A new competitive implementation of the electromagnetism-like algorithm for global optimization

The Electromagnetism-like (EM) algorithm is a population- based stochastic global optimization algorithm that uses an attraction- repulsion mechanism to move sample points towards the optimal. In this paper, an implementation of the EM algorithm in the Matlab en- vironment as a useful function for practitioners and for those who want to experiment a new global optimization solver is proposed. A set of benchmark problems are solved in order to evaluate the performance of the implemented method when compared with other stochastic methods available in the Matlab environment. The results con rm that our imple- mentation is a competitive alternative both in term of numerical results and performance. Finally, a case study based on a parameter estimation problem of a biology system shows that the EM implementation could be applied with promising results in the control optimization area.

Responsabilidade social empresarial: sucesso e motivação dos colaboradores

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Comunicação (área de especialização em Publicidade e Relações Públicas)

Optimization of peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) for the detection of bacteria: the effect of pH, dextran sulfate and probe concentration

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a molecular technique widely used for the detection and characterization of microbial populations. FISH is affected by a wide variety of abiotic and biotic variables and the way they interact with each other. This is translated into a wide variability of FISH procedures found in the literature. The aim of this work is to systematically study the effects of pH, dextran sulfate and probe concentration in the FISH protocol, using a general peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe for the Eubacteria domain. For this, response surface methodology was used to optimize these 3 PNA-FISH parameters for Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens) and Gram-positive species (Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus cereus). The obtained results show that a probe concentration higher than 300 nM is favorable for both groups. Interestingly, a clear distinction between the two groups regarding the optimal pH and dextran sulfate concentration was found: a high pH (approx. 10), combined with lower dextran sulfate concentration (approx. 2% [w/v]) for Gram-negative species and near-neutral pH (approx. 8), together with higher dextran sulfate concentrations (approx. 10% [w/v]) for Gram-positive species. This behavior seems to result from an interplay between pH and dextran sulfate and their ability to influence probe concentration and diffusion towards the rRNA target. This study shows that, for an optimum hybridization protocol, dextran sulfate and pH should be adjusted according to the target bacteria.

The role of marine anaerobic bacteria and archaea in bioenergy production

The development of products from marine bioresources is gaining importance in the biotechnology sector. The global market for Marine Biotechnology products and processes was, in 2010, estimated at 2.8 billion with a cumulative annual growth rate of 510% (Børresen et al., Marine biotechnology: a new vision and strategy for Europe. Marine Board Position Paper 15. Beernem: Marine Board-ESF, 2010). Marine Biotechnology has the potential to make significant contributions towards the sustainable supply of food and energy, the solution of climate change and environmental degradation issues, and the human health. Besides the creation of jobs and wealth, it will contribute to the development of a greener economy. Thus, huge expectations anticipate the global development of marine biotechnology. The marine environment represents more than 70% of the Earths surface and includes the largest ranges of temperature, light and pressure encountered by life. These diverse marine environments still remain largely unexplored, in comparison with terrestrial habitats. Notwithstanding, efforts are being done by the scientific community to widespread the knowledge on oceans microbial life. For example, the J. Craig Venter Institute, in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Scripps Institution of Oceanography have built a state-of-the-art computational resource along with software tools to catalogue and interpret microbial life in the worlds oceans. The potential application of the marine biotechnology in the bioenergy sector is wide and, certainly, will evolve far beyond the current interest in marine algae. This chapter revises the current knowledge on marine anaerobic bacteria and archaea with a role in bio-hydrogen production, syngas fermentation and bio-electrochemical processes, three examples of bioenergy production routes.

Hazard assessment of storm events for the battery, New York

The environmental and socio-economic importance of coastal areas is widely recognized, but at present these areas face severe weaknesses and high-risk situations. The increased demand and growing human occupation of coastal zones have greatly contributed to exacerbating such weaknesses. Today, throughout the world, in all countries with coastal regions, episodes of waves overtopping and coastal flooding are frequent. These episodes are usually responsible for property losses and often put human lives at risk. The floods are caused by coastal storms primarily due to the action of very strong winds. The propagation of these storms towards the coast induces high water levels. It is expected that climate change phenomena will contribute to the intensification of coastal storms. In this context, an estimation of coastal flooding hazards is of paramount importance for the planning and management of coastal zones. Consequently, carrying out a series of storm scenarios and analyzing their impacts through numerical modeling is of prime interest to coastal decision-makers. Firstly, throughout this work, historical storm tracks and intensities are characterized for the northeastern region of United States coast, in terms of probability of occurrence. Secondly, several storm events with high potential of occurrence are generated using a specific tool of DelftDashboard interface for Delft3D software. Hydrodynamic models are then used to generate ensemble simulations to assess storms' effects on coastal water levels. For the United States’ northeastern coast, a highly refined regional domain is considered surrounding the area of The Battery, New York, situated in New York Harbor. Based on statistical data of numerical modeling results, a review of the impact of coastal storms to different locations within the study area is performed.

