Cue properties change timing strategies in group movement synchronisation

To maintain synchrony in group activities, each individual within the group must continuously correct their movements to remain in time with the temporal cues available. Cues might originate from one or more members of the group. Current research suggests that when synchronising movements, individuals optimise their performance in terms of minimising variability of timing errors (asynchronies) between external cues and their own movements. However, the cost of this is an increase in the timing variability of their own movements. Here we investigate whether an individual’s timing strategy changes according to the task, in a group scenario. To investigate this, we employed a novel paradigm that positioned six individuals to form two chains with common origin and termination on the circumference of a circle. We found that participants with access to timing cues from only one other member used a strategy to minimise their asynchrony variance. In contrast, the participant at the common termination of the two chains, who was required to integrate timing cues from two members, used a strategy that minimised movement variability. We conclude that humans are able to flexibly switch timekeeping strategies to maintain task demands and thus optimise the temporal performance of their movements.

A tillering inhibition gene influences root-shoot carbon partitioning and pattern of water use to improve wheat productivity in rainfed environments

Genetic modification of shoot and root morphology has potential to improve water and nutrient 19 uptake of wheat crops in rainfed environments. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) varying for a tillering 20 inhibition (tin) gene and representing multiple genetic backgrounds were investigated in contrasting 21 controlled environments for shoot and root growth. Leaf area, shoot and root biomass were similar 22 until tillering whereupon reduced tillering in tin-containing NILs produced reductions of up to 60% in 23 total leaf area and biomass, and increases in total root length of up to 120% and root biomass to 24 145%. Together, root-to-shoot ratio increased two-fold with the tin gene. The influence of tin on shoot 25 and root growth was greatest in the cv. Banks genetic background, particularly in the biculm-selected 26 NIL, and was typically strongest in cooler environments. A separate de-tillering study confirmed 27 greater root-to-shoot ratios with regular tiller removal in non-tin containing genotypes. In validating 28 these observations in a rainfed field study, the tin allele had a negligible effect on seedling growth but 29 was associated with significantly (P<0.05) reduced tiller number (-37%), leaf area index (-26%) and 30 spike number (-35%) to reduce plant biomass (-19%) at anthesis. Root biomass, root-to-shoot ratio at 31 early stem elongation and root depth at maturity were increased in tin-containing NILs. Soil water use 32 was slowed in tin-containing NILs resulting in greater water availability, greater stomatal 33 conductance, cooler canopy temperatures and maintenance of green leaf area during grain-filling. 34 Together these effects contributed to increases in harvest index and grain yield. In both the controlled 35 and field environments, the tin gene was commonly associated with increased root length and biomass 36 but the significant influence of genetic background and environment suggests careful assessment of 37 tin-containing progeny in selection for genotypic increases in root growth.

Community perceptions of four protected areas in the Northern portion of the Cerrado hotspot, Brazil

Establishing effective networks of protected areas (PAS) is one of the major goals of conservation strategies worldwide. However, the success of PAS in promoting biodiversity conservation depends on their integration to local and regional contexts, reducing and mitigating human impacts originating from buffer zones. Community perceptions affect interactions between residents and PAS, and thereby conservation effectiveness. Research at Tocantins state (northern Brazilian Cerrado), aimed to analyse local community perceptions of four PAs, discussing how different factors may influence these. Perceptions were assessed through standardized interviews applied to PA employees and 275 local inhabitants. There was modest community participation in PA establishment and management. Residents were aware of the PAS` existence, but were unfamiliar with their goals. Length of residency and occupation of inhabitants influenced their PA perceptions, shaping different people-park relations in each of the four studied PAs. Involvement of local residents in PA planning and management represents a central strategy to strengthen local support for PAS over the long term. In those areas that still have settlements inside their boundaries, community relocation should follow a careful participatory process to avoid significant changes in local perceptions and attitudes towards these PAS, crucial for conserving Brazilian biodiversity.

