PREDICTING THE BOILING POINT OF PCDD/Fs BY THE QSPR METHOD BASED ON THE MOLECULAR DISTANCE-EDGE VECTOR INDEX

The quantitative structure property relationship (QSPR) for the boiling point (Tb) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) was investigated. The molecular distance-edge vector (MDEV) index was used as the structural descriptor. The quantitative relationship between the MDEV index and Tb was modeled by using multivariate linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN), respectively. Leave-one-out cross validation and external validation were carried out to assess the prediction performance of the models developed. For the MLR method, the prediction root mean square relative error (RMSRE) of leave-one-out cross validation and external validation was 1.77 and 1.23, respectively. For the ANN method, the prediction RMSRE of leave-one-out cross validation and external validation was 1.65 and 1.16, respectively. A quantitative relationship between the MDEV index and Tb of PCDD/Fs was demonstrated. Both MLR and ANN are practicable for modeling this relationship. The MLR model and ANN model developed can be used to predict the Tb of PCDD/Fs. Thus, the Tb of each PCDD/F was predicted by the developed models.

Dispersão vertical e horizontal de conídios de Stenocarpella macrospora e Stenocarpella maydis

Em experimentos conduzidos no campo, quantificaram-se a dispersão vertical e horizontal dos conídios de Stenocarpella maydis e S. macrospora liberados de palha de milho (Zea mays) naturalmente infetada. Verificou-se que 93% do número total de conídios de S. maydis e 88% de S. macrospora foram capturados durante o dia, diferindo estatisticamente do período noturno. O número de conídios de S. maydis e S. macrospora capturados no ar foi inversamente proporcional à distância da posição vertical e horizontal das armadilhas da fonte de inóculo. Os conídios foram capturados até uma altura de 2 m acima e distantes 120 m da fonte de inóculo. No entanto, em ambos experimentos, a freqüência e o número de esporos coletados foram maiores até 25 cm acima e 20 m distante da fonte de inóculo. Além disto, a dispersão dos conídios isolados ou agrupados no cirro, ocorreu livremente no ar, não necessitando estarem veiculados a gotículas d'água.

Effect of Fusarium graminearum and infection index on germination and vigor of maize seeds

Pathogens in maize (Zea mays) seeds cause serious problems, such as the loss of their capacity to germinative. The objectives of this study were to identify the optimal period for infection of maize seeds on agar colonized by Fusarium graminearum, when incubated for 4, 8, 16 and 32 h, and to evaluate the effect of the fungus on the germination and vigor of seeds with different infection levels. After the respective incubation periods, the seeds were removed from the culture medium and submitted to the blotter test for 3 min with and without superficial disinfection with 1% solution of sodium hypochlorite. Once the optimal period for seed incubation was identified, seeds from the same sample were again placed on the colonized agar for infection. Germination and vigor tests (accelerated aging and cold test) were performed with a mixture of healthy seeds (placed on PDA medium) and inoculated seeds, resulting in seeds with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% rates of infection. The results showed that a period of 32 h was long enough to obtain seeds infected by the pathogen. There were no significant effects of fungal infection on seed germination at any of the infection levels, probably due to the high vigor of the maize seed lot tested. Regarding vigor tests, infection levels differed significantly from the control (0% infection), but there were no significant differences among the infection levels.

Is it possible to utilize VIX for a profitable trading strategy of S&P 500 Index?

The goal of this research was to make an overall sight to VIX® and how it can be used as a stock market indicator. Volatility index often referred as the fear index, measures how much it costs for investor to protect his/her S&P 500 position from fluctuations with options. Over the relatively short history of VIX it has been a successful timing coordinator and it has given incremental information about the market state adding its own psychological view of the amount of fear and greed. Correctly utilized VIX information gives a considerable advantage in timing market actions. In this paper we test how VIX works as a leading indicator of broad stock market index such as S&P 500 (SPX). The purpose of this paper is to find a working way to interpret VIX. The various tests are made on time series data ranging from the year 1990 to the year 2010. The 10-day simple moving average strategy gave significant profits from the whole time when VIX data is available. Strategy was able to utilize the increases of SPX in example portfolio value and was able to step aside when SPX was declining. At the times when portfolio was aside of S it was on safety fund like on treasury bills getting an annual yield of 3 percent. On the other side just a static number’s of VIX did not work as indicators in a profit making way.

