Soil sampling intensity and spatial distribution pattern of soils attributes and corn yield in no-tillage system

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

Generalized linear mixed models for the genetic evaluation of binary reproductive traits: a simulation study

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of probit and logit link functions for the genetic evaluation of early pregnancy using simulated data. The following simulation/analysis structures were constructed: logit/logit, logit/probit, probit/logit, and probit/probit. The percentages of precocious females were 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% and were adjusted based on a change in the mean of the latent variable. The parametric heritability (h²) was 0.40. Simulation and genetic evaluation were implemented in the R software. Heritability estimates (ĥ²) were compared with h² using the mean squared error. Pearson correlations between predicted and true breeding values and the percentage of coincidence between true and predicted ranking, considering the 10% of bulls with the highest breeding values (TOP10) were calculated. The mean ĥ² values were under- and overestimated for all percentages of precocious females when logit/probit and probit/logit models used. In addition, the mean squared errors of these models were high when compared with those obtained with the probit/probit and logit/logit models. Considering ĥ², probit/probit and logit/logit were also superior to logit/probit and probit/logit, providing values close to the parametric heritability. Logit/probit and probit/logit presented low Pearson correlations, whereas the correlations obtained with probit/probit and logit/logit ranged from moderate to high. With respect to the TOP10 bulls, logit/probit and probit/logit presented much lower percentages than probit/probit and logit/logit. The genetic parameter estimates and predictions of breeding values of the animals obtained with the logit/logit and probit/probit models were similar. In contrast, the results obtained with probit/logit and logit/probit were not satisfactory. There is need to compare the estimation and prediction ability of logit and probit link functions.

Effects of different sampling intervals on apparent protein and energy digestibility of common feed ingredients by juvenile oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus)

O presente estudo avaliou a digestibilidade aparente da proteína e da energia de ingredientes (farelo de soja, farinha de peixe, farelo de trigo e milho) por juvenis de apaiari (Astronotus ocellatus) usando dois diferentes intervalos de coleta (30 min. e 12h). Os 160 juvenis de apaiari utilizados (22,37 ± 3,06 g de peso corporal) foram divididos em quatro tanques rede plásticos e cilíndricos, cada um colocado em um tanque de alimentação de 1.000 L. O experimento foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 x 4 (2 intervalos de coleta de fezes e 4 ingredientes foram) com quatro repetições. Os testes estatísticos não detectaram efeito da interação entre o intervalo de coleta e tipo de ingrediente nos coeficientes de digestibilidade. O intervalo de coleta não afetou a digestibilidade da proteína e da energia. As características físicas das fezes dos juvenis de apaiari aparentemente as tornam menos sensíveis à perda de nutrientes por lixiviação, permitindo intervalos de coleta maiores. A digestibilidade da proteína dos ingredientes avaliados foi semelhante, mostrando que a digestibilidade aparente de ingredientes animais e vegetais por juvenis de apaiari é eficiente. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade da energia foram maiores para a farinha de peixe e o farelo de soja comparado a farelo de trigo e milho. Ingredientes ricos em carboidratos (farelo de trigo e milho) apresentaram os piores coeficientes de digestibilidade da energia e, portanto, não são usados eficientemente pelos juvenis de apaiari.

Spatial variability of soil penetration resistance influenced by season of sampling

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analizar a distribuição espacial da compactação do solo e a influência da umidade do solo na resistência à penetração. Esta última variável foi descrita pelo índice de cone. O solo estudado foi Nitossolo e os dados de índice de cone foram obtidos usando um penetrômetro. A resistência do solo foi avaliada a 5 profundidades diferentes, 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-40 cm e mais de 40 cm, porém o conteúdo de umidade do solo foi medido a 0-20 cm e 20-40 cm. As condições hídricas do solo variaram nas diferentes amostragems. Os coeficientes de variação para o índice de cone foram 16,5% a 45,8% e os do conteúdo de umidade do solo variaram entre 8,96% e 21,38%. Os resultados sugeriram elevada correlação entre a resistência do solo, estimada pelo índice de cone e a profundidade do solo. Sem embargo, a relação esperada com a umidade do solo não foi apreciada. Observou-se dependência espacial em 31 de 35 séries de dados de índice de cone e umidade do solo. Esta dependência foi ajustada por modelos exponenciais com efeito pepita variável de 0 a 90% o valor do patamar. em séries de dados o comportamento foi aleatório. Portanto, a técnica das distâncias inversas foi utilizada para cartografar a distribuição das variáveis que não tiveram estrutura espacial. Na krigagem constatou-se uma suavização dos mapas comparados com esses das distâncias inversas. A krigagem indicadora foi utilizada para cartografar a variabilidade espacial do índice de cone e recomendar melhor manejo do solo.