Sr-Nd isotopic evidence for crustal contamination in the Niquelandia complex, Goias, Central Brazil

The Niquelandia complex is a Neoproterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusion resulting from fractional crystallization of primary picritic basalt intrusions. It consists of two layered sequences: a lower and larger one (LS), where four stratigraphic units exhibit an upward decrease of ultramafic layers and increase of gabbroic layers; an upper, smaller sequence (US), separated from LS by a high-temperature shear zone and consisting of two stratigraphic units (gabbros + anorthosites and amphibolites). Nd and Sr isotopic analyses and rare earth element (REE) profiles provide evidence that the complex suffered important crustal contamination. The LS isotopic array trends from a DM region with positive epsilon Nd and moderately positive epsilon Sr towards a field occupied by crustal xenoliths, especially abundant in the upper LS (negative epsilon Nd and large, positive E:Sr). Each LS stratigraphic unit is distinct from the next underlying unit, showing lower epsilon Nd and higher epsilon Sr, suggesting inputs of fresh magma and mixing with the contaminated, residual magma. The US is characterised by a relatively high variation of epsilon Nd and constant epsilon Sr. REE patterns vary within each unit from LREE depleted to LREE enriched in the samples having lower epsilon Nd and higher epsilon Sr. The contamination process has been modelled by using the EC-AFC algorithms from [Spera, F.J., Bohrson, W.A., 2001. Energy-constrained open-system magmatic processes 1: general model and energy-constrained assimilation and fractional crystallization (EC-AFC) formulation. J. Petrology 42, 999-1018]. The differences between the LS and US isotopic arrays are consistent with contamination by the same crustal component, provided that its melting degree was higher in LS than in US. The different degrees of anatexis are explained by the heat budget released from the magma, higher in LS (because of its larger mass) than in US. Comparison of the correlations between isotopes and incompatible trace element ratios of the models and of the gabbros shows some differences, which are demonstrably related with the variable amount of cumulus phases and trapped melt in the gabbros. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes Towards and Uses of the Japanese Adverbzenzen by Swedish Learners of Japanese

The word zenzen is an adverb that is used frequently in daily conversational Japanese. From the Meiji period (1868-1912) until the early Showa period (1924-1989) the word was used together with both affirmative and negative words to form expressions. In the early Showa period the grammatical rules in education changed so that the only acceptable use was together with a negative word. From the 1990’s onward, the use together with an affirmative word has made a comeback especially among younger Japanese people. However even though the usage together with an affirmative word has made a comeback and was considered normal once in history, in today’s society it is still considered as slang and thus not recommended usage in formal situations. Foreign language learners however, tend not to learn a language only by textbooks but also by imitating the language of native Japanese speakers and Japanese popular culture. This may lead to a confusion regarding what words are acceptable to use in conversations. Therefore in this study, an online survey that examines the usage and attitudes regarding the word zenzen aimed at Japanese language learners at Swedish universities was conducted. The results of the survey showed that although a majority of the learners showed a good understanding of the usage, more than half of the learners displayed a feeling of confusion regarding the usage of the word. The gender comparison regarding the usage showed no major differences. Having lived in Japan, having Japanese friends whom you speak Japanese with regularly and length of Japanese study was associated with an increased understanding of the usage. Regular consumption of Japanese popular culture, however, was not associated with an increased understanding of the usage. A literature analysis was also conducted to examine the attitudes regarding the usage of zenzen in a variety of books with topics including business language and books aimed at Japanese language teachers. The results showed that zenzen used together with a negative word was considered as the norm while zenzen used together with an affirmative word was not recommended to be used in formal situations. When recommending proper usage of the word zenzen together with an affirmative word to foreign learners of Japanese, hijou-ni and totemo was seen as better alternatives to zenzen in a formal situation.

Sonhos em cena: histórias e memórias do teatro Leopoldo Fróes

O objetivo deste trabalho de conclusão de curso é dialogar com a história e a memória dos teatros Alvorada e Leopoldo Fróes. Ao partir em busca de documentação que fornecesse a trilha deste percurso, procurou-se, inicialmente, a Mitra Arquidiocesana de Niterói, dona do imóvel que, infelizmente, não guarda registros das atividades ali desenvolvidas desde a doação do terreno, em 1947, muito menos dos eventos culturais realizados nas quatro décadas de sua existência. Foi através de Albino Ferreira dos Santos, fundador do teatro Alvorada, que antecede o Leopoldo Fróes, e a partir de suas memórias e farta documentação, que foi iniciada a pesquisa acerca das histórias e das memórias que o Edifício Dom João da Matta guarda. Além da pesquisa em jornais e arquivos públicos e privados da cidade de Niterói, contou-se com o importante depoimento daqueles que direta ou indiretamente viveram essa história. O resultado da pesquisa está em um documentário de 40 minutos - "Sonhos em Cena: histórias e memórias do Leopoldo Fróes" -, no qual são mostrados os diferentes momentos do teatro, os principais personagens, seus sonhos e desencantos, construindo, assim, um pouco da história do teatro e de suas relações com a cidade de Niterói e seus artistas.

