Effect of density on spatial distribution, pit formation and pit diameter of Myrmeleon acer Walker, (Neuroptera : Myrmeleontidae): patterns and processes

The effect of increasing population density on the formation of pits, their size and spatial distribution, and on levels of mortality was examined in the antlion Myrmeleon acer Walker. Antlions were kept at densities ranging from 0.4 to 12.8 individuals per 100 cm(2). The distribution of pits was regular or uniform across all densities, but antlions constructed proportionally fewer and smaller pits as density increased. Mortality through cannibalism was very low and only occurred at densities greater than five individuals per 100 cm(2). Antlions in artificially crowded situations frequently relocated their pits and when more space became available, individuals became more dispersed with time. Redistribution of this species results from active avoidance of other antlions and sand throwing associated with pit construction and maintenance, rather than any attempt to optimise prey capture per se.

Coupled experimental and thermodynamic modeling studies for metallurgical smelting and coal combustion slag systems

An extensive research program focused on the characterization of various metallurgical complex smelting and coal combustion slags is being undertaken. The research combines both experimental and thermodynamic modeling studies. The approach is illustrated by work on the PbO-ZnO-Al2O3-FeO-Fe2O3-CaO-SiO2 system. Experimental measurements of the liquidus and solidus have been undertaken under oxidizing and reducing conditions using equilibration, quenching, and electron probe X-ray microanalysis. The experimental program has been planned so as to obtain data for thermodynamic model development as well as for pseudo-ternary Liquidus diagrams that can be used directly by process operators. Thermodynamic modeling has been carried out using the computer system FACT, which contains thermodynamic databases with over 5000 compounds and evaluated solution models. The FACT package is used for the calculation of multiphase equilibria in multicomponent systems of industrial interest. A modified quasi-chemical solution model is used for the liquid slag phase. New optimizations have been carried out, which significantly improve the accuracy of the thermodynamic models for lead/zinc smelting and coal combustion processes. Examples of experimentally determined and calculated liquidus diagrams are presented. These examples provide information of direct relevance to various metallurgical smelting and coal combustion processes.

Quantum measurement and stochastic processes in mesoscopic conductors

In quantum measurement theory it is necessary to show how a, quantum source conditions a classical stochastic record of measured results. We discuss mesoscopic conductance using quantum stochastic calculus to elucidate the quantum nature of the measurement taking place in these systems. To illustrate the method we derive the current fluctuations in a two terminal mesoscopic circuit with two tunnel barriers containing a single quasi bound state on the well. The method enables us to focus on either the incoming/ outgoing Fermi fields in the leads, or on the irreversible dynamics of the well state itself. We show an equivalence between the approach of Buttiker and the Fermi quantum stochastic calculus for mesoscopic systems.

Dual processes in recognition: Does a focus on measurement operations provide a sufficient foundation?

Current theoretical thinking about dual processes in recognition relies heavily on the measurement operations embodied within the process dissociation procedure. We critically evaluate the ability of this procedure to support this theoretical enterprise. We show that there are alternative processes that would produce a rough invariance in familiarity (a key prediction of the dual-processing approach) and that the process dissociation procedure does not have the power to differentiate between these alternative possibilities. We also show that attempts to relate parameters estimated by the process dissociation procedure to subjective reports (remember-know judgments) cannot differentiate between alternative dual-processing models and that there are problems with some of the historical evidence and with obtaining converging evidence. Our conclusion is that more specific theories incorporating ideas about representation and process are required.

The relationship between radiation-induced chemical processes and transverse relaxation times in polymer gel dosimeters

The effects of ionizing radiation in different compositions of polymer gel dosimeters are investigated using FT-Raman spectroscopy and NMR T-2 relaxation times. The dosimeters are manufactured from different concentrations of comonomers (acrylamide and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide) dispersed in different concentrations of an aqueous gelatin matrix. Results are analysed using a model of fast exchange of magnetization between three proton pools. The fraction of protons in each pool is determined using the known chemical composition of the dosimeter and FT-Raman spectroscopy. Based on these results, the physical and chemical processes in interplay in the dosimeters are examined in view of their effect on the changes in T-2 The precipitation of growing macroradicals and the scavenging of free radicals by gelatin are used to explain the rate of polymerization. The model describes the changes in T-2 as a function of the absorbed dose up to 50 Gy for the different compositions. This is expected to aid the theoretical design of new, more efficient dosimeters, since it was demonstrated that the optimum dosimeter (i.e, with the lowest dose resolution) must have a range of relaxation times which match the range of T-2 values which can be determined with the lowest uncertainty using an MRI scanner.

MHCWeb: Converting a WWW database into a knowledge-based collaborative environment

The World Wide Web (WWW) is useful for distributing scientific data. Most existing web data resources organize their information either in structured flat files or relational databases with basic retrieval capabilities. For databases with one or a few simple relations, these approaches are successful, but they can be cumbersome when there is a data model involving multiple relations between complex data. We believe that knowledge-based resources offer a solution in these cases. Knowledge bases have explicit declarations of the concepts in the domain, along with the relations between them. They are usually organized hierarchically, and provide a global data model with a controlled vocabulary, We have created the OWEB architecture for building online scientific data resources using knowledge bases. OWEB provides a shell for structuring data, providing secure and shared access, and creating computational modules for processing and displaying data. In this paper, we describe the translation of the online immunological database MHCPEP into an OWEB system called MHCWeb. This effort involved building a conceptual model for the data, creating a controlled terminology for the legal values for different types of data, and then translating the original data into the new structure. The 0 WEB environment allows for flexible access to the data by both users and computer programs.

