Distribution pattern, surface tension and contact angle of herbicides associated to adjuvants on spraying and control of Ipomoea hederifolia under rainfall incidence

ABSTRACTScarlet Morning Glory is considered to be an infesting weed that affects several crops and causes serious damage. The application of chemical herbicides, which is the primary control method, requires a broad knowledge of the various characteristics of the solution and application technology for a more efficient phytosanitary treatment. Therefore this study aimed to characterize the effect of rainfall incidence on the control of Ipomoea hederifolia, considering droplet size, surface tension, contact angle of droplets formed by herbicides liquid on vegetal and artificial surfaces, associated to adjuvants and the volumetric distribution profile of the spray jet. The addition of the adjuvants to the herbicide spraying liquid improved the application quality, as it influenced the angle formed by the spray by broadening the deposition band of the spray nozzle and thus the possible distance between the nozzles on spray boom and due the changes at droplet size, which contribute to a safety application. The rainfall occurrence affected negatively the weed control with the different spraying liquids and also the dry matter weight, suggesting that the phytosanitary product applied was washed off.

Measuring the performance of corporate events : an empirical study of measuring practices in Finnish companies

Corporate events as an effective part of marketing communications strategy seem to be underestimated in Finnish companies. In the rest of the Europe and the USA, investments in events are increasing, and their share of the marketing budget is significant. The growth of the industry may be explained by the numerous advantages and opportunities that events provide for attendees, such as face-to-face marketing, enhancing corporate image, building relationships, increasing sales, and gathering information. In order to maximize these benefits and return on investment, specific measurement strategies are required, yet there seems to exist a lack of understanding of how event performance should be perceived or evaluated. To address this research gap, this research attempts to describe the perceptions of and strategies for evaluating corporate event performance in the Finnish events industry. First, corporate events are discussed in terms of definitions and characteristics, typologies, and their role in marketing communications. Second, different theories on evaluating corporate event performance are presented and analyzed. Third, a conceptual model is presented based on the literature review, which serves as a basis for the empirical research conducted as an online questionnaire. The empirical findings are to a great extent in line with the existing literature, suggesting that there remains a lack of understanding corporate event performance evaluation, and challenges arise in determining appropriate measurement procedures for it. Setting clear objectives for events is a significant aspect of the evaluation process, since the outcomes of events are usually evaluated against the preset objectives. The respondent companies utilize many of the individual techniques that were recognized in theory, such as calculating the number of sales leads and delegates. However, some of the measurement tools may require further investments and resources, thus restricting their application especially in smaller companies. In addition, there seems to be a lack of knowledge of the most appropriate methods in different contexts, which take into account the characteristics of the organizing party as well as the size and nature of the event. The lack of inhouse expertise enhances the need for third-party service-providers in solving problems of corporate event measurement.

Heavy Duty ilmarenkaiden hinnasto

kuv., 12 x 14 cm

Heavy Duty Speed Wagon

kuv., 10 x 23 cm

Vuosihuollon aikainen käyttöturvallisuus

Tässä työssä on tarkasteltu Suomessa käytössä olevien ydinvoimalaitosten vuosihuoltojen aikaista käyttöturvallisuutta yleisesti sekä arvioitu voimayhtiöiden vuosihuoltojen aikaisten häiriö- ja hätätilanteiden varalta laatimien ohjeiden kattavuutta. Kattavuuden arviointi suoritettiin tarkastelemalla seisokkitiloja käsitteleviä todennäköisyysperusteista riskianalyysia (PRA), lopullista turvallisuusselostetta (FSAR) ja turvallisuusteknisiä käyttöehtoja (TTKE). PRA:n mukaan Olkiluodon 1 ja 2 laitosyksiköiden sydänvauriotaajuudesta noin 25 % liittyy vuosihuollon aikaisiin alkutapahtumiin. Loviisan laitosyksiköillä vastaava osuus on noin 61 %. Merkittävimmät vuosihuoltojen aikaiset alkutapahtumat sydänvaurioriskin kannalta olivat Olkiluodossa tulipalot, jäähdytteen menetykset ja jälkilämmön poiston menetykset sekä Loviisassa raskaan taakan pudotukset, booripitoisuuden laimeneminen ja öljyonnettomuudet. Saatujen tulosten perusteella voitiin todeta, että voimayhtiöiden laatimat häiriö- ja hätätilanneohjeet olivat pääosiltaan asianmukaiset ja ne kattoivat hyvin erilaiset seisokin aikaiset alkutapahtumat. Tarkastelun perusteella tehtiin ohjeistoon muutamia parannusehdotuksia. Seisokkitiloja koskevat TTKE ja FSAR havaittiin asianmukaisiksi molemmilla tarkastelluilla laitoksilla.