Rheological, mechanical and mucoadhesive properties of thermoresponsive, bioadhesive binary mixtures composed of poloxamer 407 and carbopol 974P designed as platforms for implantable drug delivery systems for use in the oral cavity

This study described the formulation and characterisation of the viscoelastic, mechanical and mucoadhesive properties of thermoresponsive, binary polymeric systems composed of poloxamer (P407) and poly(acrylic acid, C974P) that were designed for use as a drug delivery platform within the oral cavity. Monopolymeric and binary polymeric formulations were prepared containing 10, 15 and 20% (w/w) poloxamer (407) and 0.10-0.25% (w/w) poly(acrylic acid, 934P). The flow theological and viscoelastic properties of the formulations were determined using controlled stress and oscillatory rheometry, respectively, the latter as a function of temperature. The mechanical and mucoadhesive properties (namely the force required to break the bond between the formulation and a pre-hydrated mucin disc) were determined using compression and tensile analysis, respectively. Binary systems composed of 10% (w/w) P407 and C934P were elastoviscous, were easily deformed under stress and did not exhibit mucoadhesion. Formulations containing 15 or 20% (w/w) Pluronic P407 and C934P exhibited a sol-gel temperature T(sol/gel), were viscoelastic and offered high elasticity and resistance to deformation at 37 degrees C. Conversely these formulations were elastoviscous and easily deformed at temperatures below the sol-gel transition temperature. The sol-gel transition temperatures of systems containing 15% (w/w) P407 were unaffected by the presence of C934P; however, increasing the concentration of C934P decreased the T(sol/gel) in formulations containing 20%(w/w) P407. Rheological synergy between P407 and C934P at 37 degrees C was observed and was accredited to secondary interactions between these polymers, in addition to hydrophobic interactions between P407 micelles. Importantly, formulations composed of 20% (w/w) P407 and C934P exhibited pronounced mucoadhesive properties. The ease of administration (below the T(sol/gel)) in conjunction with the viscoelastic (notably high elasticity) and mucoadhesive properties (at body temperature) render the formulations composed of 20% (w/w) P407 and C934P as potentially useful platforms for mucoadhesive, controlled topical drug delivery within the oral cavity. (c) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Influence of Heat Treatment and Oxygen Doping on the Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility of Titanium-Niobium Binary Alloys

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influence of the Substitutional Solute on the Mechanical Properties of Ti-Nb Binary Alloys for Biomedical Use

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Binary integer programming formulations for scheduling in market-driven foundries

This paper describes the development and solution of binary integer formulations for production scheduling problems in market-driven foundries. This industrial sector is comprised of small and mid-sized companies with little or no automation, working with diversified production, involving several different metal alloy specifications in small tailor-made product lots. The characteristics and constraints involved in a typical production environment at these industries challenge the formulation of mathematical programming models that can be computationally solved when considering real applications. However, despite the interest on the part of these industries in counting on effective methods for production scheduling, there are few studies available on the subject. The computational tests prove the robustness and feasibility of proposed models in situations analogous to those found in production scheduling at the analyzed industrial sector. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring S-type orbits in the Pluto-Charon binary system

This work generates, through a sample of numerical simulations of the restricted three-body problem, diagrams of semimajor axis and eccentricity which defines stable and unstable zones for particles in S-type orbits around Pluto and Charon. Since we consider initial conditions with 0 <= e <= 0.99, we found several new stable regions. We also identified the nature of each one of these newly found stable regions. They are all associated to families of periodic orbits derived from the planar circular restricted three-body problem. We have shown that a possible eccentricity of the Pluto-Charon system slightly reduces, but does not destroy, any of the stable regions.

Irregular satellites of Jupiter: capture configurations of binary-asteroids

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Stratified Sampling Applied to Estimation of the Volumetric Fraction of Alumina in Cast Metal Matrix Composites

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Determination of Population Size of Glass-like Carbon Sampling Used in Weibull Analysis

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

Double sampling (x)over-bar control chart for a first-order autoregressive moving average process model

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variable parameter and double sampling (X)over-bar charts in the presence of correlation: The Markov chain approach

The general assumption under which the (X) over bar chart is designed is that the process mean has a constant in-control value. However, there are situations in which the process mean wanders. When it wanders according to a first-order autoregressive (AR (1)) model, a complex approach involving Markov chains and integral equation methods is used to evaluate the properties of the (X) over bar chart. In this paper, we propose the use of a pure Markov chain approach to study the performance of the (X) over bar chart. The performance of the chat (X) over bar with variable parameters and the (X) over bar with double sampling are compared. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bivariate control charts with double sampling

In this article, we consider the T(2) chart with double sampling to control bivariate processes (BDS chart). During the first stage of the sampling, n(1) items of the sample are inspected and two quality characteristics (x; y) are measured. If the Hotelling statistic T(1)(2) for the mean vector of (x; y) is less than w, the sampling is interrupted. If the Hotelling statistic T(1)(2) is greater than CL(1), where CL(1) > w, the control chart signals an out-of-control condition. If w < T(1)(2) <= CL(1), the sampling goes on to the second stage, where the remaining n(2) items of the sample are inspected and T(2)(2) for the mean vector of the whole sample is computed. During the second stage of the sampling, the control chart signals an out-of-control condition when the statistic T(2)(2) is larger than CL(2). A comparative study shows that the BDS chart detects process disturbances faster than the standard bivariate T(2) chart and the adaptive bivariate T(2) charts with variable sample size and/or variable sampling interval.