Convex and toric geometry to analyze complex dynamics in chemical reaction systems

Convex cone, toric variety, graph theory, electrochemical catalysis, oxidation of formic acid, feedback-loopsbifurcations, enzymatic catalysis, Peroxidase reaction, Shil'nikov chaos

Mathematical model to analyze the heat transfer in tunnel kilns for burning of ceramics

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Verfahrens- und Systemtechnik, Diss., 2013

Discovery and visualization of interesting patterns

Die Preise für Speicherplatz fallen stetig, da verwundert es nicht, dass Unternehmen riesige Datenmengen anhäufen und sammeln. Diese immensen Datenmengen müssen jedoch mit geeigneten Methoden analysiert werden, um für das Unternehmen überlebensnotwendige Muster zu identifizieren. Solche Muster können Probleme aber auch Chancen darstellen. In jedem Fall ist es von größter Bedeutung, rechtzeitig diese Muster zu entdecken, um zeitnah reagieren zu können. Um breite Nutzerschichten anzusprechen, müssen Analysemethoden ferner einfach zu bedienen sein, sofort Rückmeldungen liefern und intuitive Visualisierungen anbieten. Ich schlage in der vorliegenden Arbeit Methoden zur Visualisierung und Filterung von Assoziationsregeln basierend auf ihren zeitlichen Änderungen vor. Ich werde lingustische Terme (die durch Fuzzymengen modelliert werden) verwenden, um die Historien von Regelbewertungsmaßen zu charakterisieren und so eine Ordnung von relevanten Regeln zu generieren. Weiterhin werde ich die vorgeschlagenen Methoden auf weitereModellarten übertragen, die Software-Plattformvorstellen, die die Analysemethoden dem Nutzer zugänglich macht und schließlich empirische Auswertungen auf Echtdaten aus Unternehmenskooperationen vorstellen, die die Wirksamkeit meiner Vorschläge belegen.

Episodes of the life and death of thin fluid membranes : patterns and dynamics at the cross-over from two to three dimensions

Otto-von Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften, Dissertation, 2016

Patterns of snake evolution suggested by their proteins : a contribution in celebration of the distinguished scholarship of Robert F. Inger on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday / Herbert C. Dessauer, John E. Cadle, Robin Lawson.

n.s. no.34(1987)

Macroecologia de carnívoros do Novo Mundo (Mammalia): envelopes de restrição e análise de padrões filogenéticos

The relationship between body size and geographic range was analyzed for 70 species of terrestrial Carnivora ("fissipeds") of the New World, after the control of phylogenetic patterns in the data using phylogenetic eigenvector regression. The analysis from EcoSim software showed that the variables are related as a triangular envelope. Phylogenetic patterns in data were detected by means of phylogenetic correlograms, and 200 simulations of the phenotypic evolution were also performed over the phylogeny. For body size, the simulations suggested a non-linear relationship for the evolution of this character along the phylogeny. For geographic range size, the correlogram showed no phylogenetic patterns. A phylogenetic eigenvector regression was performed on original data and on data simulated under Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Since both characters did not evolve under a simple Brownian motion process, the Type I errors should be around 10%, compatible with other methods to analyze correlated evolution. The significant correlation of the original data (r = 0.38; P < 0.05), as well as the triangular envelope, then indicate ecological and adaptive processes connecting the two variables, such as those proposed in minimum viable population models.

Patterns of geographic variation in allozymes of the Olympic salamander, Rhyacotriton Olympicus (Caudata: Dicamptodontidae) : a contribution in celebration of the distinguished scholarship of Robert F. Inger on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday / David A. Good, Gloria Z. Wurst [and] David B. Wake.

n.s. no.32(1987)

Infaunal recruitment patterns in soft bottom habitats of the Patos Lagoon estuary, southern Brazil: influence of Chasmagnathus granulata (Brachyura, Grapsidae) disturbance