Skill Development in Music Reading. The Eye-Movement Approach

This dissertation examined skill development in music reading by focusing on the visual processing of music notation in different music-reading tasks. Each of the three experiments of this dissertation addressed one of the three types of music reading: (i) sight-reading, i.e. reading and performing completely unknown music, (ii) rehearsed reading, during which the performer is already familiar with the music being played, and (iii) silent reading with no performance requirements. The use of the eye-tracking methodology allowed the recording of the readers’ eye movements from the time of music reading with extreme precision. Due to the lack of coherence in the smallish amount of prior studies on eye movements in music reading, the dissertation also had a heavy methodological emphasis. The present dissertation thus aimed to promote two major issues: (1) it investigated the eye-movement indicators of skill and skill development in sight-reading, rehearsed reading and silent reading, and (2) developed and tested suitable methods that can be used by future studies on the topic. Experiment I focused on the eye-movement behaviour of adults during their first steps of learning to read music notation. The longitudinal experiment spanned a nine-month long music-training period, during which 49 participants (university students taking part in a compulsory music course) sight-read and performed a series of simple melodies in three measurement sessions. Participants with no musical background were entitled as “novices”, whereas “amateurs” had had musical training prior to the experiment. The main issue of interest was the changes in the novices’ eye movements and performances across the measurements while the amateurs offered a point of reference for the assessment of the novices’ development. The experiment showed that the novices tended to sight-read in a more stepwise fashion than the amateurs, the latter group manifesting more back-and-forth eye movements. The novices’ skill development was reflected by the faster identification of note symbols involved in larger melodic intervals. Across the measurements, the novices also began to show sensitivity to the melodies’ metrical structure, which the amateurs demonstrated from the very beginning. The stimulus melodies consisted of quarter notes, making the effects of meter and larger melodic intervals distinguishable from effects caused by, say, different rhythmic patterns. Experiment II explored the eye movements of 40 experienced musicians (music education students and music performance students) during temporally controlled rehearsed reading. This cross-sectional experiment focused on the eye-movement effects of one-bar-long melodic alterations placed within a familiar melody. The synchronizing of the performance and eye-movement recordings enabled the investigation of the eye-hand span, i.e., the temporal gap between a performed note and the point of gaze. The eye-hand span was typically found to remain around one second. Music performance students demonstrated increased professing efficiency by their shorter average fixation durations as well as in the two examined eye-hand span measures: these participants used larger eye-hand spans more frequently and inspected more of the musical score during the performance of one metrical beat than students of music education. Although all participants produced performances almost indistinguishable in terms of their auditory characteristics, the altered bars indeed affected the reading of the score: the general effects of expertise in terms of the two eye- hand span measures, demonstrated by the music performance students, disappeared in the face of the melodic alterations. Experiment III was a longitudinal experiment designed to examine the differences between adult novice and amateur musicians’ silent reading of music notation, as well as the changes the 49 participants manifested during a nine-month long music course. From a methodological perspective, an opening to research on eye movements in music reading was the inclusion of a verbal protocol in the research design: after viewing the musical image, the readers were asked to describe what they had seen. A two-way categorization for verbal descriptions was developed in order to assess the quality of extracted musical information. More extensive musical background was related to shorter average fixation duration, more linear scanning of the musical image, and more sophisticated verbal descriptions of the music in question. No apparent effects of skill development were observed for the novice music readers alone, but all participants improved their verbal descriptions towards the last measurement. Apart from the background-related differences between groups of participants, combining verbal and eye-movement data in a cluster analysis identified three styles of silent reading. The finding demonstrated individual differences in how the freely defined silent-reading task was approached. This dissertation is among the first presentations of a series of experiments systematically addressing the visual processing of music notation in various types of music-reading tasks and focusing especially on the eye-movement indicators of developing music-reading skill. Overall, the experiments demonstrate that the music-reading processes are affected not only by “top-down” factors, such as musical background, but also by the “bottom-up” effects of specific features of music notation, such as pitch heights, metrical division, rhythmic patterns and unexpected melodic events. From a methodological perspective, the experiments emphasize the importance of systematic stimulus design, temporal control during performance tasks, and the development of complementary methods, for easing the interpretation of the eye-movement data. To conclude, this dissertation suggests that advances in comprehending the cognitive aspects of music reading, the nature of expertise in this musical task, and the development of educational tools can be attained through the systematic application of the eye-tracking methodology also in this specific domain.

