Critical points on growth curves in autoregressive and mixed models

Adjusting autoregressive and mixed models to growth data fits discontinuous functions, which makes it difficult to determine critical points. In this study we propose a new approach to determine the critical stability point of cattle growth using a first-order autoregressive model and a mixed model with random asymptote, using the deterministic portion of the models. Three functions were compared: logistic, Gompertz, and Richards. The Richards autoregressive model yielded the best fit, but the critical growth values were adjusted very early, and for this purpose the Gompertz model was more appropriate.

Decay of interspecific avian flock networks along a disturbance gradient in Amazonia

Our understanding of how anthropogenic habitat change shapes species interactions is in its infancy. This is in large part because analytical approaches such as network theory have only recently been applied to characterize complex community dynamics. Network models are a powerful tool for quantifying how ecological interactions are affected by habitat modification because they provide metrics that quantify community structure and function. Here, we examine how large-scale habitat alteration has affected ecological interactions among mixed-species flocking birds in Amazonian rainforest. These flocks provide a model system for investigating how habitat heterogeneity influences non-trophic interactions and the subsequent social structure of forest-dependent mixed-species bird flocks. We analyse 21 flock interaction networks throughout a mosaic of primary forest, fragments of varying sizes and secondary forest (SF) at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in central Amazonian Brazil. Habitat type had a strong effect on network structure at the levels of both species and flock. Frequency of associations among species, as summarized by weighted degree, declined with increasing levels of forest fragmentation and SF. At the flock level, clustering coefficients and overall attendance positively correlated with mean vegetation height, indicating a strong effect of habitat structure on flock cohesion and stability. Prior research has shown that trophic interactions are often resilient to large-scale changes in habitat structure because species are ecologically redundant. By contrast, our results suggest that behavioural interactions and the structure of non-trophic networks are highly sensitive to environmental change. Thus, a more nuanced, system-by-system approach may be needed when thinking about the resiliency of ecological networks.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus and the frequency of the G22A polymorphism of the adenosine deaminase gene in a mixed population in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Y(3940) as a mixed charmonium-molecule state

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Numerical solution of the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations for mixed (d plus s)-wave superconductors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Scattering and bound states of fermions in a mixed vector-scalar smooth step potential

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Stationary states of fermions in a sign potential with a mixed vector-scalar coupling

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Synergistic electrocatalytic effect of nanostructured mixed films formed by functionalised gold nanoparticles and bisphthalocyanines

A synergistic electrocatalytic effect was observed in sensors where two electrocatalytic materials (functionalized gold nanoparticles and lutetium bisphthalocyanine) were co-deposited using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Films were prepared using a novel method where water soluble functionalised gold nanoparticles [(11-mercaptoundecyl)tetra(ethylene glycol)] (SAuNPs) were inserted in floating films of lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc2) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DODAB) as the amphiphilic matrix. The formation of stable and homogeneous mixed films was confirmed by pi-A isotherms, BAM, UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy, as well as by SEM and TEM microscopy. The synergistic effect towards hydroquinone of the electrodes modified with LuPc2:DODAB/SAuNP was characterised by an increase in the intensity of the redox peaks and a reduction of the overpotential. This synergistic electrocatalytic effect arose from the interaction between the SAuNPs and the phthalocyanines that occur in the Langmuir-Blodgett films and from the high surface area provided by the nanostructured films. The sensitivity increased with the amount of LuPc2 and SAuNPs inserted in the films and limits of detection in the range of 10(-7) mol L-1 were attained. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A mixed-integer quadratically-constrained programming model for the distribution system expansion planning

This paper presents a mixed-integer quadratically-constrained programming (MIQCP) model to solve the distribution system expansion planning (DSEP) problem. The DSEP model considers the construction/reinforcement of substations, the construction/reconductoring of circuits, the allocation of fixed capacitors banks and the radial topology modification. As the DSEP problem is a very complex mixed-integer non-linear programming problem, it is convenient to reformulate it like a MIQCP problem; it is demonstrated that the proposed formulation represents the steady-state operation of a radial distribution system. The proposed MIQCP model is a convex formulation, which allows to find the optimal solution using optimization solvers. Test systems of 23 and 54 nodes and one real distribution system of 136 nodes were used to show the efficiency of the proposed model in comparison with other DSEP models available in the specialized literature. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed methodology to analyze the relationship between maturity of environmental management and the adoption of green supply chain management in Brazil

