Spatio-temporal patterns of herbage availability and livestock movements: A cross-border analysis in the Chinese-Mongolian Altay

Due to increasing population and the recent implementation of policies to intensify the use of land and water resources, the transhumant pastoral systems in the Chinese-Mongolian Altay-Dzungarian region are rapidly changing, leading to modifications of herd size, herd composition and spatial distribution of livestock grazing. This may have major consequences for the supply and quality of rangeland biomass. Despite similar topographic settings, the socio-political framework for Chinese and Mongolian pastoralists differs significantly, leading to differences in rangeland utilization. To substantiate these claims, the long-distance transhumance routes, frequency of pasture changes, daily grazing itineraries and size of pastures were recorded by means of GPS tracking of cattle and goats on 1,535 (China) and 1,396 (Mongolia) observation days. The status quo of the main seasonal pastures was captured by measuring the herbage offer and its nutritive value in 869 sampling spots. In the Altay-Dzungarian region, small ruminant herds covered up to 412 km (Mongolia) and grazed on up to nine pastures per year (China). In Mongolia, the herds’ average duration of stay at an individual pasture was longer than in China, particularly in spring and autumn. Herbage allowance at the onset of a grazing period (kg dry matter per sheep unit and day) ranged from 34/17 to 91/95 (China/Mongolia). Comparing crude protein and phosphorous concentrations of herbage, in China, the highest concentrations were measured for spring and summer pastures, whereas in Mongolia, the highest concentrations were determined for autumn and winter pastures. Based on our data, we conclude that regulation of animal numbers and access to pastures seemingly maintained pasture productivity in China, especially at high altitudes. However, this policy may prohibit flexible adaptation to sudden environmental constraints. In contrast, high stocking densities and grazing of pastures before flowering of herbaceous plants negatively affected rangeland productivity in Mongolia, especially for spring and summer pastures.

Mapping the likelihood of foot-and-mouth disease introduction along the border between Brazil and Paraguay.

The objective of this work was to apply fuzzy majority multicriteria group decision?making to determine risk areas for foot?and?mouth disease (FMD) introduction along the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The study was conducted in three municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, located along the border with Paraguay. Four scenarios were built, applying the following linguistic quantifiers to describe risk factors: few, half, many, and most. The three criteria considered to be most likely to affect the vulnerability to introduction of FMD, according to experts? opinions, were: the introduction of animals in the farm, the distance from the border, and the type of property settlements. The resulting maps show a strong spatial heterogeneity in the risk of FMD introduction. The used methodology brings out a new approach that can be helpful to policy makers in the combat and eradication of FMD.

Ethnicity and cross-border lending: evidence from the syndicated loan market.

Whilst the connection between culture and financial intermediation across countries has received considerable attention, there is scant work on the role of local ethnicity in bank lending operations. To fill this void, we lean on the sociology literature to scrutinize the impact of local ethnicity characteristics on syndicated loan composition and size in cross-border lending. We specifically examine whether local demographics in the U.S. for a specific bank impact their contracting in the international syndicated loan market. Exploiting Gravity Models, we find a higher likelihood of syndication and volume in cross-border loans when there is overlap in local and foreign market ethnicity. To alleviate endogeneity concerns between ethnicity and bank lending, we conduct robustness tests on different sub-samples. This analysis reports a significant uptick in cross-border loans for merging banks which share ethnicity in their neighbourhood (or zip). Moreover, these loans are associated with lower spreads than other matched cross-border loans, which can be explained by lower asymmetric information.

Interfaces between national and EU law: time limits in cross-border civil proceedings and their impact on the free circulation of judgments

The thesis aims at exploring possible legal solutions to remove the obstacles to the free circulation of judgments in the civil justice area that arise from the remarkably diverging national rules on procedural time limits. As shown by the case-law of the CJEU, time limits have recently come under closer scrutiny. The interplay between national and EU law illustrates that time limits raise significant deficiencies connected with the right to a fair trial under Art. 6 ECHR and Art. 47 CFR – e.g. the effective recovery of claims, effective judicial protection, effective cross-border enforcement of judgments – which negatively impact EU cross-border civil litigation. In order to overcome some of the weaknesses of the current legal framework governing the cross-border enforcement of judgments and strengthen the parties’ fundamental procedural rights the PhD thesis intends to determine whether and, to what extent time limits can be harmonised at EU level. EU action on time limits would indeed favour the speed, efficiency and proportionality of cross-border proceedings without sacrificing the fairness of the judicial process and the equality of the parties

A mathematical model of the early visual system and border completion via subriemannian Hamiltonian geodesics

In this thesis, we aim to discuss a simple mathematical model for the edge detection mechanism and the boundary completion problem in the human brain in a differential geometry framework. We describe the columnar structure of the primary visual cortex as the fiber bundle R2 × S1, the orientation bundle, and by introducing a first vector field on it, explain the edge detection process. Edges are detected through a lift from the domain in R2 into the manifold R2 × S1 and are horizontal to a completely non-integrable distribution. Therefore, we can construct a subriemannian structure on the manifold R2 × S1, through which we retrieve perceived smooth contours as subriemannian geodesics, solutions to Hamilton’s equations. To do so, in the first chapter, we illustrate the functioning of the most fundamental structures of the early visual system in the brain, from the retina to the primary visual cortex. We proceed with introducing the necessary concepts of differential and subriemannian geometry in chapters two and three. We finally implement our model in chapter four, where we conclude, comparing our results with the experimental findings of Heyes, Fields, and Hess on the existence of an association field.

Preference Mapping Of Dulce De Leche Commercialized In Brazilian Markets.