Florística e estrutura horizontal da vegetação arbórea de uma ravina em um fragmento florestal no município de Viçosa, MG

Este estudo foi desenvolvido em um trecho de um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecídua Montana, no Sítio Bom Sucesso, em Viçosa, MG. O objetivo deste trabalho foi conhecer a composição florística e a estrutura fitossociológica do componente arbóreo. Foram instalados 10 transectos de 50 x 10 m, subdivididos em cinco parcelas de 10 x 10 m cada um, totalizando 50 parcelas em 5.000 m². Foram incluídos na amostragem todos os indivíduos arbóreos que apresentavam, no mínimo, 15 cm de circunferência do tronco, a 130 cm do solo. Foram identificadas 151 espécies pertencentes a 108 gêneros de 45 famílias botânicas e amostrados, em 0,5 ha, 820 indivíduos arbóreos vivos e 32 mortos em pé, o que significou uma densidade total estimada de 1.704 indivíduos/ha. A área basal/ha foi de 38,450 m² e a altura média, de 8,43 m. Euterpe edulis foi o destaque da estrutura da vegetação estudada, com 314 indivíduos amostrados, resultando numa densidade relativa de 37,38%, freqüência absoluta de 90%, freqüência relativa de 8,91%, e dominância relativa de 18,79%. O índice de diversidade de Shannon foi de 3,52 e a eqüabilidade, igual a 0,696. Os resultados da composição florística e da estrutura fitossociológica indicaram alta riqueza e diversidade média, sendo a maior parte das espécies representada por poucos indivíduos.

Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) na análise da dinâmica da vegetação da reserva biológica de Sooretama, ES

Técnicas de análises de séries temporais são utilizadas para caracterizar o comportamento de fenômenos naturais no domínio do tempo. Neste artigo, segundo a metodologia proposta por Box et al. (1994), 125 observações do Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) foram analisadas. Os valores modelados correspondem às variações temporais ocorridas no dossel florestal da reserva biológica de Sooretama, localizada ao Norte do Estado do Espírito Santo, no Município de Linhares. Os resultados indicaram que a metodologia foi adequada. Os resíduos do modelo ajustado são não correlacionados com distribuição normal, média zero e variância s². Com o menor valor do Critério de Informação de Akaike (AIC) -570,51, o modelo ajustado foi o Sazonal Auto-Regressivo Integrado de Médias Móveis (1,0,1)(1,0,1)12.

Estrutura horizontal e vertical do componente arbóreo em fase de regeneração natural na mata Santa Luzia, no município de Catende-PE

O estudo foi desenvolvido no fragmento denominado Mata Santa Luzia, situado no Município de Catende, PE, nas coordenadas 8º72'49" S e 35º72'47" W, altitude de 239 m, com os objetivos de avaliar a regeneração natural total de espécies arbóreas no fragmento florestal e verificar a diversidade e estrutura das espécies nessa área. Para a estimativa da regeneração natural das espécies arbóreas no fragmento, foram locadas de forma sistemática 15 subparcelas permanentes de 25 m² (5 x 5 m), equidistantes em 50 m. O nível de inclusão adotado foi de CAP < 15 cm e as medições de altura (h), divididas em três classes, em que a classe 1 contemplou indivíduos com 1,0 < h < 2,0 m, a classe 2 com indivíduos 2,0 < h < 3,0 m e a classe 3 com indivíduos com h > 3,0 m. No fragmento foram amostrados 107 indivíduos vivos, pertencentes a 25 famílias botânicas e 36 táxons. Dessas, 33 foram identificadas em nível de espécie, duas em nível de gênero e uma se apresentou como indeterminada. As cinco espécies com maiores valores para regeneração natural total (RNT) foram assim distribuídas: Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana (9,9%), Cupania racemosa (Vell.) Radlk (7,7%), Brosimum discolor Schott (7,4%), Vismia guianensis (Aubl.) Pers. (6,1%) e Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) Marchand (5,9%). Provavelmente, essas espécies no futuro serão as principais responsáveis pela manutenção da estrutura e fisionomia da floresta.