A comparative study of the infaunal recruitment patterns among disturbed surface sediment mounds around Chasmagnathus granulata Dana, 1851 burrows and undisturbed adjacent sediments was done in two intertidal soft bottom habitats (an upper and a lower mudflat zone) in an estuarine inlet of Patos Lagoon, southern Brazil. The most abundant infaunal organisms were recruits of the polychaete Laeonereis acuta Treadwell, 1923 and of the tanaid Kalliapseudes schubartii Mañé-Garzón, 1949. The densities of these species did not differ significantly between upper and lower mudflat habitats. These species showed lower densities around crab burrows than in adjacent areas, where differences in sediment characteristics were observed as well. The results indicate that C. granulata disturbances may play an important role in regulating the soft bottom benthic community by controlling infaunal recruitment in the estuarine intertidal mudflats of the Patos Lagoon.

Anurans of the Serra do Caraça, southeastern Brazil: species composition and phenological patterns of calling activity

Annual patterns of calling and breeding activity of 38 anuran species were studied at Serra do Caraça, an 11,233 ha reserve located in a contact zone between Cerrado and Atlantic forest at the southern Espinhaço range, southeastern Brazil. Five patterns were evident: (1) species that call year-round or nearly year-round with larger aggregations generally observed in the rainy months, (2) species with opportunistic calling activity associated with rainfall during the wettest months of the year, (3) winter species, (4) explosive breeders with intense calling activity triggered by heavy rains during the rainy season or only in the beginning of the rainy season, and (5) summer species with variable breeding seasons. Both the monthly number of species with calling males and the monthly number of species that showed the maximum class of calling males were positively correlated with both mean monthly temperature and monthly precipitation.

Can climate shape flight activity patterns of Plebeia remota Hymenoptera, Apidae)?

Flight activity of foragers of four colonies of Plebeia remota (Holmberg, 1903) was registered from December 1998 to December 1999, using an automated system (photocells and PLC system). The colonies originated from two different regions: Cunha, state of São Paulo, and Prudentópolis, state of Paraná, Brazil. Flight activity was influenced by different climatic factors in each season. In the summer, the intensity of the correlations between flight activity and climatic factors was smaller than in the other seasons. During the autumn and winter, solar radiation was the factor that most influenced flight activity, while in the spring, this activity was influenced mainly by temperature. Except in the summer, the various climatic factors similarly influenced flight activity of all of the colonies. Flight activity was not affected by geographic origin of the colonies. Information concerning seasonal differences in flight activity of P. remota will be useful for prediction of geographic distribution scenarios under climatic changes.

Novelties from a cave lace bug (Heteroptera, Tingidae): first nymphal description with a discussion on the morphological patterns of Vianaidinae immatures

A nymph of Thaumamannia Drake & Davis, 1960, a rare vianaidine genus known only from adults, is described by the first time. The specimens were collected in the soil and walls of caves located in the state of Pará, Brazil. This is the first record of Vianaidinae for Brazil. The T. vanderdrifti fifth instar is compared with the same stadium of Anommatocoris coleopteratus (Kormilev, 1955), the only other vianaidine nymph described so far, and patterns between them and within the family are also discussed.

Sexual dimorphism in Amphisbaena nigricauda (Reptilia, Squamata, Amphisbaenidae) from Southeastern Brazil

Amphisbaena nigricauda Gans, 1966 is a small, poorly known amphisbaenid endemic to the restinga of the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia, Brazil. We analyze 178 specimens collected in Vitória municipality, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, to investigate whether this species show sexual dimorphism in pre-cloacal pores and in morphological characters. Sex was determined by a ventral incision and direct inspection of gonads. A PCA analysis was performed to generate a general body size measurement. A T test and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used to assess whether this species show sexual dimorphism on five morphometric and five meristic characters, respectively. Sex could not be determined in 36 specimens because they were mutilated in the posterior portion of their bodies. The diagnosis of the species is redefined based on this sample size: the smallest number of body annuli changes from 222 to 192, the number of dorsal and ventral segments in an annulus in the middle of the body changes to 9-11/13-16 (instead of 10/16), and the autotomic tail annulus lies between annulus 7-10 (instead of 6-9). The number of tail annuli remained within the known range of variation of the species (19-24). None of the 80 females analyzed showed pre-cloacal pores, whereas within males 59 out of 62 specimens displayed four and two specimens displayed five pre-cloacal pores. A single male did not possess pre-cloacal pores, but showed irregular scales on its cloacal region. Sex-based difference based on presence or absence of pre-cloacal pores as well as males with wider head was seen in other Neotropical amphisbaenids. However, a pattern of body size differences between males and females has not been identified so far in the few amphisbaenid species studied in this regard. Further studies on this taxonomic group are still needed to elucidate the existence of general patterns of sexual dimorphism and to identify the selective pressures driving these patterns.

