The complexity of evaluating social development

Includes bibliography

Fractal dimension and Shannon's entropy analyses of the architectural complexity caused by the inflammatory reactions induced by highly crystalline polyvinyl alcohol) microspheres implanted in subcutaneous tissues of the Wistar rats

The results of the histopathological analyses after the implantation of highly crystalline PVA microspheres in subcutaneous tissues of Wistar rats are here in reported. Three different groups of PVA microparticles were systematically studied: highly crystalline, amorphous, and commercial ones. In addition to these experiments, complementary analyses of architectural complexity were performed using fractal dimension (FD), and Shannon's entropy (SE) concepts. The highly crystalline microspheres induced inflammatory reactions similar to the ones observed for the commercial ones, while the inflammatory reactions caused by the amorphous ones were less intense. Statistical analyses of the subcutaneous tissues of Wistar rats implanted with the highly crystalline microspheres resulted in FD and SE values significantly higher than the statistical parameters observed for the amorphous ones. The FD and SE parameters obtained for the subcutaneous tissues of Wistar rats implanted with crystalline and commercial microparticles were statistically similar. Briefly, the results indicated that the new highly crystalline microspheres had biocompatible behavior comparable to the commercial ones. In addition, statistical tools such as FD and SE analyses when combined with histopathological analyses can be useful tools to investigate the architectural complexity tissues caused by complex inflammatory reactions. © 2012 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

A decoding method of an n length binary BCH code through (n + 1)n length binary cyclic code

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

The interlanguage development in the spanish learning as foreign language in Teletandem under the View of the Complexity Theory

This article presents, under the perspective of Complexity Theory, the characteristics of the learning process of Spanish as a foreign language in Teletandem. Data were collected from two pairs of Portuguese-Spanish interagents, who were engaged in a systematic and regular interaction, based on the tandem principles. It was found that the learning experience is developed with the peculiarities that arise from the context, agents, members and their nuances, which revealed the presence of a shallow space between the systems of native and foreign languages.

Age-related differences in postural control: effects of the complexity of visual manipulation and sensorimotor contribution to postural performance

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

Preschool children and excess weight: the impact of a low complexity intervention in public day care centers

Introduction: childhood obesity is a major public health problem, affecting children even at early ages. Objective: to assess the impact of dietary intervention and relatively simple physical activity on the nutritional state of preschoolers. Method: this was an intervention study in public daycare centers targeting children from 2 to 4 years of age, in the State of São Paulo. The sample consisted of 9 daycare centers covering 578 children, with 264 children in the intervention group (IG) and 314 in the comparison group (CG). Intervention was focused on modifications in diet and physical activity, avoiding overloading the routine of daycare centers, for duration of one year. A zBMI score > 1 (zBMI) and < 2 was considered risk of being overweight, and > 2 zBMI was considered excess weight (overweight and obese). Analysis was done by frequency calculations, comparisons of proportions by χ2, mean comparisons by t-student and calculations according to Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: IG showed an inverse correlation between the initial zBMI of the children and the difference with the zBMI at the end of the intervention (rP = -0.39, p <0.0001). The mean difference of zBMI of the overweight children in IG between the beginning and the end of the study period was negative (-0.46 z score), indicating weight reduction, while the children in the CG was positive (+0. 17 z score) (p = 0.0037). Conclusion: intervention in diet and physical activity in overweight preschool children in daycare centers could have a favorable impact on the evolution of their nutritional state.

Cogeneration design problem Computational complexity analysis and solution through an expert system

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is twofold: to analyze the computational complexity of the cogeneration design problem; to present an expert system to solve the proposed problem, comparing such an approach with the traditional searching methods available.Design/methodology/approach - The complexity of the cogeneration problem is analyzed through the transformation of the well-known knapsack problem. Both problems are formulated as decision problems and it is proven that the cogeneration problem is np-complete. Thus, several searching approaches, such as population heuristics and dynamic programming, could be used to solve the problem. Alternatively, a knowledge-based approach is proposed by presenting an expert system and its knowledge representation scheme.Findings - The expert system is executed considering two case-studies. First, a cogeneration plant should meet power, steam, chilled water and hot water demands. The expert system presented two different solutions based on high complexity thermodynamic cycles. In the second case-study the plant should meet just power and steam demands. The system presents three different solutions, and one of them was never considered before by our consultant expert.Originality/value - The expert system approach is not a "blind" method, i.e. it generates solutions based on actual engineering knowledge instead of the searching strategies from traditional methods. It means that the system is able to explain its choices, making available the design rationale for each solution. This is the main advantage of the expert system approach over the traditional search methods. On the other hand, the expert system quite likely does not provide an actual optimal solution. All it can provide is one or more acceptable solutions.

The effects of habitat complexity and hydraulic conditions on the establishment of benthic stream macroalgae

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

An Efficient Parallel Algorithm for Multiple Sequence Similarities Calculation Using a Low Complexity Method

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

Complexity and information technologies: an ethical inquiry into human autonomous action

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

Construction and decoding of BCH codes over chain of commutative rings

In this paper, we present a new construction and decoding of BCH codes over certain rings. Thus, for a nonnegative integer t, let A0 ⊂ A1 ⊂···⊂ At−1 ⊂ At be a chain of unitary commutative rings, where each Ai is constructed by the direct product of appropriate Galois rings, and its projection to the fields is K0 ⊂ K1 ⊂···⊂ Kt−1 ⊂ Kt (another chain of unitary commutative rings), where each Ki is made by the direct product of corresponding residue fields of given Galois rings. Also, A∗ i and K∗ i are the groups of units of Ai and Ki, respectively. This correspondence presents a construction technique of generator polynomials of the sequence of Bose, Chaudhuri, and Hocquenghem (BCH) codes possessing entries from A∗ i and K∗ i for each i, where 0 ≤ i ≤ t. By the construction of BCH codes, we are confined to get the best code rate and error correction capability; however, the proposed contribution offers a choice to opt a worthy BCH code concerning code rate and error correction capability. In the second phase, we extend the modified Berlekamp-Massey algorithm for the above chains of unitary commutative local rings in such a way that the error will be corrected of the sequences of codewords from the sequences of BCH codes at once. This process is not much different than the original one, but it deals a sequence of codewords from the sequence of codes over the chain of Galois rings.

Goppa codes through polynomials of B[X;(1/2^2)Z_0] and its decoding principle

In this paper, we present a decoding principle for Goppa codes constructed by generalized polynomials, which is based on modified Berlekamp-Massey algorithm. This algorithm corrects all errors up to the Hamming weight $t\leq 2r$, i.e., whose minimum Hamming distance is $2^{2}r+1$.