The main motivation of this thesis is to explore several techniques for estimating electric guitar synthesis parameters to replicate the sound of popular guitarists. Many famous guitar players are recognisable by their distinctive electric guitar tone, and guitar enthusiasts would like to play or obtain their favourite guitarist's sound on their own guitars. This thesis starts by exploring the possibilities of replicating a target guitar sound, given an input guitar signal, using a digital filter. A preliminary step is taken where a technique is proposed to transform the sound of a pickup into another on the same electric guitar. A least squares estimator is used to obtain the coefficients of a finite impulse response (FIR) filter to transform the sound. The technique yields good results which are supported by a listening test and a spectral distance measure showing that up to 99% of the difference between input and target signals is reduced. The robustness of the filters towards changes in repetitions, plucking positions, dynamics and fret positions are also discussed. A small increase in error was observed for different repetitions; moderate errors arose when the plucking position and dynamic were varied; and there were large errors when the training and test data comprised different notes (fret positions). Secondly, this thesis explored another possible way to replicate the sound of popular guitarists in order to overcome the limitations provided by the first approach. Instead of directly morphing one sound into another, replicating the sound with electric guitar synthesis provides flexibility that requires some parameters. Three approaches to estimate the pickup and plucking positions of an electric guitar are discussed in this thesis which are the Spectral Peaks (SP), Autocorrelation of Spectral Peaks (AC-SP) and Log-correlation of Spectral Peaks (LC-SP) methods. LC-SP produces the best results with faster computation, where the median absolute errors for pickup and plucking position estimates are 1.97 mm and 2.73 mm respectively using single pickup data and the errors increased slightly for mixed pickup data. LC-SP is also shown to be robust towards changes in plucking dynamics and fret positions, where the median absolute errors for pickup and plucking position estimates are less than 4 mm. The Polynomial Regression Spectral Flattening (PRSF) method is introduced to compensate the effects of guitar effects, amplifiers, loudspeakers and microphones. The accuracy of the estimates is then tested on several guitar signal chains, where the median absolute errors for pickup and plucking position estimates range from 2.04 mm to 7.83 mm and 2.98 mm to 27.81 mm respectively.

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for approximately a third of all death worldwide, with hypertension being a major risk factor for many of those. Hypertension can lead to left ventricle hypertrophy and diastolic and systolic dysfunction. Myocardial deformation parameters have been shown to have high sensitivity at the early stage of contractile dysfunction. They can be derived from myocardial tagging, considered to be the goldstandard method, or from routinely acquired cine images using feature tracking (FT) techniques. This work aimed to validate FT as a post processing technique. Three FT software packages were used to measure strain parameters in healthy subjects and hypertensive patients in order to assess agreement. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was also investigated. The CVI42 software was found to have the best reproducibility. Good agreement across the three software packages and both groups was also observed for circumferential strain calculated from mid-ventricle short axis and longitudinal strain parameters. CVI42 was also compared to the reference tagging analysis by applying both techniques to a healthy and hypertensive patient cohort. Although tagging could discriminate between the two populations (longitudinal strain), no statistically significant differences were found by CVI42. The final validation step was to generate simulation models mimicking simplified cardiac views to compare the experimental results against a true gold-standard for which strain values are known. Two commercial FT software packages were used to analyze the simulated cine images with increasing complexity levels. Both showed inaccurate tracking and high errors compared to analytical values. This indicated that more realistic and complex numerical models should be investigated. Although FT is a relatively new and promising technique, the results demonstrated that it still requires going through standardization to better understand inter-vendor variability.

<div>In this work new methodologies for measuring and monitoring nuclear decay parameters is explored. A determination of the tritium half-life by measuring the current of a betavoltaic device is presented. The benefits of this approach in exploring the possibility of time dependence of nuclear decay parameters is discussed.</div>

