Compulsory notification of cysticercosis in Ribeir?o Preto-SP, Brazil

Cysticercosis is a severe public health problem in several regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Epidemiologic studies based on the frequency of cases observed in specialized neurology, neurosurgery and computed tomography services, at autopsy and in seroepidemiologic studies do not permit the determination of the true prevalence of the disease in the population. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of cysticercosis by compulsory notification. The coefficient of prevalence was 54 cases/100,000 inhabitants in the municipality of Ribeir?o Preto. The results also indicated that cysticercosis is not under control in our region since 21% of cases presented the active form of the disease. Compulsory notification proved to be a valuable resource for the epidemiologic study of cysticercosis, also permitting the mapping of more affected areas for a better direction of prevention strategies.     

Robust linear quadratic regulator applied to an inverted pendulum

The natural instability of an inverted pendulum and its dynamics richness, in terms of nonlinearity, provide a nice apparatus to reproduce behaviors of analogous systems. In this way, it is useful to perform benchmark tests for new control approaches developed. In this paper, we address the main inverted pendulum problems: pendulum stabilization, tracking, and catching swing-up control. We show how robust recursive, control and filtering, techniques improve the system performance. They are developed to solve stochastic problems based on deterministic approaches, in order to decrease the worst influence of uncertainties. Experimental results of the proposed robust approach provide robust stability and performance despite parametric uncertainties, disturbances, and noise effects.     

Fault detection and isolation in robotic manipulators via neural networks: A comparison among three architectures for residual analysis

In this article we discuss artificial neural networks‐based fault detection and isolation (FDI) applications for robotic manipulators. The artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used for both residual generation and residual analysis. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) is employed to reproduce the dynamics of the robotic manipulator. Its outputs are compared with actual position and velocity measurements, generating the so‐called residual vector. The residuals, when properly analyzed, provides an indication of the status of the robot (normal or faulty operation). Three ANNs architectures are employed in the residual analysis. The first is a radial basis function network (RBFN) which uses the residuals of position and velocity to perform fault identification. The second is again an RBFN, except that it uses only the velocity residuals. The third is an MLP which also performs fault identification utilizing only the velocity residuals. The MLP is trained with the classical back‐propagation algorithm and the RBFN is trained with a Kohonen self‐organizing map (KSOM). We validate the concepts discussed in a thorough simulation study of a Puma 560 and with experimental results with a 3‐joint planar manipulator. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A dependency constraint language to manage object‐oriented software architectures

This paper presents a domain‐specific dependency constraint language that allows software architects to restrict the spectrum of structural dependencies, which can be established in object‐oriented systems. The ultimate goal is to provide architects with means to define acceptable and unacceptable dependencies according to the planned architecture of their systems. Once defined, such restrictions are statically enforced by a tool, thus avoiding silent erosions in the architecture. The paper also presents results from applying the proposed approach to different versions of a real‐world human resource management system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure,DC and AC conductivity of oxazine thin films prepared by thermal evaporation technique

Thin films of oxazine (OXZ) were prepared using thermal evaporation technique under high vacuum. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DSC) was investigated. Thin films of nano-crystalline OXZ were identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Temperature dependence of the DC electrical conductivity was investigated in the temperature range 300–425 K. Measurements revealed that the DC behavior of the films can be described by Mott's one-dimensional variable range hopping (VRH) model in the entire temperature range. The AC conductivity of the sample is found to be proportional to ω^s. The temperature dependence of the AC conductivity and the frequency exponent, s is reasonably well interpreted in terms of the correlated barrier-hopping CBH model. Frequency dependence of the capacitance in the frequency range 42 Hz–5 MHz indicates that the capacitance is strongly frequency dependent. The capacitance was determined to decrease with increasing frequency at low frequency and less rapidly at higher frequencies. This is quantitatively interpreted using an equivalent circuit model.     

