Kinetic parameters associated with self-heating of New Zealand coals under adiabatic conditions

Adiabatic self-heating tests were carried out on five New Zealand coal samples ranging in rank from lignite to high-volatile bituminous. Kinetic parameters of oxidation were obtained front the self-heating curves assuming Arrhenius behaviour. The activation energy E (kJ mol(-1)) and the pre-exponential factor A (s(-1)) were determined in the temperature range of 70-140 degreesC. The activation energy exhibited a definite rank relationship with a minimum E of 55 kJ mol(-1) occurring at a Suggate rank of similar to6.2 corresponding to subbituminous C. Either side of this rank there was a noticeable increase in the activation energy indicating lower reactivity of the coal. A similar rank trend was also observed in the R-70 self-heating rate index values that were taken from the initial portion of the self-heating curve front 40 to 70 degreesC. From these results it is clear that the adiabatic method is capable of providing reliable kinetic parameters of coal oxidation.

Perceived stress as a predictor of the self-reported new diagnosis of symptomatic CHD in older women

This article describes one aspect of a prospective cohort study of 10,432 women aged between 70 and 75 years. After a 3-year period, 503 women self-reported a new diagnosis by a doctor of angina or myocardial infarction (symptomatic coronary heart disease [CHD]). Time one psychosocial variables (Duke Social Support Index, time pressure, Perceived Stress Scale, Mental Health Index, having a partner, educational attainment, and location of residence) were analyzed using univariate binary logistic regression for their ability to predict subsequent symptomatic CHD. Of these variables, the Duke Social Support Index, Perceived Stress Scale and the Mental Health Index were found to be significant predictors of symptomatic CHID diagnosis. Only the Perceived Stress Scale, however, proved to be a significant independent predictor. After controlling for time one nonpsychosocial variables, as well as the frequency of family doctor visits, perceived stress remained a significant predictor of the new diagnosis of symptomatic CHD in this cohort of older women over a 3-year period.

Pseudo-randomness of round-off errors in discretized linear maps on the plane

We analyze the sequences of round-off errors of the orbits of a discretized planar rotation, from a probabilistic angle. It was shown [Bosio & Vivaldi, 2000] that for a dense set of parameters, the discretized map can be embedded into an expanding p-adic dynamical system, which serves as a source of deterministic randomness. For each parameter value, these systems can generate infinitely many distinct pseudo-random sequences over a finite alphabet, whose average period is conjectured to grow exponentially with the bit-length of the initial condition (the seed). We study some properties of these symbolic sequences, deriving a central limit theorem for the deviations between round-off and exact orbits, and obtain bounds concerning repetitions of words. We also explore some asymptotic problems computationally, verifying, among other things, that the occurrence of words of a given length is consistent with that of an abstract Bernoulli sequence.

Metodologia de representação identitária do patrimônio territorial : a água como elemento de identidade em Linhares/ES

Apresenta primeiramente o conceito de desenvolvimento local autossustentável dentro do enfoque territorialista. Mostra também o conceito de patrimônio territorial e o de representação identitária do território como instrumento de preservação do patrimônio, neste caso o territorial. O enfoque territorialista é adotado como base teórica para a construção do roteiro metodológico de representação identitária do território com vistas à preservação do patrimônio tendo como objeto empírico o município de Linhares/ES, que passa por um processo de intenso desenvolvimento de seu território e que apresenta um rico patrimônio, no que diz respeito aos recursos naturais, em especial o hídrico. Nos últimos anos tem-se registrado um crescimento forte dos instrumentos disponíveis para a produção de imagens do território, neste caso o uso da tecnologia de Sistemas de Informações Geográficas. Por meio deste recurso, adotado na Escola Territorialista Italiana, representa-se o patrimônio que constitui o território municipal, tendo como produtos finais o Atlas do patrimônio territorial no município de Linhares/ES e o Roteiro metodológico de representação identitária do patrimônio territorial.

Radial Distortion Self-Calibration

In cameras with radial distortion, straight lines in space are in general mapped to curves in the image. Although epipolar geometry also gets distorted, there is a set of special epipolar lines that remain straight, namely those that go through the distortion center. By finding these straight epipolar lines in camera pairs we can obtain constraints on the distortion center(s) without any calibration object or plumbline assumptions in the scene. Although this holds for all radial distortion models we conceptually prove this idea using the division distortion model and the radial fundamental matrix which allow for a very simple closed form solution of the distortion center from two views (same distortion) or three views (different distortions). The non-iterative nature of our approach makes it immune to local minima and allows finding the distortion center also for cropped images or those where no good prior exists. Besides this, we give comprehensive relations between different undistortion models and discuss advantages and drawbacks.

Automatic segmentation and 3D feature extraction of protein aggregates in Caenorhabditis Elegans

In the last years, it has become increasingly clear that neurodegenerative diseases involve protein aggregation, a process often used as disease progression readout and to develop therapeutic strategies. This work presents an image processing tool to automatic segment, classify and quantify these aggregates and the whole 3D body of the nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans. A total of 150 data set images, containing different slices, were captured with a confocal microscope from animals of distinct genetic conditions. Because of the animals’ transparency, most of the slices pixels appeared dark, hampering their body volume direct reconstruction. Therefore, for each data set, all slices were stacked in one single 2D image in order to determine a volume approximation. The gradient of this image was input to an anisotropic diffusion algorithm that uses the Tukey’s biweight as edge-stopping function. The image histogram median of this outcome was used to dynamically determine a thresholding level, which allows the determination of a smoothed exterior contour of the worm and the medial axis of the worm body from thinning its skeleton. Based on this exterior contour diameter and the medial animal axis, random 3D points were then calculated to produce a volume mesh approximation. The protein aggregations were subsequently segmented based on an iso-value and blended with the resulting volume mesh. The results obtained were consistent with qualitative observations in literature, allowing non-biased, reliable and high throughput protein aggregates quantification. This may lead to a significant improvement on neurodegenerative diseases treatment planning and interventions prevention