Varejo multicanal: grau de integração e o varejo de livros no Brasil

Quando se comemora uma década da Internet comercial no Brasil, é consenso entre os estudiosos que ela não apenas chegou para ficar, mas principalmente, levou muitos negócios a adotarem novos canais, setores a repensarem seus enfoques e indicou novas formas de atender a seus clientes, além de ter provocado mudanças na gestão, operações e formulação de suas estratégias. Neste contexto delineia-se o principal objetivo deste estudo que é investigar o fenômeno da integração no varejo multicanal em empresas brasileiras do setor varejista direcionadas à comercialização de livros. Entende-se por varejo multicanal a disponibilização por parte das empresas de mais de um canal para que seus clientes possam realizar suas compras, com a predominância de lojas físicas e sites comerciais em ambiente Web. O estudo tem por objetivos específicos entender os propósitos das empresas estudadas na adoção do varejo multicanal em relação à estratégia de expansão, como as vantagens competitivas já existentes foram alavancadas com a integração da loja virtual, qual o grau de integração das atividades nos ambientes físico e virtual em relação à gestão, operações e mensuração e no que se refere às variáveis do composto varejista, procurando levantar como estão situadas nos diferentes estágios de integração. Para tanto o referencial teórico procurou adicionar ao conceito de Varejo Multicanal, os elementos dos conceitos consagrados de Estratégia de Crescimento, Unidade Estratégica de Negócios (UENs) e Sinergia. A pesquisa de caráter exploratório foi conduzida em três redes de livrarias com forte presença nacional. Os resultados encontrados mostram que as empresas estudadas conseguiram expandir seus negócios e alavancar suas vantagens competitivas, integrando de forma distinta a gestão, operações e mensuração, bem como as variáveis de seu composto varejista, situando-as em diferentes estágios de integração de seus canais físico e virtual.

Motivação: um enfoque neurofisiológico

Não esquecendo toda uma conotação SOCial que está implicante ligada à motivação, o presente trabalho visa estudar em bases neurofisiológicas. Sabemos que a motivação ainda não possui seu constructo solidificado. Possui uma variabilidade de entretenimento da escola psicológica para escolas psicológicas, de pesquisador para pesquisador, de cultura para cultura, de tempo para tempo.... Este trabalho não tem um fim reducionista em apenas ver a motivação com bases neurofisiológicas. Seu objetivo é clarificar, se possível, um campo discutível. Podemos ver apesar dos vários modos de encarar a motivação como processo social, seu modo de se dar, fisiologicamente, poderá ser mais delimitado. Qualquer que seja a conceituação dada a motivação, ela possui um mecanismo fisiológico interno, inegável. Será neste campo que dedicar-me-ei. O que se dá no sistema nervoso quando um ser vivo é motivado? Será que o mecanismo fisiológico da motivação difere de ser para ser? Ou será diferente apenas de espécie para espécie? Iniciaremos nosso trabalho vendo as diferentes visões de motivação e como os cientistas a encaram. Verificamos que a preocupação dada desde muito em estabelecer um ponto de partida mais operacional para p desenvolvimento da fisiologia em cases científicas. Para isto, muito contribuíram FUNVESTEIN, CANNON, SHERRINGTON, MAGNUN e MORUZZI, SECHENOV, LASHLEY e outros. Entretanto, inicialmente esta preocupação era maior pelas manifestações viscerais e somáticas do comportamento. Só com o desenvolvimento das pesquisas sobre Hipotálamo e o Sistema Límbico foi que se conseguiu, realmente, em campo melhor para as pesquisas sobre motivação. Não podemos esquecer as contribuições de SKINNER e PAVLON sobre recompensa, as de BANDURA com a variável – Modelação do Comportamento, de BUTTLER e NISSEN com a descrição do comportamento da curiosidade exploratória, as de HEBB sobre os efeitos da estimulação sensorial restrita, as de JAMES OLDS sobre a estimulação elétrica. Estudaremos as interpretações teóricas recentes com CANON, LASHLEY, BEACH, MORGAN, LORENS, DEUTSCH, LINDSLEY, GROSSMAN. Teceremos considerações anatômicas, histológicas, fisiológicas, conexões e funções no estudo do Sistema Límbico e seus componentes. Nossa maior preocupação serpa em tentar explicar os mecanismos motivacionais na sua relação com o Sistema Nervoso. Estudaremos motivações sexual, de forma, de sede, de dor, maternal e paternal, de defesa, de ataque ou dominação e como elas estão relacionadas no sistema nervoso. Para tal apresentamos experiências realizadas sobre estimulação sensorial, motivação e emoção, e as experiências de OLDS sobre fatores motivacionais obtidos através de estimulações ou ablações de determinadas áreas do Sistema Límbico. Espero que, através desta dissertação, tenha podido contribuir um pouco para o estudo de tão vasto campo.