Submitted by Fabíola Silva (fabiola.silva@famerp.br) on 2017-05-26T12:24:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 faustodasilvagonçalves_dissert.pdf: 1310792 bytes, checksum: 52a5579dab6c9a6b5bf94f7d828a2eef (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-26T12:24:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 faustodasilvagonçalves_dissert.pdf: 1310792 bytes, checksum: 52a5579dab6c9a6b5bf94f7d828a2eef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-14 / Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, is a diagnostic imaging procedure necessary for the accurate treatment of at least 25% of patients worldwide. While the imaging technology has evolved so dizzying, over 90% of all images required can be performed with simple machines to ultrasound and X- rays. There are data indicating Transvaginal Ultrasonography as one of the most effective methods for detecting ovarian tumors, to be safe, fast, easy to perform and well accepted by patients. It is the most frequently used test for this purpose due to its excellent cost / benefit ratio, being an innocuous and widely used method in the diagnosis of adnexal masses. Numerous studies have been conducted to differentiate adnexal masses and thereby reduce the number of patients subjected to inappropriate treatment. Objectives: Evaluation of sonographic parameters related with the morphological characteristics of pelvic adnexal masses by obtaining two-dimensional images taken by observer presence and sent electronically (via Tele-Ultrasound) in static mode and dynamic observers do not face (distance) for comparative analyzes inter-and intra-observer and validation of a second opinion. Methods: From March to August 2010 50 patients were selected for presenting viewing adnexal mass on ultrasound. The pelvic sonographic examinations were performed by cesarean section and by vaginal Imaging Unit in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital de Base in São José do Rio Preto. The adnexal masses were evaluated according to their morphological characteristics. Results: There was good inter-rater agreement independent of the modality (dynamic and static) used. Conclusions: The sonographic parameters of the morphological characteristics of pelvic adnexal masses directed by Tele-Ultrasound is capable of being validated for issuing a second opinion. There were no significant differences in the methodology employed in the issue of tele-ultrasound images (static or dynamic) to characterize the composition of pelvic adnexal masses. / Introdução: De acordo com a Organização Mundial de Saúde, o diagnóstico por imagem é um procedimento necessário para o tratamento acurado de pelo menos 25% dos pacientes em todo o mundo. Embora a tecnologia de imagem tenha evoluído de forma vertiginosa, mais de 90% de todas as imagens necessárias podem ser realizadas com máquinas simples de Ultrassonografia e Raios-X. Há dados indicando a Ultrassonografia Transvaginal como um dos métodos mais efetivos para detecção de tumores ovarianos, por ser seguro, rápido, fácil de realizar e bem aceito pelas pacientes. É o exame mais utilizado para esse propósito devido a sua excelente relação custo/benefício, ser um método inócuo e amplamente utilizado no diagnóstico de massas anexiais. Inúmeros estudos têm sido realizados para diferenciar as massas anexiais e assim reduzir o número de pacientes submetidas a tratamentos inadequados. Objetivos: Avaliação dos parâmetros ultrassonográficos relacionados com as características morfológicas de massas anexiais pélvicas através da obtenção de imagens bidimensionais realizadas por observador presencial e encaminhadas eletronicamente (via Tele-Ecografia) no modo estático e dinâmico a observadores não presenciais (à distância) para análises comparativas inter e intra- observadores e validação de uma segunda opinião. Casuística e métodos: No período de março a agosto de 2010 foram selecionadas 50 pacientes por apresentarem visualização de massa anexial ao exame ecográfico. Os exames ultrassonográficos pélvicos foram realizados por via abdominal e por via endovaginal na Unidade de Imagenologia do Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia do Hospital de Base de São José do Rio Preto. As massas anexiais foram avaliadas de acordo com suas características morfológicas. Resultados: Houve uma boa concordância inter-examinadores independente da modalidade (dinâmica e estática) utilizada. Conclusões: Os parâmetros ultrassonográficos das características morfológicas de massas anexiais pélvicas encaminhadas por Tele-Ecografia são passíveis de serem validadas para a emissão de uma segunda opinião. Não houve diferenças significativas quanto à metodologia empregada na emissão das imagens tele-ecograficas (estática ou dinâmica) na caracterização da composição das massas anexiais pélvicas.

Orientador: Maria Stella Gonçalves Raddi / Banca: Paulo Pinto Gontijo Filho / Banca: Carlos Henrique Gomes Martins / Resumo: Os principais parâmetros de qualidade do ar de um ambiente naturalmente ventilado e outro climatizado, destinados a ocupação comum, foram analisados. As variáveis ambientais consideradas foram concentração de bactéria (UFC/m3 de ar), concentração de fungo (UFC/m3 de ar), taxa de CO2 (ppm), umidade relativa do ar (%), velocidade (Km/h), temperatura (ºC) e concentração de partículas (æg/m3 de ar). Nossos achados apontam que os parâmetros mais influenciados pela ocupação dos ambientes são taxa de CO2 e concentração de aerossóis bacterianos, porém os valores médios no ambiente ventilado foram menores que no climatizado. Em decorrência da utilização, cada vez mais freqüente, de sistemas de condicionamento do ar, esse trabalho visou colaborar com o conhecimento dos principais parâmetros de qualidade de ar em ambientes climatizados e naturalmente ventilados. Para que a boa qualidade do ar de interiores possa ser mantida, em ambientes onde a ventilação é constante, é imprescindível o controle do número de ocupantes. / Abstract: The mainly environmentals parameters of the air quality in ventilatized and climatized ambients, destinated to the common occupation, were analyzed in this research. The evaluated environmental variables were the concentration of bacteria (CFU/m3 of air), concentration of fungo (CFU/m3 of air), rate of carbon dioxide (ppm), relative air humidity (%), speed (Km/h), temperature (ºC) and concentration of particles (æg/m3 of air). The correlation among the number of people, and the other variables, obtain significance, in the two samples, for the concentration of bacterial aerosols, CO2 rate and the temperature for the climatized ambient. In the ventilated ambient only the CO2 concentration and the number of people was correlated in the two samples. / Mestre

