Statistical computations with AstroGrid and the Grid

We outline our first steps towards marrying two new and emerging technologies; the Virtual Observatory (e.g, Astro- Grid) and the computational grid. We discuss the construction of VOTechBroker, which is a modular software tool designed to abstract the tasks of submission and management of a large number of computational jobs to a distributed computer system. The broker will also interact with the AstroGrid workflow and MySpace environments. We present our planned usage of the VOTechBroker in computing a huge number of n–point correlation functions from the SDSS, as well as fitting over a million CMBfast models to the WMAP data.

Using data insertion with the NAME model to simulate the 8 May 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash cloud

A data insertion method, where a dispersion model is initialized from ash properties derived from a series of satellite observations, is used to model the 8 May 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash cloud which extended from Iceland to northern Spain. We also briefly discuss the application of this method to the April 2010 phase of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption and the May 2011 Grímsvötn eruption. An advantage of this method is that very little knowledge about the eruption itself is required because some of the usual eruption source parameters are not used. The method may therefore be useful for remote volcanoes where good satellite observations of the erupted material are available, but little is known about the properties of the actual eruption. It does, however, have a number of limitations related to the quality and availability of the observations. We demonstrate that, using certain configurations, the data insertion method is able to capture the structure of a thin filament of ash extending over northern Spain that is not fully captured by other modeling methods. It also verifies well against the satellite observations according to the quantitative object-based quality metric, SAL—structure, amplitude, location, and the spatial coverage metric, Figure of Merit in Space.

Sampling uncertainty in gridded sea surface temperature products and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Global Area Coverage (GAC) data

Sea surface temperature (SST) data are often provided as gridded products, typically at resolutions of order 0.05 degrees from satellite observations to reduce data volume at the request of data users and facilitate comparison against other products or models. Sampling uncertainty is introduced in gridded products where the full surface area of the ocean within a grid cell cannot be fully observed because of cloud cover. In this paper we parameterise uncertainties in SST as a function of the percentage of clear-sky pixels available and the SST variability in that subsample. This parameterisation is developed from Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) data, but is applicable to all gridded L3U SST products at resolutions of 0.05-0.1 degrees, irrespective of instrument and retrieval algorithm, provided that instrument noise propagated into the SST is accounted for. We also calculate the sampling uncertainty of ~0.04 K in Global Area Coverage (GAC) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) products, using related methods.

Agents and the Grid: Service Discovery

The Grid is a large-scale computer system that is capable of coordinating resources that are not subject to centralised control, whilst using standard, open, general-purpose protocols and interfaces, and delivering non-trivial qualities of service. In this chapter, we argue that Grid applications very strongly suggest the use of agent-based computing, and we review key uses of agent technologies in Grids: user agents, able to customize and personalise data; agent communication languages offering a generic and portable communication medium; and negotiation allowing multiple distributed entities to reach service level agreements. In the second part of the chapter, we focus on Grid service discovery, which we have identified as a prime candidate for use of agent technologies: we show that Grid-services need to be located via personalised, semantic-rich discovery processes, which must rely on the storage of arbitrary metadata about services that originates from both service providers and service users. We present UDDI-MT, an extension to the standard UDDI service directory approach that supports the storage of such metadata via a tunnelling technique that ties the metadata store to the original UDDI directory. The outcome is a flexible service registry which is compatible with existing standards and also provides metadata-enhanced service discovery.

On the Use of Agents in a Bioinformatics Grid

MyGrid is an e-Science Grid project that aims to help biologists and bioinformaticians to perform workflow-based in silico experiments, and help them to automate the management of such workflows through personalisation, notification of change and publication of experiments. In this paper, we describe the architecture of myGrid and how it will be used by the scientist. We then show how myGrid can benefit from agents technologies. We have identified three key uses of agent technologies in myGrid: user agents, able to customize and personalise data, agent communication languages offering a generic and portable communication medium, and negotiation allowing multiple distributed entities to reach service level agreements.

O projeto Media Cloud Brasil: uma análise do tratamento de informações em ambientes de big data

EMAp - Escola de Matemática Aplicada

Variabilidade espacial de atributos do solo para adoção do sistema de agricultura de precisão na cultura de cana-de-açúcar