Performance-based compensation vs. guaranteed compensation: contractual incentives and performance

Top management from retail banks must delegate authority to lower-level managers to operate branches and service centers. Doing so, they must navigate through conflicts of interest, asymmetric information and limited monitoring in designing compensation plans for such agents. Pursuant to this delegation, the banks adopt a system of performance targets and incentives to align the interests of senior management and unit managers. This paper evaluates the causal relationship between performance-based salaries and managers’ effective performance. We use a fixed effects estimator to analyze an unbalanced panel of data from one of the largest Brazilian retail banks during the period from January 2007 to June 2009. The results indicate that agents with guaranteed variable salary contracts demonstrate inferior performance compared with agents who have performance-based compensation packages. We conclude that there is a moral hazard that can be observed in the behavior of agents who are subject to guaranteed variable salary contracts.

Tributação de energia elétrica e bem-estar social: uma análise regional

Os reflexos da tributação sobre o setor elétrico ultrapassam as questões meramente arrecadatórias de estados, municípios e União, envolvem toda a produção do país e o bem-estar de sua população. Neste contexto, e com o intuito de trazer as questões de eficiência e redistributividade ao ambiente de tributação de energia elétrica, o presente trabalho pretende apresentar um panorama da tributação atual do consumo residencial de energia elétrica, principalmente em relação ao ICMS, juntamente com um cálculo simplificado de alíquotas considerando dois modelos de tributação ótima, estabelecidos por F. R. Ramsey e Diamond e Mirrlees, a partir dos quais é possível realizar comparações em relação ao modelo atual e sintetizar uma visão nacional de uma tributação realizada em sua maior parte regionalmente. O primeiro modelo considera apenas eficiência na definição das alíquotas aplicadas aos produtos, partindo da premissa de que todos os consumidores são idênticos e não há preocupações com equidade. As elasticidades necessárias para aplicação do critério de Ramsey são estimadas a partir de dados em painel das 64 distribuidoras de energia elétrica do país, utilizando um modelo em dois estágios com variável instrumental. O segundo modelo, proposto por Diamond e Mirrlees, incorpora a equidade na modelagem, introduzindo a diferenciação entre os indivíduos.

Impact of forced-aging process on Madeira Wine flavor

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal temperature and baking time to obtain a Madeira wine considered typical by an expert panel. For this purpose simultaneous descriptive analyses of typical Madeira wines were performed, and seven descriptors were selected: “dried fruit”, “nutty”, “musty”, “baked”, “oak”, “mushroom”, and “brown sugar”. Up to 10 odor-active zones were the most frequently cited by the members of the GC-olfactometry panel as corresponding to the panel’s descriptors. The odor importance of each of the zones reported by the GC-O analysis was ranked by AEDA. Three odor zones were identified as common to both Malvasia and Sercial wines and had retention indices (RI) of 1993 (“brown sugar” and “toasted”), 2151 (“brown sugar”), and 2174 (“nutty”, “driedfruits”);sotolonwasidentifiedasresponsibleforthislastaroma.Severalmoleculeswereselected to be quantified on baked wines on the basis of AEDA results and expected Maillard volatiles, such as sotolon, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 5-ethoximethylfurfural, methional, and phenylacetaldehyde. It was observed that typicity scores were positively correlated with the concentrations of sotolon and sugar and baking time and negatively with the fermentation length.

Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus

SOUSA,M.B.C. et al. Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Primates, v.40, n.2, p. 327-336, Apr. 1999.

Ampliando o acesso livre a informação: a digitalização do acervo do Núcleo Temático da Seca

FREIRE, Isa Maria, et al. Ampliando o acesso livre a informaçao: a digitalizaçao do acervo do Nucleo Tematico da Seca. Pesquisa Brasileira em Ciência da Informação e Biblioteconomia, v.3, n.2, p. 137-142, 2008.Disponivel em: . Acesso em: 04 nov. 2010.

Análise bioclimática e investigação do conforto térmico em ambientes externos: uma experiência no bairro de Petrópolis em Natal/RN

This study was intended to investigate how the urban form has been influencing the changes in the climate of the city and make a correlation between the climate and the thermal sensation of the users of open spaces. The research was developed in the district of Petrópolis in Natal/ RN whose occupation has been almost consolidated. Among other reasons, this district was selected because it was planned considering the environmental aspects of comfort. The methodologies used are based on KATZSCHNER (1997) and OLIVEIRA (1988) studies, which suggest the drawing and analysis of maps of the area under study, including topography, height of the buildings, land use, green areas, and types of soil pavement, as well as measurement of the environmental variables: air temperature, relative humidity, direction and wind speed for a comparative study. As part of this, study local users of the district were interviewed about their thermal sensations in open spaces. For the statistical analysis, data was collected at 10 distinct points characterized by BUSTOS ROMERO (2002), being 8 within the district and 2 at different places (outside the district), at climatologic stations, in 3 periods (August/2000, January/2002 and June/2002), for 4 consecutive days for each measurement (from Sunday to Wednesday) at the time of lower and higher temperatures in the city, 6:00 am and 1:00 pm, respectively. At the same time interviews were carried out with users of the open spaces in the area, totaling 171 valid formularies. The urban form showed a rather leveled topography, great diversity of land use and height of the buildings, with the existence of an area mostly occupied with high buildings, very little green area and soil practically impermeable. The statistical analysis showed high temperature and humidity levels. The wind direction is predominantly Southeast with extremely variable speeds. When the data from this district is compared with the data from other areas in the city and its outskirt, it was observed that this district is hotter and less ventilated than the others; besides, most users said that they felt uncomfortable in the local environmental conditions. The results of the analysis generated a zoning for the district with recommendations for soil occupation. The profile of the user was defined regarding the thermal comfort, as well as some discussion about the comfort parameters, including the proposal of limiting areas of temperature and humidity for the thermal comfort in the open spaces

Síntese, estudo cinético e análise microestrutural do sistema cério-níquel obtido pelo método pechini

The cerium oxide has a high potential for use in removing pollutants after combustion, removal of organic matter in waste water and the fuel-cell technology. The nickel oxide is an attractive material due to its excellent chemical stability and their optical properties, electrical and magnetic. In this work, CeO2-NiO- systems on molars reasons 1:1(I), 1:2(II) e 1:3(III) metal-citric acid were synthesized using the Pechini method. We used techniques of TG / DTG and ATD to monitor the degradation process of organic matter to the formation of the oxide. By thermogravimetric analysis and applying the dynamic method proposed by Coats-Redfern, it was possible to study the reactions of thermal decomposition in order to propose the possible mechanism by which the reaction takes place, as well as the determination of kinetic parameters as activation energy, Ea, pre-exponential factor and parameters of activation. It was observed that both variables exert a significant influence on the formation of complex polymeric precursor. The model that best fitted the experimental data in the dynamic mode was R3, which consists of nuclear growth, which formed the nuclei grow to a continuous reaction interface, it proposes a spherical symmetry (order 2 / 3). The values of enthalpy of activation of the system showed that the reaction in the state of transition is exothermic. The variables of composition, together with the variable temperature of calcination were studied by different techniques such as XRD, IV and SEM. Also a study was conducted microstructure by the Rietveld method, the calculation routine was developed to run the package program FullProf Suite, and analyzed by pseudo-Voigt function. It was found that the molar ratio of variable metal-citric acid in the system CeO2-NiO (I), (II), (III) has strong influence on the microstructural properties, size of crystallites and microstrain network, and can be used to control these properties