ESTIMATION OF CORK PRODUCTION USINGAERIAL IMAGERY1

ABSTRACT Inventory and prediction of cork harvest over time and space is important to forest managers who must plan and organize harvest logistics (transport, storage, etc.). Common field inventory methods including the stem density, diameter and height structure are costly and generally point (plot) based. Furthermore, the irregular horizontal structure of cork oak stands makes it difficult, if not impossible, to interpolate between points. We propose a new method to estimate cork production using digital multispectral aerial imagery. We study the spectral response of individual trees in visible and near infrared spectra and then correlate that response with cork production prior to harvest. We use ground measurements of individual trees production to evaluate the model’s predictive capacity. We propose 14 candidate variables to predict cork production based on crown size in combination with different NDVI index derivates. We use Akaike Information Criteria to choose the best among them. The best model is composed of combinations of different NDVI derivates that include red, green, and blue channels. The proposed model is 15% more accurate than a model that includes only a crown projection without any spectral information.

Seleção de sementes de milho durante a simulação da semeadura com disco perfurado horizontal

Teve-se o objetivo de verificar a possível seleção de sementes de milho - arredondadas e achatadas - no processo de semeadura com disco perfurado horizontal, bem como as conseqüências na distribuição longitudinal. Os registros dos dados deram-se pela avaliação visual de duas pessoas, com contador manual, no final da esteira carpetada em movimento de 1,54 m s-1, com 4,60 m de perspectiva para avaliação. Assim, um sensor registrava o número de orifícios do disco horizontal que devia passar pelo tubo condutor, e os espaçamentos falhos e múltiplos eram computados por pessoas diferentes. Os espaçamentos aceitáveis foram obtidos pela subtração dos espaçamentos falhos e múltiplos do total contabilizado. A medição do comprimento e espessura das sementes foi realizada com auxílio de paquímetro. Não houve alterações significativas nas variáveis estudadas, até a passagem de 55 mil orifícios do disco horizontal pelo tubo condutor; portanto, não houve seleção de sementes de milho durante a simulação do processo de semeadura.

Efficiency of pneumatic and horizontal perforated disk meter mechanism in corn no-tillage seeders in soil with different mobilization reports

This work objectified to evaluate the efficiency of two meter mechanism of corn seeds when submitted to different forward speed and soil management system during the non-tillage seeding. It was used a factorial design in randomized blocks. The factors whose effects were examined were related to the seeders with pneumatic and horizontal disk meter mechanisms for the distribution of the seeds, to the set tractor-seeder forward speeds (4.4; 8.0 and 9.8 km h-1), and to the soil management system considering the corn no-tillage seeding over minimum tillage with chisel plow and the no-tillage system for the seeding of oat culture (Avena strigosa Schreb). It was verified that the forward speed didn't influence the initial and final stands of plants but it interfered in the regularity of longitudinal distribution of plants. The smallest speed provided the largest percentile of normal spacing between plants. The pneumatic meter mechanism presented better performance than the horizontal disk perforated in the longitudinal distribution of plants. About corn productivity aspect it's indifferent the recommendation of use for pneumatic and perforated horizontal disk meter mechanism of seeds.

Partida de um reator anaeróbio horizontal para tratamento de efluentes do processamento dos frutos do cafeeiro

O presente estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar a partida e a adaptação de um reator anaeróbio horizontal de leito fixo (RAHLF) no tratamento de águas residuárias do processamento primário dos frutos do cafeeiro (ARC). O reator foi construído com tubos de PVC de 0,2 m de diâmetro e 3,2 m de comprimento. O sistema foi preenchido com cubos de espuma de poliuretano para imobilização de biomassa ativa. O reator apresentou volume total de 0,1 m³ e volume útil equivalente a 0,04 m³. Em média, houve remoção de 49% da matéria orgânica, com o reator trabalhando sob carga orgânica volumétrica média de 2,66 kg m-3 d-1, medida como DQO. A suplementação de alcalinidade, somada à inoculação prévia de biomassa, proporcionou partida estável do RAHLF, confirmada pelo consumo de ácidos voláteis e adaptação da microbiota ao resíduo. O sistema apresentou resistência às variações de vazão e de carga orgânica observadas, e os teores de fenol e potássio monitorados não causaram inibição da atividade biológica no RAHLF. O maior controle sobre as variações de carga é fator importante na continuidade dos estudos.