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a variabilidade espacial de atributos de Latossolos sob cultivo de cana-de-açúcar na região de Jaboticabal (SP). Foram feitas amostragens do solo a intervalos regulares de 50 m, em uma área de 90 ha, nas profundidades de 0,00-0,20 e 0,60-0,80 m para determinação de pH, CTC, V % e teores de matéria orgânica, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, H + Al e argila. Os dados foram submetidos às análises: estatística descritiva, geoestatística e interpolação por krigagem. Os alcances de dependência espacial para os atributos químicos do solo e teores de argila na camada de 0,60-0,80 m de profundidade foram menores, quando comparados àqueles referentes à camada de 0,00-0,20 m. Estes resultados demonstraram maior descontinuidade na distribuição espacial dos atributos do solo na camada de 0,60-0,80 m de profundidade dos Latossolos, indicando que essa classe de solos não apresentou homogeneidade de seus atributos como conceituadamente a ela foi atribuída. O manejo no solo alterou a dependência espacial dos atributos do solo na camada superficial de forma a diminuir a variabilidade espacial dos atributos químicos do solo em relação à camada mais profunda. A investigação da variabilidade espacial de atributos químicos e do teor de argila da camada superficial e subsuperficial dos solos proporcionou condições para a definição de zonas homogêneas de manejo, o que permite a adoção do sistema de agricultura de precisão.

Técnicas de simplificação de redes e otimização multiobjetivo para análise de variações de tensão em regime permanente provocadas por parques eólicos integrados ao sistema elétrico

This study presents a description of the development model of a representation of simplified grid applied in hybrid load flow for calculation of the voltage variations in a steady-state caused by the wind farm on power system. Also, it proposes an optimal load-flow able to control power factor on connection bar and to minimize the loss. The analysis process on system, led by the wind producer, it has as base given technician supplied by the grid. So, the propose model to the simplification of the grid that allows the necessity of some knowledge only about the data referring the internal network, that is, the part of the network that interests in the analysis. In this way, it is intended to supply forms for the auxiliary in the systematization of the relations between the sector agents. The model for simplified network proposed identifies the internal network, external network and the buses of boulders from a study of vulnerability of the network, attributing them floating liquid powers attributing slack models. It was opted to apply the presented model in Newton-Raphson and a hybrid load flow, composed by The Gauss-Seidel method Zbarra and Summation Power. Finally, presents the results obtained to a developed computational environment of SCILAB and FORTRAN, with their respective analysis and conclusion, comparing them with the ANAREDE

Estudo de um sistema híbrido de destilação solar para polimento de águas produzidas

The oil industry, experiencing a great economic and environmental impact, has increasingly invested in researches aiming a more satisfactory treatment of its largest effluent, i.e., produced water. These are mostly discarded at sea, without reuse and after a basic treatment. Such effluent contains a range of organic compounds with high toxicity and are difficult to remove, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, salts, heavy metals, etc.. The main objective of this work was to study the solar distillation of produced water pre-treated to remove salts and other contaminants trough of a hybrid system with a pre-heater. This developed apparatus was called solar system, which consists of a solar heater and a conventional distillation solar still. The first device consisted of a water tank, a solar flat plate collector and a thermal reservoir. The solar distillator is of simple effect, with 1m2 of flat area and 20° of inclination. This dissertation was divided in five steps: measurements in the solar system, i.e. temperatures and distillate flow rate and weather data; modeling and simulation of the system; study of vapor-liquid equilibrium of the synthetic wastewater by the aqueous solution of p-xylene; physical and chemical analyses of samples of the feed, distillate and residue, as well as climatology pertinent variables of Natal-RN. The solar system was tested separately, with the supply water, aqueous NaCl and synthetic oil produced water. Temperature measurements were taken every minute of the thermal reservoir, water tank and distillator (liquid and vapor phases). Data of solar radiation and rainfall were obtained from INPE (National Institute for Space Research). The solar pre-heater demonstrated to be effective for the liquid systems tested. The reservoir fluid had an average temperature of 58°C, which enabled the feed to be pre-heated in the distillator. The temperature profile in the solar distillator showed a similar behavior to daily solar radiation, with temperatures near 70°C. The distillation had an average yield of 2.4 L /day, i.e., an efficiency of 27.2%. Mathematical modeling aided the identification of the most important variables and parameters in the solar system. The study of the vapor-liquid equilibrium from Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis indicated heteroazeotropia and the vapor phase resulted more concentrated in p-xylene. The physical-chemical analysis of pH, conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), chlorides, cations (including heavy metals) and anions, the effluent distillate showed satisfactory results, which presents a potential for reuse. The climatological study indicates the region of Natal-RN as favorable to the operation of solar systems, but the use of auxiliary heating during periods of higher rainfall and cloud cover is also recommended

Probing bilinear R-parity violating supergravity at the LHC

We study the collider phenomenology of bilinear R-parity violating supergravity, the simplest effective model for supersymmetric neutrino masses accounting for the current neutrino oscillation data. At the CERN Large Hadron Collider the center-of-mass energy will be high enough to probe directly these models through the search for the superpartners of the Standard Model (SM) particles. We analyze the impact of R-parity violation on the canonical supersymmetry searches-that is, we examine how the decay of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) via bilinear R-parity violating interactions degrades the average expected missing momentum of the reactions and show how this diminishes the reach in the usual channels for supersymmetry searches. However, the R-parity violating interactions lead to an enhancement of the final states containing isolated same-sign di-leptons and trileptons, compensating the reach loss in the fully inclusive channel. We show how the searches for displaced vertices associated to LSP decay substantially increase the coverage in supergravity parameter space, giving the corresponding reaches for two reference luminosities of 10 and 100 fb(-1) and compare with those of the R-parity conserving minimal supergravity model.

