O foco principal desta pesquisa foi a análise de experiências que utilizam as atuais tecnologias de informação e comunicação, em especial a internet, de modo a promover a inclusão digital de comunidades menos favorecidas no Brasil e no mundo. Foram abordadas experiências em comunidades espacialmente referenciadas, ou seja, comunidades concretas que se comunicam também no espaço virtual. Pretendeu-se analisar o modelo de inclusão digital através dos chamados telecentros, utilizados amplamente em vários países, e de algumas experiências significativas que ultrapassem este modelo. Buscou-se, além disso, compreender os mecanismos da chamada inclusão digital, sua ligação com a chamada inclusão social e meios para promovê-la, como por exemplo, o uso de software livre e desenvolvimento de tecnologias mais simples e acessíveis / The main focus of this research was the analysis of experiences that use the current technologies of information and communication, in special, the internet, in order to promote the digital inclusion in communities in Brazil and all over the world. Concrete communities that communicate in the virtual space will be referred. It is intended to analyze the model of the digital inclusion through telecenters, widely used in some countries, and of some significant experiences that exceed this model. Beyond, the research tries to understand the mechanisms of digital inclusion, its links with social inclusion and the ways to promote it, for example, the use of free software and the development of simpler and accessible technologies

Um dos grandes desafios atuais da computação e ultrapassar o abismo existente entre o homem e a maquina. Para tanto, o desafio passa a ser a formalização de estados mentais e sua modelagem computacional. Isso e necessário, uma vez que o homem somente conseguira comunicar-se com uma maquina quando esta puder dar e receber informações sem que o homem precise aprender uma forma especial de comunicação. É necessário, portanto, que a maquina aprenda a comunicar-se como o homem. Neste sentido, o estudo da linguagem torna-se uma porta aberta para criar uma computação que se adapte ao homem e, ao mesmo tempo favoreça pesquisas que visem uma melhor compreensão do funcionamento do cérebro, da linguagem e do aprendizado do próprio homem. O presente trabalho mostra que o computador possui um potencial de comunicação ainda inexplorado. Por este motivo, em estudos anteriores procurou-se a verificação do atual estagio de modelagem de comunicação homem-máquina em comparação a evolução da linguagem humana. Constatou-se, então, que a maquina pode chegar a uma efetiva comunicação com o homem embora jamais espontânea. como se vê na ficção científica. O que e possível e a auto-organização pelo computador de sinais provenientes de seu meio, visando a realização de determinadas tarefas. Esses sinais do meio em que esta o computador são exatamente o que justifica suas ações, o que da significado ao que lhe e transmitido, assim como o que ocorre no homem. Para que se modele o reconhecimento semantico de frases necessário que se encontre uma forma de codificar os sinais do meio para que estes, acompanhando a frase, permitam o reconhecimento de seu significado. Porem, como o objetivo deste trabalho e a implementação do reconhecimento semântico e não a recepção de sinais, optou-se por uma codificação representativa dos sinais externos. Esta codificação permite que, através da tecnologia das Redes Neurais Artificiais, seja possível a implementação de relações semânticas entre palavras e entre frases, permitindo a classificação para posterior reconhecimento. A implementação computacional realizada permite o reconhecimento de frases, mesmo com alteração de palavras e numero de palavras. O protótipo aqui apresentado mostra que, mesmo com uma estrutura extremamente mais simples que outros sistemas de reconhecimento de língua natural, é possível uma adequada identificação de frases. / One of the great challenges of computation nowadays is to cross the abyss between man and machine. Thus, the challenge becomes the formalization of mental states and its computational modelling. This is necessary since man will only get to communicate with a machine when this machine is able to give and receive information without man needs to learn a special way to communicate. Therefore, it is necessary that the machine learns to communicate with man. In this sense, the study of the language becomes an open door in order to create a computation that may be adapted to man. and, at the same time, may help researches which aim at a better comprehension of the brain functioning of the language and of man's learning. This work shows that the computer has a potential for communication that has not been explored yet. For this reason, in prior studies we tried to verify the present stage of man-machine communication modelling in comparison with the human language evolution. We verified, then, that the machine can reach an effective communication with man, but never spontaneous, as we see in scientific fiction (Sci-Fi). What can be possible is the self-organization by computer of signals deriving from its own environment, aiming at realization of specifics tasks. Those signals of the computer environment are exactly what justifies its actions. what gives meaning to what is transmitted to it in the same way that happens with man. In order to mould the Semantic Recognition of phrases it is necessary to find out a way of codifying the signals of the environment so that these signals. accompanying a phrase, may permit recognition of its meaning. However, as the purpose of this work is the implementation of the Semantic Recognition, and not the reception of signals, we have opted for a representative codification of external signals. This codification allows that, through the Artificial Neural Nets technology, the implementation of semantic relations among words and phrases may be possible, permitting the classification for posterior recognition. The computational implementation realized permits the recognition of phrases, even with alteration of words and number of words. The prototype presented here shows that, even with one structure extremely simpler than other systems of Natural Language Recognition, an adequate identification of phrases is possible.