Les cellules souches embryonnaires (ESCs) sont dérivées d'embryons au stade blastocyste. Elles sont caractérisées par la capacité de se diviser et de maintenir un phénotype indifférencié et en présence de stimuli, de se différencier en cellules spécialisées dérivées des trois feuillets embryonnaires, c'est la pluripotence. Elles sont un outil puissant pour modéliser des maladies génétiques à des fins de découvertes en recherche fondamentale et aussi dans un but d’applications cliniques. Les mESCs sont maintenues pluripotentes in vitro en présence de LIF (Leukemia Inhibitor Factor), une cytokine de la famille des Interleukines 6 (IL6) présentant des effets pléiotropes en fonction du type et de la maturité cellulaire. Le retrait de LIF conduit à la différenciation hétérogène des mESCs dont une partie meurt par apoptose. Lors du retrait de LIF, les cellules entrent séquentiellement dans des phases d'engagement réversible (jusqu'à 36h après retrait du LIF) et irréversible, au cours desquelles la re-stimulation par le LIF induit des effets différents. Afin de mieux caractériser cet effet de LIF, nous avons mis au point un « test de plasticité » in vitro et avons étudié l'impact de paramètres environnementaux qui pourraient moduler cette plasticité dans les mESCs. Nous avons montré que la MMP1 (Matrix Metalloproteinase 1), qui peut remplacer le LIF dans le maintien de la pluripotence, est moins efficace pour le maintien de la plasticité cellulaire des mESCs. Nous avons aussi montré que les mESCs restent pluripotentes et plastiques à 3% d'O2, in vitro, et qu’elles se caractérisent par un nouvel équilibre d'expression des gènes et des protéines en comparaison à 20% d'O2. / Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) are derived from embryo at the blastocyst stage. These cells are characterized by their properties of self-renewal and pluripotency: ability to divide and maintain an undifferentiated phenotype and to differentiate into specialized cells of the three primary germ layers in the presence of stimuli. ESCs are a powerful tool to modelize genetic diseases for fundamental research and clinical applications. Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (mESCs) are maintained pluripotent in vitro in the presence of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF), an Interleukin 6 (IL6) cytokine family member which displays pleiotropic functions, depending on both maturity and type of cells. LIF withdrawal leads to heterogeneous differentiation of mESCs and part of the differentiated cells die by apoptosis. During the kinetics of LIF withdrawal, we show that cells enter a LIF-dependent reversible (up to 36h of LIF withdrawal) and irreversible phase of differentiation in which LIF-restimulation induces differential effects. To better characterize this period and LIF-dependent processes, we settled up an in vitro « plasticity test » and investigated the impact of environmental parameters that could regulate cell plasticity in mESCs. Our results reveal that the Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), which can replace LIF cytokine for maintenance of mESCs pluripotency, mimics its effects in the plasticity window, but with less efficiency. In addition, we demonstrate that mESCs maintain plasticity and pluripotency potentials in vitro, under 3% O2 (physioxic condition) with a new equilibrium of gene and protein expression levels compared to 20% O2.

