Egg production curve fitting using nonlinear models for selected and nonselected lines of White Leghorn hens

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

Comparison of logistic and neural network models to fit to the egg production curve of White Leghorn hens

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Funções de pedotransferência para a curva de resistência do solo à penetração

Funções de pedotransferência são regressões utilizadas para estimar atributos edáficos dependentes a partir de atributos independentes e de fácil determinação. Nesse sentido, são propostas na literatura diversas funções de pedotransferência que visam predizer a resistência do solo à penetração. Objetivou-se, portanto, com este trabalho, desenvolver e comparar a eficiência de cinco funções de pedotransferência para a curva de resistência do solo à penetração, presentes na literatura, por meio do ajuste de dados obtidos tanto com o penetrômetro de impacto (campo) quanto com o penetrômetro eletrônico (laboratório), em um Latossolo manejado sob diferentes modos (convencional e plantio direto). Foram coletadas amostras indeformadas de solo na entrelinha das culturas, nas camadas de 0-0,10, 0,10-0,20 e 0,20-0,30 m, logo após a semeadura, no florescimento e na colheita, para determinação dos atributos físico-hídricos do solo e também da resistência do solo à penetração, com o uso do penetrômetro eletrônico. A resistência do solo à penetração, obtida com o penetrômetro de impacto, foi determinada conforme a variação do conteúdo de água no solo ao longo do ciclo das culturas. As curvas ajustadas de resistência do solo à penetração tiveram a precisão e a acurácia testadas por meio de parâmetros estatísticos e foram comparadas pelo teste F. Houve sobreposição dos valores estimados pelo ajuste das curvas, evidenciando que a maneira de obtenção da resistência do solo à penetração (campo ou laboratório) não influenciou a relação entre a resistência à penetração e os atributos do solo. As equações RP = aUg b; RP = a(1-Ug)b; RP = ae bUg e RP = a + be não diferiram e foram as mais precisas e acuradas na predição da resistência do solo à penetração.

Growth curve in Santa Ines sheep

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Modeling of average growth curve in Santa Ines sheep using random regression models

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparison of non-linear growth models to describe the growth curve in West African Dwarf sheep

The objectives of this study were to compare the goodness of fit of four non-linear growth models, i.e. Brody, Gompertz, Logistic and Von Bertalanffy, in West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep. A total of 5274 monthly weight records from birth up to 180 days of age from 889 lambs, collected during 2001 to 2004 in Betecoucou breeding farm in Benin were used. In the preliminary analysis, the General Linear Model Procedure of the Statistical Analysis Systems Institute was applied to the dataset to identify the significant effects of the sex of lamb (male and female), type of birth (single and twin), season of birth (rainy season and dry season), parity of dam (1, 2 and 3) and year of birth (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) on the observed birth weight and monthly weight up to 6 months of age. The models parameters (A, B and k), coefficient of determination (112), mean square error (MSE) were calculated using language of technical computing package Matlab(R), 2006. The mean values of A, B and k were substituted into each model to calculate the corresponding Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Among the four growth functions, the Brody model has been selected for its accuracy of fit according to the higher R(2), lower MSE and A/C Finally, the parameters A, B and k were adjusted in Matlab(R) 2006 for the sex of lamb, year of birth, season of birth, birth type and the parity of ewe, providing a specific slope of the Brody growth curve. The results of this study suggest that Brody model can be useful for WAD sheep breeding in Betecoucou farm conditions through growth monitoring.

Genetic parameters of total milk yield and factors describing the shape of lactation curve in dairy buffaloes

The objective of this study was to apply factor analysis to describe lactation curves in dairy buffaloes in order to estimate the phenotypic and genetic association between common latent factors and cumulative milk yield. A total of 31 257 monthly test-day milk yield records from buffaloes belonging to herds located in the state of São Paulo were used to estimate two common latent factors, which were then analysed in a multi-trait animal model for estimating genetic parameters. Estimates of (co)variance components for the two common latent factors and cumulated 270-d milk yield were obtained by Bayesian inference using a multiple trait animal model. Contemporary group, number of milkings per day (two levels) and age of buffalo cow at calving (linear and quadratic) as covariate were included in the model as fixed effects. The additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual effects were included as random effects. The first common latent factor (F1) was associated with persistency of lactation and the second common latent factor (F2) with the level of production in early lactation. Heritability estimates for Fl and F2 were 0.12 and 0.07, respectively. Genetic correlation estimates between El and F2 with cumulative milk yield were positive and moderate (0.63 and 0.52). Multivariate statistics employing factor analysis allowed the extraction of two variables (latent factors) that described the shape of the lactation curve. It is expected that the response to selection to increase lactation persistency is higher than the response obtained from selecting animals to increase lactation peak. Selection for higher total milk yield would result in a favourable correlated response to increase the level of production in early lactation and the lactation persistency.

Tungsten permanent chemical modifier for fast estimation of Se contents in soil by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A tungsten carbide coating on the integrated platform of a transversely heated graphite atomizer was used as a modifier for the direct determination of Se in soil extracts by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (0.0050 mol L-1) plus ammonium hydrogencarbonate (1.0 mol L-1) extracted predominantly available inorganic selenate from soil. The formation of a large amount of carbonaceous residue inside the atomizer was avoided with a first pyrolysis step at 600 degreesC assisted by air during 30 s. For 20 muL of soil extracts delivered to the atomizer and calibration by matrix matching, an analytical curve (10.0-100 mug of L-1) with good linear correlation (r = 0.999) between integrated absorbance and analyte concentration was established. The characteristic mass was similar to63 pg of Se, and the lifetime of the tube was similar to750 firings. The limit of detection was 1.6 mug L-1, and the relative standard deviations (n = 12) were typically <4% for a soil extract containing 50 mug of L-1. The accuracy of the determination of Se was checked for soil samples by means of addition/recovery tests. Recovery data of Se added to four enriched soil samples varied from 80 to 90% and indicated an accurate method.

