather than the Middle Cumberland region. These data provide a unique opportunity to better understand the Mississippian occupation in the UCP of Tennessee.

Three dimensional (3D) ground reaction force (GRF) are an essential component for gait analysis. Current methods for measuring 3D GRF involve using a stationary force plate embedded in the ground, which captures the forces as subjects walk across the platform. This approach has several limitations, a few being: it can only capture a few steps at a time, it is expensive to purchase and maintain, it can't reflect forces caused by natural uneven surfaces, etc. Previous research has attempted to develop wearable force sensors to overcome these problems; however, these endeavors have resulted in devices that are expensive, bulky, and fail to accurately measure forces when compared to static force plates. This thesis presents the implementation and validation of novel nanocomposite piezoresponsive foam (NCPF) sensors for measuring 3D GRF. Four NCPF sensors were embedded in a shoe sole at four locations: heel, arch, ball, and toe. The signals from each sensor were used in a functional data analysis (FDA) to develop a statistical model for estimating 3D GRF. The process of calibrating the sensors to model GRF was validated through a study where 9 subjects (4 females, 5 males) walked on a force-sensing treadmill for two minutes. Two approaches were used to model the GRF response. The first approach was based on functional decomposition of the data. Using a tenfold cross validation process a statistical model was developed for each subject with the ability to predict walking 3D GRF with less than 7% error. The second approach used machine learning to model 3D GRF. Using the same walking data for the statistical models, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to create subject-specific models that could predict walking 3D GRF with less than 11% error. The predictive capabilities of ANN were tested using a pilot study where a single subject performed a calibration procedure by running at seven different speeds for thirty seconds each on the force-sensing treadmill. This calibration data was used to train a model, which was then used to estimate vertical GRF (VGRF) for three additional running trials at randomly selected speeds from within the calibration range. The ANN model was able to predict VGRF for three running speeds after calibration with less than 4% error. The use of NCPF sensors to estimate 3D GRF was shown to be a viable alternative to static force plates. It is recommended, in future work, that 3D GRF and subsequent sensor data be collected from a large sample of subjects to create a baseline of 3D GRF characteristics for a population that will enable a robust cross-subject model capable of performing real-time ground reaction force analysis across the general population, which will greatly benefit our understanding of human gait.

Pilot Valley, located in the eastern Basin and Range, north of Wendover, UT, contains numerous shorelines and depositional remnants of late Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. These remnants present classic ground penetrating radar (GPR) targets due to their coherent stratification, low clay, low salinity, and low moisture content. Three-dimensional (3D) GPR imaging can resolve fine-scale stratigraphy of these deposits down to a few centimeters. While lake levels fluctuated due to flooding events, climatic changes were the dominant factor in controlling lake levels. In Pilot Valley, the paleowind entered from the northwest, with storms coming from the south, and circulated clockwise around the basin, forming offshore sand bars. On the western side of the valley, a uniquely well-preserved interpreted regressive phase beach deposit, dated late Pleistocene, is hypothesized to have been a point bar shortly after the Provo Shoreline period. 3D GPR data, measured stratigraphic sections, cores, mineralogical analysis, and the collection of gastropod samples for radiocarbon dating constrain a reconstruction of the deposit's depositional environment and local paleoclimate for Lake Bonneville. The GPR images, visualized with state-of-the-art petroleum industry tools, reveal fine-scale stratigraphic detail that can be analyzed using seismic stratigraphy concepts. Our study provides a comprehensive model for ancient pluvial lake-shore depositional environments in a Basin and Range setting using an integration of geological and geophysical data.

This thesis works through the design of a radar-based system for imaging snowpacks remotely and over large areas to assist in avalanche prediction. The key to such a system is the ability to image volumes of snow at shallow, spatially-varying angles of incidence. To achieve this prerequisite, the design calls for a ground-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capable of generating three-dimensional, ultra-high-resolution images of a snowpack. To arrive at design parameters for this SAR, the thesis works through relevant principles in avalanche mechanics, alpine-snowpack geophysics, and electromagnetic scattering theory. The thesis also works through principles of radar, SAR, antenna, and image processing theory to this end. A preliminary system is implemented to test the feasibility of the overall design. The preliminary system demonstrates ultra-high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging capabilities and the ability to image the volume of multiple alpine snowpacks. Images of these snowpacks display the structural patterns indicative of different layers in the snowpacks. Possible attributions of the patterns to physical properties in the snowpack are explored, but conclusions are not arrived at. Finally, lessons from the implementation of this preliminary system are discussed in terms of opportunities to be capitalized upon and problems to be overcome in future systems that more faithfully realize the complete design set forth in the thesis.

We consider the Cauchy problem for the focusing energy critical NLS with inverse square potential. The energy of the solution, which consists of the kinetic energy and potential energy, is conserved for all time. Due to the focusing nature, solution with arbitrary energy may exhibit various behaviors: it could exist globally and scatter like a free evolution, persist like a solitary wave, blow up at finite time, or even have mixed behaviors. Our goal in this thesis is to fully characterize the solution when the energy is below or at the level of the energy of the ground state solution $W_a$. Our main result contains two parts. First, we prove that when the energy and kinetic energy of the initial data are less than those of the ground state solution, the solution exists globally and scatters. Second, we show a rigidity result at the level of ground state solution. We prove that among all solutions with the same energy as the ground state solution, there are only two (up to symmetries) solutions $W_a^+, W_a^-$ that are exponential close to $W_a$ and serve as the threshold of scattering and blow-up. All solutions with the same energy will blow up both forward and backward in time if they go beyond the upper threshold $W_a^+$; all solutions with the same energy will scatter both forward and backward in time if they fall below the lower threshold $W_a^-$. In the case of NLS with no potential, this type of results was first obtained by Kenig-Merle \cite{R: Kenig focusing} and Duyckaerts-Merle \cite{R: D Merle}. However, as the potential has the same scaling as $\Delta$, one can not expect to extend their results in a simple perturbative way. We develop crucial spectral estimates for the operator $-\Delta+a/|x|^2$, we also rely heavily on the recent understanding of the operator $-\Delta+a/|x|^2$ in \cite{R: Harmonic inverse KMVZZ}.

Examining a countermovement jump (CMJ) force-time curve related to net impulse might be useful in monitoring athletes' performance. This study aimed to investigate the reliability of alternative net impulse calculation and net impulse characteristics (height, width, rate of force development, shape factor, and proportion) and validate against the traditional calculation in the CMJ. Twelve participants performed the CMJ in two sessions (48 hours apart) for test–retest reliability. Twenty participants were involved for the validity assessment. Results indicated intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of ≥ 0.89 and coefficient of variation (CV) of ≤ 5.1% for all of the variables except for rate of force development (ICC = 0.78 and CV = 22.3%). The relationship between the criterion and alternative calculations was r = 1.00. While the difference between them was statistically significant (245.96 ± 63.83 vs. 247.14 ± 64.08 N s, p < 0.0001), the effect size was trivial and deemed practically minimal (d = 0.02). In conclusion, variability of rate of force development will pose a greater challenge in detecting performance changes. Also, the alternative calculation can be used practically in place of the traditional calculation to identify net impulse characteristics and monitor and study athletes' performance in greater depth.