O foco principal desta pesquisa foi a análise de experiências que utilizam as atuais tecnologias de informação e comunicação, em especial a internet, de modo a promover a inclusão digital de comunidades menos favorecidas no Brasil e no mundo. Foram abordadas experiências em comunidades espacialmente referenciadas, ou seja, comunidades concretas que se comunicam também no espaço virtual. Pretendeu-se analisar o modelo de inclusão digital através dos chamados telecentros, utilizados amplamente em vários países, e de algumas experiências significativas que ultrapassem este modelo. Buscou-se, além disso, compreender os mecanismos da chamada inclusão digital, sua ligação com a chamada inclusão social e meios para promovê-la, como por exemplo, o uso de software livre e desenvolvimento de tecnologias mais simples e acessíveis / The main focus of this research was the analysis of experiences that use the current technologies of information and communication, in special, the internet, in order to promote the digital inclusion in communities in Brazil and all over the world. Concrete communities that communicate in the virtual space will be referred. It is intended to analyze the model of the digital inclusion through telecenters, widely used in some countries, and of some significant experiences that exceed this model. Beyond, the research tries to understand the mechanisms of digital inclusion, its links with social inclusion and the ways to promote it, for example, the use of free software and the development of simpler and accessible technologies

O sistema de elevadores como equipamento para o transporte vertical de pessoas e bens é um componente fundamental no projeto de edifícios e, neste âmbito, a disponibilidade e eficiência do seu serviço deve ser objeto de cuidadosa análise em função de sua influência no desempenho e produtividade das atividades dos usuários do prédio. Neste contexto e considerando especificamente os edifícios inteligentes cuja finalidade é a otimização a nível estrutural e funcional do edifício como um todo, e onde a integração entre seus sistemas cumpre um papel fundamental para atingir estes objetivos, o presente trabalho propõe uma metodologia para a modelagem de sistemas de elevadores nestes prédios, que considera a sua integração com outros sistemas prediais. A abordagem empregada no desenvolvimento deste trabalho baseia-se na caracterização dos sistemas de elevadores como sistemas a eventos discretos (SED), pois sua dinâmica é definida através da ocorrência de eventos e a manutenção de estados discretos. Assim, na metodologia utiliza-se técnicas derivadas das redes de Petri (redes de Petri interpretadas), de comprovada eficiência para a modelagem, análise e controle de SEDs. Estas ferramentas são usadas através de uma abordagem estrutural, onde o sistema é modelado em diferentes níveis de abstração: um modelo conceitual obtido pelo uso da técnica PFS (Production Flow Schema) em um primeiro nível, e o refinamento deste para modelos funcionais através do uso do MFG (Mark Flow Graph) e suas extensões, onde são preservadas as estruturas das atividades do nível superior e são descritos os detalhes em um nível funcional. A metodologia proposta confirmou ser útil e eficiente para a modelagem do sistema de elevadores em edifícios inteligentes, ao permitir a especificação do modelo funcional de todo o sistema (objeto de controle e sistema de controle) e das estratégias que facilitam a sua integração com outros sistemas prediais / The elevator system as mean for the vertical transport of people and goods is a fundamental component in the design of buildings. The availability and efficiency of this service must be object of careful analysis due to its influence on the performance and productivity of the building users' activities. In intelligent buildings, the purpose is the optimization of its structural and functional levels and where also the integration between all building systems accomplishes a fundamental role to reach these objectives. In this context, this work proposes a methodology for the modeling of elevator systems in these buildings, which consider your integration with others buildings systems. The approach developed in this work is based on the characterization of elevator systems as Discrete Event Systems (DES), since the dynamic behavior is defined through the discrete events and discrete states. The proposed methodology uses techniques, that are derived of interpreted Petri nets, which has been proven as an efficient tool for modeling, analysis and control of DES. In this context, systems are modeled in different levels of abstraction: a conceptual model which is obtained by using the PFS (Production Flow Schema) technique level, and a functional model by using MFG (Mark Flow Graph) and its extensions. The MFG abstraction level describes details in a functional form, where are preserved the description activities of previous levels. The methodology proposal confirmed to be useful and efficient to elevator systems modeling, when allowing the functional specification of the whole system (object of control and control system), and strategies that facilitate its integration with others building systems.

