Does mixed frequency vector error correction model add relevant information to exchange misalignment calculus? Evidence for United States

Real exchange rate is an important macroeconomic price in the economy and a ects economic activity, interest rates, domestic prices, trade and investiments ows among other variables. Methodologies have been developed in empirical exchange rate misalignment studies to evaluate whether a real e ective exchange is overvalued or undervalued. There is a vast body of literature on the determinants of long-term real exchange rates and on empirical strategies to implement the equilibrium norms obtained from theoretical models. This study seeks to contribute to this literature by showing that it is possible to calculate the misalignment from a mixed ointegrated vector error correction framework. An empirical exercise using United States' real exchange rate data is performed. The results suggest that the model with mixed frequency data is preferred to the models with same frequency variables

Início da função gonadal no sagui comum (Callithrix jacchus): diferenças entre gêneros

Os primatas não humanos, como Callithrix jacchus vêm sendo utilizados com maior frequência em pesquisa biomédica e, recentemente, nosso laboratório propôs uma nova classificação para monitorar com mais detalhes as modificações comportamentais e hormonais relacionadas ao desenvolvimento. O presente trabalho monitorou os níveis de hormônios gonadais de 4 machos e 6 fêmeas de C. jacchus durante as fases juvenil I e II e subadulta (dos 5 aos 15 meses). Os resultados apontaram que os níveis de progesterona nas fêmeas e andrógenas nos machos foram estatisticamente mais elevados nos estágios juvenil II e subadulto, respectivamente, em relação ao estágio juvenil I. Estes achados indicam que, de acordo com a nova classificação, foi possível observar que o funcionamento gonadal se instala mais cedo nas fêmeas

Crescimento, desenvolvimento gonadal e composição muscular de matrinxãs (Brycon cephalus) submetidos à restrição alimentar e realimentação durante um ano

Neste trabalho, avaliou-se o efeito da restrição de ração alternada com realimentação no crescimento, desenvolvimento gonadal e composição muscular de matrinxãs (Brycon cephalus) adultos, de ambos os sexos, durante um ano (janeiro de 1998 a janeiro de 1999). Foram utilizados 135 peixes, separados em dois grupos: controle, alimentado diariamente até aparente saciação, e experimental, submetido ininterruptamente a ciclos de três dias de alimentação/2 dias de restrição de ração (40% de restrição ao mês). Foram realizadas 7 amostragens, nas quais foram utilizados 8 a 10 peixes por grupo. Após anestesia, os peixes foram pesados e as gônadas foram retiradas para determinação do IGS, sexo e fase do ciclo reprodutivo. Porções dos músculos branco e vermelho foram retiradas para determinação da porcentagem de lipídio total, proteína bruta, matéria seca e umidade. Os resultados mostraram que a estratégia alimentar utilizada não afetou o crescimento, o desenvolvimento gonadal e a composição muscular do matrinxã. A restrição de ração seguida por realimentação parece ter desencadeado mecanismos de ajuste metabólico para melhor utilização do alimento e aporte suficiente de energia para o crescimento, processo de maturação gonadal e composição corporal. É possível estabelecer formas de manejo alimentar mais econômicas para o matrinxã sem que processos fisiológicos importantes sejam afetados.

Desenvolvimento gonadal de fêmeas de matrinxã, Brycon amazonicus, submetidas a restrição alimentar

O presente estudo avaliou o efeito de ciclos de restrição alimentar e realimentação (2/3 dias), aplicados durante seis meses antes da desova, no desenvolvimento gonadal de matrinxã. Na ocasião da desova, fêmeas alimentadas diariamente e submetidas ao regime alimentar experimental, selecionadas para a indução hormonal, foram sacrificadas para retirada das gônadas e do fígado, com os quais se calculou o IGS (índice gonadossomático) e o IHS (índice hepatossomático), sendo os ovários processados para análise histológica. Não houve alteração no peso relativo dos ovários e fígado, e o desenvolvimento gonadal não foi afetado pelo esquema alimentar. Os valores de IGS foram de 5,09±4,98% e 9,79±4,17% e os de IHS foram de 0,84±0,07% e 0,91±0,11%, para as fêmeas controle e experimentais, respectivamente, sem diferenças significativas entre os grupos. Os ovários de peixes dos dois grupos apresentaram as mesmas características do estádio maduro, com predominância de ovócitos na fase final de maturação, repletos de vitelo. O estudo indica que a restrição alimentar não afetou a preparação das fêmeas para a reprodução e que ciclos adequados de restrição e realimentação poderão ser aplicados na criação do matrinxã, assegurando menores custos de produção.

Gonadal steroids levels and vitellogenesis in the formation of oocytes in Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes) (Teleostei: Characiformes)

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.

