Spatial electric load forecasting using a local movement approach

An agent based model for spatial electric load forecasting using a local movement approach for the spatiotemporal allocation of the new loads in the service zone is presented. The density of electrical load for each of the major consumer classes in each sub-zone is used as the current state of the agents. The spatial growth is simulated with a walking agent who starts his path in one of the activity centers of the city and goes to the limits of the city following a radial path depending on the different load levels. A series of update rules are established to simulate the S growth behavior and the complementarity between classes. The results are presented in future load density maps. The tests in a real system from a mid-size city show a high rate of success when compared with other techniques. The most important features of this methodology are the need for few data and the simplicity of the algorithm, allowing for future scalability. © 2009 IEEE.

Analyzing the effect of homogeneous frustration in protein folding

The energy landscape theory has been an invaluable theoretical framework in the understanding of biological processes such as protein folding, oligomerization, and functional transitions. According to the theory, the energy landscape of protein folding is funneled toward the native state, a conformational state that is consistent with the principle of minimal frustration. It has been accepted that real proteins are selected through natural evolution, satisfying the minimum frustration criterion. However, there is evidence that a low degree of frustration accelerates folding. We examined the interplay between topological and energetic protein frustration. We employed a Cα structure-based model for simulations with a controlled nonspecific energetic frustration added to the potential energy function. Thermodynamics and kinetics of a group of 19 proteins are completely characterized as a function of increasing level of energetic frustration. We observed two well-separated groups of proteins: one group where a little frustration enhances folding rates to an optimal value and another where any energetic frustration slows down folding. Protein energetic frustration regimes and their mechanisms are explained by the role of non-native contact interactions in different folding scenarios. These findings strongly correlate with the protein free-energy folding barrier and the absolute contact order parameters. These computational results are corroborated by principal component analysis and partial least square techniques. One simple theoretical model is proposed as a useful tool for experimentalists to predict the limits of improvements in real proteins. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Estudo do efeito da adição de frustração no enovelamento de proteínas utilizando modelos baseados em estruturas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Regimes de frustração ótima em enovelamento de proteínas com modelos baseado em estrutura

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Determinação do grau de ionização de aminoácidos polares carregados

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Métodos analíticos, numéricos e experimentais para o cálculo de ondas de impacto em meios líquidos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A representação social do adolescente egresso do regime de internação na Febem sobre o processo de (re)socialização

Pós-graduação em Educação Escolar - FCLAR

Fragilidade ambiental e qualidade dos solos em duas bacias hidrográficas de uso rural, em Ibiúna, SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A vulnerabilidade da ictiofauna à invasão por espécies de peixes: um modelo baseado no indivíduo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo do coeficiente de difusão no enovelamento de proteína

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influência do tipo de conexão protética, do platform-switching e do designe do implante no ambiente biomecânico de implantes imediatos com carga imediata

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Formação de teias tróficas e sua resistência à introdução e exclusão de espécies: propriedades resultantes de um modelo computacional baseado no indivíduo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Water use of Juniperus virginiana trees encroached into mesic prairies in Oklahoma, USA

Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) is encroaching into mesic prairies of the southern Great Plains, USA, and is altering the hydrologic cycle. We used the thermal dissipation technique to quantify daily water use of J. virginiana into a mesic prairie by measuring 19 trees of different sizes from different density stands located in north-central Oklahoma during 2011. We took the additional step to calibrate our measurements by comparing thermal dissipation technique estimates to volumetric water use for a subset of trees. Except for days with maximum air temperature below -3 degrees C, J. virginiana trees used water year round, reached a peak in late May, and exhibited reduced water use in summer when soil water availability was low. Overall daily average water use was 24 l (+/- 21.81 s.d.) per tree. Trees in low density stands used more water than trees with similar diameters from denser stands. However, there was no difference in water use between trees in different density stands when expressed on a canopy area basis. Approximately 50% of variation in water use that remained after accounting for the factors site, tree, and day was explained using a physiologically-based model that included daily potential evapotranspiration, maximum vapour pressure deficit, maximum temperature, solar radiation, and soil water storage between 0 and 10 cm. Our model suggested that a J. virginiana woodland with a closed canopy is capable of transpiring almost all precipitation reaching the soil in years with normal precipitation, indicating the potential for encroachment to reduce water yield for streamflow and groundwater recharge. Copyright (C) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simulating Population Genetics of Pathogen Vectors in Changing Landscapes: Guidelines and Application with Triatoma brasiliensis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo da interação não-nativa no enovelamento de proteínas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)