Given the rise in the application of neural networks to all sorts of interesting problems, it seems natural to apply them to statistical tests. This senior thesis studies whether neural networks built to classify discrete circular probability distributions can outperform a class of well-known statistical tests for uniformity for discrete circular data that includes the Rayleigh Test1, the Watson Test2, and the Ajne Test3. Each neural network used is relatively small with no more than 3 layers: an input layer taking in discrete data sets on a circle, a hidden layer, and an output layer outputting probability values between 0 and 1, with 0 mapping to uniform and 1 mapping to nonuniform. In evaluating performances, I compare the accuracy, type I error, and type II error of this class of statistical tests and of the neural networks built to compete with them. 1 Jammalamadaka, S. Rao(1-UCSB-PB); SenGupta, A.(6-ISI-ASU)Topics in circular statistics. (English summary) With 1 IBM-PC floppy disk (3.5 inch; HD). Series on Multivariate Analysis, 5. World Scientific Publishing Co., Inc., River Edge, NJ, 2001. xii+322 pp. ISBN: 981-02-3778-2 2 Watson, G. S.Goodness-of-fit tests on a circle. II. Biometrika 49 1962 57–63. 3 Ajne, B.A simple test for uniformity of a circular distribution. Biometrika 55 1968 343–354.

Les réseaux périneuronaux (PNN) sont des régulateurs clé de la plasticité et de la régénération des neurones au niveau du système nerveux central chez l’adulte. Le PNN est une matrice extracellulaire hautement organisée, qui entoure des populations spécifiques de neurones, enrichie en protéoglycanes à chondroïtine sulfate (CSPG). La chondroïtine sulfate (CS) est un polysaccharide linéaire, appartenant à la famille des glycosaminoglycanes (GAG), qui peut être sulfaté à différentes positions et donner lieu à plusieurs isoformes. Ces isoformes interagissent de manière spécifique avec de nombreuses molécules de signalisation dont la semaphorine 3A (Sema3A). Sema3A est une protéine secrétée, qui interagit avec les CS et s’accumule ainsi dans les PNN. Elle est impliquée dans la guidance des neurones sur lesquels elle agit par chemorepulsion. Les aspects structuraux et fonctionnels de l’ interaction entre Sema3A et CS sont encore mal connus, mais celle-ci pourrait être requise pour renforcer la liaison de la Sema3A avec ses récepteurs et déclencher une voie de signalisation qui aboutit à l’inhibition de la plasticité synaptique. Le but du projet est donc de caractériser biochimiquement l’interface d’interaction Sema3A-CS. Il a pour perspective d’élaborer des molécules interférant avec cette interaction qui pourraient permettre une amélioration de la plasticité neuronale après une maladie neurodégénérative ou une lésion de la moelle épinière.Pour ce faire, la Sema3A est exprimée dans un système hétérologue de cellules eucaryotes pour être purifiée. Deux formes ont été purifiées: une forme complète de 90 kDa qui reste accrochée à la surface cellulaire et une forme clivée de 65 kDa secrétée dans le milieu de culture. La Sema3A-90 interagit d’une manière sélective et avec une très haute affinité avec la CS-E (chondroitine disulfatée en position 4 et 6) et l’héparane sulfate,alors que, la forme clivée n’interagit avec aucun GAG, comme observé par résonance plasmonique de surface (SPR). Quatre sites, situés dans le domaine C-terminal de la protéine, susceptibles d’interagir avec les GAG ont été identifiés et analysés par mutagenèse. Deux d’entre eux sont impliqués dans la reconnaissance des GAG et sont nécessaires à la Sema3A pour inhiber la croissance de neurites sur des cultures de neurones issus de ganglion de la racine dorsale de rats. En parallèle, nos travaux montrent qu’un tetrasaccharide de CS-E est la taille minimale requise pour l’interaction avec la Sema 3A. Enfin, des analyses réalisées en utilisant une microbalance à cristal de quartz avec dissipation ont montré que la Sema3A pourrait réticuler les chaines de GAGs, participant ainsi à la stabilisation du réseau périneuronal. / Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are the key regulators of neuronal plasticity and regeneration in the mature central nervous system (CNS). They are a unique and highly organised extracellular matrix (ECM) structure, found around sub-population of neurons, composed mainly of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG). Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a linear polysaccharide belonging to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) family. The sulphation pattern defines different types of CS, which interact with different signalling proteins including those regulating axonal outgrowth and guidance such as semaphorin 3A (Sema3A). Sema3A is a secreted chemorepulsive protein found accumulated in the PNNs through its interaction with CS. This process is believed to potentiate Sema3A signalling through plexin A1 (PlxnA1) and Neuropilin 1 (Nrp1) and regulate plasticity and regeneration. The aim of the thesis project is to characterise the interface of Sema3A- CS interaction.For this purpose, Sema3A is expressed in eukaryote cells and purified. Interestingly, two major forms were obtained: a full length Sema3A (90 kDa) which remains attached to the cell surface GAGs and a truncated form without the C-ter part (65 kDa) which is released to the culture medium. With the use of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we observed that full length Sema3A binds selectively to CS-E (4,6-disulfated chondroitin) and heparan sulfate with a high affinity (KD in the sub pM range), while the truncated Sema3A does not bind to any GAG. Four putative GAG binding sequences were identified in the C-ter of Sema3A and mutated using site directed mutagenesis. SPR analysis then revealed that two out of these four sites are required for the binding to CS-E. The importance of these GAG-binding sequences in inhibition of neurites outgrowth of dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture was also reported, indicating thus the importance of GAG-binding in Sema3A signalling. In parallel, the minimal required sequence of Sema3A-binding of CS-E was determined as being a tetrasaccharide. The Sema3A-CS interface was thus characterized. Furthermore, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring analysis suggested that Sema3A could crosslink GAG chains. This suggests Sema3A could be involved in stabilising the PNN network and induces mechanical changes on neuronal surface.The detail characterization of Sema3A-CS interaction may enable the design of new strategies aiming at enhancing plasticity and regeneration for neurodegenerative diseases or spinal cord injury.

