Non-stationary frequency analysis of extreme daily rainfall in Sao Paulo, Brazil

This work is an assessment of frequency of extreme values (EVs) of daily rainfall in the city of Sao Paulo. Brazil, over the period 1933-2005, based on the peaks-over-threshold (POT) and Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) approach. Usually. a GPD model is fitted to a sample of POT Values Selected With a constant threshold. However. in this work we use time-dependent thresholds, composed of relatively large p quantities (for example p of 0.97) of daily rainfall amounts computed from all available data. Samples of POT values were extracted with several Values of p. Four different GPD models (GPD-1, GPD-2, GPD-3. and GDP-4) were fitted to each one of these samples by the maximum likelihood (ML) method. The shape parameter was assumed constant for the four models, but time-varying covariates were incorporated into scale parameter of GPD-2. GPD-3, and GPD-4, describing annual cycle in GPD-2. linear trend in GPD-3, and both annual cycle and linear trend in GPD-4. The GPD-1 with constant scale and shape parameters is the simplest model. For identification of the best model among the four models WC used rescaled Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) with second-order bias correction. This criterion isolates GPD-3 as the best model, i.e. the one with positive linear trend in the scale parameter. The slope of this trend is significant compared to the null hypothesis of no trend, for about 98% confidence level. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test also showed presence of positive trend in the annual frequency of excess over high thresholds. with p-value being virtually zero. Therefore. there is strong evidence that high quantiles of daily rainfall in the city of Sao Paulo have been increasing in magnitude and frequency over time. For example. 0.99 quantiles of daily rainfall amount have increased by about 40 mm between 1933 and 2005. Copyright (C) 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Breeding of the Rufous-thighed Hawk (Accipiter erythronemius) in Argentina and Brazil

The Rufous-thighed, Hawk (Accipiter erythronemius) is a poorly-known, small raptor that dwells in forests and wooded savannas in south and eastern Brazil, Taraguay, eastern Bolivia, north and central Argentina, and Uruguay. We studied breeding biology and food habits of the Rufous-thighed Hawk from 1994 to 2007. We documented 14 breeding attempts recorded at nine nest sites in eight localities in Argentina and Brazil. Rufous-thighed Hawks were year-round residents at the study areas. The breeding season was c. 38 weeks long (June through March). Territorial behavior and courtship spanned for 22 weeks starting in mid June. Nest-building started in August. Nestlings were observed throughout December and into early January while fledglings were observed from late December through late March. Most nest sites were conifer plantations averaging 32.2 (SD = 10) years old, 12.6 ha (SD = 11.3) in size with trees averaging d 37.5 cm (SD = 13.5) of diameter at breast height. Nests were placed 20.2 m high (SD = 5.7), near the trunks of non-emergent conifers (Pinus sp. or Araucaria angustifolia). Nests were made of sticks, greater diameter averaging 48.8 cm (SD = 11.4), while nest depth averaged 23.3 cm (SD = 14). Prey items were birds (n = 49) ranging in size from c. 10 g [House Wren (Troglodytes, aedon)] to c. 140 g [White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)]. Young started to chase birds at the age of 42-45 days in mid January. Adult males were primarily food providers but also aided in nest defense against other raptors. Females incubated, brooded, and fed young, and took leading roles in defense against humans. Rufous-thighed Hawks had unlined nests placed high in trees, and breeding season was markedly protracted.

