Structural change and productivity growth, 20 years later: old problems, new opportunities

Includes bibliography

Adhesion between fiber post and root dentin: evaluation of post surface conditioning for bond strength improvement.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate two surface conditioning methods associated with the application of adhesive on the post surface for improving the bond to resin cement. Sixty single-rooted bovine teeth were sectioned at 16 mm in length, prepared (9 mm depth), embedded in a PVC cylinder using acrylic resin, and allocated into 3 groups (N.=20) according to post surface treatment: cleaning with ethanol (control group); etching with hydrogen peroxide; etching with hydrofluoric acid. Ten posts for each group were silanized and other 10 posts were silanized and received an adhesive agent. The posts were cemented with self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U100 resin cement). All teeth were sectioned perpendicularly to the long axis (2 mm thickness per slice), submitted to push out bond strength testing and the type of failure was recorded. The obtained data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Turkey's test, with the level of significance set at 5%. Neither the hydrofluoric acid or hydrogen peroxide post surface treatment, nor the adhesive application, had an influence on bond strength values. The main type of failure was adhesive between cement and dentin. Etching and the application of an adhesive on the post surface did not presented a significant influence on the bond strength results for the fiber post resin cement-root dentin assembly. The cement appears to adhere very well to the fiber post surface rather than the dentin surface.

GRASP with evolutionary path-relinking for the capacitated arc routing problem

The Capacitated Arc Routing Problem (CARP) is a well-known NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem where, given an undirected graph, the objective is to find a minimum cost set of tours servicing a subset of required edges under vehicle capacity constraints. There are numerous applications for the CARP, such as street sweeping, garbage collection, mail delivery, school bus routing, and meter reading. A Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) with Path-Relinking (PR) is proposed and compared with other successful CARP metaheuristics. Some features of this GRASP with PR are (i) reactive parameter tuning, where the parameter value is stochastically selected biased in favor of those values which historically produced the best solutions in average; (ii) a statistical filter, which discard initial solutions if they are unlikely to improve the incumbent best solution; (iii) infeasible local search, where high-quality solutions, though infeasible, are used to explore the feasible/infeasible boundaries of the solution space; (iv) evolutionary PR, a recent trend where the pool of elite solutions is progressively improved by successive relinking of pairs of elite solutions. Computational tests were conducted using a set of 81 instances, and results reveal that the GRASP is very competitive, achieving the best overall deviation from lower bounds and the highest number of best solutions found. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intrusion detection system using optimum-path forest

Intrusion detection systems that make use of artificial intelligence techniques in order to improve effectiveness have been actively pursued in the last decade. Neural networks and Support Vector Machines have been also extensively applied to this task. However, their complexity to learn new attacks has become very expensive, making them inviable for a real time retraining. In this research, we introduce a new pattern classifier named Optimum-Path Forest (OPF) to this task, which has demonstrated to be similar to the state-of-the-art pattern recognition techniques, but extremely more efficient for training patterns. Experiments on public datasets showed that OPF classifier may be a suitable tool to detect intrusions on computer networks, as well as allow the algorithm to learn new attacks faster than the other techniques. © 2011 IEEE.

Optimum-Path Forest pruning parameter estimation through Harmony Search

Pattern recognition in large amount of data has been paramount in the last decade, since that is not straightforward to design interactive and real time classification systems. Very recently, the Optimum-Path Forest classifier was proposed to overcome such limitations, together with its training set pruning algorithm, which requires a parameter that has been empirically set up to date. In this paper, we propose a Harmony Search-based algorithm that can find near optimal values for that. The experimental results have showed that our algorithm is able to find proper values for the OPF pruning algorithm parameter. © 2011 IEEE.

New trends in musical genre classification using optimum-path forest

Musical genre classification has been paramount in the last years, mainly in large multimedia datasets, in which new songs and genres can be added at every moment by anyone. In this context, we have seen the growing of musical recommendation systems, which can improve the benefits for several applications, such as social networks and collective musical libraries. In this work, we have introduced a recent machine learning technique named Optimum-Path Forest (OPF) for musical genre classification, which has been demonstrated to be similar to the state-of-the-art pattern recognition techniques, but much faster for some applications. Experiments in two public datasets were conducted against Support Vector Machines and a Bayesian classifier to show the validity of our work. In addition, we have executed an experiment using very recent hybrid feature selection techniques based on OPF to speed up feature extraction process. © 2011 International Society for Music Information Retrieval.

