Molecular dynamics computer simulation of scratch resistance testing of polymers: visualization

Experimental scratch resistance testing provides two numbers: the penetration depth Rp and the healing depth Rh. In molecular dynamics computer simulations, we create a material consisting of N statistical chain segments by polymerization; a reinforcing phase can be included. Then we simulate the movement of an indenter and response of the segments during X time steps. Each segment at each time step has three Cartesian coordinates of position and three of momentum. We describe methods of visualization of results based on a record of 6NX coordinates. We obtain a continuous dependence on time t of positions of each of the segments on the path of the indenter. Scratch resistance at a given location can be connected to spatial structures of individual polymeric chains.

Morphological, physical and pedogenetic attributes related to water yield in small watersheds in Guarapari/ES, Brazil

Soil characteristics related to the genesis, land use and management are important factors in water dynamics in watersheds. This study evaluated physical, morphological and pedogenetic attributes related to water yield potential in small watersheds in Guarapari, ES, Brazil. The following representative profiles were selected, morphologically described and sampled in area of Atlantic Forest domain: Lithic Udifolists, Oxyaquic Udifluventes, Typic Paleudults, Typic Hapludults, Typic Hapludox, Oxic Dystrudepts and Typic Endoaquents. Samples were collected in the soil profiles for physical analysis. Measurements of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil penetration resistance were perfomed in some profiles, which were under different uses. The Endoaquents of Limão Creek can be considered efficient as temporary water reservoirs. However, the use of artificial drainage tends to reduce this effect. Differential erosion was detected by the sand texture on the surface of the Typic Paleudults due to the low degree of clay flocculation, slope, high resistance to the penetration and low hydraulic conductivity of the Bt horizon, making it necessary to adopt soil management practices to increase the water infiltration. Under pasture, mainly in the cattle trails where the trampling is more intense, there was high resistance to penetration in the superficial layers of the Typic Hapludults. The Typic Hapludox have the greatest potential for water yield in the small watersheds because of its greater extent in the headwaters and their morphological and physical characteristics, which can result in increased aquifer recharge.

The Museum Of All: Institutional Communication Practices in a Participatory Networked World

The Museum Of All: Institutional Communication Practices in a Participatory Networked World

Determining factors of environmental management practices in portuguese local entities

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyse the development of environmental management practices by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected by sending a postal questionnaire. In order to measure the degree of development of environmental management practices an index of environmental management practices (EMPI) was developed, which reflects the extent to which a set of 16 environmental management practices have been implemented by the entities included in the sample. Four variables are considered in this study as possible factors that drive the development of environmental management practices by local entities, namely type of entity, size, proactive environmental strategy and Local Agenda 21 Findings: Results indicate the degree of development of environmental management practices in Portuguese local entities is low. Additionally, entity size, the adoption of proactive environmental strategies and the implementation of Local Agenda 21 are explaining factors of the degree of development of such practices. Originality/value: This study adds to the international research on environmental management in public sector by providing empirical data from a country, Portugal, where empirical evidence is still relatively limited.

Determining factors of environmental management practices in portuguese local entities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development of environmental management practices by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected by sending a postal questionnaire. In order to measure the degree of development of environmental management practices, an index of environmental management practices (EMPI) was developed, which reflects the extent to which a set of 16 environmental management practices have been implemented by the entities included in the sample. In total, four variables are considered in this study as possible factors that drive the development of environmental management practices by local entities: type of entity; size; proactive environmental strategy; and Local Agenda 21. Findings – Results indicate the degree of development of environmental management practices in Portuguese local entities is low. Additionally, entity size, the adoption of proactive environmental strategies and the implementation of Local Agenda 21 are explaining factors of the degree of development of such practices. Originality/value – The paper adds to the international research on environmental management in the public sector by providing empirical data from a country, Portugal, where empirical evidence is still relatively limited.

Prediction of genetic gain from selection indices for disease resistance in papaya hybrids

In order to select superior hybrids for the concentration of favorable alleles for resistance to papaya black spot, powdery mildew and phoma spot, 67 hybrids were evaluated in two seasons, in 2007, in a randomized block design with two replications. Genetic gains were estimated from the selection indices of Smith & Hazel, Pesek & Baker, Williams, Mulamba & Mock, with selection intensity of 22.39%, corresponding to 15 hybrids. The index of Mulamba & Mock showed gains more suitable for the five traits assessed when it was used the criterion of economic weight tentatively assigned. Together, severity of black spot on leaves and on fruits, characteristics considered most relevant to the selection of resistant materials, expressed percentage gain of -44.15%. In addition, there were gains for other characteristics, with negative predicted selective percentage gain. The results showed that the index of Mulamba & Mock is the most efficient procedure for simultaneous selection of papaya hybrid resistant to black spot, powdery mildew and phoma spot.

Agronomic performance of 27 cocoa progenies and plant selection based on productivity, self-compatibility and disease resistance

The objective of the present work was to evaluate 27 progenies of cocoa crosses considering the agronomic traits and select F1 plants within superior crosses. The experiment was installed in March 2005, in the Experimental Station Joaquim Bahiana (ESJOB), in Itajuipe, Bahia. The area of the experiment is of approximately 3 ha, with a total of 3240 plants. Thirteen evaluations of vegetative brooms, five of cushion brooms and 15 of number of pods per plant were accomplished. Thirty pollinations were made for each selected plant to test for self-compatibility. The production, based on the number of pods per plant, and resistance to witches´ broom indicated CEPEC 94 x CCN 10, RB 39 x CCN 51 and CCN 10 x VB 1151 as superior progenies. All selections tested were self-compatible. The analyses of progenies and individual tree data, associated to visual field observations, allowed the selection of 17 plants which were included in a network of regional tests to determine the phenotypic stability.