The challenges of establishing the electric vehicle in Ireland

This thesis investigates the challenges of establishing the electric vehicle (EV) in Ireland and how the Irish government and industry are trying to meet them. It further seeks to provide information on Irish consumers’ attitudes towards the electric vehicle and their willingness to purchase it. The review of the literature showed that the Irish government is investing significant funds in trying to establish the market for the electric vehicle and position itself as a world leader in adopting the electric vehicle. The EV will also have an important role to play in how Ireland meets its targets for CO2 reductions towards 2020. Climate change and use of fossil fuels are driving the need for increased use of renewable energy and increased energy independence while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are the leading cause of climate change. The transport sector is almost completely dependent on the use of fossil fuel and resultantly is one of the largest sources of these GHG emissions. These issues are leading to the design and production of more energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. The ultimate goal is to achieve a zero emissions vehicle. The electric vehicle is presently the only vehicle being mass produced that has the potential to be zero emissions. There are however issues that customers may not be willing to overlook such as the lower range of the vehicle and the length of time it takes to recharge. Vehicle cost is also an important issue that customers may not overlook. Knowing what the consumer’s attitudes are towards the EV and their willingness to purchase them is important as these new vehicles begin to appear in the showrooms. The consumers will be vital to how successful this market becomes. Using an online questionnaire methodology, in a sample of 118 consumers, the major conclusion to be drawn from the research is that the vehicle price, the convenience to recharge and vehicle range were the three most essential issues for the consumers if they were purchasing an EV. The success of the electric vehicle market may depend on what measures are taken to overcome them.

Microspines in the pylorus of Pseudonannolene tricolor and Rhinocricus padbergi (Arthropoda, Diplopoda)

The aim of this paper is to report the morphology and distribution of microspines in diplopods pylorus, as these are important structures present along the alimentary tract of arthropods. The morphology of the internal surface of the pylorus of Pseudonannolene tricolor Brolemann, 1901 and Rhinocricus padbergi Verhoeff, 1938 was analyzed by SEM. Pseudonannolene tricolor presents two morphologically distinct pyloric regions: anterior and posterior. The first region is characterized by the presence of thin microspines that increase in number and size towards the posterior portion; the second region presents smaller and triangular-shaped microspines distributed throughout small plates. The pylorus of R. padbergi does not present differentiated regions; the anterior portion is characterized by microspines grouped in plates that decrease in number and increase in size towards the ileum.

Stridulatory file and calling song of two populations of the tropical bush cricket Eneoptera surinamensis (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae)

This study characterizes the calling song and ultramorphology of the stridulatory file of two geographically isolated populations of the tropical bush cricket Eneoptera surinamensis (De Geer, 1773) from city of Foz do Iguaçu, state of Paraná, and town of Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, Brazil, distant 1,000 Km from each other. The teeth are shell-shaped, the larger ones are distributed in the medium region of the file, decreasing gradually in size towards the edges. Specimens from Foz do Iguaçu have a file with 82 ± 9.8 teeth, length=1.89 mm ± 0.15 with 43.76 ± 5.94 teeth per mm (n=15). Specimens from Rio Claro present a file with 87 ± 9.81, length=1.96 ± 0.19 mm with 44.52 ± 4.61 teeth per mm (n=15). Statistical differences found between the two populations are not significant. The calling song is an uninterrupted trill that alternates two sets of notes distinct for its temporal features.

Conservation status assessment of the amphibians and reptiles of Uruguay

The native species of amphibians and reptiles of Uruguay were categorized according to the IUCN Red List criteria. Out of 47 amphibian species, seven are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), five as Endangered (EN), one as Vulnerable (VU), three as Near Threatened (NT), and two as Data Deficient (DD); the remaining species are considered to be Least Concern (LC). Among the 64 species of reptiles evaluated, one is listed as Critically Endangered (CR), seven as Endangered (EN), two as Vulnerable (VU), one as Near Threatened (NT) and seven as Data Deficient (DD); the rest are considered to be Least Concern (LC). The use of these results as an additional criterion in the definition of protected areas in Uruguay will contribute towards the conservation of the aforementioned threatened species and their associated ecosystems.