Intrusion detection in computer networks using optimum-path forest clustering

Nowadays, organizations face the problem of keeping their information protected, available and trustworthy. In this context, machine learning techniques have also been extensively applied to this task. Since manual labeling is very expensive, several works attempt to handle intrusion detection with traditional clustering algorithms. In this paper, we introduce a new pattern recognition technique called Optimum-Path Forest (OPF) clustering to this task. Experiments on three public datasets have showed that OPF classifier may be a suitable tool to detect intrusions on computer networks, since it outperformed some state-of-the-art unsupervised techniques. © 2012 IEEE.

Life mode of in situ Conularia in a Middle Devonian epibole

Exceptionally abundant specimens of Conularia aff. desiderata Hall occur in multiple marine obrution deposits, in a single sixth-order parasequence composed of argillaceous and silty very fine sandstone, in the Otsego Member of the Mount Marion Formation (Middle Devonian, Givetian) in eastern New York State, USA. Associated fossils consist mostly of rhynchonelliform brachiopods but also include bivalve molluscs, orthoconic nautiloids, linguliform brachiopods and gastropods. Many of the brachiopods, bivalve molluscs and conulariids have been buried in situ. Conulariids buried in situ are oriented with their aperture facing obliquely upward and with their long axis inclined at up to 87degree to bedding. Most specimens are solitary, but some occur in V-like pairs or in radial clusters consisting of three specimens, with the component specimens being about equally long or (less frequently) substantially different in length. The compacted apical end of Conularia buried in situ generally rests upon argillaceous sandstone. With one possible exception, none of the examined specimens terminates in a schott (apical wall), and internal schotts appear to be absent. The apical ends of specimens in V-like pairs and radial clusters show no direct evidence of interconnection of their periderms. The apical, middle or apertural region of some inclined specimens abuts or is in close lateral proximity to a recumbent conulariid or to one or more spiriferid brachiopods, some of which have been buried in their original life orientation. The azimuthal bearings of Conularia and nautiloid long axes and the directions in which conulariids open are nonrandom, with conulariids being preferentially aligned between 350 and 50degree and with their apertural end facing north-east, and nautiloids being preferentially aligned between 30 and 70degree. Otsego Member Conularia were erect or semi-erect, epifaunal or partially infaunal animals, the apical end of which rested upon very fine bottom sediment. The origin of V-like pairs and radial clusters remains enigmatic, but it is probable that production of schotts was not a regular feature of this animal's life history. Finally, conulariids and associated fauna were occasionally smothered by distal storm deposits, under the influence of relatively weak bottom currents. © The Palaeontological Association.

A method for the geometric standardization of intraoral radiographs for long-term follow up of replanted teeth: A case report

The interpretation of the set of radiographs taken during the follow-up period after tooth replantation might pose several difficulties, especially the inability to adequately reproduce the projection geometry of the exposures. This article describes a method for the geometric standardization of intraoral radiographs using a custom-made apparatus comprising a film-holder attached to an occlusal splint for the long-term follow up of dentoalveolar trauma. The method was applied in a patient who suffered an avulsion of the maxillary central incisors and had the teeth replanted after 4 h in saline storage. Endodontic treatment started 7 days after the trauma with changes of a calcium hydroxide intracanal medication every 15 days in the first 2 months and thereafter at 30-day intervals for 8 months. Root canal filling was carried out after this period. The radiographic exposures taken at the follow-up visits were standardized to identify the possible alterations during the repair process, such as root resorptions. A maxillary arch impression was made with alginate, and the model was cast in stone for fabrication of an acetate occlusal splint. The custom-made apparatus used for standardization of the radiographic exposures was fabricated by fixing a Rinn X-C-P film-holder and a 5-mm-long piece of 0.7-mm orthodontic wire to the occlusal splint with autopolymerized acrylic resin. Radiographs were taken at 4-month intervals, starting 10 months after replantation up to 76 months. The images were digitized and analysed using the Digora system. The length of the central incisors was determined to verify the reproduction of the projection geometry of the exposures and the orthodontic wire served to assess accuracy during length estimations in the radiographs. The method described in this article for geometric standardization of intraoral radiographs provided a consistent reproduction of the geometric exposure parameters, being indicated for use in the radiographic follow up of cases of dentoalveolar trauma. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Propagation of Camptosema grandiflorum native to Brazil by seeds and cuttings