Relationship between weight, age and hatching success and the concentration of heavy metals in nestling blue macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus Latham, 1790) in the Pantanal,Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract: The concentration of heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se and Zn) was evaluated in the blood of nestling blue macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) captured in the Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul (n=26) in 2012; this was based on the hypothesis that these birds exhibit levels of these heavy metals in their organism and that these interfere in hatching success, weight and age of the chicks. Blood samples were digested with nitric acid and hydrochloric acid and the quantification of metals was performed by ICP-OES (Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma). Blood samples of nestlings showed concentrations of Cr (0.10μg/g) Fe (3.06μg/g) Al (3.46μg/g), Cd (0.25μg/g) Cu (0.74μg/g), Mo (0.33μg/g), Ni (0.61μg/g), Se (0.98μg/g), and Zn (2.08μg/g). The levels of heavy metals found were not associated with weight, age and hatching success of the chicks.

Rainfall effect on dissipation and movement of diuron and simazine in a vineyard soil

From 2003 to 2007, a field study was performed in a vineyard in Chile to investigate diuron and simazine soil behavior and the effect of additional rainfall. Both herbicides were applied once a year at a rate of 2.0 kg ha-1 a.i. Herbicide concentrations in soil were measured at 0, 10, 20, 40, 90 and 340 days after application, under two pluviometric conditions, natural rainfall and natural rainfall plus irrigation with 180 mm of simulated rainfall during the first 90 days after application. Soil partition coefficient (Kd) varied in the soil profile (0 to 90 cm deep) from 6.75 to 2.04 mL g-1 and from 1.4 to 0.66 mL g-1 and the maximum soil adsorption capacity was approximately 18.3 mg g-1 and 8.3 mg g-1 for diuron and simazine, respectively. Diuron and simazine reached up to 90 and 120 cm of soil depth, with an average of 8.3% and 62.4% of herbicide moved below 15 cm in the soil, respectively. Simazine soil half-life (DT50) was 38.1 days and 7.5 days, whereas the half life for diuron varied from 68.0 and 24.6 for natural rainfall and irrigated, respectively. The average of residual simazine remaining in the whole soil profile after 90 DAA was 25.4% and 39.9% for diuron, with no effect of additional rainfall amount. At 340 DAA the amount of simazine in the whole soil profile corresponded to 13.2% of the initial amount applied, being diuron more persistent with 21.5% of the initial herbicide applied. The high movement in soil of both herbicides could be due to a non-equilibrium sorption process explained by preferential flow, low Kd and high desorption.

Leaching of Picloram in ultisol under different rainfall volumes

The present study aimed to evaluate the leaching potential of Picloram in Ultisol columns under different rainfall amounts. For such, 30 treatments were evaluated (one soil associated with three levels of rainfall and ten depths).The experiments were arranged in a split-plot design, in a completely randomized design, with four replications. PVC columns of 10 cm in diameter and 50 cm in length were filled with these soils, moistened, and placed upright for 48 hours to drain the excess water. The herbicide was applied and rainfall simulations were carried out at specified intensities, according to the treatments, to force Picloram leaching. After 72 hours, all the columns were arranged in a horizontal position and opened lengthwise. Then, soil sampling was carried out every 5 cm of depth for subsequent herbicide extraction and quantification and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography. The remaining soil samples were placed in plastic pots, and, at the respective depths, the indicator species Cucumis sativus was sown. Twenty-one days after the emergence (DAE) of the indicator plants, evaluations were conducted to verify the symptoms of toxicity caused by Picloram in the plants. It was concluded that Picloram leaching is directly dependent on the volume of rain applied. The herbicide reached the deepest regions in the soil with the highest intensity of rain. The results obtained by bioassay were in agreement with those found by liquid chromatography.

Prediction of market switching and delisting events from OMX First North Nordic multilateral stock exchange

This thesis studies the predictability of market switching and delisting events from OMX First North Nordic multilateral stock exchange by using financial statement information and market information from 2007 to 2012. This study was conducted by using a three stage process. In first stage relevant theoretical framework and initial variable pool were constructed. Then, explanatory analysis of the initial variable pool was done in order to further limit and identify relevant variables. The explanatory analysis was conducted by using self-organizing map methodology. In the third stage, the predictive modeling was carried out with random forests and support vector machine methodologies. It was found that the explanatory analysis was able to identify relevant variables. The results indicate that the market switching and delisting events can be predicted in some extent. The empirical results also support the usability of financial statement and market information in the prediction of market switching and delisting events.