Dulce de leche samples available in the Brazilian market were submitted to sensory profiling by quantitative descriptive analysis and acceptance test, as well sensory evaluation using the just-about-right scale and purchase intent. External preference mapping and the ideal sensory characteristics of dulce de leche were determined. The results were also evaluated by principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, partial least squares regression, artificial neural networks, and logistic regression. Overall, significant product acceptance was related to intermediate scores of the sensory attributes in the descriptive test, and this trend was observed even after consumer segmentation. The results obtained by sensometric techniques showed that optimizing an ideal dulce de leche from the sensory standpoint is a multidimensional process, with necessary adjustments on the appearance, aroma, taste, and texture attributes of the product for better consumer acceptance and purchase. The optimum dulce de leche was characterized by high scores for the attributes sweet taste, caramel taste, brightness, color, and caramel aroma in accordance with the preference mapping findings. In industrial terms, this means changing the parameters used in the thermal treatment and quantitative changes in the ingredients used in formulations.

Key Participants Of The Tumor Microenvironment Of The Prostate: An Approach Of The Structural Dynamic Of Cellular Elements And Extracellular Matrix Components During Epithelial-stromal Transition.

Cancer is a multistep process that begins with the transformation of normal epithelial cells and continues with tumor growth, stromal invasion and metastasis. The remodeling of the peritumoral environment is decisive for the onset of tumor invasiveness. This event is dependent on epithelial-stromal interactions, degradation of extracellular matrix components and reorganization of fibrillar components. Our research group has studied in a new proposed rodent model the participation of cellular and molecular components in the prostate microenvironment that contributes to cancer progression. Our group adopted the gerbil Meriones unguiculatus as an alternative experimental model for prostate cancer study. This model has presented significant responses to hormonal treatments and to development of spontaneous and induced neoplasias. The data obtained indicate reorganization of type I collagen fibers and reticular fibers, synthesis of new components such as tenascin and proteoglycans, degradation of basement membrane components and elastic fibers and increased expression of metalloproteinases. Fibroblasts that border the region, apparently participate in the stromal reaction. The roles of each of these events, as well as some signaling molecules, participants of neoplastic progression and factors that promote genetic reprogramming during epithelial-stromal transition are also discussed.

Efeitos da temperatura do ar, linhagem e período do dia nas freqüências de ocorrências e tempos de expressão comportamental de matrizes pesadas

Behavioral adjustments may occur fast and with less cost than the physiological adaptations. Considering the social behavior is suggestive that the frequency and the intensity of aggressive interactions, the total social cohesion and the extent of vicious attitudes may be used to evaluate welfare. This research presents an analysis of the interactions between the experimental factors such as temperature, genetic and time of the day in the behavior of female broiler breeders under controlled environment in a climatic chamber in order to enhance the different reaction of the birds facing distinct environmental conditions. The results showed significant differences between the behaviors expressed by the studied genetics presenting the need of monitoring them in real-time in order to predict their welfare in commercial housing, due to the complexity of the environmental variables that interfere in the well being process. The research also concluded that the welfare evaluation of female broiler breeders needs to consider the time of the day during the observation of the behaviors.

Adaptação de protocolos invasivos e não invasivos para avaliações aeróbias e anaeróbias específicas ao basquetebol feminino

OBJECTIVE: To adapted the critical velocity (CV), RAST test and lactate minimum (LM) to evaluation of female basketball players. METHODS: Twelve well-trained female basketball players (19 ± 1yrs) were submitted to four intensities running (10 - 14 km/h) at shuttle exercise until exhaustion, applied on alternate days. The linear model 'velocity vs. 1/tlim' was adopted to determine the aerobic (CV) and anaerobic (CCA) parameters. The lactate minimum test consisted of two phases: 1) hiperlactatemia induction using the RAST test and 2) incremental test composed by five shuttle run (20-m) at 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 km/h. Blood samples were collected at the end of each stage. RESULTS: The velocity (vLM) and blood lactate concentration at LM were obtained by two polynomial adjustments: lactate vs. intensity (LM1) and lactate vs. time (LM2). ANOVA one-way, Student t-test and Pearson correlation were used for statistical analysis. The CV was obtained at 10.3 ± 0.2 km/h and the CCA estimated at 73.0 ± 3.4 m. The RAST was capable to induce the hiperlactatemia and to determine the Pmax (3.6 ± 0.2 W/kg), Pmed (2.8 ± 0.1 W/kg), Pmin (2.3 ± 0.1 W/kg) and FI (30 ± 3%). The vLM1 and vLM2 were obtained, respectively, at 9.47 ±0.13 km/h and 9.8 ± 0.13 km/h, and CV was higher than vLM1. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the non-invasive model can be used to determine the aerobic and anaerobic parameters. Furthermore, the LM test adapted to basketball using RAST and progressive phase was effective to evaluate female athletes considering the specificity of modality, with high success rates observed in polynomial adjustment 'lactate vs. time' (LM2).

Efeitos de diferentes protocolos de treinamento físico sobre o controle autonômico e cardiorrespiratório em homens de meia-idade

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Medalhistas de ouro nas Paraolimpiadas de Atenas 2004 : reflexões de suas trajetorias no desporto adaptado

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Efeitos de diferentes frequencias semanais de treinamento com pesos sobre a composição corporal e capacidades motoras em homens idosos

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Metodologia para a suavização de dados biomecanicos por função não parametrica ponderada local robusta

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

As artes marciais chinesas para pessoas com deficiência : contextos, dilemas e possibilidades = Chinese martial arts for people with disabilities : contexts, dilemmas and possibilities

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Variabilidade da frequência cardíaca após treinamento concorrente : comparação entre homens e mulheres de meia-idade = Heart rate variability after concurrent training : comparison between middle-aged men and women

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física