Camptosema grandiflorum Benth., belonging to Fabaceae, is a voluble climber plant native to Brazil. Plants bloom in autumn-winter, producing long and hanging inflorescences with showy red flowers, which are much visited by hummingbirds. The leaves are also attractive, composed by three leaflets. It can be propagated by seeds or cuttings, but both seed germination and cutting rooting percentages are very low. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the effect of different temperatures on seed germination and of different indolebutyric acid (IBA) concentrations on the rooting of cuttings of C. grandiflorum. The experiment was set up at the São Paulo State University, located in Jaboticabal, São Paulo State, Brazil. The germination study was conducted in an entirely randomized design with six different temperatures (constant at 20, 25, 30 and 35°C; and alternated at 20-30 and 25-35°C, with a photoperiod of 12 hours) and four replications of 25 seeds each, placed in plastic boxes with vermiculite. The percentage of germination and the speed germination index (SGI) were evaluated. An entirely randomized block design was adopted for the cutting rooting evaluation, with four IBA concentrations (0; 1,000; 2,000; and 3,000 mg kg-1) and five replications of ten cuttings each, comprising 200 cuttings. After 30 days from the beginning of the rooting experiment, data referring to rooting percentage, number and length of roots and dry weight of roots were collected. For the seed germination experiment, fastest germination and highest germination percentage (87%) were obtained when seeds were maintained under the constant temperature of 30°C. For the cutting experiment, the concentrations of 2,000 and 3,000 mg kg-1 of IBA promoted the highest rooting percentages (98.5 and 94.1%, respectively) and number of roots. There were no statistical differences among the IBA concentrations for length of roots and dry weight of roots.

Small-angle X-ray scattering and structural modeling of full-length: Cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma harzianum

Cellobiohydrolases hydrolyze cellulose releasing cellobiose units. They are very important for a number of biotechnological applications, such as, for example, production of cellulosic ethanol and cotton fiber processing. The Trichoderma cellobiohydrolase I (CBH1 or Cel7A) is an industrially important exocellulase. It exhibits a typical two domain architecture, with a small C-terminal cellulose-binding domain and a large N-terminal catalytic core domain, connected by an O-glycosylated linker peptide. The mechanism by which the linker mediates the concerted action of the two domains remains a conundrum. Here, we probe the protein shape and domain organization of the CBH1 of Trichoderma harzianum (ThCel7A) by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and structural modeling. Our SAXS data shows that ThCel7A linker is partially-extended in solution. Structural modeling suggests that this linker conformation is stabilized by inter- and intra-molecular interactions involving the linker peptide and its O-glycosylations. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Caracterização morfológica e atributos de qualidade dos frutos de acessos de bananeira em clima subtropical

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cinética de sinterização do combustível nuclear 'UO IND. 2.'7%'Gd IND.2''O IND. 3': cálculo da curva mestre de sinterização

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

A pesca artesanal da frota de Mosqueiro (Belém - Pará) e o uso do ambiente pela dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii-Castelnau, 1855)