Molecular Identification and Characterization of Ileal and Cecal Fungus Communities in Broilers Given Probiotics, Specific Essential Oil Blends, and Under Mixed Eimeria Infection

Broiler digestive tract fungal communities have gained far less scrutiny than that given corresponding bacterial communities. Attention given poultry-associated fungi have focused primarily on feed-associated toxin-producers, yeast, and yeast products. The current project focused on the use of pyrosequencing and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to identify and monitor broiler digestive fungal communities. Eight different treatments were included. Four controls were an Uninfected-Unmedicated Control, an Unmedicated-Infected Control, the antibiotic bacitracin methylene disalicylate plus the ionophore monensin as Positive Control, and the ionophore monensin alone as a Negative Control. Four treatments were two probiotics (BC-30 and Calsporin) and two specific essential oil blends (Crina Poultry Plus and Crina Poultry AF). All chickens except the Unmedicated-Uninfected Control were given, at 15 days of age, a standard oral Eimeria inoculum of sporulated oocysts. Ileal and cecal digesta were collected at pre-Eimeria infection at 14 days of age and at 7 days post-Eimeria infection at 22 days of age. Extracted cecal DNA was analyzed by pyrosequencing to examine the impact of diet supplements and Eimeria infection on individual constituents in the fungal community, while DGGE was used to compare more qualitative changes in ileal and cecal communities. Pyrosequencing identified three phyla, seven classes, eight orders, 13 families, 17 genera, and 23 fungal species. Ileal and cecal DGGE patterns showed fungal communities were clustered mainly into pre- and post-infection patterns. Post-infection Unmedicated-Uninfected patterns were clustered with pre-infection groups demonstrating a strong effect of Eimeria infection on digestive fungal populations. These combined techniques offered added versatility towards unraveling the effects of enteropathogen infection and performance enhancing feed additives on broiler digestive microflora.

Dominance of legume trees alters nutrient relations in mixed species forest restoration plantings within seven years

Failures in reforestation are often attributed to nutrient limitation for tree growth. We compared tree performance and nitrogen and phosphorus relations in adjacent mixed-species plantings of contrasting composition, established for forest restoration on Ultisol soil, originally covered by tropical semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil. Nutrient relations of four tree species occurring in both planting mixtures were compared between a legume-dominated, species-poor direct seeding mixture of early-successional species ("legume mixture"), and a species-diverse, legume-poor mixture of all successional groups ("diverse mixture"). After 7 years, the legume mixture had 6-fold higher abundance of N(2)-fixing trees, 177% higher total tree basal area, 22% lower litter C/N, six-fold higher in situ soil resin-nitrate, and 40% lower in situ soil resin-P, compared to the diverse mixture. In the legume mixture, non-N(2)-fixing legume Schizolobium parahyba (Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae) had significantly lower proportional N resorption, and both naturally regenerating non-legume trees had significantly higher leaf N concentrations, and higher proportional P resorption, than in the diverse mixture. This demonstrate forms of plastic adjustment in all three non-N(2)-fixing species to diverged nutrient relations between mixtures. By contrast, leaf nutrient relations in N(2)-fixing Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae-Mimosoideae) did not respond to planting mixtures. Rapid N accumulation in the legume mixture caused excess soil nitrification over nitrate immobilization and tighter P recycling compared with the diverse mixture. The legume mixture succeeded in accelerating tree growth and canopy closure, but may imply periods of N losses and possibly P limitation. Incorporation of species with efficient nitrate uptake and P mobilization from resistant soil pools offers potential to optimize these tradeoffs.

Biomass and Stand Characteristics of a Highly Productive Mixed Douglas-Fir and Western Hemlock Plantation in Coastal Washington

Aboveground biomass predictive equations were developed for a highly productive 47-year-old mixed Douglas-fir and western hemlock stand in southwest Washington State to characterize the preharvest stand attributes for the Fall River Long-Term Site Productivity Study. The equations were developed using detailed biomass data taken from 31 Douglas-fir and 11 western hemlock trees within the original stand. The stand had an average of 615 live trees per hectare, with an average dbh of 35.6 cm (39.1 cm for Douglas-fir and 33.3 cm for western hemlock) and an average total tree height of 31.6 m (32.8 m for Douglas-fir and 30.2 m for western hemlock). Equations developed were of the form In Y = b(1) + b(2) In dbh, where Y = biomass in kg, dbh = diameter in cm at 1.3 m height, b(1) = intercept, and b(2) = slope of equation. Each tree part was estimated separately and also combined into total aboveground biomass. The total aboveground biomass estimation equations were In Y = -0.9950 + 2.0765 In dbh for Douglas-fir, and In Y = -1.6612 + 2.2321 In dbh for western hemlock. The estimate of the aboveground live-free biomass was of 395 Mg ha(-1) (235 Mg ha(-1) for Douglas-fir and 160 Mg ha(-1) for western hemlock), with 9.5, 29.3, 12.9, 308, and 32.7 Mg ha(-1) in the foliage, live branches, dead branches, stem wood, and stem hark, respectively. When compared with biomass estimates from six other studies, ranging in age from 22 to 110 years and from 96.3 to 636 Mg ha(-1), the biomass of the Fall River site was relatively high for its age, indicating very high productivity.