Os aglomerados globulares ricos em metais do bojo são uma peça chave na compreensão da história evolutiva da nossa Galáxia e o estudo dessas populações estelares simples pode fornecer vínculos importantes aos modelos de formação do bojo galáctico. Neste trabalho apresentamos o estudo feito com 22 estrelas dos aglomerados globulares NGC 6528 e NGC 6553, aglomerados representativos da população estelar do bojo. Através do uso de dados fotométricos e espectroscópicos determinamos a velocidade radial, temperatura efetiva, gravidade superficial e metalicidade das estrelas. Encontramos parâmetros que cobrem os intervalos 3200 <= Tef <= 5000K e -0.5 <= log g <= 2.4, representando portanto uma faixa de estágios evolutivos do aglomerado. O valor médio de [Fe/H] para os dois aglomerados foi estimado em -0.5dex, tanto pelo uso de índices de metalicidade de Lick, de calibrações de larguras equivalentes de TiO W(TiO) em função de parâmetros atmosféricos e principalmente através de espectros sintéticos. Foram encontrados também indícios de sobreabundância de elementos a. Essas estrelas estudadas são estrelas de referência para o estudo de populações estelares velhas e ricas em metais, de modo que testar e calibrar os espectros sintéticos com esses espectros estelares é um importante passo para garantir a qualidade dos espectros sintéticos na síntese de populações estelares. / The metal-rich bulge globular clusters are a keystone for the understanding of the evolutionary history of our Galaxy and the study of the bulge stellar populations provides constraints to models of bulge formation. In this work we present the study of 22 stars in the globular clusters NGC 6528 and NGC 6553, templates of the metal-rich populations of the bulge. With the use of photometric and spectroscopic data, we have found the radial velocities, effective temperatures, gravities and metallicities of these stars. The parameters found are in the range 3200 <= Tef <= 5000K and -0.5 <= log g <= 2.4, covering from the Horizontal Branch to the tip of the Red Giant Branch evolutionary stages. The mean metallicity determined was [Fe/H] = -0.5 dex, from the Lick indices, calibrations of equivalent widths of TiO as a function of stellar parameters and comparisons to the synthetic spectra. A trend is found for an overabundance of a elements. These stars are templates for the study of old metal-rich stellar populations and the fitting of the synthetic spectra to the observed stellar spectra is an important check of the quality of the synthetic spectra for stellar population synthesis.

Estudos já apontaram para o crescente desaparecimento do pronome clítico dativo de terceira pessoa e para a substituição da preposição a pela preposição para na introdução de objeto indireto (OI) lexical no português brasileiro (PB). Tal fenômeno é identificado a partir de dados do século XIX e esses estudos, em sua maioria, partem de dados da linguagem adulta, sendo que poucos tratam deste fenômeno no âmbito escolar. Esta dissertação discute as estratégias de preenchimento do dativo no português brasileiro (PB), caracterizado pela gramática tradicional de objeto indireto, com o uso das preposições a e para, sob a forma nula e de pronome (lhe/lhes) em redações de alunos de 6º. ao 9º. ano de um colégio público e um colégio particular, da cidade de Santos. Nosso objetivo é verificar o papel da escola na recuperação das formas de prestígio e confrontar os dados encontrados com os trabalhos de Torres Morais e Berlinck (2006), Freire (2011) e Dutra (2003), os quais apontam três estratégias inovadoras: a substituição da preposição a por para, a perda progressiva dos clíticos de 3ª pessoa (lhe/lhes), que são substituídos pela forma preposicionada (a ele/eles, a ela/elas), e o aumento das formas nulas. Acima disso, espera-se, no confronto entre as produções textuais produzidas pelos alunos da escola pública e particular, indagar se há diferença na gramática internalizada de alunos que receberam diferentes estímulos linguísticos. / Several studies have pointed at the increasing disappearance of the pronoun dative clitic third person and for the replacement of the preposition a for para for the introduction of indirect object (OI) lexical in Brazilian Portuguese (PB). This phenomenon is identified from data of the nineteenth century and these studies, mostly originated from data of adult language, and few deal with this phenomenon in the school environment. This essay discusses strategies for fulfilling the dative complement in Brazilian Portuguese (BP), characterized by traditional grammar as indirect object, with the usage of the prepositions a and para and its usage as a null form and a pronoun (lhe/lhes) in 6th to 9th grade students\' compositions within a public and a private school, in Santos. Our aim is to verify the school\'s role in the rescuing of the forms of prestige and comparing the data found in the works of Torres Morais and Berlinck (2006), Freire (2011), and Dutra (2003), which point at three innovative strategies: the replacement of the preposition a for para, the progressive loss of 3rd person clitics (lhe/lhes), which are replaced for the prepositional form (a ele/eles, a ela/elas), and the increasing of null forms. Moreover, it is attempted to question if there is a difference, in the grammar internalized by students from public and private school who received different linguistic stimuli.