Penetration resistance in a latosol under different moisture and penetration speeds

The soil penetration resistance has been used to represent the compaction situation and several authors have attempted to relate the cone index (CI) with the bulk density. The importance of using the CI as source of information for decisions in agricultural activities, livestock and forestry manner, has become increasingly larger, which requires more knowledge about the penetrometers and penetrographs behavior. This study aimed to verify, in controlled laboratory conditions, the influence of soil water content and cone penetration rate to obtain the cone index, when density variation occurs. The soil was compacted by compression through a universal press cylinder which was specially designed to produce the test specimens. Bulk densities were determined from samples taken from the test specimens and their moisture content. The CI values obtained were between 0.258 and 4.776 MPa, measured in 4 moistures and 7 soil densities with 3 penetration speeds. It was concluded that the determination of IC is strongly influenced by the soil moisture but the penetration speed variation, used in this study, was not sufficient to influence the IC determination. However, the decrease in soil water content may increase the sensitiveness to detect a variation in bulk density by the use of cone index.

Relationships between NPM, the use of PM practices and the organizational performance: empirical evidence from government agencies

Purpose – this paper has two main purposes: (1)explore if government agencies more oriented to NPM postulates are more willing to use PM practices and to improve their performance; and (2) investigate whether the fit between the use of PM practices and the organizationa performance is dependent upon from the capacity of agencies to adapt its structures to changes introduced by NPM reforms. Design/methodology/approach - this paper is based on the survey method and provides empirical evidence from Portuguese government agencies.Findings (mandatory) - Our findings suggest that government agencies that made structural arrangements under the NPM reforms are more willing to use PM practices and will perform better than other agencies. In addition, this paper show that therelationship between the use of PM practices and the organizational performance is dependent upon from the agencies capacity to adopt new structural arrangements under the NPM reforms.Practical implications – this paper has three main contributions: (1) contribute to knowledge about the relationship between the introduction of NPM changes in the use of PM practices; (2) contribute to clarify whether agencies more oriented to NPM postulates are improving performance; and (3) help to clarify the way the organizations should adapt their structures for to be more effective in the use of PM practices. Originality/value - The quantitative empirical research, based on the unique survey applied to Portuguese government agencies on this field, allow us to add to prior research mainly based on case studies and oriented to local governments (Budding, 2004).

How middle managers contribute to strategy formation process: connection of strategy processes and strategy practices

The role of middle management is essential when managing integrative and emergent strategy formation processes. We stand out the importance of its role connecting micro and macro organizational level offering a very important contribution when examining the strategy-as-practice perspective and integrative strategy formation process. The main goal of this research is to analyse the relationship between the integrative strategy formation process and the roles of middle management under the strategy-as-practice perspective. To check it out we adopted a qualitative methodology droving a case analysis in a Spanish University. Data was collected by means of personal interviews with members of different levels of the Institution, documents analysis and direct observation. In advance of some results we find out that the University develops an integrative strategy formation process and confers to middle management an important role extended all over the organization.

Corporate social responsibility practices at brazilian firms

Corporate Social Responsibility practices have been on the rise in recent years in firms all over the world. Brazil, as one of the most important countries emerging on the international scene, is no exception to this, with more and more firms taking up these practices. The present study focuses on analyzing the corporate social responsibility practices that Brazilian companies engage into. The sample used is comprised of 500 firms grouped by geographical area; the theoretical framework is based on stakeholder and institutional theories; and the technique used for the analysis is the biplot, more specifically the HJ Biplot and cluster analysis. From the results obtained it is possible to infer that the CSR variables corresponding to environmental practices are more closely linked to companies located in the northern areas of Brazil. Social and community practices are related to companies primarily in the southern and northeastern regions of the country.

Organizing resistance movements: contribution of the political discourse theory

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility of articulating Political Discourse Theory (PDT) together with Organizational Studies (OS), while using the opportunity to introduce PDT to those OS scholars who have not yet come across it. The bulk of this paper introduces the main concepts of PDT, discussing how they have been applied to concrete, empirical studies of resistance movements. In recent years, PDT has been increasingly appropriated by OS scholars to problematize and analyze resistances and other forms of social antagonisms within organizational settings, taking the relational and contingent aspects of struggles into consideration. While the paper supports the idea of a joint articulation of PDT and OS, it raises a number of critical questions of how PDT concepts have been empirically used to explain the organization of resistance movements. The paper sets out a research agenda for how both PDT and OS can together contribute to our understanding of new, emerging organizational forms of resistance movements.

Virus-Resistance Genes: The Mouse Model

Os Homens e os animais diferem grandemente nas suas respostas às infecções virais. Os vírus podem induzir, em alguns, sintomas ligeiros, enquanto que em outros podem provocar patologias graves mesmo mortais. Acumulam-se evidências que o património genético é um dos factores primordiais a condicionar e contribuir para a complexidade das interações vírus-hospedeiro. A identificação de genes com papel na resposta à infecção viral tornouse pois o tema de investigação de muitos laboratórios, com o objectivo de elucidar os processos fisiopatológicos que regem e determinam esse tipo de resposta. Neste artigo de revisão pretende-se ilustrar como o modelo murino têm sido utilizado para a identificação de genes de resistência viral, e como estes podem funcionar como base para a descoberta de genes homólogos em outras espécies. na elucidação dos mecanismos de resistência, e em novos componentes da reunir todos os genes de resistência viral descobertos em murganhos.

Recensao de: I. K. Healy, Social Work Practices: Contemporary Perspectives on Change, London, Sage, 2000.

Revista Lusófona de Ciências Sociais