Surveys on time use and unpaid work in Latin America and the Caribbean: Experience to date and challenges for the future

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Free radical entrapment and crystallinity of resin composites after accelerated aging as a function of the expiration date

This study evaluated the spin concentration and the crystallinity in different classifications of dental composites as a function of the material condition (new, aged and expired). Specimens were obtained according to the factors: composites: Filtek P60, Filtek Z250, Filtek Z350XT, and Filtek Silorane; and material conditions: new, aged, and expired. The syringe composites underwent an accelerated aging protocol (Arrhenius model). The magnetic properties of the composites were characterized using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and the concentration of spins (number of spins/mass) was calculated. The crystallinity of the composites tested was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Filtek P60 and Filtek Z250 presented similarities in terms of spin concentration and crystallinity, irrespective of the material condition. The aging protocol influenced the composite Filmic Z350XT that exhibited a significant increase in the spin concentration. Besides, lower intensity peaks of the organic matrix and amorphous silica were also observed for both aged and expired Filtek Z350XT. Although a significant lower spin concentration was observed for the silorane composite in comparison to that of the methacrylates, a decrease in the relative intensity of peaks of the amorphous region related to the organic components in the diffractograms was observed. The material conditions tested influence the crystallinity and the magnetic properties of the composites evaluated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resin composite characterizations following a simplified protocol of accelerated aging as a function of the expiration date

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Polymerization kinetics and polymerization stress in resin composites after accelerated aging as a function of the expiration date

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Heuristic methods for the single machine scheduling problem with different ready times and a common due date

The single machine scheduling problem with a common due date and non-identical ready times for the jobs is examined in this work. Performance is measured by the minimization of the weighted sum of earliness and tardiness penalties of the jobs. Since this problem is NP-hard, the application of constructive heuristics that exploit specific characteristics of the problem to improve their performance is investigated. The proposed approaches are examined through a computational comparative study on a set of 280 benchmark test problems with up to 1000 jobs.

Does delaying the first mowing date benefit biodiversity in meadowland?

Background Meadows are regularly mown in order to provide fodder or litter for livestock and to prevent vegetation succession. However, the time of year at which meadows should be first mown in order to maximize biological diversity remains controversial and may vary with respect to context and focal taxa. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of delaying the first mowing date upon plants and invertebrates in European meadowlands. Methods Following a CEE protocol, ISI Web of Science, Science Direct, JSTOR, Google and Google Scholar were searched. We recorded all studies that compared the species richness of plants, or the species richness or abundance of invertebrates, between grassland plots mown at a postponed date (treatment) vs plots mown earlier (control). In order to be included in the meta-analysis, compared plots had to be similar in all management respects, except the date of the first cut that was (mostly experimentally) manipulated. They were also to be located in the same meadow type. Meta-analyses applying Hedges’d statistic were performed. Results Plant species richness responded differently to the date to which mowing was postponed. Delaying mowing from spring to summer had a positive effect, while delaying either from spring to fall, or from early summer to later in the season had a negative effect. Invertebrates were expected to show a strong response to delayed mowing due to their dependence on sward structure, but only species richness showed a clearly significant positive response. Invertebrate abundance was positively influenced in only a few studies. Conclusions The present meta-analysis shows that in general delaying the first mowing date in European meadowlands has either positive or neutral effects on plant and invertebrate biodiversity (except for plant species richness when delaying from spring to fall or from early summer to later). Overall, there was also strong between-study heterogeneity, pointing to other major confounding factors, the elucidation of which requires further field experiments with both larger sample sizes and a distinction between taxon-specific and meadow-type-specific responses.