O diagnóstico sorológico da cisticercose vem se destacando como uma fonte alternativa seguramente eficaz ao estudo da doença. Com a proposta de acessibilidade, devido primordialmente a relação custo, os testes ELISA são promissores à pesquisa sorológica de campo. O problema iminente está na utilização de extratos antigênicos capazes de gerar ao teste, parâmetros compatíveis para a pesquisa de anticorpos na população de baixa prevalência. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho objetivou a avaliação de um teste ELISA com alto valor preditivo positivo (VPP) para a pesquisa de anticorpos anti-cisticercos de Taenia solium em inquéritos sorológicos na população geral. Os antígenos ensaiados foram proteína 18/14 kDa de líquido vesicular de T. crassiceps (18/14-Tcra), liquido vesicular de T. crassiceps (LV-Tcra) e total de cisticercos de T. solium (T-Tso), respectivamente estes constituíram os testes ELISA-18/14, ELISA-Tcra e ELISA-Tso. Foram ensaiadas 610 amostras de soro de indivíduos supostamente saudáveis e 20 amostras de soro de indivíduos com neurocisticercose confirmados por critérios clínicos e laboratoriais. Após os ensaios, o teste ELISA-18/14 apresentou sensibilidade e especificidade de 100% e mesmo em diferentes prováveis prevalências (0,1; 0,5; 1,0 e 5,0%) o VPP e o valor preditivo negativo (VPN) foram fixados também em 100%. A repetitividade das leituras do teste expressa em coeficiente de variação apresentou-se entre 16 e 18%. O teste ELISA-Tcra não demonstrou o mesmo desempenho, a especificidade foi calculada em 96,3% e o VPP variou entre 2,6 a 59,3% para prevalências de 0,1 a 5,0%; quanto à sensibilidade e VPN houve similaridade entre os resultados. O ELISATso apresentou resultados ainda menos expressivos, a especificidade foi calculada em 95,7% e o VPP variou entre 2,3 a 55% para as prevalências de 0,1 a 5,0%; essa redução na especificidade se dá pelo aumento do número de resultados falso-positivos no teste em conseqüência da expressão de proteínas de alto peso molecular. Através dos parâmetros avaliados fica notório o desempenho promissor do teste ELISA-18/14 na pesquisa de anticorpos anti-cisticercos de Taenia solium em inquéritos sorológicos da população geral. / The serum diagnosis of cyticercosis has been highlighted as an efficient alternative source in the study of the disease. With an accessability proposal , due to the expense, the ELISA´s tests are promising to the serum´s field research. This problem makes necessary the use of antigens extracts able to give the test, trusted and compatible parameters to the research of antibodies in the population of low prevalence. In this context, this current work stablished the evaluation of the ELISA´s test with a high predictive value positive(PPV) to the anti-cysticerci of Taenia solium antibodies research in a serum inquiry of the general population. The antigens tested were the 18/14 kDa protein of the vesicular liquid of T. crassiceps (18/14-Tcra), the vesicular liquid of T. crassiceps (LV-Tcra) and the total of T.solium (T-Tso). That constituted in the ELISA 18/14, ELISATcra and ELISA-Tso test respectively. There were 610 sample of serum were tested of healthy people and 20 samples of serum with confirmed neurocysticercosis by clinical and laboratorial criterias. After these tests, the ELISA´s test showed sensibility and specificity in 100% of the cases, even in different prevalences (0,1; 0,5; 1,0 and 5,0%) the VPP and the predictive value negative (VPN) were also fixed in 100%. The repetition of the test expressed in variation coefficient occurred between 16 and 18% of the cases. The ELISATcra didn´t show the same development, the specificity were calculation in 96,3% and the VPP wanted between 2,6 and 59,3% to the prevalences of 0,1 to 5,0%; there were similarities of the results of sensibility and VPP. The ELISA-Tso showed less important results the specificity was calculated in 95,7% and the VPP between 2,3 and 55,0% to the prevalences of 0,1 to 5,0%, this reduction of specificity is due to the increase of the number of false-positive results in the test because of the expression of proteins of high molecular weight. Through these parameters it´s clear the promising development of the ELISA-18/14 test, as been arbitrary in the studies of serology inquiry in the general population.

The kinetics of the oxidation of [Fe(CN)6]-4 by K[Co(HEDTA)NO2] was studied in order to get the mechanism and the activation parameters of the reaction. Using a freshly-made Na3PO4 solution as the reaction medium with a pH of 6.00 the ionic strength was maintained at 0.10 M and the buffer molarity was 0.001 M. The rate constant (kobs) of the reaction between [Fe(CN)6]-4 and K[Co(HEDTA)NO2] was determined at temperatures of 25.0°C, 27.5°C, 30.0°C, 35.0°, and 40.0°C. We explored this reaction by monitoring the evolution of ferricyanide, [Fe(CN)6]-3, spectroscopically for which ε420 = 1023 cm-1 M-1 by recording the absorbance as a function of time at 420 nm wavelength. The data were plotted and results analyzed to give activation parameters, energy of activation (Ea), entropy of activation (ΔS‡), and enthalpy of activation (ΔH‡) for the two reacting complexes under the specified reaction conditions. Based on previous results, an outer-sphere electron-transfer pathway and a first order rate of reaction for each of the reacting species 1 have been proposed.