CENSUS HISTOGRAMS: A SIMPLE FEATURE EXTRACTION and MATCHING APPROACH FOR FACE RECOGNITION

Most face recognition approaches require a prior training where a given distribution of faces is assumed to further predict the identity of test faces. Such an approach may experience difficulty in identifying faces belonging to distributions different from the one provided during the training. A face recognition technique that performs well regardless of training is, therefore, interesting to consider as a basis of more sophisticated methods. In this work, the Census Transform is applied to describe the faces. Based on a scanning window which extracts local histograms of Census Features, we present a method that directly matches face samples. With this simple technique, 97.2% of the faces in the FERET fa/fb test were correctly recognized. Despite being an easy test set, we have found no other approaches in literature regarding straight comparisons of faces with such a performance. Also, a window for further improvement is presented. Among other techniques, we demonstrate how the use of SVMs over the Census Histogram representation can increase the recognition performance.

Analysis of the E-J Curve of HTS Tapes Under DC and AC Magnetic Fields at 77 K

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

Line-pack management for producing electric power on peak periods

The distribution of natural gas is carried out by means of long ducts and intermediate compression stations to compensate the pressure drops due to friction. The natural gas compressors are usually driven by an electric motor or a gas turbine system, offering possibilities for energy management, one of these consisting in generating energy for use in-plant or to commercialize as independent power producer. It can be done by matching the natural gas demand, at the minimum pressure allowed in the reception point, and the storage capacity of the feed duct with the maximum compressor capacity, for storing the natural gas at the maximum permitted pressure. This allows the gas turbine to drive an electric generator during the time in which the decreasing pressure in duct is above the minimum acceptable by the sink unit. In this paper, a line-pack management analysis is done for an existing compression station considering its actual demand curve for determining the economic feasibility of maintaining the gas turbine system driver generating electricity in a peak and off-peak tariff structure. The potential of cost reduction from the point of view of energy resources (natural gas and electric costs) is also analyzed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved Fault Location on Distribution Feeders Based on Matching During-Fault Voltage Sags

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Growth curve of Nellore calves reared on natural pasture in the Pantanal

Weight-age and hip height-age relations of Nellore calves, from birth to 10 months old were fitted using a logistic model including sex and year of birth as fixed effects. Calves and their dams were reared on natural pasture using continuous grazing system. The crude protein content and total digestible nutrients were analyzed for pasture selected by the animals. The weights of the calves were adjusted to 205 days and 365 days. There were no significant effects of sex and birth year on the growth curve parameters, but there were significant effects of sex on hip height. The average weight (a parameter) at 10 months of age was 170 kg and the inflection point was observed at 93.5 days old. When weight-age and hip height-age curves were combined in the same graph, the intersection occurred at 142 days. The number of days to gain 160 kg from birth to 205 days of age (adjusted) and number of days to gain 240 kg from 205 days to slaughter was different between the birth years, which were probably due to the quality of the natural pastures. It is necessary to implement nutritional management strategies such as high quality pasture and/or feeding supplementation for calves once they reach three months of age.

CORRELATING THE CURVE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE DISTAL of THE CANINES TO THE COMBINED WIDTH of THE SIX ANTERIOR TEETH WHEN SELECTING DENTURE TEETH FOR DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS

Statement of problem. To select the width of denture teeth, the distance between the marks indicating the location of the canines is usually measured around the curvature of the wax occlusal rim; however, most manufacturers' mold charts provide the measurements of the artificial 6 anterior teeth as if they were on a straight line.Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the curve distance between the distal surfaces of the maxillary canines can be related to the combined width (straight measurement) of the 6 anterior teeth in 4 ethnic groups.Material and methods. Maxillary stone casts were obtained for 160 dentate subjects of 4 ethnic groups (40 whites, 40 blacks, 40 multiracial - descendants of white and black parents, and 40 Asians). The width of each maxillary anterior tooth was measured on the casts with sliding calipers. The combined width of the 6 anterior teeth (CW) corresponded to the sum of the width of each anterior tooth. The curve distance between the distal surfaces of the canines (CD) was measured by using dental tape and sliding calipers. The Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between CD and CW in each ethnic group (alpha=.05).Results. The mean CD and CW values (in mm) obtained were: whites (CD=52.12; CW=45.65); blacks (CD=56.10; CW=48.13); multiracial (CD=53.58; CW=46.54); and Asians (CD=53.29; CW=46.60). Significant (P<.001) correlations between CD and CW measurements were observed for all ethnic groups studied (whites, r=0.957; blacks, r=0.803; multiracial, r=0.917; and Asians, r=0.881). The following linear regression equations were obtained: whites [CD=1.1(CW)+0.3]; blacks [CD=0.95(CW)+9.3]; multiracial [CD=1.2(CW)-1.1]; and Asians [CD=1.0(CW)+5].Conclusions. The curve distance between the distal surfaces of the maxillary canines can be accurately related to the combined width of the 6 anterior teeth in the selection of denture teeth for the studied ethnic groups. (J Prosthet Dent 2012;107:400-404)

First order reversal curve analysis of nanocrystalline Pd80Co20 alloy films

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