Search for Active Neutrino Disappearance Using Neutral-Current Interactions in the MINOS Long-Baseline Experiment

We report the first detailed comparisons of the rates and spectra of neutral-current neutrino interactions at two widely separated locations. A depletion in the rate at the far site would indicate mixing between nu(mu) and a sterile particle. No anomalous depletion in the reconstructed energy spectrum is observed. Assuming oscillations occur at a single mass-squared splitting, a fit to the neutral- and charged-current energy spectra limits the fraction of nu(mu) oscillating to a sterile neutrino to be below 0.68 at 90% confidence level. A less stringent limit due to a possible contribution to the measured neutral-current event rate at the far site from nu(e) appearance at the current experimental limit is also presented.

Search for the rare decay K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)gamma

The KTeV E799 experiment has conducted a search for the rare decay K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)gamma via the topology K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)(D)gamma (where pi(0)(D)->gamma e(+)e(-)). Because of Bose statistics of the pi(0) pair and the real nature of the photon, the K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)gamma decay is restricted to proceed at lowest order by the CP conserving direct emission (DE) of an E2 electric quadrupole photon. The rate of this decay is interesting theoretically since chiral perturbation theory predicts that this process vanishes at level O(p(4)). Therefore, this mode probes chiral perturbation theory at O(p(6)). In this paper we report a determination of an upper limit of 2.43x10(-7) (90% CL) for K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)gamma. This is approximately a factor of 20 lower than previous results.

Search for lepton-flavor-violating decays of the neutral kaon

The Fermilab KTeV experiment has searched for lepton-flavor-violating decays of the K(L) meson in three decay modes. We observe no events in the signal region for any of the modes studied, and we set the following upper limits for their branching ratios at the 90% C.L.: BR(K(L)->pi(0)mu(+/-)e(-/+))< 7.6x10(-11); BR(K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)mu(+/-)e(-/+))< 1.7x10(-10); BR(pi(0)->mu(+/-)e(-/+))< 3.6x10(-10). This result represents a factor of 82 improvement in the branching ratio limit for K(L)->pi(0)mu(+/-)e(-/+) and is the first reported limit for K(L)->pi(0)pi(0)mu(+/-)e(-/+).

Determination of the geographical origin of Brazilian wines by isotope and mineral analysis

In the present research, we studied wines from three different south Brazilian winemaking regions with the purpose of differentiating them by geographical origin of the grapes. Brazil`s wide territory and climate diversity allow grape cultivation and winemaking in many regions of different and unique characteristics. The wine grape cultivation for winemaking concentrates in the South Region, mainly in the Serra GaA(0)cha, the mountain area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which is responsible for 90% of the domestic wine production. However, in recent years, two new production regions have developed: the Campanha, the plains to the south and the Serra do Sudeste, the hills to the southeast of the state. Analysis of isotopic ratios of (18)O/(16)O of wine water, (13)C/(12)C of ethanol, and of minerals were used to characterize wines from different regions. The isotope analysis of delta(18)O of wine water and minerals Mg and Rb were the most efficient to differentiate the regions. By using isotope and mineral analysis, and discrimination analysis, it was possible to classify the wines from south Brazil.

Exploring the emission intensities of ICP OES aided by chemometrics in the geographical discrimination of mineral waters

A rapid method for classification of mineral waters is proposed. The discrimination power was evaluated by a novel combination of chemometric data analysis and qualitative multi-elemental fingerprints of mineral water samples acquired from different regions of the Brazilian territory. The classification of mineral waters was assessed using only the wavelength emission intensities obtained by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES), monitoring different lines of Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cl, Cu, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Si, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn, and Be, Dy, Gd, In, La, Sc and Y as internal standards. Data acquisition was done under robust (RC) and non-robust (NRC) conditions. Also, the combination of signal intensities of two or more emission lines for each element were evaluated instead of the individual lines. The performance of two classification-k-nearest neighbor (kNN) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA)-and preprocessing algorithms, autoscaling and Pareto scaling, were evaluated for the ability to differentiate between the various samples in each approach tested (combination of robust or non-robust conditions with use of individual lines or sum of the intensities of emission lines). It was shown that qualitative ICP OES fingerprinting in combination with multivariate analysis is a promising analytical tool that has potential to become a recognized procedure for rapid authenticity and adulteration testing of mineral water samples or other material whose physicochemical properties (or origin) are directly related to mineral content.

