Power consumption is a critical issue for portable devices. The ever-increasing demand for multimode wireless applications and the growing concerns towards power-aware green technology make dynamically reconfigurable hardware an attractive solution for overcoming the power issue. This is due to its advantages of flexibility, reusability, and adaptability. During the last decade, reconfigurable analog-to-digital converters (ReADCs) have been used to support multimode wireless applications. With the ability to adaptively scale the power consumption according to different operation modes, reconfigurable devices utilise the power supply efficiently. This can prolong battery life and reduce unnecessary heat emission to the environment. However, current adaptive mechanisms for ReADCs rely upon external control signals generated using digital signal processors (DSPs) in the baseband. This thesis aims to provide a single-chip solution for real-time and low-power ReADC implementations that can adaptively change the converter resolution according to signal variations without the need of the baseband processing. Specifically, the thesis focuses on the analysis, design and implementation of a low-power digital controller unit for ReADCs. In this study, the following two important reconfigurability issues are investigated: i) the detection mechanism for an adaptive implementation, and ii) the measure of power and area overheads that are introduced by the adaptive control modules. This thesis outlines four main achievements to address these issues. The first achievement is the development of the switching activity measurement (SWAM) method to detect different signal components based upon the observation of the output of an ADC. The second achievement is a proposed adaptive algorithm for ReADCs to dynamically adjust the resolution depending upon the variations in the input signal. The third achievement is an ASIC implementation of the adaptive control module for ReADCs. The module achieves low reconfiguration overheads in terms of area and power compared with the main analog part of a ReADC. The fourth achievement is the development of a low-power noise detection module using a conventional ADC for signal improvement. Taken together, the findings from this study demonstrate the potential use of switching activity information of an ADC to adaptively control the circuits, and simultaneously expanding the functionality of the ADC in electronic systems.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:31:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rose L C R Pizzolante.pdf: 1342359 bytes, checksum: 9d8b1b72469c34a1051a6db75cc0aa6a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-11 / This essay has the purpose to place psychotherapy in the context of social inequalities, defending its importance when facing psychic questions derived from such differences and the necessity to offer it to every citizen. Its specific purpose is the analysis of a psychotherapy proposition built up in the course of 8 years of work with low-income people. Subjects are part of a psychotherapy group this researcher works with at a medical health insurance center for lowincome people. While attending them we have observed that many of their complaints result from a life marked with inequalities and social injustices that affect their psychic configuration in the sense called by Sawaia as an ethicalpolitical suffering. Espinosa s and Vygotsky s theories and the way Sawaia understands the dialog between the philosopher and the Russian author give the basis for the reflection in this work as well Freud s reflections on the necessity to give to the poor the benefits of a psychotherapeutic treatment. The methodological support was based on research-action principles and its procedures such as: elaboration of a field log by the researcher, another one by a group of patients and the use of semi-structure, open-ended questionnaire for all. Analysis of the reported and obtained information mediated by theoretical reflections shows that it is possible to empower patients to change the way they think and behave, in a short time, if compared to patients from private clinics. It gave us material for a critical psychotherapy analysis and for the formulation of a psychotherapy directed toward the suffering caused by social inequalities. In this direction, they point to the necessity of a social commitment of the psychotherapist and the inclusion of this group psychotherapy in questions of public health / Este trabalho tem como objetivo situar a psicoterapia no contexto da desigualdade social, defendendo a sua importância no enfrentamento das questões psíquicas daí derivadas, e a necessidade de oferecê-las a todos os cidadãos. Tem como objetivo específico a análise de uma proposta de psicoterapia construída ao longo de oito anos de trabalho com pessoas de baixa renda. Esta pesquisa teve como pesquisados pessoas que se tratam conosco, num convênio médico voltado para classes pobres. No atendimento a pessoas pobres, observamos que, muito dos seus sofrimentos psíquicos, procedem de seu contexto social, onde as desigualdades e injustiças sociais constituem o seu cotidiano e sua configuração psíquica. Além dos sofrimentos inerentes ao homem, tem o acréscimo daqueles provindos de sua situação social, ao qual, segundo Sawaia, denomina-se de sofrimento ético-político, criando, assim, uma categoria psicossocial para trabalhar os afetos. As teorias de Espinosa, Vygotsky e a forma como Sawaia compreende o diálogo entre o filósofo e o autor russo, serviram de referência teórica para desenvolver as questões acima referidas. Baseada nos conceitos de Thiollent, pesquisa-ação deu-nos suporte metodológico e, como procedimento de avaliação desta psicoterapia, foram escolhidas técnicas próprias da pesquisa-ação, como: a construção de um diário, por grupos de pacientes, a aplicação de um questionário semi-aberto1, para todos os integrantes dos grupos atendidos por nós, e a elaboração de um diário de campo, pela pesquisadora, que continha todas as sessões realizadas de abril de 2002 a dezembro de 2005

The primary objective of this PhD program was to investigate the impact of training at a constant-load moderate-intensity (FATmax) compared to work-matched high-intensity intervals (HIIT) on the metabolic, physiological and psychosocial health profiles of sedentary overweight and obese men. This study was unique in that it was the first time the effect of exercise intensity had been investigated to examine concurrently the components of whole-body energy metabolism and body composition as measured using gold standard techniques. Based upon the positive alterations in blood lipids, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and substrate oxidation, it appears that training at FATmax can positively impact health parameters as well as, or if not better than, high-intensity training. Furthermore, there are ramifications for public health messages and obesity management strategies arising from these findings, primarily attributable to the increased exercise adherence and the reduction in health risks stemming from the significant loss of abdominal visceral adipose tissue after FATmax training.