Detection of mixed microbial biofilms on central venous catheters removed from Intensive care Unit Patients

Cateteres venosos centrais inseridos em pacientes internados em unidade de terapia intensiva foram avaliados por métodos microbiológicos (cultura semi-quantitativa) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura a fim de detectar adesão microbiana e correlacionar com a cultura de sangue. Durante o período de estudo, foram avaliados 59 pacientes com cateter venoso central. A idade dos pacientes, sexo, sítio de inserção e tempo de permanência do cateter foram anotados. O cateter era de poliuretano não tunelizado e de único lúmen. O sangue para cultura foi coletado no momento da remoção do cateter. de 63 pontas de cateteres, 30 (47,6%) foram colonizadas e a infecção encontrada em 5 (23,8%) cateteres. A infecção foi mais prevalente em 26 pacientes (41,3%) com cateteres inseridos em veia subclávia do que nos 3 (3,2%) inseridos em veia jugular. A infecção foi observada com mais freqüência em cateteres com tempo de permanência maior do que sete dias. Os microrganismos isolados incluíram 32 estafilococos coagulase-negativa (29,7%), 61 bactérias Gram-negativas (52,9%), 9 estafilcocos coagulase-positiva (8,3%) e 3 leveduras (2,7%). Como agentes causais de infecções em unidade de terapia intensiva foram isolados E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii. Os antimicrobianos com maior atividade in vitro contra as bactérias Gram-negativas foram o imipenem e contra as Gram-positivas vancomicina, cefepime, penicilina, rifampicina e tetraciclina. As análises por microscopia eletrônica de varredura revelaram biofilmes sobre a superfície de todos os cateteres examinados.

ZnO-TiO2 composite formed by mixed oxides via polyol

Among the researches on preparation and test of nanostructured materials, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have been the most frequent studied oxides. In order to extend their properties, composites have been prepared using three different methods: Polyol Method, Sol-gel Process and a combination of the two processes (hybrid process). Recent research showed best properties in composite materials than in pure oxides. In this work is presented the preparation and the structural characterization of ZnO-TiO2 composite nanostructures to be tested for their performance in electrocatalysis and in further trial on photovoltaic cells.

Bounded solutions of fermions in the background of mixed vector-scalar inversely linear potentials

The problem of a fermion subject to a general mixing of vector and scalar potentials in a two-dimensional world is mapped into a Sturm-Liouville problem. Isolated bounded solutions are also searched. For the specific case of an inversely linear potential, which gives rise to an effective Kratzer potential in the Sturm-Liouville problem, exact bounded solutions are found in closed form. The case of a pure scalar potential with their isolated zero-energy solutions, already analyzed in a previous work, is obtained as a particular case. The behavior of the upper and lower components of the Dirac spinor is discussed in detail and some unusual results are revealed. The nonrelativistic limit of our results adds a new support to the conclusion that even-parity solutions to the nonrelativistic one-dimensional hydrogen atom do not exist. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of a mixed vector-scalar screened coulomb potential for spinless particles

The problem of a spinless particle subject to a general mixing of vector and scalar screened Coulomb potentials in a two-dimensional world is analyzed and its bounded solutions are found. Some unusual results, including the existence of a bona fide solitary zero-eigenmode solution, are revealed for the Klein-Gordon equation. The cases of pure vector and scalar potentials, already analyzed in previous works, are obtained as particular cases.

Unified treatment of mixed vector-scalar screened Coulomb potentials for fermions

The problem of a fermion subject to a general mixing of vector and scalar screened Coulomb potentials in a two-dimensional world is analyzed and quantization conditions are found.

Bounded solutions of fermions in the background of mixed vector-scalar Poeschl-Teller-like potentials

The problem of a fermion subject to a convenient mixing of vector and scalar potentials in a two-dimensional space-time is mapped into a Sturm-Liouville problem. For a specific case which gives rise to an exactly solvable effective modified Poschl-Teller potential in the Sturm-Liouville problem, bound-state solutions are found. The behaviour of the upper and lower components of the Dirac spinor is discussed in detail and some unusual results are revealed. The Dirac delta potential as a limit of the modified Poschl-Teller potential is also discussed. The problem is also shown to be mapped into that of massless fermions subject to classical topological scalar and pseudoscalar potentials. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2007.