Well-behaved SNC covers well-behaved and various classes of FC (free-choice) and is not included in AC (asymmetric choice). An SNC allows internal choices and concurrency and hence is powerful for irodeling. Any SNC is bounded and its liveness conditions are simple. An integrated algorithm, has been presented for verification of a net being SNC and its liveness with polynomial time complexity. Scholars often need to verify properties on nets appearing in literatures. Verification by CAD tool is less desirable than that by hand due to the extra efforts to input the model aid learn to use the tool. We propose to manually search the maximum SNC component followed by locating bad siphons in an incremental manner. We then apply Lautenback's Maridng Condition (MC) for liveness to berify the property of liveness. But there are two drawbacks associated with the above MC. First, it guarantees only deadlock-freeness, and not necessary liveness. We have identified the structure cause for this and developed its livess conditions correspondingly. Second a net may be live even if the MC is not satisfied. We have identified the structure cause for this. The MC has been readjusted based on our proposed new theorey.

Ce travail de thèse adresse deux principaux problèmes en recherche d'information : (1) la formalisation automatique des préférences utilisateur, (ou la pondération automatique de requêtes) et (2) l'indexation sémantique. Dans notre première contribution, nous proposons une approche de recherche d'information (RI) flexible fondée sur l'utilisation des CP-Nets (Conditional Preferences Networks). Le formalisme CP-Net est utilisé d'une part, pour la représentation graphique de requêtes flexibles exprimant des préférences qualitatives et d'autre part pour l'évaluation flexible de la pertinence des documents. Pour l'utilisateur, l'expression de préférences qualitatives est plus simple et plus intuitive que la formulation de poids numériques les quantifiant. Cependant, un système automatisé raisonnerait plus simplement sur des poids ordinaux. Nous proposons alors une approche de pondération automatique des requêtes par quantification des CP-Nets correspondants par des valeurs d'utilité. Cette quantification conduit à un UCP-Net qui correspond à une requête booléenne pondérée. Une utilisation des CP-Nets est également proposée pour la représentation des documents dans la perspective d'une évaluation flexible des requêtes ainsi pondéreés. Dans notre seconde contribution, nous proposons une approche d'indexation conceptuelle basée sur les CP-Nets. Nous proposons d'utiliser le formalisme CP-Net comme langage d'indexation afin de représenter les concepts et les relations conditionnelles entre eux d'une manière relativement compacte. Les noeuds du CP-Net sont les concepts représentatifs du contenu du document et les relations entre ces noeuds expriment les associations conditionnelles qui les lient. Notre contribution porte sur un double aspect : d'une part, nous proposons une approche d'extraction des concepts en utilisant WordNet. Les concepts résultants forment les noeuds du CP-Net. D'autre part, nous proposons d'étendre et d'utiliser la technique de règles d'association afin de découvrir les relations conditionnelles entre les concepts noeuds du CP-Nets. Nous proposons enfin un mécanisme d'évaluation des requêtes basé sur l'appariement de graphes (les CP-Nets document et requête en l'occurrence).