Locally nilpotent groups of units in tiled rings

We consider locally nilpotent subgroups of units in basic tiled rings A, over local rings O which satisfy a weak commutativity condition. Tiled rings are generalizations of both tiled orders and incidence rings. If, in addition, O is Artinian then we give a complete description of the maximal locally nilpotent subgroups of the unit group of A up to conjugacy. All of them are both nilpotent and maximal Engel. This generalizes our description of such subgroups of upper-triangular matrices over O given in M. Dokuchaev, V. Kirichenko, and C. Polcino Milies (2005) [3]. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Associated with Fluoride Concentrations in Whole and Parotid Ductal Saliva

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

Non-stationary frequency analysis of extreme daily rainfall in São Paulo, Brazil

This work is an assessment of frequency of extreme values (EVs) of daily rainfall in the city of São Paulo. Brazil, over the period 1933-2005, based on the peaks-over-threshold (POT) and Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) approach. Usually. a GPD model is fitted to a sample of POT Values Selected With a constant threshold. However. in this work we use time-dependent thresholds, composed of relatively large p quantities (for example p of 0.97) of daily rainfall amounts computed from all available data. Samples of POT values were extracted with several Values of p. Four different GPD models (GPD-1, GPD-2, GPD-3. and GDP-4) were fitted to each one of these samples by the maximum likelihood (ML) method. The shape parameter was assumed constant for the four models, but time-varying covariates were incorporated into scale parameter of GPD-2. GPD-3, and GPD-4, describing annual cycle in GPD-2. linear trend in GPD-3, and both annual cycle and linear trend in GPD-4. The GPD-1 with constant scale and shape parameters is the simplest model. For identification of the best model among the four models WC used rescaled Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) with second-order bias correction. This criterion isolates GPD-3 as the best model, i.e. the one with positive linear trend in the scale parameter. The slope of this trend is significant compared to the null hypothesis of no trend, for about 98% confidence level. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test also showed presence of positive trend in the annual frequency of excess over high thresholds. with p-value being virtually zero. Therefore. there is strong evidence that high quantiles of daily rainfall in the city of São Paulo have been increasing in magnitude and frequency over time. For example. 0.99 quantiles of daily rainfall amount have increased by about 40 mm between 1933 and 2005. Copyright (C) 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Biologically active polyketides produced by Penicillium janthinellum isolated as an endophytic fungus from fruits of Melia azedarach

C, isolado como um fungo endofítico dos frutos de Melia azedarach, foi cultivado por 20 dias em milho branco triturado e autoclavado, onde os policetídeos conhecidos citrinina, emodina, 1,6,8-triidróxi-3-hidroximetilantraquinona, e uma nova antraquinona modificada, denominada janthinona, foram produzidos e isolados por procedimentos cromatográficos clássicos e identificados por extensivos estudos espectroscópicos, principalmente RMN 1D e 2D e EM. Essas substâncias foram ensaiadas contra diversas bactérias. Citrinina foi ensaiada pela primeira vez contra Leishmania e inibiu 100% o crescimento de cepas depois de 48h a uma concentração de 40 μg mL^-1.

Habilidades sociais e características pessoais em escolares de Belém

Este estudo relacionou a frequência da emissão de reação socialmente habilidosa, não-habilidosa passiva e não-habilidosa ativa às variáveis da criança (sexo, idade, condições clínicas). Participaram 57 meninos e 52 meninas, entre seis e 12 anos. O Questionário de Caracterização da Criança (QCC) levantou informações sobre sexo, idade e condições clínicas e o Inventário Multimídia de Habilidades Sociais de Crianças (IMHSC-Del Prette) avaliou as habilidades sociais, respondidos pelos cuidadores e escolares, respectivamente. Utilizou-se os testes U de Mann-Whitney, o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson e o teste t para análises dos dados. Os resultados indicaram: (a) diferenças significativas na adequação das reações habilidosas e não-habilidosas (p < 0,001); (b) aumento do repertório de habilidades sociais conforme o avançar dos anos (p < 0,001); e (c) meninas apresentaram mais frequência de habilidades sociais que meninos (p = 0,040). Não houve associações significativas entre habilidades sociais e condições clínicas (p = 0,539). Verificou-se que sexo e idade podem interferir na presença e desempenho de repertório socialmente habilidoso. Sugerem-se outras técnicas de avaliação que complementem os dados investigados e possibilitem intervenções futuras para amostras semelhantes.