Search for optimum conditions of sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose extraction

A process has been elaborated for one-step low lignin content sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose extraction using alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide. To maximize the hemicellulose yields several extraction conditions were examined applying the 2(4) factorial design: H(2)O(2) concentration from 2 to 6% (w/v), reaction time from 4 to 16 h, temperature from 20 to 60 degrees C, and magnesium sulfate absence or presence (0.5%, w/v). This approach allowed selection of conditions for the extraction of low and high lignin content hemicellulose. At midpoint the yield of hemicellulose was 94.5% with more than 88% of lignin removed. Lignin removal is suppressed at low extraction temperatures and in the absence of magnesium sulfate. Hemicellulose in 86% yield with low lignin content (5.9%) was obtained with 6% H(2)O(2) treatment for 4 h and 20 degrees C. This hemicellulose is much lighter in color than samples obtained at the midpoint condition and was found suitable for subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Active sound quality control of engine induced cavity noise

Active control solutions appear to be a feasible approach to cope with the steadily increasing requirements for noise reduction in the transportation industry. Active controllers tend to be designed with a target on the sound pressure level reduction. However, the perceived control efficiency for the occupants can be more accurately assessed if psychoacoustic metrics can be taken into account. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate, numerically and experimentally, the effect of a feedback controller on the sound quality of a vehicle mockup excited with engine noise. The proposed simulation scheme is described and experimentally validated. The engine excitation is provided by a sound quality equivalent engine simulator, running on a real-time platform that delivers harmonic excitation in function of the driving condition. The controller performance is evaluated in terms of specific loudness and roughness. It is shown that the use of a quite simple control strategy, such as a velocity feedback, can result in satisfactory loudness reduction with slightly spread roughness, improving the overall perception of the engine sound. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The central role of human resource management in the search for sustainable organizations

The aim of this article is to present the main contributions of human resource management to develop sustainable organizations. The relationship between human resources and organizational sustainability, which is based on economical, social and environmental performance, involves some important aspects concerning management such as innovation, cultural diversity and the environment. The integration of items from the triple bottom line approach leads to developing a model based on a strategic and central posture of human resource management. Based on this model, propositions and recommendations for future research on this theme are presented.

Analysis of the emissions of volatile organic compounds from the compression ignition engine fueled by diesel-biodiesel blend and diesel oil using gas chromatography

This paper describes the procedures of the analysis Of Pollutant gases, as volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene) emitted by engines, using high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC). In a broad sense, CI engine burning diesel was compared with B10 and a drastic reduction was observed in the emissions of the aromatic compounds by using B10. Especially for benzene, the reduction of concentrations occurs on the level of about 19.5%. Although a concentration value below 1 mu g ml(-1) has been obtained, this reduction is extremely significant since benzene is a carcinogenic compound. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exergy and thermoeconomic analysis of a turbofan engine during a typical commercial flight

In an energy perspective of cost-reduction and configuration-optimization, it becomes necessary to develop and use advanced tools for the analysis, design and improvement of energy conversion systems. In the aeronautical industry, such trend is fundamental since this industry has evolved to design extremely complex aircrafts, with highly integrated systems, requiring more information in order to evaluate the whole system. The aim of this paper is to present an exergy-based analysis as to evaluate the global performance of a typical turbofan engine and its components. The study presents values for exergy efficiency over the whole flight cycle, critical equipment and flight phases considering exergy destruction and estimating internal and exhaust flow costs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scatter search for a real-life heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem with time windows and split deliveries in Brazil

In this paper, we consider a real-life heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem with time windows and split deliveries that occurs in a major Brazilian retail group. A single depot attends 519 stores of the group distributed in 11 Brazilian states. To find good solutions to this problem, we propose heuristics as initial solutions and a scatter search (SS) approach. Next, the produced solutions are compared with the routes actually covered by the company. Our results show that the total distribution cost can be reduced significantly when such methods are used. Experimental testing with benchmark instances is used to assess the merit of our proposed procedure. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Local search multiuser detection