The aim of this research is to verify the relationship between the maturity levels of environmental management and the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices by electro-electronic companies in Brazil. In this work a two-phase research was conducted, with one quantitative and the other qualitative. The quantitative phase aimed to test whether a relationship between the maturity levels of environmental management and GSCM exists, while the qualitative phase tried to detail the characteristics of this relationship. The quantitative phase was conducted through a survey with 100 Brazilian electro-electronic companies and the collected data were processed using Structural Equation Modeling. For the qualitative phase, a multiple case study was conducted with three companies located in Brazil. The results indicate that: (1) The main hypothesis was confirmed and considered statistically valid, indicating that, indeed, the maturity level of environmental management influences the adoption of GSCM practices; (2) a coevolution tends to occur between the environmental maturity and the GSCM practices; that is, the more developed is the company's environmental management, more complex GSCM practices are adopted; and (3) the GSCM internal practices tend to present a greater relative adoption than the external practices; these external practices of GSCM tend to be adopted when the company is inserted in a higher environmental stage and/or operates under a scenario of stronger normative environmental pressure. By the way, this is the first research mixing survey and case studies on GSCM in Brazil. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dielectric response of tungsten modified Ba(Ti0.90Zr0.10)O3 ceramics obtained by mixed oxide method

The electrical response of Ba(Ti0.90Zr0.10)O3 (BZT) ceramics obtained by the mixed oxide method as a functionof tungsten content was investigated. According to X-ray diffraction analysis the single phase BZT1W (1wt.% W doped BZT) and BZT2W (2 wt.% W doped BZT) ceramics, crystallized in a perovskite structure, wereobtained. It is also shown that tungsten substituted ceramics can be sintered at a reduced temperature whencompared to the undoped BZT. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses reveals that substitution ofTi4+ by W6+ causes distortion in the crystal structure changing lattice parameter. Substitution of W6+ on B-siteof ABO3 perovskite BZT ceramics shifted the phase transition to lower temperatures up to a tungsten contentof 2 wt.% leading to a relaxor-like behaviour.Keywords: donor dopant; ceramics; dielectric response; mixed oxide method

Effect of calcium chloride on the pH values of several formulations of calcium hydroxide mixed with chlorhexidine digluconate

This study evaluated the effect of the addition of 5% calcium chlorite (CaCl2) on pH values in calcium hydroxide pastes (CH), with or without 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) used as vehicle, in several periods analysis. Polyethylene tubes were filled with CH mixed with water (G1), 2% CHX solution (G2) or gel (G3), or CHX solution or gel with 5% CaCl2 (G4 and G5, respectively). All tubes were individually immersed in distilled water. After 12, 24 hours, 7, 14 and 28 days, pH value was evaluated directly in water which the tubes were stored. Data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey tests (α=0.05). In 24 hs and 14 days, pH values were similar to all groups. In 12 hs, the G1 presented lower pH value than other groups except to G4 (p < 0.05), and G4 presented lower pH value than G5 (p < 0.05). In 7 days, G1 presented lower pH value than G4 and G5 (p < 0.05). In 28 days, G1 and G5 presented lower pH values than G2 and G4 (p < 0.05) and among other groups there are no statistical differences (p > 0.05). The pH values increased in long-term analysis to all CH pastes. The association of 5% calcium chloride with 2% CHX solution as vehicle of CH paste provided a pH value increase in relation to CH mixed with distilled water. The CHX gel interfered negatively on pH value in comparison to CHX solution when mixed with CaCl2.

Leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens are biphasic mixed microbial bioreactors that convert plant biomass to polyols with biotechnological applications

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Maximally genuine multipartite entangled mixed X-states of N-qubits

For every possible spectrum of 2(N)-dimensional density operators, we construct an N-qubit X-state of the same spectrum and maximal genuine multipartite (GM-) concurrence, hence characterizing a global unitary transformation that -constrained to output X-states-maximizes the GM-concurrence of an arbitrary input mixed state of N qubits. We also apply semidefinite programming methods to obtain N-qubit X-states with maximal GM-concurrence for a given purity and to provide an alternative proof of optimality of a recently proposed set of density matrices for the purpose, the so-called X-MEMS. Furthermore, we introduce a numerical strategy to tailor a quantum operation that converts between any two given density matrices using a relatively small number of Kraus operators. We apply our strategy to design short operator-sum representations for the transformation between any given N-qubit mixed state and a corresponding X-MEMS of the same purity.

Short-term expansion planning of radial electrical distribution systems using mixed-integer linear programming

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)