Les tourbières après exploitation perdent leur capacité de puits de carbone, propriété importante dans le contexte des modifications climatiques attendues au cours des prochaines années avec l'augmentation de la teneur atmosphérique en gaz à effet de serre.<br />Afin d'effectuer le bilan de carbone d'une tourbière anciennement exploitée du massif du Jura, trois stades de régénération ont été choisis : tourbe nue, régénération récente avec principalement Eriophorum angustifolium et régénération avancée avec une majorité de Sphagnum. Les flux de carbone et les facteurs abiotiques et biotiques les influençant ont été suivis très régulièrement pendant deux saisons complètes de végétation afin d'établir un modèle empirique et de simuler les flux de carbone.<br />La station de tourbe nue est une faible source de carbone (entre -19 et -32 g C m-2 an-1). Les deux stations en régénération sont des puits de carbone légèrement plus faibles pour la station récente (entre 67 et 166 g C m-2 an-1) que pour la station avancée (entre 93 et 183 g C m-2 an-1).<br />La mesure du δ13C du CO2 respiré des trois stations étudiées a permis de les distinguer avec une signature isotopique de plus en plus négative depuis la tourbe nue jusqu'à la régénération avancée. <br />L'augmentation de la respiration de la tourbe nue avec la baisse du niveau de la nappe a un impact négatif sur le bilan. Ce dernier dépend aussi de la quantité relative de bryophytes (perdant leur capacité de puits de carbone en cas de sécheresse) et de plantes vasculaires (facilitant le dégagement de méthane). Le retour de la fonction de puits de carbone de ces écosystèmes en régénération est ainsi lié aux choix de gestion instaurés sur ces sites.

The presented work focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects concerning the design and development of a formal method to build a mission control system for autonomous underwater vehicles bringing systematic design principles for the formal description of missions using Petri nets. The proposed methodology compounds Petri net building blocks within it to de_ne a mission plan for which it is proved that formal properties, such as reachability and reusability, hold as long as these same properties are also guaranteed by each Petri net building block. To simplify the de_nition of these Petri net blocks as well as their composition, a high level language called Mission Control Language has been developed. Moreover, a methodology to ensure coordination constraints for teams of multiple robots as well as the de_nition of an interface between the proposed system and an on-board planner able to plan/replan sequences of prede_ned mission plans is included as well. Results of experiments with several real underwater vehicles and simulations involving an autonomous surface craft and an autonomous underwater vehicles are presented to show the system's capabilities. / El treball presentat en aquesta tesi està centrat en el disseny i desenvolupament d'un mètode formal per a construir un sistema de control de missió per a vehicles submarins autònoms, que aporta principis sistemàtics de disseny per a la descripció formal de missions. La metodologia proposada parteix d'uns blocs elementals de construcció, descrits mitjançant xarxes de Petri. La composició d'aquests blocs entre si genera un pla de missió per el qual diverses propietats, com ara accessibilitat o reutilització, són garantides sempre i quan aquestes mateixes propietats siguin també garantides per a cada un dels blocs elementals de construcció. Per simplificar la definició d'aquests blocs, així com per simplificar-ne la seva composició, s'ha desenvolupat un llenguatge d'alt nivell anomenat Mission Control Language. A més, s'ha inclòs una metodologia per assegurar la coordinació de restriccions entre equips de múltiples robots. També s'ha establert una interfície entre el sistema proposat i un planificador a bord del vehicle capaç de planificar/replanificar seqü_encies de plans de missió prèviament definits. Per tal de demostrar les capacitats del sistema, s'han presentat resultats d'experiments amb diversos vehicles submarins reals, així com simulacions amb vehicles autònoms submarins i en superfície.