Composition and ecological patterns of snake assemblages in an Amazon-Cerrado Transition Zone in Brazil

ABSTRACT The present study encompasses the species composition and ecological characteristics of the snake community in a Cerrado-Amazon transition zone in Midwest of Brazil (state of Mato Grosso). The data were collected during six excursions to the "Tanguro" (study area) by visual encounter survey, pitfall traps with drift fences and non-systematic sampling. We collected 194 specimens, distributed in 34 species, 26 genera, and eight families. The most abundant species were Crotalus durissus Linnaeus, 1758 (n = 50), Philodryas olfersii (Lichtenstein, 1823) (n = 15), Philodryas nattereri Steindachner, 1870 (n = 13), Xenodon rabdocephalus (Wied, 1824) (n = 12), Lachesis muta (Linnaeus, 1766) (n = 10) and Erythrolamprus almadensis (Wagler, 1824) (n = 10). The composition of species found here represents a combination of Cerrado and Amazonian savanna fauna.

Small mammal distributional patterns in Northwestern Argentina

ABSTRACT Quantitative evaluations of species distributional congruence allow evaluating previously proposed biogeographic regionalization and even identify undetected areas of endemism. The geographic scenery of Northwestern Argentina offers ideal conditions for the study of distributional patterns of species since the boundaries of a diverse group of biomes converge in a relatively small region, which also includes a diverse fauna of mammals. In this paper we applied a grid-based explicit method in order to recognize Patterns of Distributional Congruence (PDCs) and Areas of Endemism (AEs), and the species (native but non-endemic and endemic, respectively) that determine them. Also, we relate these distributional patterns to traditional biogeographic divisions of the study region and with a very recent phytogeographic study and we reconsider what previously rejected as 'spurious' areas. Finally, we assessed the generality of the patterns found. The analysis resulted in 165 consensus areas, characterized by seven species of marsupials, 28 species of bats, and 63 species of rodents, which represents a large percentage of the total species (10, 41, and 73, respectively). Twenty-five percent of the species that characterize consensus areas are endemic to the study region and define six AEs in strict sense while 12 PDCs are mainly defined by widely distributed species. While detailed quantitative analyses of plant species distribution data made by other authors does not result in units that correspond to Cabrera's phytogeographic divisions at this spatial scale, analyses of animal species distribution data does. We were able to identify previously unknown meaningful faunal patterns and more accurately define those already identified. We identify PDCs and AEs that conform Eastern Andean Slopes Patterns, Western High Andes Patterns, and Merged Eastern and Western Andean Slopes Patterns, some of which are re-interpreted at the light of known patterns of the endemic vascular flora. Endemism do not declines towards the south, but do declines towards the west of the study region. Peaks of endemism are found in the eastern Andean slopes in Jujuy and Tucumán/Catamarca, and in the western Andean biomes in Tucumán/Catamarca. The principal habitat types for endemic small mammal species are the eastern humid Andean slopes. Notwithstanding, arid/semi-arid biomes and humid landscapes are represented by the same number of AEs. Rodent species define 15 of the 18 General Patterns, and only in one they have no participation at all. Clearly, at this spatial scale, non-flying mammals, particularly rodents, are biogeographically more valuable species than flying mammals (bat species).