Application of lysine, taurine, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate in fermented cooked sausages with 50% replacement of NaCl by KCl

The effects of 50% replacement of NaCl by KCl and addition of the amino acids lysine and taurine and the 5'-ribonucleotide disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate on some sensory and physicochemical parameters of fermented cooked sausages were evaluated. The partial replacement of NaCl by KCl did not alter the manufacturing process; however, defects in the sensory quality were detected. Lysine at a concentration of 0.313% and a mixture of taurine (750 mg/kg) with disodium inosinate (300 mg/kg) and disodium guanylate (300 mg/kg) reduced the sensory defects caused by KCl, allowing the fermented cooked sausages to be elaborated with reduced sodium content and high sensory quality.     

Robust Discrete-Time Markovian Control for Wheeled Mobile Robot Formation: A Fault Tolerant Approach

In this paper we use a recursive robust regulator for discrete time Markovian jump linear systems to control a group of wheeled mobile robots in formation. A leader-following formation is used with directed communication topology. The robustness is checked with a communication fault in blind areas and, if the fault affects the leader, the leadership is changed and the formation continues to follow the defined trajectory. When the communication is reestablished all robots that lost communication return to their position in the formation. Results based on simulation and real implementation are presented to show the effectiveness of the formation control approach used.     

Effect of brine composition and brining temperature on cheese physical properties in Ragusano cheese

Composition and physical properties of cheeses are influenced by temperature, salt, and calcium concentration of brine. This work aimed to examine conditions of brine under which the cheese matrix contracts or expands in absence of restrictions imposed by surface rind development during overnight block formation. Three experimental 4-kg blocks of Ragusano cheese were produced at 3 different stretching temperatures (70, 80, and 90°C) and cut into pieces weighing approximately 40 to 50 g. One piece from each was chemically analyzed at time 0. All other pieces were measured for weight and volume and placed in plastic bags containing 300 mL of different brine solutions (2% NaCl with 0.1% Ca; 10% NaCl with 0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.4% Ca; 18% NaCl with 0.1% Ca; and 26% NaCl with 0.1% Ca) at 3 different temperatures (4, 12, and 20°C). After 24h of brining, the cheeses were analyzed for weight, volume, chemical, and microstructural changes. Salt concentration in brine significantly influenced composition, weight, and volume of the cheeses after brining. Salt concentration was inversely related to cheese volume and weight. Changes in weight caused by altering the brining temperature were sufficient to reach statistical significance, and statistically significant volume changes were induced by brining temperature and its interaction with salt content. The highest volume increase (30%) occurred in the cheese stored in the 2% NaCl brine at the coldest temperature, whereas the greatest volume decrease was recorded in cheeses brined in the 26% NaCl brine. Composition was not affected by brining temperature. Calcium concentration did influence weight, volume, and composition, except on a fat-on-dry-basis. When cheeses were brined without added calcium, cheese volume and weight increased at all temperatures. At high calcium levels (0.4%), syneresis occurred and volume decreased, especially at 20°C (-16.5%). Microstructural investigation with porosity measurement confirmed weight and volume changes.     

Polyvinylpyrrolidone electrospun nanofibers doped with Eu3+: Fabrication,characterization, and application in gas sensors

Polymer nanofibers (NFs)-based optical sensors hold great potential to fabricate low-cost devices capable to monitor different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) related to healthcare and environmental conditions. For instance, ammonia detection is a subject of paramount importance, owing to the serious health problems associated to the exposition to this volatile. In this context, here, we report on the development of optical electrospun NFs composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) doped with Europium (Eu³⁺) aiming at the detection of ammonia. The fabricated NFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, photoluminescence, and excited state lifetime spectroscopies. The luminescence properties changes were evaluated by exposing the PVP_Eu³⁺ NFs to ammonia and other distinct interfering VOCs including toluene, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, triethylamine, acetic acid, and chloroform. The sensor exhibited a linear response to ammonia exposition in the concentration range from 0 to 50 ppm, yielding a detection limit of 4.7 ppm. Our results indicate the potential application of PVP_Eu³⁺ electrospun NFs in optical sensors for ammonia detection at room temperature based on luminescence quenching. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47775.