Phenology, litterfall, growth, and root biomass in a tidal floodplain forest in the Amazon estuary

The dynamics of forests subject to inundation appears to be strongly influenced by the frequency and intensity of natural disturbances such as flooding. In a late successional tidal floodplain forest near the Amazon port of Belém, Brazil, we tested this prediction by measuring seasonal patterns of phenology and litterfall in relation to two key variables: rainfall and tide levels. In addition, we estimated the root biomass and the annual growth of the forest community by measuring stem increments over time. Our results showed high correlations between phenological events (flowering and fruiting) and rainfall and tide levels, while correlations between litterfall and these variations were generally weaker. Contrary to our prediction, root biomass to 1 m depth showed no significant differences along the topographic gradient, and the root biomass at all topographic levels was low to intermediate compared with other neotropical forests. Both litterfall and total stem increment were high compared to other tropical forest, indicating the high productivity of this ecosystem.

Rare adverse events associated with oral poliovirus vaccine in Brazil

Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) developed by A. Sabin has been effectively used to control poliomyelitis in Brazil, and the last case with the isolation of a wild poliovirus strain occurred in March 1989. Although the vaccine controlled the circulation of wild strains and poliomyelitis cases associated with these strains were not detected during the last eight years, rare cases classified as vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) have been detected. Molecular characterization studies of poliovirus strains isolated from VAPP cases and from healthy contacts have confirmed that the isolates are derived from the Sabin vaccine strains and also detected genomic modifications known or suspected to increase neurovirulence such as mutations and recombination. The molecular characterization of polioviruses isolated during the last eight years from paralysis cases classified as Guillain-Barré (GBS) syndrome and transverse myelitits (TM), and from facial paralysis (FP) cases also confirmed the vaccine origin of the strains and demonstrated mutations known to increase neurovirulence. Analysis of the epidemiologic data of these GBS, TM and FP cases demonstrated that in most of them the last OPV dose was given months or years before the onset of the disease and the isolation of the polioviruses. The temporal association between the isolation of these strains and the GBS, TM and FP suggested that the Sabin vaccine-derived poliovirus strains could also rarely trigger the diseases.

Comparison of AutoSetä and polysomnography for the detection of apnea-hypopnea events

The use of the flow vs time relationship obtained with the nasal prongs of the AutoSetä (AS) system (diagnosis mode) has been proposed to detect apneas and hypopneas in patients with reasonable nasal patency. Our aim was to compare the accuracy of AS to that of a computerized polysomnographic (PSG) system. The study was conducted on 56 individuals (45 men) with clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Their mean (± SD) age was 44.6 ± 12 years and their body mass index was 31.3 ± 7 kg/m2. Data were submitted to parametric analysis to determine the agreement between methods and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated. The Student t-test and Bland and Altman plots were also used. Twelve patients had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) <10 in bed and 20 had values >40. The mean (± SD) AHI PSG index of 37.6 (28.8) was significantly lower (P = 0.0003) than AHI AS (41.8 (25.3)), but there was a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.93), with 0.016 variance. For a threshold of AHI of 20, AS showed 73.0% accuracy, 97% sensitivity and 60% specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 78% and 93%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive values increased in parallel to the increase in AHI threshold for detecting OSA. However, when the differences of AHI PSG-AS were plotted against their means, the limits of agreement between the methods (95% of the differences) were +13 and -22, showing the discrepancy between the AHI values obtained with PSG and AS. Finally, cubic regression analysis was used to better predict the result of AHI PSG as a function of the method proposed, i.e., AHI AS. We conclude that, despite these differences, AHI measured by AutoSetä can be useful for the assessment of patients with high pre-test clinical probability of OSA, for whom standard PSG is not possible as an initial step in diagnosis.

Wine, alcohol and atherosclerosis: clinical evidences and mechanisms

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease which may cause obstructions of the coronary, cerebral and peripheral arteries. It is typically multifactorial, most often dependent on risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, sedentarism, and obesity. It is the single main cause of death in most developed countries due to myocardial infarction, angina, sudden death, and heart failure. Several epidemiological studies suggest that moderate alcohol intake, especially red wine, decrease cardiac mortality due to atherosclerosis. The alcohol effect is described by a J curve, suggesting that moderate drinkers may benefit while abstainers and heavy drinkers are at higher risk. Experimental studies indicate that most beneficial effects of drinking are attributable to flavonoids that are present in red wine, purple grape juice and several fruits and vegetables. The mechanisms include antiplatelet actions, increases in high-density lipoprotein, antioxidation, reduced endothelin-1 production, and increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression which causes augmented nitric oxide production by endothelial cells. These findings lead to the concept that moderate red wine drinking, in the absence of contraindications, may be beneficial to patients who are at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. Moreover, a diet based on fruits and vegetables containing flavonoids may be even more beneficial.