<p>U ovom radu je izvr&scaron;eno kvantitativno&nbsp;određivanje i identifikacija biljnih fenola i&nbsp;<br />flavonoida etanolih ekstrakata ploda per&scaron;una&nbsp;(<em>Petroselini fructus</em>), kore kru&scaron;ine (<em>Frangulae&nbsp;cortex</em>), lista pitome nane (<em>Mentha piperitae&nbsp;folium</em>), ploda kima (<em>Carvi fructus</em>) i lista breze&nbsp;(<em>Betulae folium</em>), kao i komercijalnog preparata Vitalplant^&reg;((<em>Frangulae cortex</em>(35 %),&nbsp; <em>Mentha&nbsp;piperitae folium</em>(20%),&nbsp; <em>Carvi fructus</em>(20 %),&nbsp;<em>Petroselini fructus&nbsp;</em>(25 %)). U nastavku&nbsp;istraživanja ispitivana je antioksidantna aktivnosti etanolih ekstrakata primenom&nbsp;direktnih, ESR &ldquo;spin trap&ldquo; spektroskopskih&nbsp;metoda određivanja &ldquo;skevindžer&ldquo; aktivnosti na&nbsp;superoksid anjon i &nbsp;hidroksil radikale i&nbsp;indirektnih, spektrofotometrijskih testova za&nbsp;određivanje skevindžer&ldquo; aktivnosti na DPPH˙&nbsp;radikale, redoks potencijala i helatacione&nbsp;aktivnosti, kao i antioksidantne aktivnosti u&nbsp;sistemu&nbsp; &beta;-karoten-linolna kiselina. Osim navedenog, deo istraživanja je posvećen&nbsp;ispitivanju termičke stabilnosti ekstrakata&nbsp;navedenih biljaka i komercijalnog preparata&nbsp;Vitalplant^&reg;&nbsp;radi sticanja uvida u mogućnost&nbsp;njihove primene u &nbsp;pekarskim proizvodima. U&nbsp;poslednjoj fazi rada, izvr&scaron;eno je određivanje sposobnosti pulvisa i etanolnog ekstrakta komercijalnog &nbsp;preparata Vitalplant^&reg; da inhibiraju oksidaciju lipida u keksu, primenom spektrofotometrijskih testova &ldquo;skevindžer&ldquo; aktivnosti &nbsp;na DPPH˙ radikale i MDA testa. Ispitane biljne sirovine, kao i komercijalni preparat Vitalplant^&reg;&nbsp;su bogat izvor jedinjenja iz klase biljnih fenola. Sve ispitane biljne droge poseduju antioksidantnu aktivnost, koja se značajno ne menja usled termičkog tretmana. Dodatak biljne me&scaron;avine Vitalplant^&reg;&nbsp;, upravo proporcionalno njenom sadržaju, &nbsp;dovodi do povećanja antioksidantne aktivnosti keksa i smanjenja stepena lipidne peroksidacije.&nbsp;</p> / <p>In this paper, quantitative determination and identification of plant phenolics and flavonoids of ethanolic extracts obtained from parsley fruit (<em>Petroselini fructus</em>), buckthorn bark (<em>Frangulae cortex</em>), mint leaves (<em>Mentha piperitae folium</em>), caraway fruit&nbsp; (<em>Carvi fructus</em>), birch leaves (<em>Betulae folium</em>), as well as from commercial preparation Vitalplant&reg; ((<em>Frangulae cortex</em>(35 %), <em>Mentha piperitae folium</em>&nbsp;(20%), <em>Carvi fructus</em>(20 %), <em>Petroselini fructus&nbsp;</em>(25 %)) was performed. In addition, antioxidant&nbsp; activity of ethanolic extracts was tested, by applying direct, ESR &ldquo;spin trap&ldquo; &nbsp;spectroscopic methods for the determination of scavenging activity on superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals, and indirect, spectrophotometric methods for the determination of DPPH˙ radical scavenging activity, reducing power, chelating activity and antioxidant activity in&nbsp; &beta;-carotene-linoleic acid model system. Moreover, thermal stability of the ethanolic extracts was tested in order to get insight into possible application of the extracts in bakery products. Finally, the ability of the commercial preparation Vitalplant&reg;, in the form of powder and extract, to inhibit oxidative changes of cookies was tested by applying spectrophotometric DPPH radical scavenging and MDA tests.</p><p>According to obtained results, investigated plant samples, including commercial preparation Vitalplant&reg;, are rich source of plant phenolics. Investigated plant drugs possess antioxidant activity, which is not significantly changed after the thermal treatment. Cookie supplementation with commercial preparation Vitalplant&reg; results in&nbsp; better oxidative stability of lipids and enhanced antioxidant activity of the cookies.</p>