Allometry for Sexual Size Dimorphism in Stoneflies Defies the Rensch's Rule

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A magia em um texto técnico agronômico da antiguidade romana: o 'Opus agriculturae', de Paládio

This work analyses the chapter 35, book I, of the agricultural treatise Opus agriculturæ, written by Rutilius Taurus Aemilianus Palladius (V C.E.). In that chapter the author presents some recipes, called remedia, to protect the farm and the garden against weeds and weather phenomena, as blight and fogs. The magical practices are identified according to both the fundamental principles of magic (similarity, contiguity, contrariety), which rule magical thought, and some elements of magical symbology. As the author seems not to distinguish magic and science, for he brings together both kinds of recipes, the analysis of some remedia emphasizes a specific study on the materials and substances employed in those recipes and their value in Science today. This leads to the discussions of how magical thought works, what are the limits (if they actually exist) between Magic and Science and between Magic and Religion. This work covers the subjects above and it has the following pourposes: demonstrate the characteristics that authorize the remedia described by Palladius to be classified as folk magic; identify the relations between this kind of practice with more complex forms of magic, as with religion, with science; demonstrate the contribution of the folk magic in ancient Rome farming for the formulation of more apropriated criteria of evaluating magic in comparison to religious and scientific thought.

Fuzzy rule-based system for evaluation of uncertainty transaction in cassava chain

A fuzzy ruled-based system was developed in this study and resulted in an index indicating the level of uncertainty related to commercial transactions between cassava growers and their dealers. The fuzzy system was developed based on Transaction Cost Economics approach. The fuzzy system was developed from input variables regarding information sharing between grower and dealer on “Demand/purchase Forecasting”, “Production Forecasting” and “Production Innovation”. The output variable is the level of uncertainty regarding the transaction between seller and buyer agent, which may serve as a system for detecting inefficiencies. Evidences from 27 cassava growers registered in the Regional Development Offices of Tupa and Assis, São Paulo, Brazil, and 48 of their dealers supported the development of the system. The mathematical model indicated that 55% of the growers present a Very High level of uncertainty, 33% present Medium or High. The others present Low or Very Low level of uncertainty. From the model, simulations of external interferences can be implemented in order to improve the degree of uncertainty and, thus, lower transaction costs.

As convenções da OIT no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro à luz do tripartismo

Pós-graduação em Direito - FCHS

Metrics for Association Rule Clustering Assessment

Issues related to association mining have received attention, especially the ones aiming to discover and facilitate the search for interesting patterns. A promising approach, in this context, is the application of clustering in the pre-processing step. In this paper, eleven metrics are proposed to provide an assessment procedure in order to support the evaluation of this kind of approach. To propose the metrics, a subjective evaluation was done. The metrics are important since they provide criteria to: (a) analyze the methodologies, (b) identify their positive and negative aspects, (c) carry out comparisons among them and, therefore, (d) help the users to select the most suitable solution for their problems. Besides, the metrics do the users think about aspects related to the problems and provide a flexible way to solve them. Some experiments were done in order to present how the metrics can be used and their usefulness.

Heavy λ semileptonic decay: A QCD sum rule approach

In this work we calculate the form factors of the Lambda(c) and Lambda(b) semileptonic decay using the QCD sum rules approach. We found that the form factors sum rules are more stable than the respective mass sum rules, and we get a decay rate for Lambda(c) compatible with experiment.

QCD sum rule approach to the s->d gamma contribution to the Omega(-)->Xi(-)gamma radiative decay

QCD sum rules are used to calculate the contribution of the short-distance single-quark transition s-->d gamma to the amplitudes of the hyperon radiative decay Omega(-)-->Xi(-) gamma. We reevaluate the Wilson coefficient of the effective operator responsible for this transition. We obtain a branching ratio which is comparable to the unitarity limit.

First-principles simulation of elastic constants and electronic properties of GaN

The electronic and structural properties and elastic constants of the wurtzite phase of GaN, was investigated by computer simulation at Density Functional Theory level, with B3LYP and B3PW hybrid functional. The electronic properties were investigated through the analysis of the band structures and density of states, and the mechanical properties were studied through the calculus of the elastic constants: C11, C33, C44, C12, and C13. The results show that the maximum of the valence band and the minimum of the conduction band are both located at the Γ point, indicating that GaN is a direct band gap semiconductor. The following constants were obtained for B3LYP and B3PW (in brackets): C11 = 366.9 [372.4], C33 = 390.9 [393.4], C44 = 99.1 [96.9], C12 = 143.6 [155.2], and C13 = 107.6 [121.4].