A Methodology to measure shareholder value orientation and shareholder value creation aimed at providing a research basis to investigate the link between both magnitudes

Does shareholder value orientation lead to shareholder value creation? This article proposes methods to quantify both, shareholder value orientation and shareholder value creation. Through the application of these models it is possible to quantify both dimensions and examine statistically in how far shareholder value orientation explains shareholder value creation. The scoring model developed in this paper allows quantifying the orientation of managers towards the objective to maximize wealth of shareholders. The method evaluates information that comes from the companies and scores the value orientation in a scale from 0 to 10 points. Analytically the variable value orientation is operationalized expressing it as the general attitude of managers toward the objective of value creation, investment policy and behavior, flexibility and further eight value drivers. The value creation model works with market data such as stock prices and dividend payments. Both methods where applied to a sample of 38 blue chip companies: 32 firms belonged to the share index IBEX 35 on July 1st, 1999, one company represents the “new economy” listed in the Spanish New Market as per July 1st, 2001, and 5 European multinational groups formed part of the EuroStoxx 50 index also on July 1st, 2001. The research period comprised the financial years 1998, 1999, and 2000. A regression analysis showed that between 15.9% and 23.4% of shareholder value creation can be explained by shareholder value orientation.

Interest rate determination in the interbank market

The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of equilibrium in the market for daily funds. We use the EONIA panel database which includes daily information on the lending rates applied by contributing commercial banks. The data clearly shows an increase in both the time series volatility and the cross section dispersion of rates towards the end of the reserve maintenance period. These increases are highly correlated. With respect to quantities, we find that the volume of trade as well as the use of the standing facilities are also larger at the end of the maintenance period. Our theoretical model shows how the operational framework of monetary policy causes a reduction in the elasticity of the supply of funds by banks throughout the reserve maintenance period. This reduction in the elasticity together with market segmentation and heterogeneity are able to generate distributions for the interest rates and quantities traded with the same properties as in the data.

Growth, habit formation, and catching-up\ with the Joneses

When habits are introduced multiplicatively in a capital accumulation model, the consumers' objective function might fail to be concave. In this paper we provide conditions aimed at guaranteeing the existence of interior solutions to the consumers' problem. We also characterize the equilibrium path of two growth models with multiplicative habits: the internal habit formation model, where individual habits coincide with own past consumption, and the external habit formation (or catching-up with the Joneses) model, where habits arise from the average past consumption in the economy. We show that the introduction of external habits makes the equilibrium path inefficient during the transition towards the balanced growth path. We characterize in this context the optimal tax policy.

Limitations and biases of conventional analysis of climate change. Towards an analysis coherent with sustainable development

This paper shows the numerous problems of conventional economic analysis in the evaluation of climate change mitigation policies. The article points out the many limitations, omissions, and the arbitrariness that have characterized most evaluation models applied up until now. These shortcomings, in an almost overwhelming way, have biased the result towards the recommendation of a lower aggressiveness of emission mitigation policies. Consequently, this paper questions whether these results provide an appropriate answer to the problem. Finally, various points that an analysis coherent with sustainable development should take into account are presented.

EU foreign policy towards Georgia: just for energy?

The paper analyses how the EU foreign policy towards Georgia changed after the Rose Revolution, reaching greater levels of involvement and assistance. It is argued that the pro-western and reformist new government in Georgia triggered a new orientation in the EU foreign policy towards the country based on a logic of appropriateness, that is EU´s values, in addition to energy interests. Comparative analysis in the Southern-Caucasus and other Eastern-European countries shows how reformist and pro-EU governments receive more EU support and assistance. This does not mean that material interest do not play an important role. However, the EU seems to be coherent with its values when regarding the European neighbourhood.

Explaining Variation in Organizational Change: The Reform of Human Resource Management in the European Commission and the OECD

In this article we investigate the reforms of human resource management in the European Commission and the OECD by analyzing comparatively to what extent both organizations have adjusted their respective structures towards the ideal type of the so-called New Public Management (NPM). The empirical findings show that reforms towards NPM are more pronounced in the Commission than in the OECD. These findings are surprising for two reasons: First, it seems rather paradoxical that the OECD as central promoter of NPM at the international level lags behind the global trend when it comes to reforming its own structures. Second, this result is in contradiction with theoretical expectations, as they can be derived from theories of institutional isomorphism. To nevertheless account for the surprising results, it is necessary to modify and complement existing theories especially with regard to the scope conditions of their causal mechanisms.