Produtividade da soja e resistência mecânica à penetração do solo sob sistema plantio direto no cerrado brasileiro

A resistência mecânica à penetração do solo pode influenciar, negativamente, o crescimento radicular da soja, afetando, sobremaneira, sua produtividade. No ano agrícola 2008/2009, no município de Selvíria (MS), no Cerrado brasileiro, foi analisada a produtividade da soja, em função da resistência mecânica à penetração de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, no sistema de semeadura direta. O objetivo foi selecionar, entre os atributos pesquisados do solo, aquele com a melhor correlação, linear e espacial, para explicar a variabilidade da produtividade da soja. Foi instalada uma malha geoestatística, para a coleta de dados do solo e da planta, com 120 pontos amostrais, em área de 8,34 ha e declive homogêneo de 0,055 m m-1. Dessa forma, visando-se a auxiliar futuros trabalhos voltados à agricultura de precisão, os quais venham a utilizar os mesmos atributos do presente estudo, os valores dos alcances da dependência espacial a serem empregados deverão estar compreendidos entre 38,1 m e 114,7 m. do ponto de vista linear, a resistência mecânica à penetração do solo, quando avaliada na camada 0,10-0,20 m, apresentou boa correlação exponencial inversa com a produtividade de grãos de soja. Entretanto, do ponto de vista espacial, o número de vagens por planta apresentou-se como bom indicador da produtividade de grãos de soja.

Variabilidade espacial da produtividade do feijoeiro correlacionada com atributos químicos de um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico sob sistema de semeadura direta

O feijão, importante fonte proteica, é um alimento muito comum na dieta da população dos países latino-americanos, sendo o Brasil maior produtor mundial deste legume. Nacionalmente, seu cultivo no sistema de semeadura direta tem crescido ano após ano. em 2002, foi avaliada a variabilidade espacial do feijoeiro, em função dos atributos químicos de um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico no sistema de semeadura direta, em Selvíria (MS) no Cerrado Brasileiro. O objetivo do presente estudo foi selecionar, entre os atributos do solo pesquisado, aquele com a melhor correlação, linear e espacial, para explicar a variabilidade da produtividade do feijoeiro. Foi instalada uma rede amostral, para a coleta de dados do solo e das plantas, com 135 pontos amostrais, em uma área de 7500 m². A produtividade de grãos de feijão (PG) representou o atributo da planta, enquanto os do solo foram: P, MO, pH, K, Ca, Mg, H+Al, S, T e o V%. Estabeleceram-se correlações lineares, simples e múltiplas, entre a PG e os atributos do solo. Foram modelados semivariogramas para todos os atributos, obtendo-se as respectivas krigagens e validações cruzadas. Também foram estabelecidas as co-krigagens entre a PG e os atributos do solo. em relação à produtividade de grãos de feijão, 22% da sua variação foram atribuídos à variação nos atributos químicos do solo. Tanto linear quanto espacialmente, o pH do solo foi bom indicador da produtividade de grãos de feijão quando cultivado sob sistema de semeadura direta.

Correlação linear entre componentes da produção e produtividade do arroz de terras altas em sistema plantio direto

The rice is one of the main sources of the humanity's feeding. During the agricultural year 2009/2010, in Selviria County, Mato Grosso do Sul State, in the Brazilian Savannah, an experiment was installed with rice upland in a Dystropherric Red Latosol (Typic Acrustox) under no-tillage, irrigated by central pivot, with the purpose of selecting the best components production to explain the variability the irrigated rice yield upland. The geostatistical grid was installed, to collect the data, with 120 sampling points, in an area of 3.0 ha and and homogeneous slope of 0.055 m m(-1). The medium rice yield was of the 5980 kg ha(-1). For the simple lineal regressions, the number of spikelets grenades for panicle presented the best direct potential correlation with the yield rice, given for: PGO = 115,5.NEG(0,770). However, for the multiple lineal regressions, the equation equacao PGO = 2754,30-411,55.NEG-461,07. NEC+436,59. NET it was the one that better she came to esteem the yield rice. However, spatial, it was not possible to establish correlation between the yield rice and the components production, once none of those it presented spatial dependence in their data.