In this work, a wide analysis of local search multiuser detection (LS-MUD) for direct sequence/code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) systems under multipath channels is carried out considering the performance-complexity trade-off. It is verified the robustness of the LS-MUD to variations in loading, E(b)/N(0), near-far effect, number of fingers of the Rake receiver and errors in the channel coefficients estimates. A compared analysis of the bit error rate (BER) and complexity trade-off is accomplished among LS, genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). Based on the deterministic behavior of the LS algorithm, it is also proposed simplifications over the cost function calculation, obtaining more efficient algorithms (simplified and combined LS-MUD versions) and creating new perspectives for the MUD implementation. The computational complexity is expressed in terms of the number of operations in order to converge. Our conclusion pointed out that the simplified LS (s-LS) method is always more efficient, independent of the system conditions, achieving a better performance with a lower complexity than the others heuristics detectors. Associated to this, the deterministic strategy and absence of input parameters made the s-LS algorithm the most appropriate for the MUD problem. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

WINE GRAPE QUALITY OF GRAPEVINES GROWN IN THE CERRADO ECOREGION OF BRAZIL

Aims: Geographical indication plays an important role in the improvement of wine quality. In this context, the search for new grape growing areas has been constant. The Sao Francisco River Valley in the cerrado of Minas Gerais State (Brazil) has been pointed out in the Geoviticulture Multicriteria Climatic Classification System (MCC System) as a potentially winegrowing region, especially considering the autumn-winter period when night temperatures are favorable to grape ripening. In this work, we studied the maturation curves and fruit composition of four wine grape varieties (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) in two growing seasons in order to validate the state of Minas Gerais as a new winegrowing region in Brazil. Methods and results: Quality parameters (berry weight, pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids) were measured weekly from veraison to harvest, and sugar, organic acid, anthocyanin and phenolic concentrations were determined in must and berry skins and seeds at harvest. Syrah berries showed the highest weight throughout maturation which contributed to higher yield (8.92 ton ha(-1)), followed closely by Merlot (8.07 ton ha(-1)). Bern, sugar concentrations were higher and malic acid levels were lower than the values usually observed in wine grapes harvested during summer in traditional winegrowing regions in Brazil. Cabernet Franc showed lower levels of anthocyanins and skin phenolics per kg berries and the highest values of seed phenolics, which were not affected by growing season. Conclusion: Weather conditions of the cerrado of Minas Gerais State in Brazil during winter allowed complete maturation of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah cultivars as revealed by the satisfactory sugar, anthocyanin and skin phenolic accumulation. Significance and impact of the study: This study revealed the potential of the cerrado ecoregion in the northeast of Minas Gerais to become a new winemaking region in Brazil.

Impact of Commercial Search Engines and International Databases on Engineering Teaching and Research

For the last three decades, the engineering higher education and professional environments have been completely transformed by the "electronic/digital information revolution" that has included the introduction of personal computer, the development of email and world wide web, and broadband Internet connections at home. Herein the writer compares the performances of several digital tools with traditional library resources. While new specialised search engines and open access digital repositories may fill a gap between conventional search engines and traditional references, these should be not be confused with real libraries and international scientific databases that encompass textbooks and peer-reviewed scholarly works. An absence of listing in some Internet search listings, databases and repositories is not an indication of standing. Researchers, engineers and academics should remember these key differences in assessing the quality of bibliographic "research" based solely upon Internet searches.

(FAB12_1_002) 'Would you know the new, you must search the old': William Lethaby's 'Architecture, Mysticism and Myth' (1891) and the 'Hypnerotomachia Poliphili' (1499)

Published in the final months of 1891, Architecture, Mysticism and Myth was the first architectural treatise written by the late nineteenth-century English architect and theorist William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931).' Documenting the characteristic attributes of the architectural myth of the "temple idea", and its presence amongst architectures of multiple ancient cultures, the text was endowed with a distinctly historical tone. In examining the motives behind myth, which Lethaby defined as the interaction and reaction between the natural universe and the built environment, Lethaby also injected a series of theoretical considerations into the text. It is clear that Lethaby's interest in the temple idea was not limited to its curious, prolific presence in past architectures, hut also embraced a consideration of what lessons the temple idea may contribute to the struggle of the late nineteenth-century English architect to define an "art of the future".