Annual evolution of global, direct and diffuse radiation and fractions in tilted surfaces

It was evaluated the annual evolution of global, direct and diffuse components of incident solar radiation on tilted surfaces to 12.85, 22.85 and 32.85º, facing north, in Botucatu, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The radiometric fractions were obtained for each component of the radiation in the aforementioned surfaces, through the ratio with the global and top of the atmosphere radiations. Seasonality was evaluated based on monthly averages of daily values. The measures occurred between 04/1998 and 07/2001 at 22.85º; 08/2001 and 02/2003 at 12.85º; and from 03/2003 to 12/2007 at 32.85º, with concomitant measures in the horizontal surface (reference). The levels of global and direct radiation on tilted surfaces were lower in summer and higher in the equinoxes when compared with the horizontal. The diffuse radiation on tilted surfaces was lower in most months, with losses of up to 65%. A trend of increasing differences occurred between horizontal and tilted surfaces with the increase of the angle in all the components and fractions of incident radiation. The annual evolution of rainfall and cloud cover ratio directly affected the atmospheric transmissivity of direct and diffuse components in the region.

Start-up of horizontal anaerobic reactors with sludge blanket and fixed bed for wastewater treatment from coffee processing by wet method

In this study it was evaluated the start-up procedures of anaerobic treatment system with three horizontal anaerobic reactors (R1, R2 and R3), installed in series, with volume of 1.2 L each. R1 had sludge blanket, and R2 and R3 had half supporter of bamboo and coconut fiber, respectively. As an affluent, it was synthesized wastewater from mechanical pulping of the coffee fruit by wet method, with a mean value of total chemical oxygen demand (CODtotal) of 16,003 mg L-1. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) in each reactor was 30 h. The volumetric organic loading (VOL) applied in R1 varied from 8.9 to 25.0 g of CODtotal (L d)-1. The mean removal efficiencies of CODtotal varied from 43 to 97% in the treatment system (R1+R2+R3), stabilizing above 80% after 30 days of operation. The mean content of methane in the biogas were of 70 to 76%, the mean volumetric production was 1.7 L CH4 (L reactor d)-1 in the system, and the higher conversions were around at 0.20 L CH4 (g CODremoved)-1 in R1 and R2. The mean values of pH in the effluents ranged from 6.8 to 8.3 and the mean values of total volatile acids remained below 200 mg L-1 in the effluent of R3. The concentrations of total phenols of the affluent ranged from 45 to 278 mg L-1, and the mean removal efficiency was of 52%. The start-up of the anaerobic treatment system occurred after 30 days of operation as a result of inoculation with anaerobic sludge with active microbiota.

Spatial variability of air dry bulb temperature and black globe humidity index in a broiler house during the heating phase

The air dry-bulb temperature (t db),as well as the black globe humidity index (BGHI), exert great influence on the development of broiler chickens during their heating phase. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the structure and the magnitude of the t db and BGHI spatial variability, using geostatistics tools such as semivariogram analysis and also producing kriging maps. The experiment was conducted in the west mesoregion of the states of Minas Gerais in 2010, in a commercial broiler house with heating system consisting of two furnaces that heat the air indirectly, in the firsts 14 days of the birds' life. The data were registered at intervals of five minutes in the period from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. The variables were evaluated by variograms fitted by residual maximum likelihood (REML) testing the Spherical and Exponential models. Kriging maps were generated based on the best model used to fit the variogram. It was possible to characterize the variability of the t db and BGHI, which allowed observing the spatial dependence by using geostatistics techniques. In addition, the use of geostatistics and distribution maps made possible to identify problems in the heating system in regions inside the broiler house that may harm the development of chicks.

Longitudinal distribution of bean seeds in horizontal plate meter operating with one or two seed outlets

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of horizontal plate meter with oblong holes operating with one or two seed outlets at different speeds over the accuracy of longitudinal distribution of common bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The experiment was performed in laboratory using the meter with one and two seed outlet points in relation to ten tangential disk plate speeds (0.03 to 0.30 m s-1). It was used a complete randomized design with four replications, summing up 80 experimental treatments. Tangential speed quantitative factor was estimated through a 2nd order polynomial regression. There was no significant difference in the behavior of the seed meter operating with one or two outlets in the metering of bean seeds in all tested speeds, with percentage of single seeds spacing over 60% in tangential speeds below of 0.24 m s-1.