Dentre os entrepostos pesqueiros artesanais do estuário Amazônico, a ilha de Mosqueiro, localizada ao sul da Baía do Marajó, tem importância na atividade pesqueira do Estado e por estar próximo de um terminal de cargas (Terminal de Miramar), a iminência de um desastre ambiental é constante. Entretanto, não existem informações detalhadas sobre a produção pesqueira nesta área e nem tão pouco do uso que espécies com importância comercial desembarcadas na ilha, como a dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), utilizam este ambiente. Com o objetivo de descrever a atividade pesqueira e o uso do ambiente pela dourada, foram acompanhados os desembarques na ponte do Cajueiro (Mosqueiro) no período de dezembro de 2005 a novembro de 2006. Adicionalmente foram realizados cadastros das embarcações pesqueiras utilizando-se fichas especializadas e coletores treinados da própria comunidade. O índice de abundância relativa CPUE kg/viagem) foi utilizado para identificação da concentração das espécies mais importantes e seu período de safra, dinâmica da frota, principais pesqueiros e renda. Quanto à dourada, 30 exemplares foram coletados junto à pesca comercial de Mosqueiro no período de dezembro de 2005 a agosto de 2006. Os exemplares foram pesados e medidos e as gônadas foram retiradas com o objetivo de se avaliar o uso do ambiente para reprodução. Foram cadastradas 128 embarcações pesqueiros sendo os barcos de pequeno porte os mais representativos seguidos das canoas motorizadas. Observaram-se diferenças tecnológicas entre as categorias de embarcações, exceto quanto ao comprimento do barco, produção média mensal e a capacidade da urna. As embarcações de médio porte apresentaram maior número de tripulantes e dias pescando, contudo realizam menor número de viagens por mês em relação às outras categorias. As redes de emalhar são as artes de pesca mais utilizadas na área, sendo as malhas de maior ocorrência as de 50, 60 e 70 mm (entre nós opostos). Os barcos de médio porte possuem os maiores comprimentos de rede em relação às outras categorias. As principais espécies capturadas foram a pescada branca (Plagioscion squamosissimus), a pescada curuca (Plagioscion urinamensis), a dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) e a sarda (Pellona spp.). Durante o período de estudo, as embarcações da ponte do Cajueiro atuaram principalmente em pesqueiros próximos a ilha de Mosqueiro durante o período de safra das principais espécies (de maio a dezembro) e se deslocando para a região de Marudá durante a entresafra (janeiro a abril) seguindo, principalmente, os cardumes de dourada. Os períodos de maior abundância relativa foram o primeiro e quarto trimestre para as canoas motorizadas e os barcos de pequeno porte respectivamente. Os pesqueiros de Ponta Fina e Areia do Cotijuba apresentaram as maiores abundâncias relativas anuais com a captura principal de dourada e pescada curuca, respectivamente. A dourada foi regular durante todo o ano com maior abundância em Ponta Fina e em dezembro. A pescada curuca apresentou maior abundância em Areia do Cotijuba e pico ocorrendo no mês de setembro enquanto que a pescada branca apresentou maior abundância em Marudá (98kg/viagem) com pico ocorrendo em setembro. A sarda ocorreu com abundância em Enseada e pico em junho. Na ilha de Mosqueiro foi estimada uma produção de aproximadamente 1.000 toneladas de peixes capturados, gerando uma renda aproximada de R$ 3 milhões para o distrito. Os barcos de pequeno porte contribuíram com 42% da produção total e com 61% da renda. A pescada branca contribuiu com 26% da produção total e a dourada contribuiu com 35% da renda, sendo considerada o recurso mais rentável na ilha. Quanto à dourada, os indivíduos amostrados mediam de 27 a 100 cm de comprimento total, sendo a maior ocorrência de indivíduos ocorrendo na classe de 50 a 60 cm. A proporção sexual foi favorável as fêmeas (1:2,2 macho:fêmea) que foram mais numerosas na maioria das classes de comprimento e em todos os meses, exceto em fevereiro. Á área de mosqueiro não se configura como uma área de reprodução para a espécie, mas caracteriza-se como uma área de berçário e alimentação. No caso de um possível desastre ambiental acarretaria uma perda de aproximadamente 1.000 toneladas de pescado e de uma renda de R$ 3 milhões no setor pesqueiro da ilha de Mosqueiro. Adicionalmente, um impacto ambiental nesta área poderia afetar principalmente a população jovem de dourada causando assim efeitos danosos à longo prazo no que se diz respeito à captura e rentabilidade da área.

Estudo de marattiales da Floresta Petrificada do Tocantins Setentrional (Permiano, Bacia do Parnaíba)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)