Developing qualitative career assessment processes

Assessment has been integral to career counseling since the early 1900s. During that time, the greatest amount of attention was focused on quantitative assessment. Thus, there is still very little to guide the development and conduct of qualitative assessment in career counseling. The authors present an overview of qualitative career assessment and its theoretical underpinnings and propose suggestions that could guide the development of qualitative career assessment instruments.

Mental rotation processes in mathematically gifted boys: An fMRI investigation

The functional brain organisation of mathematically gifted adolescents may be different from those of average mathematical ability. In this study we used fMRI to examine the neural circuitry that mediates the performance of mathematically gifted boys and average ability controls while engaged in mental rotation. Eight math gifted male adolescents and five average ability male adolescents were presented 18 control and 18 mental rotation trials in two separate blocks. Participants selected one of four test stimuli to match the target stimulus by pressing one of four fibreoptic buttons. The control task required a simple 'best match' for the target stimulus. EPI scans were acquired on a 3-T MR scanner and a fixed effects statistical analysis (SPM99) was used to identify areas of significant activation in the rotation tasks, for the two groups. The results indicate that during mental rotation both groups activate the parietal lobes bilaterally, though to different levels. Moreover, the math gifted are uniformly bilateral in their pattern of activation, and engage some anterior regions not found in those of average ability. These regions include bilateral prefrontal cortex and the right anterior cingulate, which may serve to heighten concentration, and to optimise the pre-planning of purposeful actions.

Does management accounting play role in planning process?

This study examines the relationship between management accounting and planning profiles in Brazilian companies. The main goal is to understand the consequences of not including a fully structured management accounting scheme in the planning process. The authors conducted a field research among medium and large-sized companies, using a probabilistic sample from a population of 2281 companies. Using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and statistical cluster analysis, the authors grouped the entities` strategic budget planning processes into five profiles, after which the authors applied statistical tests to assess the five clusters. The study concludes that poor or fully implemented strategic and budget-planning processes relate to the management accounting profiles of the Brazilian organizations studied. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transfer and Reverse Transfer of Knowledge of International Acquisitions: the case of the acquisition of the Perez Companc by Petrobras in Argentina

The objective of this article was to analyze the processes of transfer and reverse trans fer of knowledge following. international acquisitions made by Brazilian multinational companies. Reverse transfer is understood,as the process of transferring knowledge from the acquired company to the acquirer. Therefore, a case study was conducted on the acquisition of the Perez Companc group by Petrobras in Argentina. The study is qualitative. Primary data were obtained and eight members of the international managing board of Petrobras were interviewed. After the first moment of integration, reported as conflictive, there was a better integration of the companies, mainly in the technical areas of, the oil and gas exploration activities. The size of Perez Companc, its aim (a company of energy, not only oil and gas company) and the length of time were critical factors for the transfer of best practices between the companies. The expatriation of the employees is seen as a key-tool, as well as the technical visits, for the transfer of knowledge.. An. additional contribution of the study was to present the results of the research on the process of transfer and reverse transfer of knowledge in Brazilian multinational companies, since most studies on the theme focus on the motivators and challenges concerning these processes.

Corporate Education and the Role of the Chief Learning Officer

This paper aims to present an overview on characteristics, roles and responsibilities of those who arc in charge. of the Corporate Educational Systems in several organizations from distinct industries in Brazil, based on a research carried out by the authors. The analysis compares what is available in the literature on this subject so that it may provide insights on how Brazilian companies have dealt with the difficult task of developing competences in their employees. Special attention is given to the Chief Learning Officer`s role (or the lack of it) - someone who was supposed to be in charge of the employees` development processes in a given organization. The results show that this role has not been a clear or unanimous concept yet, neither in terms of the functions to be performed nor the so-called strategic importance given to this sort of executive. This research is both exploratory and descriptive, and due to the use of intentional sample, the inferences are limited. Despite these limitations, its comments may enrich the discussion on this subject.

Family Business: how family and ownership shapes business professionalization

This article`s main purpose consists in showing how family and ownership cultures may influence the process of making a ""well-performing"" organization, based on an empirical study in family business in Brazil. The study aimed to find critical moments of company`s history and the focus was to compare critical moments with the three-dimension model of family business development proposed by Davis et al. (1996). Through facts sequence, research was organized so as to find how the process influenced company`s professionalization. The article concludes that family and its value and culture may impact on the evolution, and the first step to organize a company is to organize the family that leads the company.

Correlation of business cycles in the euro zone

In this short article we use a simple differences-in-clifferences technique to investigate whether bilateral correlation of business cycles increased more amongst members of the European Monetary Union (EMU) after the implementation of the Euro than amidst other OECD economies. We present evidence suggesting this to be the case. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.