Agronomic performance of 27 cocoa progenies and plant selection based on productivity, self-compatibility and disease resistance

The objective of the present work was to evaluate 27 progenies of cocoa crosses considering the agronomic traits and select F1 plants within superior crosses. The experiment was installed in March 2005, in the Experimental Station Joaquim Bahiana (ESJOB), in Itajuipe, Bahia. The area of the experiment is of approximately 3 ha, with a total of 3240 plants. Thirteen evaluations of vegetative brooms, five of cushion brooms and 15 of number of pods per plant were accomplished. Thirty pollinations were made for each selected plant to test for self-compatibility. The production, based on the number of pods per plant, and resistance to witches´ broom indicated CEPEC 94 x CCN 10, RB 39 x CCN 51 and CCN 10 x VB 1151 as superior progenies. All selections tested were self-compatible. The analyses of progenies and individual tree data, associated to visual field observations, allowed the selection of 17 plants which were included in a network of regional tests to determine the phenotypic stability.

Loneliness in Middle and Old Age

Purpose of the research: (a) To identify the degree of much loneliness reported in the Portuguese population over 50 years of age and (b) test whether loneliness can be predicted by socio-demographic, health related or social characteristic of the sample other than age. Materials and methods: 1174 late middle age and older adults were interviewed face to face by different interviewers across the country; after the informed consent was signed, we asked the participants several socio-demographic and health-related questions; finally we asked ‘‘How often do you feel lonely?’’ and participants responded according to a five point Likert scale. Principal results: The results showed that 12% of participants reporting feeling lonely often or always, whereas 40% reporting never feeling lonely. The remaining 48% self-reported they felt lonely seldom or sometimes. Additionally, results show that, when taken together, variables such as marital status, type of housing, residence settings, health conditions, social satisfaction, social isolation, lack of interest, transportation, and age were predictors of loneliness. Major conclusions: (1) The association of loneliness with advanced age has been greatly exaggerated by mass media and common sense; (2) But although our findings did not confirm the most alarmist views, the 12% of older adults reporting that they are feeling lonely always or often should be cause for attention and concern. It is necessary to understand the meaning, reasons and level of suffering implied on those feelings of loneliness. (3) Our findings suggest that it makes no sense to construe age as a singular feature or cause for feelings of loneliness. Instead, age and also a number of other features combine to predict feelings of loneliness. But even with our predictor variables there was a substantial of variance left unexplained. Therefore it is necessary to continue exploring how feelings of loneliness arise from the experience of living and how they can be changed.

Pagamento de proventos versus preços deações maduras e em expansão segundo Kohonen Maps

Este estudo investiga se a política de distribuição de resultados seria capaz de alterar os preços das ações de uma empresa. O objetivo deste trabalho é discutir os impactos do pagamento de proventos sobre os preços das ações, na data ex direito, de empresas maduras e de empresas em expansão, considerando-se ainda o efeito da classe da ação (ordinária ou preferencial) sobre os resultados. Para tal, adotou-se a metodologia de dados em painel, segmentando a amostra a partir dos Mapas Auto-organizáveis de Kohonen. Os resultados revelam que a estratégia de curto prazo de comprar ações na última data com, vender na primeira data ex e embolsar os dividendos é capaz de gerar perdas de capital que superam em até quatro vezes o ganho líquido decorrente do provento embolsado.

Organizing resistance movements: contribution of the political discourse theory

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility of articulating Political Discourse Theory (PDT) together with Organizational Studies (OS), while using the opportunity to introduce PDT to those OS scholars who have not yet come across it. The bulk of this paper introduces the main concepts of PDT, discussing how they have been applied to concrete, empirical studies of resistance movements. In recent years, PDT has been increasingly appropriated by OS scholars to problematize and analyze resistances and other forms of social antagonisms within organizational settings, taking the relational and contingent aspects of struggles into consideration. While the paper supports the idea of a joint articulation of PDT and OS, it raises a number of critical questions of how PDT concepts have been empirically used to explain the organization of resistance movements. The paper sets out a research agenda for how both PDT and OS can together contribute to our understanding of new, emerging organizational forms of resistance movements.

Analysis of mediation and reciprocal effects of changes in weight, self-esteem, and exercise in a behavioral weight loss treatment

Improving the treatment of obesity remains a critical challenge. Several health behaviour change models, often based on a social-cognitive framework, have been used to design weight management interventions (Baranowski et al., 2003). However, most interventions have only produced modest weight reductions (Wadden et al., 2002) and socialcognitive variables have shown limited power to predict weight outcomes (Palmeira et al., 2007). Other predictors, and possibl alte nati e e planatory models, are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which weight loss and other obesity treatment-outcomes are brought about (Baranowski, 2006). Self-esteem is one of these possible mechanisms, because is commonly reported to change during the treatment, although these changes are not necessarily associated with weight loss (Blaine et al., 2007; Maciejewski et al., 2005). This possibility should be more evident if the program integrates regular exercise, as it promotes improvements in subjective well-being (Biddle & Mutrie, 2001), with possible influences on long-term behavioral adherence (e.g. diet, exercise). Following the reciprocal effects model tenets (Marsh & Craven, 2006), we expect that the influences between changes in weight, selfesteem and exercise to be reciprocal and might present one of the mechanisms by which obesity treatments can be improved.