A bio-economic appraisal of pair trawl fisheries off southeastern Brazil

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

Performance, carcass traits, meat quality and economic analysis of feedlot of young bulls fed oilseeds with and without supplementation of vitamin E

The objective of this research was to evaluate average daily gain (ADG), carcass traits, meat tenderness and profitability of keeping cattle fed different oilseeds and vitamin E in feedlot. A total of 40 Red Norte young bulls with initial average body weight of 339±15 kg were utilized. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The experiment lasted 84 days and experimental diets presented soybeans or cottonseeds as lipid sources associated or not to daily supplementation of 2,500 UI vitamin E per animal. The concentrate:roughage ratio was 60:40. Diets had the same amount of nitrogen (13% CP) and ether extract (6.5%). The data were analyzed by means of statistical software SAS 9.1. Neither vitamin supplementation nor lipid source affected ADG. There was no interaction between lipid source and vitamin supplementation for the variables studied. The inclusion of cottonseed reduced the carcass yield. There was no effect of diets on hot and cold carcass weights or prime cuts. The inclusion of cottonseed reduced the backfat thickness. No effect of experimental diets on the rib-eye area was observed. There was no effect of lipid source or vitamin supplementation on meat tenderness, which was affected, however, by ageing time. Diets with soybeans presented higher cost per animal. The utilization of soybean implied reduction of the gross margin (R$ 59.17 and R$ 60.51 for diets based on soy with and without supplemental vitamin, respectively, vs. R$ 176.42 and R$ 131.79 for diets based on cottonseed). The utilization of cottonseed enables improvement of profitability of feedlot fattening, in spite of negatively affecting some carcass characteristics.

Evaluation of economic impact of external eauivalent models used in reactive OPF studies for interconnected systems

Reactive-optimisation procedures are responsible for the minimisation of online power losses in interconnected systems. These procedures are performed separately at each control centre and involve external network representations. If total losses can be minimised by the implementation of calculated local control actions, the entire system benefits economically, but such control actions generally result in a certain degree of inaccuracy, owing to errors in the modelling of the external system. Since these errors are inevitable, they must at least be maintained within tolerable limits by external-modelling approaches. Care must be taken to avoid unrealistic loss minimisation, as the local-control actions adopted can lead the system to points of operation which will be less economical for the interconnected system as a whole. The evaluation of the economic impact of the external modelling during reactive-optimisation procedures in interconnected systems, in terms of both the amount of losses and constraint violations, becomes important in this context. In the paper, an analytical approach is proposed for such an evaluation. Case studies using data from the Brazilian South-Southeast system (810 buses) have been carried out to compare two different external-modelling approaches, both derived from the equivalent-optimal-power-flow (EOPF) model. Results obtained show that, depending on the external-model representation adopted, the loss representation can be flawed. Results also suggest some modelling features that should be adopted in the EOPF model to enhance the economy of the overall system.

Analysis of beef cattle longitudinal data applying a nonlinear model

The objective of this work was to evaluate the Nelore beef cattle, growth curve parameters using the Von Bertalanffy function in a nested Bayesian procedure that allowed estimation of the joint posterior distribution of growth curve parameters, their (co)variance components, and the environmental and additive genetic components affecting them. A hierarchical model was applied; each individual had a growth trajectory described by the nonlinear function, and each parameter of this function was considered to be affected by genetic and environmental effects that were described by an animal model. Random samples of the posterior distributions were drawn using Gibbs sampling and Metropolis-Hastings algorithms. The data set consisted of a total of 145,961 BW recorded from 15,386 animals. Even though the curve parameters were estimated for animals with few records, given that the information from related animals and the structure of systematic effects were considered in the curve fitting, all mature BW predicted were suitable. A large additive genetic variance for mature BW was observed. The parameter a of growth curves, which represents asymptotic adult BW, could be used as a selection criterion to control increases in adult BW when selecting for growth rate. The effect of maternal environment on growth was carried through to maturity and should be considered when evaluating adult BW. Other growth curve parameters showed small additive genetic and maternal effects. Mature BW and parameter k, related to the slope of the curve, presented a large, positive genetic correlation. The results indicated that selection for growth rate would increase adult BW without substantially changing the shape of the growth curve. Selection to change the slope of the growth curve without modifying adult BW would be inefficient because their genetic correlation is large. However, adult BW could be considered in a selection index with its corresponding economic weight to improve the overall efficiency of beef cattle production.

Long term economic relationships from cointegration maps

We employ the Bayesian framework to define a cointegration measure aimed to represent long term relationships between time series. For visualization of these relationships we introduce a dissimilarity matrix and a map based on the sorting points into neighborhoods (SPIN) technique, which has been previously used to analyze large data sets from DNA arrays. We exemplify the technique in three data sets: US interest rates (USIR), monthly inflation rates and gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Economic and technical feasibility study of a combined-cycle cogeneration system associated with cellulose plants

In this paper, is presented an economical and technical feasibility study of a combined cycle cogeneration system proposed to be used in a pulp plant located in Brazil, where around 95% of country's pulp production is done by the use of Kraft Process. This process allows the use of black liquor and other by-products as fuel. This study is based upon actual data from a pulp plant with a daily production of 1000 tons., that generates part of the energy demanded by the process in a conventional cogeneration system with condensing steam turbine and two extractions. The addition of a gas turbine was studied to compare electricity production level and its related costs between original system and the new one, considering that the former can use industrial by-products and firewood as fuel, when required. Several parameters related to electric generation systems operation and production costs were studied. The use of natural gas in the combined cycle, in comparison with the use of firewood in the conventional system was studied. The advantages of natural gas fuel are highlighted. The surplus availability and the electricity generation costs are presented as a function of pulp and black liquor production.

Economic survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 1999-2000: summary

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 1999-2000

Includes bibliography

Economic survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 1998-1999: summary

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2004-2005

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2006-2007

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2008-2009: Policies for creating quality jobs

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2013: Three decades of uneven and unstable growth

Includes bibliography

Current conditions and outlook: Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2001

Includes bibliography

Current conditions and outlook: Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2002

Foreword This publication provides an assessment of the region's economic performance and economic trends during the first half of 2002 and of its prospects for the remainder of the year within the context of the previous year's performance. An analysis is presented of the main aspects of the regional economy -its external sector, levels of economic activity, inflation, employment, saving and investment, and macroeconomic policy-, accompanied by a statistical appendix containing 13 tables with data series through 2001. The document, which is being published simultaneously in Spanish and English, corresponds to the first chapter of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2001-2002, issued in Spanish in September and in English later in the year. Wide distribution of this document is intended to serve the purpose previously performed by the Economic Panorama of Latin America, a publication that was issued in September of each year between 1985 and 1996. See also an advance version of the survey of economic developments in English-speaking countries of the Caribbean in 2001 and their prospects in 2002 which will be contained in final, revised form in the Economic Survey 2001-2002.